Page 52 of Merciless Union
Stepan chuckles. “Showing you who I am. You won’t win, not against me.”
“Vladimir is dead,” Maxim says. I have no idea who he’s speaking about. “I killed him without hesitating.”
Stepan’s pales a little, but he recovers quickly, settling into a smirk. “Is that a threat?”
“You fucking bet it is. The next time I see you, Stepan, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet through your skull. Now get the fuck out of my house.”
Stepan stands up slowly, his gun still trained on me. Maxim never takes his eyes off Stepan as he walks backward to the door. He opens it with his back to the door, twisting the knob. Then, he leaves, shutting the door behind him.
Maxim storms back to the door, checking into the hallway.
“Was I supposed to shoot him, sir?” the guard asks.
Maxim sighs, slamming the door shut, before turning back to me. The look of anger in his eyes makes me shrink back onto the couch. I can’t wait till the new couch arrives. At least then, when I’m cowering into it, it will be more comfortable.
“I didn’t let him in,” I say quickly. “He barged in.”
“So, you’re not conspiring with my enemy to take me down?”
His words knock the breath out of me. I stand up. “Why would you even ask me that?”
He shrugs. “Maybe because my fucking enemy was sitting in my living room like he owned the motherfucking place.” His voice comes out so dark and growly that it scares me.
“I can’t believe this. Need I remind you, he held me at gunpoint!”
“It could have been an act. An act to get him out of here alive.”
I shake my head, burrowing my face into my palms. “If I were really conspiring against you, why would I invite your rival to your own home?” I lift my head back up. “That would just make me look guilty, wouldn’t it? I’m not that stupid.”
“Well, you did bring your paint supplies here after I told you not to. That doesn’t scream intelligence to me.”
“Fuck you!” I scream so loudly my voice hurts. “Fuck you, Maxim.” Tears bubble from my eyes. “Fuck you.”
His gaze softens just the tiniest bit.
I cry as I speak. “My mother just died. I’ve been in mourning. I only just left the house today in a week because I’m in so much pain. And in my pain, you accuse me of being a traitor. Stepan came here asking about your weaknesses, and I didn’t give them up. I know Kira is one of them.”
He growls. “Kira?”
“I would never reveal that. Kira has been nothing but nice to me, and even if she hadn’t been, I still wouldn’t have said a word. You can choose to treat me like shit all you want, but I’m innocent in all of this.” My tears fall harder. “I’m not your enemy, Maxim. I’m your wife. And despite howyou’vetreated me, I will always remain loyal about that. Not for you. But for myself. Because, unlike you, I actually feel compassion.”
Maxim stares at me hard, his chest rising and falling fast.
We gaze at each other, neither of us breaking eye contact.
The tension between us reaches a boiling point until Maxim takes one step toward me and pulls me into him.
I gasp, looking up at him.
He lets out a growl as he leans down … and kisses me. Actually kisses me for the very first time. This is no peck like at our wedding.
In my shock, my instincts take over, and I give into the kiss.
It’s passionate, heady, intoxicating; everything all rolled into one.
Maxim kisses me so deeply I feel lightheaded. His hands grip tangle with the fabric of my dress. My own hands rest against his chest, feeling his heartbeat.
I let out a soft moan as he consumes my lips. I never want this to end.
