Page 123 of His to Own

Maxim shrugs. “Then invite her.”

“But she could only come if my parents came.”

That settles like a heavy weight in the room. Maxim sighs. “And you don’t want your parents to be there.”

“My mother would find a new way to criticize it and my father would only say I was a disappointment. Besides, I haven’t spoken to my mother about the affair since she told me. I don’t know how to face my parents.”

“Maybe that’s why you should face them. You can’t let them have a hold over you forever, Elena.”

“You speak like you have experience with that.”

Maxim stares down at his empty plate for a long moment. “I didn’t grow up in the mafia. Not like your father did. Not like Nikolai did. I had to fight my way to the top. But that meant leaving people behind who weren’t good for me.”

“Like who? You’ve never told me this before.”

“Like my own parents. My dad was a drug addict. Mom enabled him. Didn’t stop him. Didn’t put up a fight. I hated seeing how he treated her. Always hit her. I left that house the first moment I could but when my mother called me and needed my help because my dad had hit her so hard she couldn’t stand up, I knew I had to act. I couldn’t let them have power over me for the rest of my life. I was tired.”

“What happened?” I whisper as my gut clenches. I already have an idea of where this story goes.

“I showed up at my parents’ house. And I saw how my mom already forgave my dad. She was surprised when I showed up. I guess she forgot she called me. I was pissed… so I killed him. My father.”

I go still. “You… you killed your own father?” I’ve always known about the darkness inside of Maxim. The easy way he kills people or tortures them. I guess killing someone you hate will always be easy after you killed your own father.

He looks me dead in the eye. “I did.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Because it would have only frightened you more and I didn’t want you to fear me. But we’ve been through a lot now. I’ve been asking you to open up to me. I might as well do the same.”

I can’t believe we’re having this conversation over the dinner table like it’s any other normal night. But in the mafia, this is normal.

“What happened?” I whisper, my lips dry.

Maxim shifts around in his seat. “I killed my dad. I… I strangled him. I didn’t have a gun yet. I was still working odd jobs here and there for mafia men. I wasn’t where I’m at today.”

“And your mom?”

“She screamed at me to stop. She still wanted to be with him. But he only ever hurt her and I couldn’t stand for that anymore. But I couldn’t just leave her there. I knew she’d called the police. I already had a record. I had been arrested for selling drugs. Thankfully, I was only in for a few months and got out on good behavior. I couldn’t let my mother live.”

He stares at me steadily. There’s no shame in his eyes. Maxim is recounting his past like… well, like it’s the past. He’s put this behind him, I realize.

But how can I? This is another layer I have uncovered about him. One I’ll have to accept if I want him in my life.

“What did you do?” I ask. My heart feels like it’s in my throat, just beating away, choking me.

“I strangled her too. It was the last time I ever hurt a woman like that. Well, until I killed your professor. But I made her death painless. I really don’t like hurting women, Elena. I hated what I did to my mother but it was self-preservation. I couldn’t have them in my life any longer.”

I suck in a sharp breath. “Are you suggesting I kill my parents?”

“No. I would never want that for you. I lived with nightmares for a long time after what I did. But eventually… time passed. And I moved on. But I know that you wouldn’t be able to. No. You need to deal with your parents in a different way. They’ll always have a hold on you if you don’t.”

“So I should invite them to my poetry reading?” Tears prick at my eyes. “I don’t know how to face them. I don’t know how to process what my mother told me. I don’t know how to process what you just told me.”

He grabs my hand and holds it, not tight but not gentle either. “I am trusting you with my story, Elena. I asked you to open up to me so I’m doing the same. No more lies. No more hidden truths. This is me.”

“I…”

“What?” he asks in a soft tone.