“No.”
I swallowed the rising panic that the reality of his words brought on. “Am I in danger?”
With a shake of his head, Maksim replied, “Not at the moment, and I intend to keep it that way.”
“You’re just being cautious.”
“Exactly.”
“While I appreciate that, how am I supposed to explain your presence to Sammy?”
He shrugged. “What do you normally classify the men you’re with?”
“I don’t.” At his inquisitive glance, I shifted in my seat. “I don’t bring men around Sammy.”
Maksim’s brows furrowed. “Why not?”
“It’s complicated.”
When Maksim continued staring curiously at me, I sighed. “In the past, some men have been freaked out about Sammy. Some held it in until they met him. Others checked out at the idea I couldn’t give them a hundred percent of me.”
“Svolochs,” he bit out. At my questioning look, he replied, “B-Bastards.”
“Yeah, they were. Sammy is my blood, my responsibility. He will always be a huge factor in my decision-making.” With a shrug, I said, “Most men can’t handle that.”
“T-Those were not men you were with. T-They were little b-boys.”
I knew how much he truly felt what he was saying since he’d lost control of his stutter. A few seconds ticked by before he got a hold of his emotions. “Real men understand familial obligations. They have a heart for those who need care among us.”
His words touched something deep within me. But instead of telling him that, I said, “That was a really great pattern of speech.”
The corners of his lips quirked. “Thank you.”
When a knock came at my window, I jumped out of my skin. Jerking my gaze to the glass, Sammy’s face peered into the tinted windows. “Oh shit.”
“We have company,” Maksim said.
Fumbling with the handle, I opened the door, causing Sammy to back up. “Hey, Mr. Sweetface.”
Without a hello, Sammy pronounced, “This isn’t your car.”
“I know. It’s my…”
Shit, shit, shit! What was I going to say? I opened my mouth to explain when a deep voice answered for me. “B-Boyfriend’s.”
While Sammy’s brows shot comically wide at the sound of Maksim’s voice, I fought the urge to slap his face. Throwing a glare over my shoulder, I corrected, “Yes, my friend who is a boy, Maksim.”
He had the audacity to wink at me before hopping out of the car. I quickly did the same. When he came around the back of the SUV, Sammy’s mouth dropped wide as his gaze trailed up Maksim’s body.
“You can call me Maks.”
“Holy forkballs, you’re huge,” Sammy remarked.
“Sammy,” I scolded.
Considering how smooth he was acting, I wouldn’t have imagined Maksim was nervous until his patterns of speech were affected. “Yeah, I’ve b-been called that b-before. Nice t-to meet you.”
Sammy’s brows furrowed at Maksim’s stutter. “You talk funny.”
