Page 61 of Cartel Viper (The Cartel Brotherhood #2)

“I didn’t want to cause a war between Maks and Drew. I knew it would wind up being a proxy war that was really about Maks and Dillan. I feared it would explode into something way bigger, so I sucked it up.”

“How did you wind up with Javi?”

“We had a chance encounter at the hotel where I hid in Brooklyn. I recognized him immediately, but I’m a lot thinner than I used to be. He spotted some bruises on my wrists that weren’t completely healed. He came back to see me once he realized who I was.”

I won’t give away more than that because that’s Diaz business.

“How long had you been there?”

“Nearly a month.”

“And you still had bruises? What the fuck? I’ll resurrect that motherfucker and kill him myself.”

“They were faint, but you know these guys. You know they’re more observant and recognize shit like that far more than the average person. If anyone else would’ve asked, I would’ve said my boyfriend and I were into kinky shit that got too rough. That tends to shut people up fast.”

Laura nods and darts a glance in the living room’s direction before cocking an eyebrow.

I grin and nod. We giggle. That’s as open as we’ll be about our sex lives.

She’s never shared intimate details about Maks and her, and I would never reveal intimate things about Javi.

But I’ve known she’s been into BDSM for years, so it never surprised me when I figured out she and Maks are into it together.

She knows I’ve preferred it in the past. Luckily, Drew wasn’t into it.

I never would’ve willingly given him that much control.

Even during the good years—the first two—something kept me from suggesting it, so we stuck with vanilla.

I’m far better sexually matched and fulfilled with Javi than any previous partner.

“When do you think the O’Sheehans will strike next?”

Laura knows like I do—it’s inevitable.

“I don’t know. Javi was taking care of something yesterday, but I don’t know what. I fell asleep at Elodie and Enrique’s and then shit went crazy. I didn’t ask, and I know he won’t tell me.”

Laura isn’t on friendly terms with anyone in the Diaz family, so it feels a little off to use Elle since it’s a nickname. It’s a little too familiar.

“Javi has his family guarding you around the clock, right?”

“Yeah. I figure it’ll be like your family. One of the men in his will be with me if he can’t.”

She sighs. I know she wants to ask if I’m all right with that. If I think it’s adequate protection. But she’s trusting my judgment. That’s saying something after the shit ton of errors I made.

“Javi’s as devoted to me as I am to him. His family knows we’re serious. It’s the same as when you started dating Maks, and his family realized you were Maks’s future. They get what Javi and I mean to each other. They’re as dedicated to my safety as the Kutsenko and Andreyev men are to yours.”

Maks’s cousins on both sides of the family were Laura’s guards from the get-go.

“If anything like this ever happens again, you go to Javi’s family immediately.

If you need me to get you there, then I will.

Only come to a bratva house if you can’t get to a Cartel one.

You have to be on the edge of death before you go to a mob or Mafia one, but you will get sanctuary until Javi or his family can get to you. ”

“I know, but thank you for confirming that. Laura, is this going to get between us?”

“It might make it tough, but I refuse to allow it to. I’m still as close to Michelle as I ever was, and she married Lorenzo.

Neither he nor Maks ever stand in the way of Michelle and me hanging out.

I don’t believe Javi would ever keep you from me unless there was a viable and imminent threat.

Just the opposite, I think he’ll be like Maks and encourage us to spend more time together now that you’re back down here. Are you moving in with Javi?”

“Pretty much. He asked, and I told him I needed time to decide. I wanted to breathe on my own for a bit. But I made up my mind last night. I don’t want to be apart from him after all. Would you be comfortable coming to our condo?”

“Of course. And before you ask, yes, I will bring Mila and Konstantin when it’s appropriate.

We’ve known the Diazes our entire life. Fucked-up shit has happened between their family and mine.

Things will change now that you’re a Diaz for all intents and purposes.

It can’t not. You’re truly part of Enrique’s family now, so we’ll have a truce.

Juan was responsible for the shit that happened to me, not Enrique or any of the others.

Yeah, Javi and the others played a part in shit that happened to other bratva women, and I haven’t forgiven them that. But this is just different.”

I test the waters with my next question.

“Do you think bratva women were targets or collateral?”

“Mostly collateral, but that’s because they didn’t care enough to think about how it inevitably made them targets.”

“Enrique’s never changed his tattoo.”

“He never will. No matter how I’ve felt about him, he’s always been devoted to us as much as he was to Pablo and Juan.

I think he keeps the J as a memory of the kid he once knew and the man he thought Juan became.

He keeps our initials on the cross’s points because he’s never given up hope that he and I could reconcile.

He’s never thought of you as anything less than an adopted niece. ”

“What if I was collateral damage?”

Laura stiffens and once again looks toward the living room, but this time, I think she’s picturing her shared office with Maks.

“Maks knew who and what Drew was and never spoke up, never confronted me about it. Did you tell him not to?”

“No.”

“He never expressed any concerns about me being with Drew?”

“No. I would have gone straight to you if he had. He doesn’t know Drew that well.”

I stare at Laura. She’s too intelligent to believe her husband, who leads the NYC bratva and pretty much controls all the Russian syndicates along the Easten Seaboard, doesn’t know a mob boss in Upstate New York.

I figured Maks knew who Drew was but chose silence because he believed Drew was an okay guy for me to be with, that he didn’t know what Drew was like behind closed doors.

Elle’s comments yesterday make me question why Maks was never suspicious.

Before either of us can say more, voices float past the window.

The men are speaking Russian, but I recognize Maks, Misha, and Sergei’s voices.

My sister’s been a fluent Russian speaker since college.

Her professor was a former Soviet instructor and dogmatic in making sure his students sounded like native speakers.

She listens to what the men say as they pass by.

Something catches her attention because she rises and heads to the door leading outside.

She eases open the window to eavesdrop. I watch her before creeping next to her.

Whatever Sergei is saying makes Laura clench her jaw.

“Should we be listening?” I more mouth the words than whisper.

“No. But I don’t care. It’s about you, so there isn’t a fucking chance in hell I’m not listening.”

She puts her lips to my ear to whisper all of that. She doesn’t move away, instead interpreting for me. It’s Sergei still speaking.

“We are going to lose a shit ton from this, Maks. I warned you something was up between Madeline and Drew. I didn’t know what happened behind closed doors, but I told you it was something shady.”

It’s Misha who responds instead.

“It’s my fault. Don’t get pissed at Maks. I pushed for the deals with Drew to fuck over the Tremblays and the O’Rourkes. When we heard they were using a woman mule, I should’ve backed off. That it was Madeline only makes it worse.”

Sergei’s not done and isn’t letting Maks off the hook.

“It was ultimately Maks’s decision. You and I are not Elite Group members, but his brothers are. They should have spoken up too. I should have dug deeper for more intel. We’re all guilty.”

Laura’s cheeks are a deepening shade of red as she listens. I believe she’s telling me everything. I’m too stunned to react yet. She narrows her eyes as Maks finally speaks up.

“We got the information about the men working for the Diazes. That’s what mattered at the time. How were we supposed to know Drew would turn around and use that to go after Javier while Madeline was with him. We didn’t even know she was down here.”

“Because she ran away from her abusive boyfriend. I should have kept a closer eye on her the moment we found out four years ago that she was dating him. We’ve always known what a piece of shit he was.”

I can’t understand Sergei without Laura, but his tone sounds distressed.

There’s a pause before I hear Misha.

“Look, what’s done is done. We can’t undo it. We do our best to make amends without Laura or Madeline finding out our involvement. Obviously, Javier knows. We take it on the chin when he retaliates. Whatever it is, we accept it. I’ll own that this is my fault.”

I watch Maks sigh even if I can’t hear it.

“It’s just as much mine. I’m the pakhan , and she’s my sister.

There were gaps in our intel, but even if she wasn’t working for Drew, I still knew he had a history of abusing women.

I should’ve known he hadn’t changed. I should’ve known he’d take shit out on Madeline.

How the fuck am I going to look Laura in the eye? ”

My sister opens the door and stands where I’m certain Maks, Misha, and Sergei can see her.

“That’s a good fucking question, Maks.” She speaks in English for my benefit.

Maks’s face becomes a thundercloud as he marches over to his wife. If I didn’t know to the depths of my soul Maks would never hurt Laura, I would fear for her.

“You know not to listen.”

“You’ve never nearly killed my sister.”

Maks looks at me before returning his focus to Laura.

“You’re right. I took a chance and failed.

I didn’t know Madeline’s involvement in the business, but I should’ve told you what Drew was like.

I should’ve spoken up. I should’ve forced him to end things with Madeline.

I should’ve done almost everything differently.

But you have no right to listen to these conversations.

You know you endanger yourself and the kids by hearing things like this. ”

“Maybe so, but would you have told me the truth?”

“Selectively.”

Laura’s jaw ticks. She looks at me as I stand here on the verge of tears. I don’t want to cause a rift between her and her husband. I know it’s Maks’s actions that are to blame, but it’s still over me. I want to shrink into the floor.

Laura takes a deep inhale, and I know she’s forcing herself to calm down before she speaks.

“I know you don’t make these decisions lightly.

I know that whatever you did, you did for the bratva, not for yourself.

I’ll have to remind myself of that whenever I think about this.

I hold you responsible, Maks, but I don’t blame you.

There’s bound to have been far more going on, but that’s no consolation when I find out that douche abused my sister for years .

That whatever this information was that you sold him made him target Javier and use it as a way to get to Madeline.

You didn’t know she was with him, so I get that. But it still put her in danger.”

“ Malyshka , I’m sorry.” He looks at me. “I will never stop regretting this. I’m so sorry, Madeline. I’ve called you my sister since I married Laura, but I didn’t take care of you like a brother should have.”

“I forgive you, Maks. This doesn’t rest solely on your shoulders. There was plenty I could’ve done, but like you, I did what I thought was best for the people who matter in my life.”

Laura watches me as I speak, and I know her heart’s breaking. She shifts her focus to Maks, and I know she’s conflicted. She wants his comfort, but she’s still angry at him. He draws her out of the doorway and into his arms. She sags against him.

“I’m still angry, solnste , but I forgive you.”

He rubs her back as she wraps her arms around his waist. I want to be with Javi right now.

Laura looks over her shoulder at me and smiles weakly.

She nods. She gets it. I retreat to allow them to have time alone.

Misha and Sergei, who could practically be twins, even though Misha’s a few years younger than his older brother, also nod.

They turn around, and I head to the living room to find Javi.