To her surprise, she saw he had packed the dinner she made into two lunchboxes and placed it in a bag next to her. Sofia looked at the packed pasta for a moment, speechless.
“The boss will be hungry when he wakes up. Maxim won’t want to eat hospital food. Besides, the pasta smelled so good. It would be a waste to throw it away,” Yuri explained.
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the hospital. She was glad for Yuri’s presence. He seemed to know his way around.
Finally, they arrived at the waiting room. Lev was there, speaking to three of Maxim’s men. She noticed the area had been cleared of other people. Sofia stormed up to Lev.
“What happened?” she demanded.
Lev studied her for a few moments, then told her about the hitman who followed Maxim from work. “He managed to get in three shots to Maxim’s chest, but he missed any vital parts,” Lev explained.
Sofia sank down on the nearest chair to process his information. Lev hesitated, then sat next to her.
Sofia reached for his hand and squeezed it. Lev looked at a complete loss as to what to do next.
“And the hitman? Is he dead?” Sofia asked in a cold voice she hardly recognized.
Lev nodded. “Maxim had done his share of damage. When my men and I arrived, I only had to finish the bastard off.”
“Good,” Sofia said softly. “Do you know who he works for?”
“Not yet, but I’ll know soon enough,” Lev said.
“I’m guessing you heard about my trip with Alex today,” Sofia began. “I brought it up because I think there’s vital information Maxim and you might want to know.”
“What is it?” Lev asked, keeping his voice low.
“I think Giovanni Fedorov is working with someone from the Rossi Familia. I tried to record his conversation, but the sound quality might not be so good.”
“Send the audio file to me,” Lev said, looking troubled.
“I will,” Sofia promised.
Lev glanced at the plastic bag she carried. “Did you bring me dinner?”
“Of course not. I made dinner for Maxim and me. This is for him when he wakes up,” she said.
“You are a strange woman, Sofia Bianchi,” Lev said.
“Sofia Semenov,” she corrected. “My loyalties lie with Maxim and the Bratva now.”
Lev nodded, and Sofia wondered if she imagined the silent approval in his eyes. “My mistake,” he said.
****
Maxim woke, feeling groggy. It took him a few seconds to get his bearings. His arm was hooked to an IV. Bandages were wrapped around his chest under the hospital gown. His memory remained foggy. Maxim remembered getting out of his car, staggering when the shooter got off with a lucky shot.
“Maxim, don’t move so much. You just had surgery,” Lev said. Maxim noticed his brother rising from the chair in the corner of the room. He was about to ask Lev what he was doing all the way there, then noticed the second figure in the room.
Sofia’s head lay slumped against the bed, her face turned toward him. Joy filled Maxim at the sight of her. He raised his hand and ran his fingers through her messy curls.
“She stayed up all night?” Maxim asked Lev.
“She did. I told her I could have someone drive her home and bring her back here first thing in the morning. She adamantly refused,” Lev said.
Maxim wondered if Sofia was here because she felt guilty about disobeying him the day before, then dismissed the thought. If she genuinely didn’t give a damn what he thought or did, then she wouldn’t be here at all.
The sound of his and Lev’s voices must’ve finally woken Sofia up because she let out a groan. Then she opened her eyes and rubbed at them before seeing him. She looked not completely awake, but the smile she flashed him looked genuine.