A Treacherous Killer-Dark Bratva Romance

twenty eight

Nadia

I bid Simon goodnight after he drops me back at Maks's place. I was still reeling from our conversation and what it would mean if I actually moved out of my parents house.

I wouldn't ever have to sit through another miserable dinner with my parents while they nitpicked everything little thing I did. I wouldn't have to have lunch with Yeseniya and Lena at the country club and pretend to care about what they were spouting.

I could live my life for me instead of what my parents deemed appropriate. It wasn't just something I could decide overnight though. I had spent the last twenty years of my life under their scrutiny. It would be hard for me to let go, but it wasn't a dangerous thought to consider.

I enter into the lobby and find Denis in his usual spot sitting behind his desk with his nose in a book. "Good evening Ms. Mirsky. You've got your work cut out for you again tonight it seems," he exclaims.

"Maks?" I question, feeling my heart rate pick up.

"Yes, he came through about fifteen minutes ago, bleeding all over the place. I asked if he needed me to call someone but he declined. I'm assuming he's been waiting on you."

What has he done now? I quickly press the elevator button and rush inside as soon as the doors open. I gasp as my foot slides on something wet, I glance down and find big drops of blood on the floor of the elevator.

A sinking feeling forms in the pit of my gut as I try to not picture the worst. When the doors open I find a trail of blood on the floor that disappear on the area rug in the living room. I walk further into the room only to find Maks lying limply on the couch.

"Maks!" I exclaim running over to him. He's shirtless, his whole upper body is coated in sweat. There's a deep gash on his upper arm, blood seeps out of it and drips on the dark fabric of the couch. I reach over and turn the lamp beside the couch on to see him better.

His eyes flutter open but he doesn't say anything, he just stares at me with a blank expression. "How was dinner?" He asks, his voice monotone.

"Are you serious?" I ask incredulously.

"What?" He actually has the audacity to look confused at my reaction.

"You're bleeding!" I exclaim. "What the hell happened?"

"Your boyfriend happened." He bites.

"What?" Emil did this? "How?" I ask breathless.

"I broke into his house and he found out. He blindsided me in the parking garage and stabbed me," he says, his expression impassive.

"You broke into his house?" I demand. I had been kneeling on the floor before him but I get to my feet, suddenly too full of buzzing energy to be sitting still. I think of the call Emil had received at dinner, was it then that he realized Maks had broken in?

"I was trying to find something on him. He's hiding something and I wanted to find out what it was."

"So you hatched up some plan to break into his house while he was out to dinner with me and family?" I ask disbelievingly.

"Yes," he says nonchalantly.

I pace the floor, running my hands through my long curls. "Did you find anything?" I can't believe I'm even entertaining him right now. If Emil tells my father what Maks did, my father will try to kill him.

"Only this." Maks reaches into the pocket of his pants and produces a photo. He holds it out to me and I snatch it from him. It's wrinkled and has blood spots on it but looks like a regular photograph.