Page 150 of His to Own

“You put your playboy ways behind you really fast.”

He smiles. “Well, when you find the right woman, it’s easy to do so.” He pushes my hair behind my ear. His strong, long fingers that I love so much. “About the news you got yesterday…”

“I can’t have children. I always dreamed of having at least one so I could show him or her love the way I never got it.”

“We can still have kids. Adoption. Or a surrogate. We don’t have to give up hope of having kids one day. You know that, right?”

“I do,” I whisper. “But it’s still heartbreaking to hear.”

“I know. I never knew if I would have kids. But then I met you and I want that whole life with you. Kids. Marriage. A white picket fence. Two point five dogs.”

I frown. “Two point five dogs?”

He chuckles. “You know what I mean. We can have children one day, Elena. But you’re only nineteen. Focus on your school. Focus on your writing. We’ll figure out how we want to have children when the time is right.”

All the tension leaves my body just because of his words. That’s the power Maxim has over me.

“Thank you,” I say as tears hit my eyes. “Thank you.”

He kisses my hand. “Of course. It’s what a loving husband does. See? I’m not all bad.”

That gets a laugh out of me and the way Maxim smiles back makes me feel happier than I have felt in a long time, despite the world ending.

“What’s going to happen to my mother and sister?” I ask. “My father wanted to marry Adriana to Aleksander. That can’t happen. I’ve seen him cut a man’s head off with a tiny knife. There’s a savagery inside of him. I can’t stand the thought of Adriana being married to that man. I know it’s hurting Lana too.”

“I can’t say what will happen to your mom and sister. I don’t even know where your father took them. But me and Nikolai won’t stop looking. We won’t let anyone hurt our wives and our business. I wanted this deal with Nikolai and I took it. It gave me you. At first, I thought it was just an extra bonus. A pretty wife. But you mean so much more to me now. I love you.”

“You make it sound so easy to say.”

He shrugs. “That’s because it is. I love you. Why hide it?”

“I love you too,” I say, squeezing his hand. “I just want everything to turn out right in the end.”

“It will. Right now, focus on getting your body better. It’s going to be a while before you can comfortably walk. I’ll handle your father. I don’t want you to worry.”

Easier said than done but I appreciate Maxim’s determination, even if the pit in my stomach grows.

I can return home after a week in the hospital. Still no news of my family or Aleksander.

Lana comes to visit me and sits at my bedside. Maxim and Nikolai are at work – looking for my father and Aleksander. Trying to make things right.

“How are you feeling?” she asks.

“Better than a week ago but I still have a long way to go.”

“When I was shot in the leg, it took me months before I could fully walk on it again. It took me even longer to be able to dance.”

“But you did it.”

She offers me a soft smile. “But I did. And you’ll get better too. You’re a fighter, Elena. You always have been. Maybe more than you gave yourself credit for.”

“I know. I’ll get better. But it’s hard when all I can think about is Father. What he did to me. And now Adriana. I’m worried he’ll hurt her.”

“She was always his favorite so hopefully… hopefully he won’t hurt her.”

“If he marries her to Aleksander, then he will be hurting her.”

“She’s only seventeen.” Lana gasps. “It’s Adriana’s birthday today. I just realized. We don’t even get to celebrate with her. I know she’s pouting over it.”