Maksim opens the SUV's rear door and gestures for me to get in. His eyes flick over my bruised cheek, the trembling still lingering in my hands, and something hard settles deeper into his expression. He orders, "Sit."
I obey.
Cold leather hits the backs of my thighs. My hands rest on my knees, fingers flexing. Blood still rushes in and out in pulses, and I hate that my body is still recovering while my mind is already sprinting ahead.
Blue's pregnant.
The words repeat in my head with no mercy. It lights something in my chest that I can't shut off. It also drags fear right behind it, sharp enough to make my throat tighten.
My baby will be part Ivanov.
Maksim slides in beside me and shuts the door. He leans forward and taps the divider once.
The driver pulls forward. We roll out of the lot, and the crumbled city moves past tinted windows.
"Where are we?" I ask.
Maksim stares straight ahead, jaw set. "That's not your business. Do you understand why you are in this position?"
I glance at him. "I love her."
His eyes cut toward me. "That is not an answer."
I swallow, the inside of my cheek aching. "I got involved with your niece."
He corrects, "You mean you took advantage of her, correct?"
I swallow hard. "I understand this looks bad."
He scowls. "You're her therapist?"
I deeply exhale, not flinching under his gaze.
He lowers his voice. "Blue hurts herself?"
My pulse skyrockets again. Defensively, I ask, "How do you know about that?"
Concern floods his expression. "She told me you stop her from hurting herself. What does that mean?"
"I can't disclose her personal information to you."
"You aren't supposed to sleep with your patients either. So explain to me what she meant, or I'll take you back to Adrian and leave you to fend for yourself," he threatens.
I clench my jaw.
"Speak," he snaps.
I slowly offer, "She cuts and stabs herself."
Confusion flickers on him. He peers closer. "Why would she do that?"
I collect my thoughts and answer, "People deal with their emotions in different ways."
"Why do you not sound alarmed?" he asks.
I sit straighter. "I'm not excusing it, but I understand it. When the inside gets too loud or too empty, pain becomes something concrete she can control, something that cuts through the chaos and makes her present again."
Maksim shifts. "Is she suicidal?"
