Page 83 of Bound in Possession

I fight him with every ounce of strength left in my body. I claw at his hands, dig my heels into the rug, and slam my elbow into his ribs, but the pain in my shoulder makes my grip weaken. He ignores the blows, driven by pure, manic adrenaline.

He wants to display me to his remaining men and Maksim’s forces below—a broken, bleeding trophy to prove that the great Pakhan failed to protect his wife.

He drags me out onto the cold stone balcony, wrapping an iron arm around my throat and hauling my upper body over the gilded railing, suspending me precariously over the drop.

"Maksim!" Viktor screeches into the cavernous hall, his voice unhinged and echoing over the dying gunshots. "Look at your precious wife!"

Right on cue, the heavy double doors of the room are kicked off their hinges with a thunderous crash.

Maksim bursts into the room, weapon raised, flanked by Dmitri and a wave of heavily armed men.

The moment Maksim’s dark eyes land on me—hanging over the edge, Viktor’s arm choked tight around my throat—he stops dead in his tracks. His men instantly freeze beside him, weapons locked on Viktor, the tension in the room snapping taut like a pulled wire.

Viktor lets out a high, grating laugh that echoes wildly against the high ceiling, dragging me tighter against his chest and using my body as a human shield. The cold barrel of his pistol presses hard against my temple.

"Lower your weapons!" Viktor screams, his voice cracking with unhinged desperation. "Drop them now, Maksim, or I swear to God I’ll paint this balcony with her brains! Step back or she dies!"

The room goes dead silent, save for Viktor’s heavy, ragged breathing in my ear.

I ignore the steel pressed to my head and look straight at Maksim. His face is a mask of pure, terrifying frost, but the second his dark eyes lock onto mine, something inside me settles.

In the middle of this absolute nightmare, with my body half-suspended over a lethal drop, a strange wave of peace washes over me. I feel safe. I know, with every fiber of my being, that he will never let anything happen to me.

Across the expanse of the room, time seems to slow down completely. Viktor’s furious roaring and wild threats fade into background noise as Maksim and I simply stare at each other.

Then, so subtle that anyone else in the room would miss it, Maksim gives me an imperceptible nod.

I understand immediately. I don’t know how, but the unspoken communication between us is absolute.

Taking a deep, sharp breath, I throw my entire weight to the right, jerking my upper body away from Viktor's torso and exposing the entire left side of his ribs and abdomen. It’s an insane, terrifying risk, but I trust Maksim completely—with my life, with my soul.

The exact millisecond Viktor’s side opens up, a single, thunderous shot cracks through the air.

Bang!

The force of the impact reverberates right through me. I feel the exact moment Maksim's bullet embeds itself deep into Viktor’s stomach, shattering his grip and sending him stumbling backward with a wet, choked groan.

Viktor doubles over with a guttural gasp, his hands flying to his gushing abdomen as he loses his footing completely. The instant Viktor’s grip breaks, Maksim is moving—a blur of terrifying speed charging across the room toward me with Dmitri right at his side. Around them, absolute war breaks out as our men open fire, annihilating the last of Viktor's guards in a hail of merciless gunfire.

Before Viktor can even touch his weapon, Maksim closes the distance, his eyes blazing with pure, unadulterated fury. He grabs Viktor by the throat, shoving him brutally against the stone balustrade.

Viktor wheezes, blood pooling on his lips, but Maksim offers no last words, no grand speech. With cold, absolute finality, Maksim raises his firearm and puts two lethal rounds straight into Viktor’s chest, dropping the bastard's lifeless body right where he stands. The threat is ended. Completely.

Silence slowly settles over the estate, broken only by the heavy breathing of men and the drift of gunpowder smoke through the shattered French doors.

Maksim turns sharply, his dark eyes frantically landing on me. I’m leaning against the wall, my dress torn, my shoulder throbbing, covered in blood and dust.

He rushes over, but just a step away from me, he abruptly stops dead in his tracks.

His hands hover in the air between us, trembling slightly. His eyes sweep over my bruised skin, the torn silk, and the dark crimson staining my gown, like he’s terrified that touching me might break me or cause me more pain.

He stands there, raw and vulnerable, completely leaving the choice to me.

I don't hesitate for a single second.

I step forward into his space, throwing my arms around his neck and burying my face into the warm crook of his collarbone.

A sharp, ragged breath escapes Maksim’s lungs as he carefully wraps his massive arms around me, pulling me tight against his broad chest. He holds me with a delicate, fiercely protective grip, burying his face in my hair, his shoulders shaking as he inhales the scent of me.