Page 19 of Reckless Obsession

By the time he’s finished, I’m shaking my head in disgust.

“Did he tell you to send me the pictures?” I ask.

Julian hesitates, then shakes his head quickly.

“No. That was my idea. I heard you’re… protective of Maksim, that you clean up his messes. I thought maybe I could make some money, use them as leverage.”

“Do you think,” I say slowly, “a boy trained by the bratva and who hacks like a freaking pro doesn’t know when he’s being followed?”

His blinking turns frantic.

“How can you be absolutely certain that Maksim doesn’t know about you?”

“I—I didn’t—”

“Does anyone else know?” I cut in.

He swallows hard. “No.”

“Good.”

I let out a sigh as I put on my suit jacket.

“Lay low,” I tell him. “Don’t call the cops, don’t get creative. And don’t forget you have a wife and two beautiful children waiting at home.”

His eyes harden protectively, almost as if offended at that.

“I’ll be seeing you soon,” I say.

Then I walk out.

Three blocks away, I sit in my car and let the silence settle. My hands remain steady on the steering wheel.

My mind isn’t.

Fuck.

Jake Wesley.

How the hell did I spend years loving someone that pathetic? And worse, how stupid is he to poke at the Petrov family, especially Maksim?

My phone rings.

Anton.

“Did he say who hired him?” Anton asks the second I answer.

His deep voice is low and rough, all business. The kind of voice that doesn’t need to rise to be obeyed.

“No,” I say easily. The lie slips out smooth as silk. “He said he was just trying to extort me.”

There’s a pause before he lets out a hum.

“My men will take care of him tonight,” he says casually.

Anton has always been the most dangerous of Pavel’s sons. He’s not as loud as Maksim, who is reckless, sharp-tongued, and alive in a way that draws attention, whether he wants it or not.

Maksim is fiery, while Anton is like permafrost—ancient, unmoving, and capable of swallowing things whole without a crack. He and Alexander both have that calm, disciplined stillness. However, there’s a key difference: Alexander becomes very soft for his boyfriend Lucas, and I’ve noticed empathy flicker across his face a few times. It’s rare, but it shows he’s human.