Page 43 of His to Own

“The way you handled Mikhail and Sergei? Are you going to kill Alexei too?”

“That would upset you, I take it.”

“Very much.”

“I don’t like that it would upset you. Alexei is just some pathetic little fucker you don’t need to spend time with.”

“He’s my friend!” I shout, slamming my fork into the table.

Maxim flinches slightly. It feels good to shock a powerful man like him. A smirk quickly replaces the shock on his face. “Now we’re getting somewhere. My quiet little wife not so quiet anymore. Let it out, Elena. Let me hear everything you have to say.”

“You’re taunting me.”

“No. I want you to speak up.”

As soon as he says it, I go quiet again. All the years people snapped at me to speak up and all the years my father told me to be quiet. All of it hits me.

I bore holes into the table, unable to meet Maxim’s eyes again.

“I don’t like that he’s your friend,” Maxim states.

“He’s just my friend. He hasn’t done anything wrong,” I whisper. “I don’t want you to kill him.”

“Did I kill him? I only gave him a message.”

“And you punched him.”

Maxim laughs like the whole situation is funny. To him it is. “As a warning. Nothing more. I don’t know why you’re so upset with this.”

“Because you told him to stay away from me. I want to make my own choices in life.” I hate how small and pathetic my voice sounds right now.

“I get that. I really do. But Alexei is a problem. He wanted to take you from me and that’s not happening. I won’t take your education away from you, Elena. But I am taking Alexei from you. Be happy I didn’t kill him.”

The anger building inside of me comes to a head and I throw the fork in my hand across the table…right for Maxim. It doesn’t reach him but it comes close enough. He doesn’t even react.

“That anger inside of you,” he says, “is building. You should probably let it out in a healthier way.”

“Is that what you do?”

“Yes. I kill people.”

“What if I killed you?”

Maxim tilts his head to the side, looking me up and down. That constant amused expression makes me want to hit him. Punch him the way he punched Alexei. “I don’t think you have that inside of you but show me wrong. I like surprises. It keeps life more interesting.”

“I hate you,” I whisper.

“Aww. That hurts.”

His sarcasm makes me get up from the table and walk away. Maxim follows of course.

“We weren’t done talking,” he says.

“You wanted me. So why are you trying to push me away?” I need air. I just need to breathe. I go out the backdoor into Maxim’s large backyard. It’s a huge garden full of hedges and flowers and trees. A thing of beauty. The darkness only highlights how alone I feel.

“I didn’t realize this would push you away.”

“You really thought taking one of my friends from me is what I wanted?”