Page 58 of Bratva’s Vow (Bratva’s Undoing #2)

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

WREN

M axim helped me to the bathroom like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like we hadn’t skipped over the honeymoon phase and jumped straight into “assisted urination” on the relationship timeline.

“I can do it,” I mumbled, even as he kept an arm locked around my waist. The truth was, I probably couldn’t.

My legs still wobbled like overcooked noodles, and everything took three times as much effort.

But it felt important to pretend I had some dignity left, even if I was rocking a hospital gown with an open back and no underwear.

“You said that yesterday,” Maxim said, steady as ever, “then tried to sit on the lid when your legs gave out.”

“One time! It happened one time.”

“One time too many.”

He helped lower me onto the seat, warm hand braced gently at the back of my neck. Then he stepped back like a gentleman to let me pee in peace.

Everything hurt. Everything was slow. But when I finally finished, I felt lighter, like my bladder wasn’t being crushed by the weight of the world anymore.

Maxim stepped back in to help me stand. He wrapped his arm around me again, one big palm firm against my chest as he used the other to adjust the back of my gown.

Then it happened.

Not a full-on erection. But enough of one it twitched awake between my thighs—lazy, curious, like it was wondering where the hell it had been for the last week.

Maxim noticed instantly.

“Wren,” he groaned, stepping back to give me space. “Are you seriously getting hard right now?”

I looked down. Grinned. “Oh. Well. Hello, friend.”

Maxim dragged a hand over his face. “I just helped you pee. Why are you hard?”

“You’ve got muscular arms. You held me real close. The math maths.”

He gave me a dry look. “You're unbelievable.”

“I’ve been sick for almost two weeks,” I said, half whining, half triumphant. “There were so many tubes and needles in me I thought my dick had gone into permanent retirement. This is a celebration .”

“I’m glad to see your priorities are in order.”

“I’m glad to see him in order. For a minute there, I thought I’d become a walking Fleshlight, only for your pleasure and none of my own.”

At the sink, I washed my hands while he supported me from behind. My eyes met his in the mirror. I wasn’t the only one hard.

“I thought you liked it when I used you only for my pleasure,” he whispered in my ear, his voice raspy and only making my erection worse.

“I do, but sometimes a boy wants to come too.” I bit my bottom lip. “Make me come? The gown already opens in the back.”

“What do you take me for?” His scowl deepened. “You’re in the hospital. I’m not going to fuck you when you’re as weak as a lamb, but I can help a little.”

Maxim spat on his hand, slipped it beneath the gown, and cupped my erection at the base.

“Maxim.” I clutched the cold porcelain of the sink.

My knees buckled, but his arm around my waist held me steady, anchored me. His grip was firm and knowing, thumb rubbing over the sensitive ridge. Every movement of his hand was unhurried, careful.

My head lolled back against his chest. I couldn’t stop the breathy sounds slipping out of me, couldn’t pretend this wasn’t the most alive I’d felt since I fell sick.

“Fuck,” I gasped. “You make it feel like worship.”

Maxim’s mouth brushed my ear. “That’s exactly what it is.”

He pressed closer, his voice low and hot and sinful. “When you’re better, I’m going to bend you over every surface in our new house. You’ll be begging me to stop and begging me not to, all in the same breath.”

“I can’t wait that long.” White-hot pleasure pooled into my gut and spread outward as he jacked me off.

“Then focus on getting stronger.” He dragged his palm just right. “Get well, and I’ll give you everything. Every filthy thing you want.”

I squirmed, shamelessly grinding into the firm grip of his hand. He let out a low growl in my ear as he worked me faster, building up the sweet agony of pressure.

“So fucking beautiful you are, solnyshko.”

I clawed weakly at his wrist as the coil inside me tightened, snapped.

I cried out, trembling as my release hit, the pleasure so sharp it almost hurt.

Maybe because I’d been sick and dying, but I sobbed with it—real, messy, broken sobs.

Not just from the orgasm but also from the weight of still being here .

Still being held.

The past week in the new hospital had been rough. I couldn’t even work up the courage to tell Maxim that at times I’d wished I would die to not have to go through the pain.

He cradled me through it like I was something fragile.

He didn’t rush me.

Just kissed my cheek and whispered, “You’re doing so good, Wren. You’re doing so fucking good.”

We stood there in the bathroom, in the kind of silence that only came after you’d let out everything you’d been holding in. Shame. Fear. Lust. Hope.

Maxim chuckled, breaking the solemn moment.

“What?” I sniffled, dabbing my face with the edge of my gown.

“You really thought you were a walking Fleshlight?”

I laughed through the last of my tears. “Don’t kinkshame me. A boy can have dreams.”

“Well, I’m here to make them come true. Don’t ever forget that.”

We cleaned up, and by we, I meant Maxim did all the work, gently wiping me down, then helping me shuffle back to bed. He tucked the sheets around me like I was precious cargo.

The room was… ridiculous. Bigger than my bedroom in the old apartment I’d shared with Jess.

Soft lighting, real wood furnishings, and a giant window with a city view.

In the corner stood a pull-out couch for Maxim to sleep, but he spent the nights snuggled up behind me in the bed.

A flatscreen TV played on mute in the background.

The private bathroom looked more like a hotel spa than a hospital .

It didn’t smell like bleach and despair the way most hospitals did. More like eucalyptus. Or money.

It was peaceful. Comfortable. And I was only able to afford this experience because of my husband.

Husband.

I wriggled my fingers to catch the light on my ring.

“You know what the worst part is?” I squinted up at him as he settled down next to me. “You tricked me into getting engaged, then tricked me into getting married, and now you won’t even consummate it properly.”

Maxim raised an eyebrow. “ I tricked you into marrying me?”

“You did!”

“You were the one begging the chaplain to marry us before you died.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Good thing Nik has the whole thing on tape,” he said with a smirk. “You can watch the playback. Full drama. The chaplain protesting. You threatening to puke on his shoes. All of it.”

I groaned. “Kill me now.”

“Nope. Not on my watch.”

He raked his fingers through my hair. I turned my head into his touch.

“Maxim.”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “For taking care of me. For never leaving me. For everything.”

“I’ll always be here,” he said quietly. “No one’s ever going to hurt you again.”

He didn’t say Archie’s name.

He didn’t have to.

I already knew.

And I didn’t ask because he wouldn’t tell me anyway .

A soft knock interrupted us.

Maxim stood, brushing his thumb one last time over my cheek. “Come in.”

The door opened, and in came Jess and Nik, both in jeans and hoodies, and nestled in Nik’s arms was?—

“Jellybean!”

The puppy squirmed the moment he spotted me, tail thumping wildly against Nik’s arm, tongue lolling out like he’d just seen his long-lost best friend.

My throat closed up.

“Hey, boy,” I whispered, tearing up.

Nik set him down, and Jellybean made a beeline for the bed, claws clicking on the floor. He tried to scramble up the bed, and Maxim took pity on him and gently lifted him onto the sheets. He nuzzled his face against mine, whining frantically. His tail wagged like it was powered by jet fuel.

I stroked his ears, buried my fingers in his soft fur, let the weight of him press against my chest as he crawled up and laid his little body across me, head under my chin.

“How did you—” My voice cracked. “How did you get him in here? Is he even allowed?”

Nik grinned. “We smuggled him in.”

Jess rolled her eyes and swatted his arm. “Liar. Maxim had to grovel to the ward manager and get special approval. They only allowed it because your suite is so exclusive—no contact with other patients—and even then, only for fifteen minutes.”

I turned my head toward Maxim, stunned. “You did this?”

He looked almost sheepish. “Sorry. They wouldn’t budge on the time limit.”

“That’s okay.” I bit back my tears. “This is enough. I thought he would forget all about me.”

I clutched the dog a little closer, and he gave a happy little sigh like he was perfectly content to stay right where he was.

Maxim sat down again at the foot of the bed, one hand resting on my ankle over the blanket, as if anchoring himself to me.

Jess snapped photos of us and showed me the wedding video on her phone.

Maxim had been right. I’d begged the chaplain to marry us.

Fuck, I looked awful when I cried. I was never crying again.

Maxim told me they could delete the video if that was what I wanted, but I shook my head. Regardless of how messy it was, it was ours, and I loved every minute of it.

Too soon, Jess’s timer went off.

“Time’s up,” she said gently. “We should take him out before the nurses come to check. We wouldn’t want to jeopardize Wren’s privileges while he’s here.”

Nik scooped up Jellybean, who whined in protest but didn’t struggle.

“I’ll take him.” Maxim stood.

He exchanged a look with Jess. She gave a small nod.

Maxim leaned down and kissed my forehead. “We’ll be right outside. I need to talk to Nik for a minute. It’ll give you some time to talk smack about me behind my back.”

“No smack, I promise.” I mouthed, thank you , as he and Nik stepped out with the puppy.

Jess took the chair closest to my bed, pulled it right up, and folded her legs underneath her like we were about to gossip.

“Well,” she said, voice light but eyes warm, “still feeling good?”

“Yeah, no longer thinking that I’m going to die. Not from this anyway.” I reached out and grabbed her hand. “Jess, we don’t have much time. What really happened?”

Jess didn’t answer but lightly squeezed my fingers. Her gaze flicked to the door Maxim had just exited through, like she was debating how much to say.

“Jess,” I said softly.

She sighed. “He told us not to tell you. ”

“Tell me anyway.”

She nodded. “Archie told Leo that Maxim murdered Bradley and tried to get him to interfere with your treatment so you’d… never wake up.”

I stared at her, my breath catching. “Leo knows?” My heart ached for him. He always struck me as a genuinely sweet guy.

“Yes,” Jess said quickly. “But he refused. He told Maxim everything. That’s why you were airlifted that night. Maxim didn’t trust the situation anymore. Not after everything Archie had already done.”

I swallowed hard, stomach twisting.

“That’s not all, is it?”

“No.” She let out a shaky breath. “Maxim confronted Archie.”

I already knew where this was going. I closed my eyes.

“He’s dead,” I said flatly.

“Yeah. Maxim killed him. He did it himself. Darius told me it was awful. He couldn’t sleep that night when he came home to me. I’ve never seen him react like that to anything.”

Silence. Thick and heavy pulsed between us. So much had happened while I was focused on my treatment. It was the first time I was able to get Jess alone.

“Maxim’s selling the house,” she said. “Doesn’t want the reminders. Said that place could no longer be your home.”

I opened my eyes and looked toward the door, heart thudding.

“He loved Archie,” I whispered. “In his own way. They were so close.”

Jess nodded. “He did. But he loves you more. That much is obvious.”

A moment later, the door creaked open. Jess jumped to her feet, looking too guilty. Maxim stepped back inside minus Jellybean. The air around him was cooler than before. His gaze flicked to Jess, then to me.

Jess mumbled that she had to go and would visit me tomorrow. She kissed my cheek and shuffled past Maxim. The door closed behind her, but Maxim didn’t move.

“She told you,” he said quietly.

I didn’t answer but watched him walk toward the bed, that careful heaviness in his stride.

“You shouldn’t have killed him,” I said, not accusing. Just soft, just true.

His face darkened. “I had to. He poisoned you. He killed Vova.”

“I know. I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it. I’m just saying… I wish you hadn’t done it yourself.”

Maxim looked stunned. Like he hadn’t considered that angle.

I stretched out my hand, and he came over to me, taking it.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

He blinked. “What?”

“I mean, you might feel justified. You probably are. But he was your friend. The closest one you had. That couldn’t have been easy. I’m sorry, Maxim. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

He stared at me, and something behind his eyes cracked—not shattering, just a small fissure in that cold, contained exterior he wore so well.

“You’re incredible,” he said hoarsely. “You know that, right?”

“No, I’m just trying to be here for you the way you’ve been here for me.”

He kissed my knuckles. “You already are. You’re my everything.”