Page 50 of Bratva’s Vow (Bratva’s Undoing #2)
“And just like that, it all makes sense,” Darius said drily. “What are we going to do about him?”
“This is heavy,” Sergei said. “We have to be sure. Archie’s been with you longer than anyone else, Maxim. He would never hurt you.”
“But he tried to hurt Wren, and that’s unacceptable.” I clenched my hands into fists against my thighs. “I was a fool. I was so fucking caught up in giving Wren some freedom so he doesn’t hate me to be vigilant. Pilar is behind this. Even if not Archie, then she’s working for someone else.”
How I would love nothing more than for Archie not to be involved, but Sergei was right. Archie would never hurt me. He never had any intention to harm me. All along, he wanted to get rid of Wren .
“I need you to find Pilar before she’s dead.”
“You think he’ll kill her?” Darius asked.
“Vova. Stone. Those guys we found dead in their apartment. I’d bet my life on it.”
“And what do we do about Archie?” Sergei started the car.
“Keep a tail on him. I want to know his every move. As soon as we have Pilar, we’ll confirm and take him in.”
My stomach felt hollow. Friends weren’t meant to be killed by you, but that was exactly what Archie was forcing me to do. If he had a hand in poisoning Wren and killing Vova, I would tear him limb from limb.
The walk back through the hospital’s corridors felt longer this time, as if the weight of every decision I’d made had crawled into my chest and anchored itself there.
Nik was alert as ever, eyes sweeping the hallway before I even stepped into the waiting room.
I nodded at him. “Might as well take Jess home. If I have news, I’ll call her.”
“I have someone en route to pick her up and take her home. I’ll stay here with you. Jess and I already talked about it.”
“It’s not my life on the line. You don’t have to stay.” I ran a hand over my jaw, the stubble rough under my palm.
If Archie wanted me dead, he could have done so already, and I would never have known.
I was still alive because it wasn’t me he was after.
He wanted Wren out of my life. Why hadn’t I seen the signs?
No, that wasn’t right. Whenever he made negative comments about Wren, I’d shaken them off as Archie being his usual grumpy self.
“I’m staying.” His tone didn’t waver. “And it’s partly for you, but mostly for Wren.
I’m not leaving him unprotected. He means a lot to me too, Maxim.
When you fired me, he hired me back despite knowing you might object.
Next to you, I spend the most time with him, and he’s a good kid.
He doesn’t deserve this. I knew he’s been getting sick, and I should have suspected something, should have insisted he visit the hospital sooner even though he said it wasn’t to serious.
Then maybe they would have caught it before it got this bad. ”
I stared at him, something thick rising in my throat.
“He’s going to be fine,” I whispered. He had to be.
I couldn’t go back to an empty existence without Wren.
In fact, it wouldn’t be empty with his ghost always present with me until I eventually took my useless life.
What purpose did I have without him? There would be nothing to live for.
Nik stepped closer to me and dropped his voice. “I asked Darius to swing by the house. Pack your toiletries and a change of clothing.”
My breath caught.
He got it. Without being told, without any explanation, Nik understood what I hadn't even admitted out loud. I wasn’t leaving Wren’s side. Not tonight. Not until this was over. Not until the doctors reassured me that he would be okay.
I nodded, the words slow to form. “Thanks.”
Nik clapped me on the shoulder. “He’s gonna pull through.” But he sounded as if he was reassuring himself more than me.
Taking a deep breath, I returned to Wren’s room. The door opened with a muted click. Jess stood at his bedside, gently stroking his arm, her eyes rimmed red. As I entered, she looked up, forcing a small, tight smile.
“He’s awake,” she whispered, relief and grief tangled in her voice. “Sort of. A little out of it, but he’s been asking nonstop for you.”
I crossed the room without a word, my gaze never leaving Wren. Jess squeezed my hand, then brushed past me, murmuring, “I’ll be outside. ”
“Thank you,” I said, uncertain she even heard me.
Wren shifted, eyes half-lidded and glazed with exhaustion. His lips parted like he was struggling to breathe. The oxygen cannula twitched with each shallow inhale.
He turned his head, and for a moment—just a breath—those hazel eyes focused on me.
“Max…” His voice was paper-thin, barely more than a breath.
I took his hand gently in mine, careful not to disturb the IV.
“I’m here, solnyshko. I’m not going anywhere.”
His eyes fluttered shut, then opened again, brows furrowing faintly. “I… I ruined the site visit.”
I choked out a broken laugh. “You’re in the ICU, and you’re worried about a class trip?”
His lips pulled into the barest, weakest ghost of a smile. “Supposed… to feel proud while everyone admired your work. That you’re mine, even if they don’t know it.”
“Well, they all know it now.” I leaned in, brushing my thumb along the back of his knuckles. “You’ve been downplaying just how much you’ve been hurting this past week, haven’t you?”
“I’m sorry.” He blinked slowly, and his voice was cracked and wheezy. “Felt bad… didn’t want to scare you. You’ve had so much on your plate. With Vova… Just kept thinking… maybe if I didn’t say it out loud, it would stop.”
“You should’ve told me.”
“I know.” His gaze drifted, unfocused again. “Felt… like fire in my veins earlier. Now I’m so… cold.”
I gripped his hand tighter.
“Your team is working on it. The doctor’s doing tests. We’re going to get you through this. There’s only one way to come out of this, Wren, and that’s okay. Do you hear me?”
“It hurts so bad. ”
My eyes burned, and my chest ached from seeing him in so much pain. I fought to swallow down the knot in my throat. “Wren…”
“Hmm?”
I kissed his forehead. “This is the best version of me. When I’m with you. You don’t want me to go back to the way I was before I met you, do you?”
He squeezed my hand. “You’re Maxim Morozov,” he mumbled, lips barely moving. “Bratva Pakhan. You don’t need me. I’m nobody.”
A tear slipped from his closed eyes. His lips moved like he wanted to continue, but no sound came out. Just the soft rasp of breath, labored and thin. A tremor ran through his fingers. I didn’t let go.
His eyelids fluttered once. And again. Then stayed closed.
I sat there, watching the rise and fall of his chest, one hand curled gently over his as if that alone could anchor him to this world.
“You’re wrong, kroshka. I need you more than the air I breathe.” Because breathing was supposed to be normal, but since Wren had collapsed, every breath was a painful drag into my lungs. Like I was inhaling grief.
“I built an empire, buried many enemies, but none of it ever made me feel like a person. Not until you.” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care.
Let the whole damn hospital hear how weak I was for him.
The one important thing was for him to know I was nothing without him. “You made a man out of a monster.”
I wiped over the back of his hand, over the ridge of his knuckles, memorizing him in case?—
No.
There could be no in case .
“I don’t know how to live without you.” I leaned in and pressed my forehead to his. “So don’t you dare let go. Don’t you fucking dare, or it’ll be two lives lost in this room.”
His hand twitched faintly in mine, and I clung to it like a lifeline. Like if I held on tightly enough, the universe would listen. Would understand this was the one thing I couldn’t lose. That it could take everything and everyone away from me. Except him. Never him.
“You said I’m a Pakhan,” I whispered, my breath mingling with his. “But the only title that matters to me is yours , Wren. Don’t you know that? How can you be a nobody? I’m a weapon only you get to wield. I should be terrified of the day you realize just what you can get me to do for you.”
I wanted to say more. That I loved him. That he was everything I never knew I needed until the moment he stumbled into my life with his disdain for me breaking lines and his low motivation in life.
But the words caught on the lump in my throat.
So I held his hand. Watched him struggle to breathe.
And begged the universe for one more chance to tell him all of it.