Page 149 of His to Own

His eyes widen and his breathing calms down. Slowly, he sits down again and takes my hand. “Did I hear what I think I just heard?”

“You did. I love you, Maxim.”

“Fuck, Elena,” he breathes out. “I love you too. I was waiting to tell you and I was worried I almost lost my chance. But I love you.” He cups my face and plants a soft kiss to my lips.

That’s when a doctor arrives with a worried look on his face.

“What is it?” Maxim snaps.

“Hello, Elena. I’m Doctor Volkov.”

“Did you perform the surgery on me?” I ask.

“No. That was another doctor. But I’m the one who’s going to take over your care from now on. And… there’s something you need to know.”

I swallow hard. “What is it?”

“We ran some tests to make sure everything was all right but… we discovered something. Your uterus was slightly torn from the stabbing. The doctors who did your surgery were able to save your life and I truly do you believe you’ll have a long, fulfilling life ahead of you. But…”

“But what?” I ask.

He sighs. “I’m afraid that you most likely will never be able to have children.”

His words tear through me like a lightning bolt. All my dreams of having my own children and raising them better than my father did have been dashed. Gone.

“But there’s a chance?” Maxim asks, squeezing my hand.

“There is a chance. A small one. But I don’t want to get your hopes up. More than likely, you will never be able to have children. I need you to be prepared for that.” He gives us both a nod. “I’ll leave you two to process this information.”

The moment the doctor is gone, the tears hit me. Maxim doesn’t say a word as he wraps his arms around me and holds me tight while I cry.

Chapter Twenty

Elena

The news comes while I’m still in the hospital.

“Your father is gone,” Maxim says after getting off the phone with Nikolai. “And he took your mother and sister with him.”

“What?” I had been crying all day yesterday from the news that I wouldn’t be able to have children and now this just makes everything worse. But I’m so tired and spent, I can’t make the tears come again.

“It must have happened when your sister and mother went home. He took them somewhere. We don’t know where but we’ll keep looking for them. Your father tried to kill you. If he was serious about making a deal with Aleksander Baranov, then we need to be worried. If they work together that could put you in harm’s way. It could hurt me and Nikolai.”

“I… I don’t know what to say. You should go. Go search for him.”

Maxim sits back down beside me and takes my hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I suck in a quick gasp of air. “You’re not?”

“You’re my wife, Elena. And you were just given bad news. I’m not going to leave you here to fend for yourself. We’re in this together. Besides, I don’t want your father trying to come here and finish the job. I won’t let you die. Not until you’re at least ninety-nine years old.” He offers me his cheeky grin and it helps the tension in my shoulders disappear.

“Did I tell you that I love you?”

“Mmm. I’m not sure if I remember. I think a kiss would help.” He plants a soft, gentle kiss to my lips. “We’ll get through this, Elena. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re not going to leave me for another woman?”

“What woman? There’s no one but you. I only want to be with you.”