Page 78 of His to Own

Maxim

The man Nikolai and I tortured finally gave us information on Aleksander. After dumping his body into a river, Nikolai and I head out to find Aleksander. We purposefully didn’t tell Gregory about this plan. He tends to get in the way of everything.

“How is Elena?” Nikolai asks on the drive. Aleksander supposedly is staying at a mansion on the outskirts of town. It will be good for me and Nikolai to have a chat with him before we try to kill him.

“She’s fine.” My tone is clipped.

Nikolai glances at me. “That doesn’t sound like she’s fine. She shouldn’t have been there.”

“I know. Apparently, she got in because of an emergency key your wife keeps hidden. She told Elena about it. Elena told me this morning that’s how she was able to get into the house.” That was also the only thing Elena said to me this morning before I left for work. The iciness between us was too much for me to bear.

“I haven’t told Lana about what happened. I know she’ll be upset over what her sister saw.”

“You love your wife, don’t you?”

Nikolai sighs. “I am not going to discuss my personal relationship with you.”

“But you love her. Don’t you?”

“Of course I do. She’s my wife.”

I shrug. “Just checking.”

“Do you love your wife?”

I huff and stare out the window. “I don’t fucking know. I’ve never really loved anyone before. I thought I was in love with a lot of women growing up but then I realized it was just my cock that was in love. Elena and I haven’t been married long.”

“These things take time.”

“Did they for you and your wife?”

Nikolai’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. “I knew I loved Lana from the first moment I saw her.”

“Good for you. I knew I wanted Elena but that doesn’t make it love.” And right now, things feel far away from love as they can get between us.

Nikolai and I arrive at the address Aleksander’s little lackey gave us. The large gate out front blocks some of the view of the mansion but I can still see the top of it.

“It’s so… ornate,” I say. The mansion is white and gold. Very tacky. I guess being rich doesn’t account for taste.

“I don’t really care how Aleksander decorates his house. Let’s go.” We get out of the car and approach the gate. A guard stands out front.

“Who are you?” he asks. “What do you want?”

“I’m Nikolai Smirnoff and this is Maxim Morozov. We’re here to talk with Aleksander Baranov.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

I snort. “We need an appointment to talk with him?”

The guard looks me over with a blank expression. “Mr. Baranov is a very busy man. You need an appointment.”

“Let him know that Maxim Morozov and Nikolai Smirnoff are here,” I say. “He went after something of ours. He’ll know who we are. Call him. We’ll wait.”

The guard doesn’t move. “No appointment, no talking to Mr. Baranov. Go. Now.”

“Just call him.” I open my jacket to reveal my gun hidden inside. “Before we have to make this difficult.”

“Don’t do something we’ll regret,” Nikolai warns towards me.