Page 44 of Merciless Union
I didn’t see Arina as anything other than my trophy.
Now that she’s in incredible pain, I see more of her—who she truly is.
And it creates an ache of guilt in my gut to know I treated her like she was worthless, just a body to please me.
After a week of Arina shutting herself off, I finally knock on the bedroom door. She can’t stay shut in there forever. I know a funeral needs to be planned. I’m sure she’ll want to be a part of it.
“Arina?” I say softly.
Silence on the other side.
I knock more firmly. “Arina? Can we talk?”
“I don’t want to talk to you,” she finally replies, her voice hoarse from all the crying.
“You can’t shut yourself away forever.”
“Why not? Am I being a bad wife?” I can hear the sarcasm in her voice.
I shake my head even though she can’t see me. “Arina, would your mother want this for you?”
“What do you know about my mother? How would you know what she’d want for me? Maxim, just leave me be. Please.”
Her last word is filled with so much desperation that I back away from the door.
“I’m leaving,” I tell her. “I have some work to do. So if you want to come out, you can rest assured that I won’t be here today.” I can offer her that at least.
She doesn’t respond. After a beat, I walk away.
My phone rings. It’s Nik.
“What?” I snap, answering the phone.
“Good day to you, too,” he mutters.
I sigh, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “Now’s not a very good time. I was just headed to my office to go over the books.”
“Something tells me this is more than you just being impatient.” A pause. “How’s your wife?” I informed Nik of Arina’s mother right after it happened.
“Mourning,” I reply.
“Is she still icing you out?”
“Nik, just tell me why you called,” I grit out.
“Uh, we have a problem.”
I go still. “What kind of problem?”
“The kind where one of our drug shipments have gone missing.”
“Fuck. When did this happen?”
“I’m at the docks right now. I came to pick up the shipment, but it’s not here. A couple of your guards have been shot and killed.”
“And you didn’t think to mention this straight away?”
He clears his throat. “I, uh, was stalling. I knew you’d be mad.”
