Page 21 of His to Own

“What would you do if I did say I killed him? Would you kill me? Shoot my cock off the way Sergei’s cock was shot?”

He clenches his hands into fists. The vein in his forehead looks like it’s going to pop any second. “That confirms it. You killed him.”

“Just make the deal with me and Nikolai. We both want me to be married to your daughter. We could achieve so much, Gregory. Just make the deal.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then you won’t like me when I’m a loose cannon. I’ll do whatever I want.”

“Nikolai forced my hand when he married Lana. I refuse to let something like that happen again.”

I look Gregory over in his three piece suit. So put together and yet bursting at the seams. “You have a lot of pride, don’t you?”

“I do. What does that matter?”

“So you would let all the people around you die just to avoid someone walking over you? It’s why you won’t give me your daughter’s hand. Your pride. I told Nikolai that I am much more fun than you are. If you don’t get that stick out of your ass, it’s going to kill you one day.”

“By your hand, I take it?” he spits out.

“Just take the deal, Gregory. Just take the deal. Let me marry Elena.”

“Why do you even want my daughter? She’s nothing special. Lana was the special one. Even my youngest, Adriana, is better.”

“Given that Lana is married and Adriana is only sixteen, I think Elena is the only one for me to choose. Is she not?”

“So you’re choosing my daughter for convenience sake? How do you think that makes me feel as a father?”

I sigh. “Give it up, Gregory. You will spin everything I say. I like Elena. She intrigues me. And do I think she’s beautiful? Yes, I do. If I can marry her and get Nikolai on my side, that’s a win-win in my book. So make it happen or you might end up like Sergei did.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a promise. Now, I have an incredibly sexy naked woman in my bed right now that needs another good fucking so I’m going to go.”

“Maxim!” he shouts but I shut the door in his face. Let Gregory scramble. He’ll learn in time how serious I am.

Elena

When Father returns in an even more angry mood, I know something went wrong. Maxim killed Sergei. I feel it in my gut. If he’s willing to go to such great lengths to marry me, then that only proves just how bad of a man Maxim is. I shudder.

Father comes bursting into my room, making me gasp. He rips my book of poems away from me. “Why do you always cause problems for me?”

“Father?”

“Be quiet!” he shouts before smacking me across the face. I gasp and clutch my cheek, trying not to cry. Adriana appears in the doorway.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“Stay out of this,” he snaps at her.

“Did you… hit her? Father –,”

“Adriana, go back to your room. I have offered you too many liberties. Just go.”

She gives me an uncertain look before returning to her room. I can hear her door shut and it makes the pain in my chest worse. Mother doesn’t even come by to check on me. She’s so used to our father acting this way.

“He killed him,” Father spits out. “That fucker.”

“Who?” I whisper. I need to hear it.