Chapter Four Maksim
It had been forty-eight hours since my phone call with Aleks.
In that short amount of time, my entire world had shifted on its axis, and I remained on a hellish rollercoaster of emotions.
After racing to Dima’s side, I refused to allow myself to imagine a world where he didn’t wake up.
I’d never been an optimistic person–life had beaten it out of me.
But I clung to hope.
I’d even made a pilgrimage to St. Andrews Cathedral to light candles for a miracle.
I hadn’t been inside the church since Irina’s funeral.
A part of my faith had died with her. I couldn’t imagine a world where someone as beautiful and kind as her could be taken by someone vile like my father and nothing happened to him. \
I’d been at the church when Mila had called to tell me Dima was awake. With my faith renewed, I’d raced back to the house to join my siblings to hear from the doctors after they’d evaluated Dima.
And then the rollercoaster took a sharp turn and spiraled downward.
Dima couldn’t move his toes.
He couldn’t feel his legs.
His paralysis could only be temporary, the doctors told us.
But it was too early to tell.
It could be permanent.
While we talked to the doctors, Dima stubbornly tried to get out of bed and fell.
When we tried to help him, he lost his shit.
Screaming so loud at us to get out that his machines had gone off, sending nurses rushing to him.
His tirade became so violent that he had to be sedated since he was still healing.
It had shaken my siblings to their core. Mila had escaped to the gallery she managed while Aleks took Kira and Lev upstairs to get a drink.
As for me, I couldn’t bring myself to leave. So, I’d eased down into a chair by his side and remained by his bedside. Even if he didn’t want me, I needed to be there for him.
Shifting in my chair, the feel of the chotki, or prayer beads in my pocket, ground into my thigh.
With a frustrated grunt, I dug them out.
A volatile mix of anger and hurt swirled within me.
I reached back to throw them across the room when I did a double take at the sight of my maternal grandfather standing in the doorway.
Artur Sidorov was a powerful man in his own right. He’d been an avtoritet, or captain, to my grandfather Korolov. He’d gained even more power within Bratva by brokering a marriage between my mother and father.
“D-Dedushka, what are you d-doing here?” I questioned softly so as not to disturb Dima.
I knew his appearance sure as hell wasn’t out of concern for Dima’s welfare. Just as my mother had no use for my father’s second family, my grandfather didn’t either. While he’d never voiced it to my father, he had been enraged when Dima had been chosen over me.
He eyed Dima’s sedated form with contempt before turning his gaze on me. “We need to talk.”
Furrowing my brows, I asked, “Now?”
“Da.”
Since you never argued with my grandfather, I merely nodded and rose out of my chair. To my surprise, he didn’t stop outside Dima’s door. Instead, he walked over to the elevator and jabbed the button to go up.
After I joined him, he didn’t speak until we were in the fresh air of the gardens. To my surprise, Aleksandr was waiting for us. At what must’ve been my inquisitive look, Aleks said, “Dedushka asked me to meet you two here.”
“Da, I did,” Dedushka replied.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I remarked, “Refusing to speak in your son-in-law's house seems rather sinister.”
Dedushka narrowed his eyes. “It’s smart, not sinister.”
Aleksandr glanced between us. “So what the fuck is this about?”
“Dima’s condition is very serious,” Dedushka replied.
“Da,” Aleks replied while I nodded.
Turning to me, Dedushka said, “Rumor has it he might not walk again.”
“It’s b-bullshit.”
“His medical team–”
“D-Don’t know everything,” I countered.
“Considering your father’s actions of late, the doctors are pretty clear.”
As I sucked in a ragged breath, my mind flashed back to a horrific scene last night in Father’s study.
Plastered on expensive vodka, he’d gone on a tirade that his heir was now a cripple.
He’d gone so far as to say Dima would be better off dead, which had enraged Mila.
When she’d dared to challenge him, he’d tried to strangle her to death.
It had taken both Aleks and me to pull him off her.
To Father, Mila was the reason for Dima’s current state. If she hadn’t tried to stop Dima from shooting Kellan, he wouldn’t be paralyzed. Despite saving her last night, I still feared for her safety considering Father’s state of mind.
After pulling a cigar out of his coat pocket, Dedushka glanced left and right before he spoke. “Your father has spent the morning in meetings with his advisors.” With the flick of his lighter, he lit the expensive Russian tobacco. “Meetings I wasn’t invited to.”
I frowned. “Why would he d-do t-that?”
“Because he’s looking to replace Dima as heir.”
White-hot rage rocketed over me. “T-That mudak! He hasn’t even given D-Dima t-time to heal!”
“Even if Dima walks again, he will either always need an aid like a cane or he’ll have a limp.” He pinned me with a hard stare. “A defect.”
“What d-does that have t-to do with me?” I demanded.
“Nothing. It seems your father will be naming Aleksandr as his new heir.”
Aleks’s face paled as he jerked a hand through his dark hair. “Trakhni menya,” he muttered.
I shouldn’t have been too surprised that a fuck me was his response. Aleks hadn’t wanted the job twelve years ago, and he sure as hell didn’t want it now.
Tilting my head, I narrowed my eyes at Dedushka. “Alexsandr is your b-blood. You should be happy he’s replacing a b-bastard as you’ve often called D-Dima.”
“I’m sure we can all agree that Aleksandr as heir is a fool’s choice.”
As Aleks chuckled at Dedushka's bluntness, I growled, “Mudak”
“It’s the truth, is it not?”
Before I could respond, Aleks quickly said, “Absolutely and completely.”
Dedushka grabbed my shoulder. “You are the rightful heir, Maksim. You always have been.”
“B-But–”
Dedushka shook his head. “I bit my tongue twelve years ago when your bastard of a father denied what was yours by birthright over a stutter.”
“He d-didn’t do it alone. He had the b-backing of his men.”
“Those were his yes men telling him what he wanted to hear.” Dedushka puffed on his cigar.
“Things are different now. Your father has burned many bridges in the last twelve years. The men are wary of his decision making.” Waving his cigar at Aleks, he said, “If he puts Aleks up now, he’s looking at anarchy. ”
“What would you have me t-to d-do?”
A cruel smile etched across his face. “Take your birthright.”
I stared at him in horror. “You want me to t-take it from D-Dima?”
“Da.”
“What kind of man would I b-be to lead a coup now against my p-paralyzed brother?”
“One who shows strength.”
Shaking my head violently back and forth, I snarled, “D-Dima’s world has t-turned upside down. I cannot fuck him over now. I won’t!”
Deduska's eyes narrowed into fury-filled slits. “If you don’t strike now, we won’t have another opportunity.”
“Fuck you and your opportunity.”
When I whirled around to leave, Aleks grabbed my arm. “Please, Maksim. I don’t want this.” Fear flashed in his pleading eyes. “I can’t be pahkan.”
As my conscience battled against familial obligation, something deep within me brought forth an idea. Although it wasn’t what I wanted, I exhaled harshly. “What would you have me t-to d-do?”
At Aleks’s relieved exhale, Dedushka’s eyes lit up. “First thing we work on is your stutter.”
A humorless laugh echoed through me. “After all t-these years, what part of incurable wasn’t clear t-to you?”
“Strategies have changed since Faina tried therapy for you.” At my continued scoffing, he pinned me with a hard look. “What cannot be cured can be corrected.”
“You want me t-to g-go to speech t-therapy as a grown ass man?”
“You’re damn right.” When my lip curled in disgust, Dedushka rolled his eyes. “I’ve already compiled a list of the ten best ones on the East Coast. There’s two here in the city that I would start with.”
Shifting his cigar to his left hand, he dug his phone out of his pocket. His gnarled fingers scrolled along the screen. “They’re in the same practice–Dr. Miles Stanton and Dr. Sarah Whitfield.”
After shoving his phone at me, I reluctantly took it. My lip curled as I stared down a pompous-looking jackass. There was no way in hell I could ever be vulnerable in front of him.
My gaze dropped to the other doctor he had suggested. “Trakhni menya,” I murmured under my breath.
A stunning woman with porcelain skin smiled up at me. Her chestnut colored hair fell in waves over her shoulders while her warm brown eyes were framed by black frames.
Fuck. Those slutty little glasses.
Aleks whistled, causing me to jump. “What a stunner,” he remarked with a wink.
Dedushka rolled his eyes. “Her looks have nothing to do with her ability to help Maksim.”
“They sure as hell d-on’t hurt,” I said before I could stop myself.
Aleks clapped me on the back. “That’s right, brat. Get the healing you need.”
I smiled. “I certainly will.
***
After leaving Dedushka and Aleks, I still had unfinished business to take care of. I took the elevator downstairs to the hospital bay. When I peeked in Dima’s room, he was reclined back against the pillows staring up at the ceiling. “Hey,” I said softly.
Without looking at me, he growled, “Leave me alone.”
As I pushed inside the room, he jerked his gaze from the ceiling to glare at me. “Are you fucking deaf?”
“We need t-to t-talk.”
“I swear to God if you start some positive pep-talk bullshit, I’ll call one of my bodyguards to throw you out of here since my crippled ass can’t!” he bellowed.
Ignoring his vitriol, I eased the door closed. Without taking my eyes off of his, I crossed the room. When I started to come around the side of the bed, Dima bared his teeth. “I fucking mean it, brat!”
As I started to lean over the bed, his blue eyes bulged wide. “Are you going to take pity on me and put a pillow over my head?”
“Shut t-the fuck up,” I growled before bringing my lips to his ear. I had no idea if the room was bugged. But I wasn't going to take any chances.
As he started to thrash and protest, I brought my hand over his mouth. “Listen to me well, brat, and know that I swear on your mother’s grave it’s the truth,” I hissed.
When I pulled back to survey his expression, his blue eyes stared questioningly up at me. At his nod, I continued. “Our father is in the process of replacing you with Aleks.”
Dima’s body stiffened with my declaration. I couldn’t begin to imagine the hurt and anger that had to be coursing through his body at that moment. But at the same time, I did know that feeling. I’d experienced it as an eighteen-year-old kid.
“Mudak,” he grunted.
“Da,” I agreed.
“What else?”
“My dearest Deduskha just asked me to overthrow you. Allegiance is growing within the men for me to take my rightful place.”
“Fuck,” he muttered, his lips moving against my hand.
Once again, I whispered in his ear, “D-Da.”
“And what did you say?”
“I agreed.” At Dima’s shudder of revulsion, I shook my head. “I said what he wanted t-to hear. But t-the t-truth is I want to fuck t-them over.”
He blinked at me in confusion. “How?”
Overwhelmed by emotions, I gritted out, “We let t-them t-think I’m t-taking your place. But t-then we rule t-together.”
A myriad of emotions flickered in Dima’s eyes. “I’m in.”