Chapter 13
Thirteen
Aria
I gaze up at Maxim, his piercing blue eyes glinting in the dim light of the living room. Light from surrounding skyscrapers filters in through the tinted windows of our home, and I might just have to pinch myself.
I can’t believe this is our reality. Not only are we getting along well, but I feel like everything he’s saying is true. It’s a far stretch from the arrogance he was spewing out the day I met him.
His broad shoulders are scrumptious as I take him in. There’s a different look in his eyes tonight. It’s softer, more vulnerable, lighter even.
I know all too well how men in the Bratva are. I’ve witnessed my father being a royal prick for most of my life—-at least whenever he made it a point to pop his head out of the ground—and I never liked it.
I thought Maxim was a pompous ass, but it seems like there’s more underneath the surface.
“Aria,” he murmurs softly, his deep voice tinged with rare and welcome tenderness.
“You and I, we’re bound for life as husband and wife.
While it was arranged, it doesn’t matter,” he pauses for a moment as he seems to search for the right words.
“I mean what I tell you, and I need you to know that. I need you to trust everything I say, because I’m certain there will be times where people will try to pin us against each other.
My loyalty is to you first and the Bratva second. ”
Furrowing my brows, his words start to sink in.
Now, this feels too good to be true. “You’re putting me above the Bratva?”
He nods. “Yes, I made vows to you today, not to this fucking organization. It’s my duty as your husband to protect you, to put you first.”
Wow…he’s taking this much more serious than I originally thought.
Emotion swells in my chest at the sincerity of his words. I’m finally starting to see that there is a soft man underneath his hardened exterior shell. He’s a man of loyalty and honor, unlike most of the men I’ve known—Sasha being the only exception.
I squeeze his hands. “Thank you, Maxim. That means more to me than you could possibly know.”
My moment of peaceful bliss is short-lived. Everything comes back to the forefront of my mind—the gunshots, the screams of our wedding guests, the pounding of my heart.
I can’t help but wonder if this is what our life together will look like. Will there be constant danger lurking around every corner, or is this a one-off?
I meet my eyes with Maxim’s once more, my voice trembling slightly. “Is this what our life is going to look like, or is this a unique situation?”
He looks at me intently, licks his lips and his eyes soften up a bit more. The grace and patience he’s showing me now I think is only a unique peek into what he would be like as a father, whenever we’re ready for that.
“I refuse to lie to you, Aria. In this world, there are risks. But I will do everything in my power to keep you, and our family safe. There’s a good chance this was just sent as a message, but I can’t rule out the possibility this has happened because our families might have pissed someone off.
Between my father and yours, it’ll be a little hard to tell. ”
We both share a laugh.
I believe every single thing he’s telling me. “Well, you’re doing an okay job at protecting me so far. If it weren’t for you, I could have died.”
Maxim shakes his head. “You’re giving me far too much credit. But, I’m serious. Keeping you safe is my duty, and I don’t ever want to hear you thank me for doing my duty as your husband—understand?”
He reaches out and tenderly brushes a lock of hair from my face, his fingers lingering on my cheek. I find myself leaning into his touch, craving more.
“When I heard those gunshots,” he says roughly, “I didn’t think, I just reacted. The thought of losing you before we had the opportunity to see if this could work…” He trails off, clenching his jaw tightly.
My breath catches at the raw emotion in his voice. I never expected to see this powerful man so heavily invested in this scenario. Sure, I knew we had to get married. Neither of us had the option to dip out, but our marriage could very well be the two of us co-existing without any real connection.
I can see so clearly that this isn’t the case. I rise up onto my knees and hike my dress up, straddling him.
Without a second to spare, I press my lips against his, reveling in the musky scent of him. He oozes luxury, yet at the same time, his expensive cologne calms me.
Not too long ago I would have loathed being this close to him, but now I find myself rather enjoying it.
Maxim’s response is a welcome one. His arms wrap around me, practically gluing my body to his. He takes control of our kiss, exuding passion mixed with dominance.
If anything, today has only proven the two of us can endure hell and still be here for one another. In a way, it’s made me want him more as well.
When we finally break apart, both of us are catching our breath. It’s not like we worked up a sweat or anything, but the connection we’re forming makes everything so hot. At least for me it does.
Maxim rests his forehead against mine. “I know I keep saying it, but I need you to understand the weight of my words. You’re my wife, Aria,” he says fiercely. “And I will burn the world down before I let anything happen to you, or our children.”
A chill runs through my entire body. I reel back and look over his expression. “Children?" I repeat, my heart suddenly pounding. “Maxim, we haven’t discussed anything. I didn’t even know you wanted children.”
He studies me, his thumb gently stroking my cheek in a reassuring manner. “There isn’t any way in hell we wouldn’t. Sure, we got married quickly, and the circumstances of our marriage are a bit different…but we don’t have an option to be childless. Especially me,”
It makes sense. He isn’t just any man. He’s the one who will eventually lead the Bratva, and he’ll need children to ensure his family stays at the top of the food chain.
If there were a situation where we failed to have children, I’m sure the other families in the Bratva would pressure another to lead when Maxim was too old to do so.
I swallow hard as I process all of this. The idea is overwhelming, undoubtedly terrifying, and yet there’s a small part of me that thinks he could be a very good father.
I’m not foolish enough to admit it, but I’m happy to see how things progress, and if the two of us will continue to connect well.
Even though the bond we have now is strong, it doesn’t mean it all can’t come crumbling down in a moment’s notice.”
If I’m being honest with myself, I don’t know if I’ve ever wanted to be a mother.
I think it’s because of my job, how I see all of these children fighting for their lives every single day.
It’s scared me in a sense. What if I had a child who was facing the unimaginable?
Would I be able to handle it as gracefully as some of these other parents?
Licking my lips, I strike a deal with him. “We’ll at least have one, to carry on the name.”
Maxim smirks, “One will do if it’s a boy, but you know if it’s a girl we’ll have to have more.”
God, the Bratva isn’t up with current times. Just because a woman doesn’t have a dick, it doesn’t make her invaluable. I wonder if Maxim can change things once he’s leading the Bratva, or if it’s something the others will never accept.
If things were to change, no woman would ever be in a position like I am ever again.
It would save so many of us from marrying men who honestly aren’t good matches.
Some are forced to marry men who would put the Devil to shame, while others are kinder and more sincere.
I’m lucky Maxim isn’t as horrible as I thought he could be.
“Maybe by the time you’re leading, the rules will shift.”
Maxim shakes his head, “No, they won’t. The elders in the other Bratva families aren’t keen on change, and giving women more power is a change none of them will agree on.”
I scoff, “A little bit ironic that a group of men are the ones who will make a decision about women having more rights.”
Things grow silent between us for a moment until he changes the subject. “We don’t have to rush having a child, maybe in a couple of years. You have a bustling career, and I think we need time to settle into this.”
He has no idea how relieved I am to hear him say that. “I was thinking the same thing.”
Maxim captures my lips in a sensual kiss once more until he suddenly breaks it. His lips only millimeters away from mine. “Plus, the longer we wait, the more time we have to practice.”
I playfully roll my eyes and return my lips to his. Practicing sounds like it’s just the thing I need right now, especially after this hellish day.
I melt into the moment, surrendering to his kiss, his touch, anything to take my mind off what our duties are, and the chaos that plagued us this evening. I’m not letting anything else exist outside of this moment, only allowing him to be my main point of focus.
Desire threatens to consume me, even if the weight of our duties are heavy on my shoulders. I don’t need to think about any of it right now, so I’m not going to. I refuse to do so.
His arms tighten around me as his lips take over every fiber of my being. The chill I had a few minutes ago is gone, replaced by the heat looming in my center for him.
Maxim breaks our kiss momentarily, confirming his vows. “I will always protect what’s mine.”
I wouldn’t normally like being referred to as property, but the way it passes through Maxim’s lips only turns me on even more.
With his protection, no one on Earth will touch me. They surely may try, but they will not succeed. If he’s going to protect me this much now, I can only imagine what things could be like if he falls in love with me.
He slides his hand slowly up my neck, his rough fingers causing the warmth to skyrocket through me. Maxim cups the nape of my neck and forces me to look at him. “I can’t wait any longer. I need you. I need you now.”