Page 78 of Vows of Blood
He nods. He’s not really looking at me. He’s looking at Alexei with slightly narrowed eyes as if waiting for him to try something with him. I hope he doesn’t. I don’t want to see Alexei get hurt.
“You must know that I am aware of your attempts at leaving him. Very ballsy. Disruption of your father’s plans for your own personal freedom. I guess it runs in the family. Too bad your sister succeeded where you didn’t.”
I look over at Alexei and my heart gets heavy. Why did Maxim have to bring that up? “You know about that, huh?”
“Yes,” he responds with a laugh. “As I was explaining to my son, nothing happens in this family that I am not aware of. It’s part of being a good boss.” He tilts his head to Alexei. “Now that your wife is here, we can be civil, yes?”
Alexei nods. A simple move of his head, but nothing more.
To me, Maxim says, “I want to offer you a chance to finally be free of this arrangement. As I’m sure you’re well aware of by this point, your father and I are no longer allies, so there is no reason for you and my son to remain married. I can arrange for an annulment with no cost to you. All you would need to do is walk away.”
I blink. “Walk away? Just like that? Wherever I want? And you won’t send your people after me?”
“No,” he says. “I’ll even fund your escape if that’s what you wish. Though I would strongly advise that you stay away from your father and the rest of your family for a while as I cannot guarantee your safety if you should decide to return to him.”
My heart is thumping as my hand automatically goes to my stomach. “What about Alexei? Will he be free to come with me?”
“Oh, no,” he says with a laugh. “Alexei still has unfinished business to attend to. I wouldn’t count on his joining you.”
I swallow hard. “Does that mean you plan on killing him?”
“Whether he lives or dies is no longer your concern.”
I look over at Alexei and get nothing from his face. He doesn’t look fearful or nervous. It’s almost like he’s expecting all this. Like it was discussed before I got here.
And now, here Maxim is, offering me a chance to leave. I think about my father and how he was unwilling to try and help me save Alexei even if it would end this war. Maybe it was never on me to try and bring an end to it. Gangsters are going to be gangsters, after all.
If that’s why Alexei came here, it’s pretty clear that he’s failed. At least he won’t have to worry about me if I take Maxim’s deal.
And at least my baby will be safe.Goddammit, Alexei, why couldn’t you have chosen me in the first place? We could be halfway across the world. Now, I might have to decide to leave without you.
I said I would if he wanted to stay and I meant it. He’s got a gun to his chest, now. I suppose he wasn’t wrong about trying to get out of the family.
“What do you say?” said Maxim. “You get to leave this arrangement smelling like a rose.”
“Why?” I ask him. “Why would you help me leave?”
“I’m nothing if not generous,” he says, and I immediately know that’s bullshit. This is about something else. Maybe he doesn’t want to kill me in front of his son. Maybe he doesn’t think enough of me to waste the effort.
“Take the deal,” Maxim says. “I won’t offer it again.”
I look to Alexei and my heart sinks even further. If only he loved me enough to come with me.
He crosses his arms, blue eyes turning to stone as he glares at Maxim. “She’s not going anywhere,” he says.
“That’s not your decision.”
“She’s my wife and she belongs with me.”
I’m stunned. Alexei is looking at him as though he has the upper hand. He’s not backing down.
And Maxim looks just as stunned as I do. He glares at him with wide eyes, as blue as his son’s. “Excuse me?”
“If the offer is for her to leave, then I’m going with her.”
He laughed. “That is very courageous of you, but you know that option has never been available to you.”
“Then why would it be available to her?” he asks. “She’s been my wife, and by proxy, part of this brotherhood, for all this time and you would just set her free? The moment she walks out of this house, you’ll have her killed and we both know it.”
