Page 22 of Merciless Union
“Do I need help?” He squints at me. “Oh, hey, Arina. Sorry I showed up drunk to your wedding.” He burps.
“It’s not me you should apologize to. Maxim’s pretty upset.”
He nods, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’m a real fuck up. It’s my schtick. Hey, can I let you in on a little secret?” He stumbles again.
I glance toward the reception. “Sure.”
He points a finger at me. “Now that you’re a part of this family, you need to know one thing.” He leans in closer. “Don’t try rocking the boat. Don’t try changing anything. My family is rooted in tradition. If you step out of line, you’ll be punished.”
“Like you’ve been punished?”
He stares at me as a slow smile spreads across his face. “I’m Alexei Petrov. I’ve never been punished a day in my life.”
When he doesn’t say more, I give him a small smile and walk away.
“Oh, Alexei,” I hear Elena mutter behind me. I leave the siblings to deal with each other.
I walk back to the table, taking my seat.
Maxim leans in closer to me. “You were gone a while.”
My back stiffens. “I was just having a chat with your sister and brother.”
“Oh?”
“Yes.” I give him my best and brightest smile. “They’re lovely.”
He scoffs, sitting back in his seat. “I know my siblings. Other than Kira, they’re an acquired taste.”
“Why not Kira?” I remember her being nice to me when we went wedding dress shopping. Looking at her now, I see she hasn’t moved at all from her seat since sitting down. Her head is ducked like she’s trying to shut out the world.
Maxim’s face softens. “Because Kira is the best of us.”
I tilt my head. “You have a soft spot for her.”
Immediately, his face returns to stone. “I love my sister, yes. I’ll always take care of her. But I don’t have a soft spot for anyone.”
I can tell he’s lying. There was no denying how he warmed while talking about Kira. So maybe not all hope is lost. If he can care about his sister, maybe he can grow to care for me, too.
The rest of the wedding passes by with people dancing, drinking, and getting rowdy. I dance with my father and sip on champagne and try to have fun. I’m tired of feeling miserable.
After a couple more hours, Maxim stands. Everyone immediately quiets down, recognizing him as the true authority here. “My guests, feel free to continue dancing and drinking the night away. But my bride and I are going to retire for the evening.”
My heartbeat picks up speed. I know what that means. Our wedding night.
A couple of people whistle. A lot of them clap. I resist the urge to bury my head in my hands.
Maxim looks down at me, offering his hand. “Shall we?”
There’s no getting out of this. I’ll finally be alone with Maxim for the first time. It’s incredibly terrifying and exciting all at once.
I take his hand.
He guides me from the room, and I keep my gaze focused ahead of me.
Maxim is quiet as we go to our hotel room. Inside, we enter a glamorous suite. A king-sized bed dominates one of the rooms, while the other is a cozy living space.
The quiet is deafening until Maxim closes the door behind us, and I jump as the lock clicks. Then I quickly walk to the bedroom, knowing what will come next. He follows behind me.
