Page 106 of His to Own

“Sometimes.”

“Why didn’t you confront me about Alisa sooner? How long had you known?”

“Since the brunch.”

“Why not say something?” he asks, pushing a piece of my hair behind my ear.

“I felt… hurt. And ashamed. And embarrassed. It just seemed easier to not say anything. My entire life my father scolded me for speaking. I didn’t want to get in trouble.”

“You’re not going to get in trouble with me for saying what’s on your mind. I promise.” He pauses as his eyes sweep over my face. How do I look to him in this moment? “Is that why you didn’t tell me about your school and getting suspended?”

“Yes.” My lips barely move as I reply. “I was so embarrassed. I didn’t want to admit to it. So I kept it to myself. I was angry with you over firing my professor. I know she’s behind it. She has it out for me.”

“I’ll handle it, Elena. I promise.”

“How?”

“You really want to know?”

A part of me doesn’t but I need to know everything Maxim has done and will do. I can’t bury my head in the sand. Not when my husband is a mafia man. It’s his nature to do bad things. “Yes,” I finally answer.

“I’ll have to get rid of her more permanently. I’ll get her to drop the plagiarism charge and you’ll be able to stay in school. I will make sure of it. I know how much your education means to you.” His eyes move down my body but it’s not sexual. It’s more… curious. “You said you always wanted to be a mother. You never told me that before.”

“I felt silly,” I whisper.

“Why?”

“My father always made me feel like there was something wrong with me. I’ve always dreamed of having a family but also working. I want to be a working mom. I want to have my own dreams and I want to raise a child to feel love where I didn’t feel any growing up. But I felt like I didn’t deserve to have a family or dreams of my own.”

“Your father is a complete asshole.”

Maxim’s blunt words make me laugh. It’s a small chuckle but it’s still something. “He is. He really is.”

He cups my face and brings my eyes to his. “You really want children one day? I wasn’t sure. With your studies and how much you didn’t want me going near you.”

“I want you to come near me,” I admit. “I’m just afraid and confused and I don’t know how to handle it all.”

“Then why not tell me any of this?”

“My father.”

He nods. “Right. He got in your head. Made you believe things about yourself you shouldn’t believe. I get that it’s tough for you to get over all the things he did. But let me help you, Elena. Don’t hold back from me anymore. I could have lost you today. And I would have hated to lose you knowing that there’s still so much I don’t know about you.”

“I could have lost you too.”

“Did you want me dead? I noticed you warned me about Aleksander.”

“I wasn’t sure.” I shrug and stare down at my knees. “But when I saw Aleksander pull that gun out, I… I knew I didn’t want you dead. In that moment, I knew it.”

“He could have hurt you when you warned me.”

“I know.” When I flick my eyes to Maxim’s, I see his vulnerability there. It’s something I’m not sure many other people get to see. “I knew the risks.”

“And you took them anyway,” he says softly. He pushes my wet hair behind my ear. “How are you feeling? More warm?”

“Yes. Thank you. Thank you for saving my life.”

“It’s the least I could do as your husband. After I forced you into this marriage.”