Page 14 of His to Own

Sergei huffs. “You don’t have the high ground to stand on, pretty boy. You helped kidnap her sister. Everyone knows it.”

“I’m flattered you think I’m pretty. And yes, I did help kidnap her sister once. But I never laid a hand on her. Never hit her. I don’t hit women. It’s just not… fun.”

“And you like to have fun.” Sergei sneers on the word ‘fun’ like it’s the most dirty word in existence.

“As I already told you: I do. So why don’t you leave this room now? I think the girl wants to be left alone.”

“So then why did you come in here?” Sergei asks.

Maxim’s lips quirk. All I can do is watch the exchange. I’m too scared to move and too scared to speak. “Just to check on the birthday girl.”

“You can get any woman you want. Leave this one to me.”

“You are right, Sergei. I can get any woman I want. And I planned on still getting any woman I wanted after I was married. I wasn’t going to let a pesky marriage alliance stop me from fucking other women. I just assumed the girl was ugly. I mean, why else would one need to be in an arranged marriage?” Maxim looks Sergei up and down. “You’re proving my point there, Sergei.”

He stands up taller, huffing. “Just go.”

“But then I laid eyes on the birthday girl for the first time today. And I realized just how pretty she is. Just how… sad she seems. It fascinated me. I tend to get fascinated by women, I’ll admit. I’m easy like that. But there’s something about this girl.” His eyes flick to mine and I huddle deeper into the bed, wanting to disappear into the mattress. “Or maybe it’s because you want her, Sergei, and that makes me want her more. I’m not sure the reason. All I know is that I’m having fun and I won’t let you hit her. So why don’t we leave the room now and let the birthday girl rest in peace?”

“Or what?” Sergei taunts. “You’re going to hurt me?”

Maxim’s face contorts into something dark. “Yes.” There’s no amusement in Maxim’s voice. Only a plain, obvious threat.

Sergei clears his throat. “I am a high ranking Bratva official. You cannot hurt me.”

“If you don’t leave this room, Sergei, then I will hurt you. Just a little promise on my part.”

Sergei points a stubby finger my way. “You are mine, Elena. I will get you to say it.” He finally leaves the room but I can’t breathe yet since Maxim is still here.

He sets the full weight of his handsome face onto me. “Sorry about that. What did you think of my knight-in-shining armor bit? It was fun. Exhilarating.”

I still can’t get myself to speak.

The only sound I make is a small squeak as Maxim walks over to me. He’s so tall and imposing. And so handsome. How can I find him handsome? He’s a bad man who hurt my sister once.

“You don’t have to look so afraid around me,” he murmurs.

I squeeze my eyes shut and hope and pray he’ll disappear.

I can hear Maxim huff before his footsteps fade away and then the door closes. When I open my eyes, I find that I’m all alone in the room.

Father takes me home after a few hours. The anger radiating from him is the most I’ve ever seen. He’s practically vibrating.

“Go to your room,” he says in a cold voice the moment we’re inside.

I want to ask him about Sergei and Maxim and who I’m going to marry now that I know my father and Nikolai want different things from me. Want different husbands for me.

And it’s clear, through it all, that I’m just being used. Nikolai wants me to marry Maxim as a peace deal. My father wants me to marry Sergei just so he doesn’t give Nikolai what he wants. None of this is about me. None of this is my choice. It will be decided for me.

I trudge to my room but before I can even sit down, Adriana comes storming inside. “You had a birthday party and I wasn’t even invited? How could you do this to me?”

The urge to snap at my sister and tell her that not everything is about her is on the tip of my tongue but I hold it back. Instead, I slump into the seat at my desk, staring down at my book of poetry. “I’m sorry, Adriana. I didn’t mean to upset you.” My voice sounds just as cold as my father’s did.

Adriana blinks. Clearly, she was gearing up for a fight but I’m not going to give her one. “Oh. Well… thanks, I guess. But for your next birthday party, you better invite me. I am your sister after all.” She leaves the room before I can say anything else.

The sad reality is: by my next birthday, I’ll be married. The question though is: who will be my husband?

Maxim