Page 55 of Surrender: XXX Maxim
Oblivious to anything but their challenge, they take off, jockeying for the lead.
The second they’re out of earshot, Maxim grabs my wrist and pulls me to my feet.
“What’s wrong?”
He doesn’t answer in favor of leading me back to the house. As we enter the living room, I see the cause of the disturbance for myself.
Dressed in a tan suit with a crisp white shirt, a few buttons open at the neck, a tall man commands the massive space. He stands rigidly, casting a cynical glance at the bright, neutral décor. Once he spots Maxim, he inhales as if steeling himself for a battle. “I will explain—”
“Explain, Milton?” Maxim echoes in a dangerously soft tone. “You don’tevercome to me unannounced. Which means, you’ve suddenly picked now, the first time in twenty years, to drop by for a surprise visit. Or…” His eyes narrow. “You’ve decided to spring something far more unforgivable on me. Which one is it?”
The other man inclines his head toward the foyer. “You can come in.”
“Many apologies,” a new figure simpers with mock contrition. Dima. But in comparison to Milton’s polished appearance, I don’t know whether to laugh or stare as he strolls into the room. In lieu of a suit or linen ensemble, he wears an array of mismatched clothing as if he picked them out last minute from the bargain bin at Goodwill. A large, oversized pink sweatshirt shrouds his lanky frame, sporting a yellow heart in the center. A gray knitted cap obscures most of his dark hair, and a ratty pair of jeans completes the overall look.
He could easily fit in with the entertainers Maxim hired for his makeshift carnival—except for his expression. It’s calculating, matching his easy, cautious posture. He keeps his hands in his pockets and scans the interior of the house in a way that makes me suspect he’s memorizing every single detail.
But overall, he looks more cold than comical.Physicallycold, hunched beneath the sweatshirt as if freezing despite the heat.
“I apologize for my ensemble,” he says with a contrite nod. “Oh, how I wish I had the foresight to pack my own priceless suit before dear Milton forced me onto his private plane. Luckily, his sweet flight attendant gave me the use ofherclothing—”
“Get the fuck out! And you—” Eyes flashing, Maxim whirls on Milton, poised on the balls of his feet. “What the hell were you thinking, bringing him here? Have you lost your fucking mind—”
“My mind? No.” Milton smooths his hands along the sleeves of his suit, inspecting the ebony cufflinks, securing each one. When he finally meets Maxim’s gaze, there’s no hint of fear in the dark irises of either man. They stare each other down coldly, two opponents equally matched. “Mypatience, on the other hand? I’m running out of it. You could have avoided this if you picked up my calls. I made myself fucking clear to Lucius.”
“Clear?” Maxim exhales sharply, his body practically humming with anger. “Don’t speak in fucking riddles,” he commands. “You want to say something, then fucking say it. Start with why you would dare to bring him here. Around my—” He grits his teeth, his eyes narrowing to slits. “You bring him here, knowing the risk you just put me in. Why?”
“Dima won’t hurt you,” Milton says tiredly, as if bored by the mere thought of it. “No one else will learn of this location. Proven wrong—which I won’t be—I will personallyfix it.” He turns his head in Dima’s direction, the politest version of a lethal threat I’ve ever witnessed burning in his eyes. “You have my word. But you know whodoesintend to harm? Danil. The motherfucker landed in Fair Haven not too long ago. Rumor has it, he’s planning an assault, with or without Anatoli’s backing.”
“All of this over fucking Danil?” Maxim turns on his heel, leaving me at the doorway, his hands in fists. Several thunderous steps carry him across the room, parallel to Milton’s position—but no further. It’s as if the man serves as an invisible wall, preventing him from reaching his actual target. So he paces. “That bastard can’t button his own fucking fly without Anatoli’s blessing. You think he threatens me?”
“Your cousin may be a fool,” Milton concedes, “but others will follow. Dima is the least of your concerns.”
“If you believe that, then you really have lost your fucking mind—”
“I lost myfuckingmind a long time ago. Asyoudid. As Dima did.” Milton says through clenched teeth, the unspoken history between them rotting the air. “Do you honestly doubt me?” There’s a few seconds’ silence. “I thought not. Now, let’s get this over with. Give Dima the girl. End this childish idiocy between the two of you. Accept his assistance, andtogether, we can take Anatoli down.”
Maxim stops short. “Were you anyone else, Milton, I would kill you for what you’ve just said.”
“But I’m not anyone else, am I?” A hint of irritation disrupts Milton’s polished façade. He’s just as angry as Maxim, but in a very different way. “These are the facts you need to face. Anatoli has gotten bold in your absence. He’s planning to attack your suppliers directly—a full-on assault. And, I apologize, but I don’t want an open war. Not now. Not while…” He cuts off, shaking his head. “He and those loyal to him need to be dealt with. I suggest you return to the city as soon as possible.”
Maxim laughs. “Give himyourwoman then. What? You thought I didn’t notice her? The blond you’ve kept so close to you? Give her to Vadim, if you are so eager for peace.”
A shadow falls over Milton’s face, and this room becomes the world’s smallest cage despite its size. They’re both wolves, snarling for dominance in the center of it, leaving little room for anyone else.
All I can do is pray that none of the kids wander into the house—but I seem to be the only spectator concerned. Meeting my gaze from across the room, Vadim playfully waggles his eyebrows.“Brothers,”he mouths with a smile.
I cringe away from him, returning my attention to Maxim. If I thought the hidden room upstairs brought out the worst in him, I was wrong.
“What is it, then?” he demands, cocking his head. “Your little whore is too good for precious Dima, but my woman isn’t? In fact, shall we ask her?” He extends his hand toward me. “Francesca, are you my whore to be utilized as I see fit?”
All three men turn to me. Stunned, I clear my throat. “N-No.”
“Good,” Maxim hisses. “Then it’s settled. Unless you want to force her, Milton? Perhaps you and Dima prefer to reenact the very bonds of slavery you escaped from?”
“I suggest you watch your words as well,” Milton warns, advancing a single, dangerous step in Maxim’s direction. “As for Dima, you know he won’t hurt her—” He nods toward me. “You know he won’t hurtyoueither. All he wants is to toy with you. Entertainment. And you’re all but providing him the shit show he wants by resisting. I could easily convince him to relent, but I won’t. Do you know why?” His eyes cloud over with an unreadable emotion. “Youowehim. You owe him this one fucking request, no matter how childish and spiteful it might be. We both know why. What was it you called it? The bonds we all escaped from?”
“Is that so?” Maxim clenches his hands into fists, cracking the knuckles in the process.
