Page 83 of His to Own

“Does that make us criminals too?” I didn’t tell the police about Maxim torturing that man. I let him kiss me instead and I loved it. I already want him to kiss me again.

“No. We’re not the ones who have committed the crime.” She nudges my arm. “I have a group of women I go to brunch with every Saturday. You should come.”

I hesitate. I’ve never been one to have a lot of friends. Speaking isn’t my forte.

“It will be fun,” she says. “Come on.”

“All right.” Maybe it would be good for me to have more friends in life. Mafia wives who can understand what I’m going through.

Alisa’s smile is a dark, cherry red. “I’m glad. It’s going to be so much fun.”

“Where are you going?” Maxim asks Saturday morning. He’s in the kitchen in a white tank top and sweatpants, looking so incredibly handsome that it steals my breath away.

I’m in a simple spring dress and heels. “To brunch. With Alisa.”

He scratches his jaw. “You’re still friends with her?”

“We’re not really friends. Yet. But it would be good for me to get out more. You told me to stop hiding away.”

“Being friends with Alisa isn’t exactly what I meant.”

I frown. “What is your problem with her? Exactly? You haven’t told me.”

He sets his coffee cup down with a sigh. “Alisa can be a mean girl sometimes. That’s all.”

“She hasn’t been mean to me.”

“Fine. You can go.”

“I didn’t know I needed your permission.”

He approaches me and sets his fingers under my chin, tilting my head up. “I like it when you get sassy with me. I like seeing the fire inside of you. It’s burning at the edges, trying to get out. You can let it out more if you want.”

“I’m good,” I squeak out and pull away from him. Every time Maxim pushes me to fight, I back down. I have no idea why.

I arrive at the brunch spot. A simple café in the heart of downtown. Alisa is already inside at a table with three other women. Slowly, I walk over to them. My heart is pounding.

“Elena, you came,” Alisa says as her eyes meet mine. She motions to the seat next to her. “Sit down. Sit down. Let me introduce you to everyone. This is Ekaterina.” She points at a tall model-like blonde woman with ice cold eyes. “That’s Sofiya.” A slightly chubby woman with thick brown hair. “And this is Viktoriya.” She has deep green eyes and a pretty smile.

“Hi,” I whisper.

“She’s quiet,” Alisa explains to the other women. They all nod their understanding. It only makes my face flush, ruining the makeup I applied.

“So, you’re married to Maxim Morozov,” Viktoriya says. “How is that like? We all know he has a reputation for getting around.”

“Maxim has been loyal.” So far. I hope that doesn’t change.

The surprise in their eyes has me worried.

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Sofiya says. “He likes to sleep with another woman every day.”

“I think that was before we were married.”

Ekaterina’s pitying smile makes me angry. “It’s cute that you think that but in my experience, men never change. They always sleep around.”

Alisa pats my hand. “But you don’t need to worry about that here, Elena. We’re all friends.”

In this moment though, it doesn’t feel like we’re friends.