Tainted Vow: An Age Gap Dark Russian Mafia Romance by Cara Bianchi

Author:Cara Bianchi [Bianchi, Cara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-09-26T16:00:00+00:00

17

Harper

I came to him because he told me to.

Maxim said I could come to him if I wasn’t coping, and now that I’m here, he’s turning away.

I beat my fist on the door to his apartment.

“You can’t do this, Maxim. We went too far. You went too fucking far!”

I hear his fists slamming into the punchbag. He’s trying to ignore me and thrash out his tension.

So he’s allowed to do whatever he needs to handle his emotions. Mr. Fucking Bratva. And yet, he told me I can’t take my pills anymore because I have to put on my big girl panties and deal with my problems?

I kick the door hard, splintering the lower panel slightly. The sounds stop from inside the apartment, and all is silent.

I take a step back.

“Maxim, let me in right now. I won’t leave. You know exactly what you fucking did, and you have to take responsibility for it!”

Maxim wrenches the door open. He’s shirtless and dripping with perspiration, the sweat beading on his chest and running off his collarbone. He sweeps his hand through his hair and fixes his eyes on me.

I want to be angry with him, but he never looked sexier, and I hate myself for thinking that.

We stare at each other for a moment. I know I look a fright. My hair is everywhere, and my tears have streaked my face with makeup, but Maxim’s eyes soften as he takes in the sorry sight.

“Harper,” he says softly. “What happened?”

I can’t help myself. I step forward and collapse against his chest. He wraps his arms around me and lets me cry.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he says. “I’m sorry. I know I’m being an asshole.”

He takes my hand and leads me inside. I sit on his sofa, remembering what happened when I was last in here.

I push the memory away. It’s too confusing to think about that right now.

Maxim hands me a glass of water and sits on the end of his bed.

“Tell me what’s going on,” he says.

I tell him. About my mom, about Clara. Once I start, I can’t stop, and before I know it, I’m talking about Mom and Dad’s problems over the years. My problems, too. It’s as though I’m at confession or therapy, and every horrible thing I say out loud feels like I’m speaking my truth for the first time.

“I understand why you’re upset,” Maxim says, “but you’re still holding something back.”

I frown. “I’m trying to be honest with you. These are things I’ve never spoken of before.”

“I get that,” he says, leaning back on his hands. His skin seems to glow in the low lamplight, and I try not to stare. “But you’re just giving me the facts. You need to let yourself feel it. Come on, Harper. How do you feel about your parents and their treatment of you?”

This is a question I’m afraid to answer, but Maxim’s eyes are so clear, his voice so strong and sure, that I find the courage.

I swallow hard. “I’m angry with them.

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