Page 57 of The Bratva's Christmas Bump

“But he’s Mafia.” It sounds as lame out loud as it does in my head.

Xena’s smile softens. “And we’re strippers. Didn’t anything I say teach you not to judge someone by what they do?”

I can’t think of anything to say and my head is reeling. Overwhelming sadness and sympathy for those three women clashes with disgust at what those men were capable of. No wonder that man looked beaten to within an inch of his life, and no wonder no one flinched at his death.

He deserved it.

That whole scene takes on a new light in my mind and I remain silent, staring at my unopened soda. Nancy eventually slips away and Xena returns to work, leaving me to sort through my turbulent thoughts until Maxim returns.

“Ready to go?”

His voice makes me jump. I look up at him, and it’s like I’m seeing him for the first time, like when I saw him in the bar and he was just that kind, hot man with amazing muscles that made my body tremble.

Why wouldn’t he tell me the truth himself?

I nod slowly and wave goodbye to Xena, then follow Maxim out of the club. In the hours that have passed, the line outside has shrunk and a fresh layer of snow coats the nearby parked cars. Toto and Stu return from wherever they vanished to, but as we reach the car and Maxim holds open the door, I stop walking.

He faces me, his brows knit in concern. “Hollie?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“That the man you killed was a monster?”

20

MAXIM

My hand lingers on the car door, my attention fixed on Hollie. Snow lightly drifts through the air between us and even the thumping music seems to take a back seat while we stare at one another.

“What did you say?”

“The man you killed.” Hollie lifts her chin. “He was a terrible,terribleperson.”

I lock eyes with Stu, who hovers just behind her, then steps back from the door. “Hollie, get in the car.”

“Not until you give me some answers!”

“I will give you answers, just get in the car.”

She rolls her eyes and for a brief moment, I think she won’t. Thankfully, she relents and slides into the car with a soft grunt. I join her while Stu takes the front and Toto hangs back to take the second car with Rex.

Inside, the heater turns on and warmth quickly builds. Hollie sits with her arms crossed and the same challenge in her eyes showing she has no intention of backing down.

“Hollie—”

“Don’t,” she snaps. “Tell me the truth.”

“I… didn’t expect you to find out.”

“How could I not? You left me at the bar and those girls told me everything.”

“Ithoughtthey would tell you about the club and the charity work they do, how they own the buildings and decide their rates. I thought they would show you how I let them do things the way they want to.”

Her expression wavers slightly. “I mean… they did. I learned that.”

“So how did you end up talking about that night?”