Page 4 of Bratva’s Vow (Bratva’s Undoing #2)

“Dance. Or I shoot.”

Darius groaned. “You people are unwell.”

“Darius,” Jess called from across the map, “just do the worm!”

And he did. The man dropped to the ground and awkwardly wormed his way down the ramp while Maxim and I howled with laughter. I might’ve accidentally tagged him while he was flopping, but I called it “mercy.”

“I did the worm for nothing,” Darius muttered as he rolled onto his back, vest blinking. “You two are evil.”

“All’s fair in love and war.” I beamed. “And this is a war I want to win.”

After that, Jess declared herself “Queen of the North Ramparts” and stood on a high platform spouting nonsense that she had the best aim and best ass in the game, daring anyone to try and dethrone her.

Sergei, still taking it way too seriously, tried climbing the side to ambush her and got pelted from two directions.

Maxim was laughing, warm and unguarded, his eyes fixed on me in a way that made everything in my chest bloom. For a few precious moments, it was just us being goofy and loud and in love.

I scampered toward a ramp with Maxim close behind. We moved like a unit, slipping around corners and crouching behind thick crates painted in graffiti-style sigils.

Nik came out of nowhere, guns blazing. I shrieked and dropped into a roll that felt way more action movie than real life, firing back on instinct. His vest lit up with a bright flash of blue.

Direct hit.

“Oh hell yes!” I fist-pumped.

“Okay,” Sergei’s voice crackled through the comms, “he might be useful after all.”

“You’re damn right I am!”

Maxim leaned in. “Nice shot, solnyshko.”

I beamed at him, heat crawling up my neck. “Thanks. Told you I wasn’t just a pretty face.”

“I’d like you anyway if you were just a pretty face.”

“Fucking hell, you two. Now’s not the time for all that lovey dovey crap. Save it for after we win, will ya?”

“Sorry.”

The game stretched on like a pulse-pounding dream. I caught Jess trying to ambush us near the reactor tunnel and managed to tag her before she ducked out of sight. Darius was sneakier, somehow always popping up behind me, only to get blasted by Sergei or Maxim before he could pull the trigger.

By round two, I was sweaty, out of breath, and completely high on adrenaline. I’d never had so much fun in my life.

We regrouped briefly behind a barricade shaped like a crashed spacecraft. Maxim leaned back against it, panting lightly as he watched the upper level.

“I think Nik’s circling to the south wall,” he said .

“I can go check.” I already stepped away.

“Stay close.”

I waved him off. “I’ll be quick.”

I darted down the side passage, gripping my laser rifle tightly. The corridor narrowed into a maze of glowing crates and thin fog. Faint laughter and footsteps drifted on and off, but the arena distorted sound in weird ways. It was hard to tell who was where.

“Wren!”

I froze.

Maxim’s voice.

It echoed through the space like a low growl, full of urgency.

“Wren, where are you?”

I crouched beside a barrel, heart hammering. I didn’t respond. Not because I was scared, but because I didn’t want to give away my location to Nik or Jess. They were definitely still out there, and I was pretty sure I was winning.

“Wren! Kroshka!”

That one was closer. Sharper. More panicked.

I hesitated.

Maxim appeared, half running, his rifle swinging from his vest. The moment he saw me, he exhaled sharply and crossed the distance in two long strides.

“I’ve been calling for you,” he said, voice low and tight.

“I heard you, but—” I shrugged. “I didn’t want to give away my position.”

“Jesus, Wren.” He grabbed my face, brushing his thumbs along my jaw as if needing to confirm I was still breathing. “You disappeared. I couldn’t find you.”

“I’m fine. Why are you freaking out? We’re so close to winning.”

Maxim didn’t even crack a smile. “We have a slight problem. We need to end the game early. ”

I blinked. “What? Why?”

He didn’t answer right away, just pulled me closer. “Just trust me, okay?”

The urgency in his tone made me nod. He grabbed my hand and hustled me back through the blue corridor toward the prep room.

When we emerged from the arena, the others were already there except for Sergei. Jess perched on a bench chugging water. Nik and Darius talking quietly near the lockers.

I frowned. “Wait… when did you all get here?”

“Not too long ago,” Jess said.

“But where’s Sergei?” Did he not realize the game had ended? I was so confused.

Nik glanced at Maxim, then back at me. “He hurt himself. One of the fake wall panels gave way, and he twisted his leg.”

Oh. So that was the reason the game ended early. “Is he okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” Maxim said quickly. “He’s being attended to now. I’m going to check on him. Nik, take Jess and Wren and head back to the apartment. We’ll catch up with you there.”

I stared at him. This didn’t make any sense at all. “Can’t we wait for you? We can go together.”

Maxim looked at me—really looked at me—and for a second something flickered behind his eyes. Not panic, exactly. Something darker. More calculating.

“Please, Wren. Now’s not the time to argue with me. Go with Jess and Nik. We won’t be far behind you.”

My stomach twisted. I hated it when he got mysterious like this. Why couldn’t he be straightforward with me?

“Okay.”

He leaned in, kissed my forehead, then turned away.

As Nik guided Jess and me toward the exit, I glanced back. A red streak ran down the side of Maxim’s sleeve. Faint, but there. Not ketchup. Not paint. It looked too real.

Was that… blood?

I shivered and clutched my vest tighter.

Once again, I felt like I was being left in the dark. Like something had happened—something I wasn’t meant to see—and the people I trusted were making damn sure I didn’t.

“Come on, Wren.” Jess grabbed my arm and tugged me after her.