Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Maxim
The last few days have been pure torture.
Every time I look at Dmitri, I have to fight the overwhelming urge to wrap my hands around his throat or put a bullet through his head.
He walks around my house like nothing has changed.
Laughing, joking, acting like the loyal brother I once believed he was.
Knowing what he did, knowing he tried to have my wife killed, knowing he tried to have me killed, and still having to smile and pretend…
it’s taking every ounce of self-control I possess not to end him right now.
But I can’t. Not yet.
Adrian is the Vice President of the Society.
I can’t just go after him without consequences.
If I move too soon, it could start a war I’m not ready for.
I need everyone to see what he did. I need proof.
I need the Society to understand why I’m going to kill him.
Only then will it be justified. Only then will no one dare come after me for it.
Dmitri is a small fish. Killing him now would only tip Adrian off and send him running.
So, I have to play the long game. I have keep my mouth shut these past couple of days, I feed him nothing important.
I haven’t even been completely honest with Viktor on my recent dealings, because I know Viktor would innocently mention something to Dmitri.
Tonight is the night.
The grand hall is packed. Governors, cartel leaders, high-ranking Society members, even the president himself, all here under the guise of celebrating our marriage.
My brothers-in-law are present, watching everything with sharp eyes.
They’ve already been informed on what’s going on.
It’s the reason none of their wives are present.
Calina stands beside me in a stunning blue gown, smiling gracefully as we greet guests. I keep one hand on her lower back, constantly reminding myself that she is mine and I will protect her.
My foot taps impatiently against the floor. I want this over with.
The anchor of the evening finally steps up to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our host, Maxim Orlov.”
I press a kiss to Calina’s forehead. “Go stand with your brothers,” I murmur against her skin.
She squeezes my hand once before walking away. I move to the podium, the room falling into expectant silence.
“Thank you all for coming,” I begin, voice carrying through the hall.
“As you all know, our wedding was small and intimate, and unfortunately, many of you who wanted to attend could not. The island simply wasn’t big enough for everyone in our circle.
” A few chuckles ripple through the crowd.
I let a small smirk touch my lips. “That’s why we decided to host this celebration tonight, and to properly introduce my beautiful wife, Calina Orlov, to all of you. ”
I pause, letting my gaze sweep across the room until it lands on Adrian. He’s smiling, looking relaxed.
“And there’s one more reason my wife and I organized this event,” I continue, my voice hardening. “To expose the traitors who have been working against me from within.”
The entire hall erupts in gasps, and then it goes deathly silent. You could hear a pin drop.
I lock eyes with Adrian. “It’s a well-established fact that you don’t attack a fellow member of the Pantheon. It’s one of the most sacred rules of the organization. Adrian Volkov, you broke that rule.”
As if a switch has been flipped, the room erupts again in loud gasps, this time, everyone turning to look at Adrian.
I continue, addressing Adrian. “You attacked a fellow member on his wedding day. You leaked the location of my private ceremony and sent men to kill me and my wife. You tried to murder us in cold blood.”
Gasps erupt throughout the room. More eyes turning to Adrian.
For a split second, pure panic flashes across his face. Then he bolts, shoving people aside and running toward the exit.
From the podium, my eyes find Dmitri’s across the crowded hall. In that split second, the fucker realizes he’s done. His face pales, eyes widening in panic. He knows I know.
He bolts too.
Chaos erupts instantly. My men surge forward to stop them. Adrian’s loyalists fight back, drawing weapons. Gunshots ring out. People scream and duck for cover. Tables overturn, glass shatters, and the elegant reception turns into a battlefield in seconds.
I jump down from the podium, one goal burning in my mind: get to Calina.
I spot her with her brothers. I push through the crowd, firing at Adrian’s men who try to block my path. I duck as bullets whiz past me. I reach her side, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind me as I keep shooting, shielding her with my body.
“Get her out!” Artyom shouts, covering us with his own men.
I rush Calina toward the exit, Viktor falling in beside us, gun drawn. The three of us make it to the car. We speed away from the venue, tires screeching, while the sounds of gunfire still echo behind us.
I hate that Dmitri and Adrian slipped through my fingers, but my wife’s safety comes first. I couldn’t risk losing her in the crossfire, she comes first. Maybe I shouldn’t have allowed her to attend the event, but that would have seemed suspicious.
I should have known Adrian wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“Brother, is it true? Did Dmitri really betray you?” Viktor asks, when we’ve finally gotten back to the mansion.
I take a seat in the living room and pull Calina next to me. Rubbing the pad of my thumb against her knuckle, I respond, “Yes, he’s been feeding Adrian information for months.”
Same look of disbelief I had on my face when I first found out, is on Viktor’s face. He swears under his breath and starts pacing the living room like a caged animal, face red with fury.
“How the fuck could Dmitri do this? After everything we’ve been through? We survived the streets together. I trusted him with my life, with your life!” He pauses, facing me. “I’m sure there’s a mix-up somewhere, maybe…”
“There isn’t any mix-up,” I cut in, still seething. I go on to tell Viktor of how Calina had heard Dmitri on the phone and then proceeded to steal his phone. When I show Viktor the messages, he’s stunned for a moment and then becomes furious.
“I’m so going to kill that fucker!”
Viktor lets out a string of curses, looking broken at the realization that the man we considered a brother could betray us like this.
He turns to Calina, his expression shifting to genuine remorse. “I’m sorry. I misjudged you from the beginning. I thought you were the threat, when the real traitor was the man I called brother. I was blind.”
“It’s okay,” Calina responds with a smile. “I was a stranger, the member of an enemy family coming into your home. It is normal that you were suspicious.”
Viktor runs a hand over his face, looking shaken. “We have to find them. Both of them. Dmitri has to pay for what he did. He betrayed you. He betrayed all of us. He has to pay.”
“He will,” I say, voice cold. “Adrian and Dmitri both. They got away tonight, but not for long.”
I look at my wife, the only thing keeping me grounded right now. The anger is still boiling inside me, but having her safe makes it bearable.
I will find them. No matter what rock they hide under. And when I do, their deaths will be slow, and painful.
My phone pings in the pocket of my jacket. I reach for it, and when I glance at the screen, I freeze. It’s from Dmitri.
Dmitri: Maxim, I’m sorry. I know there’s no undoing what’s been done, but I can still fix this. I can help you bring Adrian down. Meet me at the hollow house. Alone. I’ll give you everything I have. Just you. No one else.
The hollow house, that’s what we three call the orphanage we grew up in, because of how hollow it made us feel. What sick game is he up to? Why would he choose that place of all places?
That building was falling apart when we were kids. I left when I was fourteen, I got adopted by Orlov who later made me his successor. Dmitri and Viktor stayed behind, struggling on the streets after they aged out.
I convinced my adopted father to bring them in. We’ve been together since. I bought the land years ago and built a new orphanage elsewhere. The old building is just a wasteland now. Nothing but ruins.
I feel my blood turn to ice.
Calina notices my expression immediately. “What is it?”
I hand her the phone without a word. She reads it quickly, her eyes widening. She knows about the hollow place. I’ve told her about it.
“Hell no,” she says, voice sharp. “There’s no way you’re going, Maxim. This is obviously a trap.”
Viktor leans over and takes the phone from her. The moment he reads it, he swears viciously. “That fucker…”
Calina looks at me, confused. I exhale slowly, rubbing my temple as the migraine throbs harder.
Calina’s face pales. “Maxim, please… don’t go. This is too dangerous.”
Viktor nods, still staring at the phone like he wants to crush it. “She’s right. Going would be suicide. He’s clearly working with Adrian. This could be a setup.”
I let out a groan, the migraine now a full-blown hammer in my skull. “I know it’s a trap,” I say quietly. “But I have to go.”
Calina looks like she’s on the verge of tears. “No. You can’t. Think about this. Please.”
Viktor steps forward. “Brother… I agree with her. We need to be smart about this.”
I close my eyes for a second, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’ll handle it.”
Calina shakes her head, but I cut her off gently. “You must be tired malyshka. Let’s go upstairs.”
I take her hand and lead her to our bedroom, ignoring the way my head is pounding. Viktor follows us partway, then stops.
“Change all the passcodes for every entrance,” I tell him. “Dmitri knows every passcode. Sweep the entire perimeter and inform all our men he’s a traitor.”
Viktor nods grimly. “I’ll take care of it.”
Once we’re alone in the bedroom, I pull Calina into my arms, holding her tight. Her body trembles slightly against mine. I press a kiss to the top of her head, trying to push down the rage and pain long enough to be what she needs right now.