Chapter Thirteen Maksim
After exiting Sarah’s room, I stalked down the hall to the bedroom where I was staying. Once I was safely locked inside the room, I ripped off the mask. With a grunt, I tossed it onto the bed.
As I glanced in the antique mirror, I shook my head. “You’re a fucking idiot,” I growled.
How certifiably insane had I been to think that Sarah would focus all her anger and loathing on the Beast? That she would see me as some sort of hero since I hadn’t been the one who actually physically took her.
No, she despised us both, and I had no idea how to change her mind.
My fingers made their way down my shirt, jerking open the buttons. After shedding it, I went to the closet for another one. Obviously, I couldn’t be wearing the same outfit as the Beast. While I’d kept him in all black, I pulled out a crisp white dress shirt and grey pants.
After putting on my new clothes, I started pacing around the bedroom. At the very least, I had to convince Sarah to treat me for my stutter. But there was more on the line for me than just curing me.
I wanted Sarah for my own.
I wanted her days as well as her nights. I wanted her personal and professional side.
I’d wanted her long before I’d had a taste of her.
But now that I’d fucked her, I wanted her even more.
But it wasn’t just about possessing her body.
It was about the fire she’d shown when talking to the Beast, and even her bratty side last night during the hunt.
There were so many facets that bled into my obsession with her.
With a final disgusted look in the mirror, I headed downstairs. After finding the living room empty, I texted Aleks and Lev to come meet me. As I waited for them, I once again resorted to pacing around the room as my mind spun with out-of-control thoughts.
I was so engrossed that I didn’t realize Aleks and Lev had appeared. I don’t know how long they’d been standing there when I finally felt their burning stares from the doorway.
After a few moments of them tracking my erratic movement, I blurted, “Just say it, and g-get it over with.”
A few moments passed. “It’s not too late,” Aleks said.
Whirling around, I pinned him with an astonished look. “Excuse me?”
“You know, to let her go.” When I continued staring at him, he said, “I mean, she hasn’t seen your face or any of ours.”
“She knows the B-Beast,” I countered.
Lev shrugged. “That’s just an alias at a sex club.”
With a nod, Aleks added, “We could always bribe someone in the precinct to ignore the case.”
“After everything I said, you t-two still t-think I can just let her go?”
Aleks and Lev exchanged a glance before Aleks said, “Look, we know you’re under a shit-ton of stress with what happened to Dima and trying to prepare to take over.”
“T-That’s not what t-this is about,” I countered.
“Are you sure about that?”
Gritting my teeth, I growled, “Yes, I’m fucking sure.”
Aleks held up his hands. “All right, brat. You know we have your back.”
“I’m starting to wonder.”
Aleks’s dark eyes bulged. “Are you doubting our commitment to you?”
“More of your commitment t-to my p-plan.”
Cocking his brows, Aleks countered, “Excuse me for falling back on all my training.”
Even though he irritated the hell out of me, I knew he was right. It was a batshit crazy plan I’d just undertaken. If one of them had broached the same plan, I know I would’ve gone off the same way they were.
But I couldn’t let them know that.
Jabbing a finger at Lev, I ordered, “B-Bring Sarah to me.”
“Yes, bossman,” he replied.
“Watch it,” I growled.
After he left, I went over to the desk and took out the locked box I’d placed there this morning. During one of my many pacing moments, an idea came to me that involved the contents within.
“What are you doing?” Aleks questioned as I unlocked it with a code.
“Sweetening the pot.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I replied, as I started stuffing the cash inside it into a manila envelope.
“Oh, I’m going to worry about why you just put fifty thousand dollars in some random envelope that you claim is for ‘sweetening the pot’.”
“It’s all part of my plan to ensure that Sarah agrees to treat me.”
Aleks’s brows furrowed. “She doesn't have a choice in this. You kidnapped her for fuck’s sake.”
“B-But I want her t-to have a choice in t-this.” Pinning him with a hard look, I added, “For her to t-think she has a choice.”
“And fifty thousand dollars is going to do that?”
“Maybe.”
“Jesus,” Aleks muttered.
When a knock came at the door, I stiffened. This was it. The moment I met Sarah as my true self.
As I quickly ran my hand over my hair, Aleks said, “You look fine as hell, Brat.”
“I d-didn’t ask you,” I replied as I straightened my suit jacket.
Chuckling, Aleks said, “Come on, Maks.”
“What?”
“Listen, although this is the most batshit crazy thing you’ve ever done and she has every reason to hate you, I really hope it works out.”
With a roll of my eyes, I countered, “Yeah, right.”
To my surprise, Aleks gave me a genuine smile. “I’m serious. You deserve to be happy more than anyone I know.”
As I stared at him in shock, another knock came at the door. “T-Thanks.”
“Enter,” I called.
The door flung open, and Sarah entered wearing one of the outfits that she’d packed in her suitcase for the hunt, which making it a little more formal than it had to be.
As she stepped into the room, her frantic gaze bounced between me and Aleks. After her eyes froze on him, her hand came over her mouth. “Oh my God!”
Aleks shot me a pointed look that said I told you so before smiling at Sarah. “You remember me?”
“How could I forget you and your wolf eyes, Ivan Drago?”
At Lev’s bark of laughter, I blinked at Aleks. “You g-gave her the name of the Russian from Rocky?”
Grinning, Aleks shrugged. “I needed an alias, and it sounded good to me.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I grunted.
After staring at the three of us, Sarah suddenly blurted, “You’re brothers!”
Aleks and Lev immediately sobered at her declaration. “They’re my associates,” I quickly replied.
She shook her head. “You’re all tall and built with the same dark hair and eyes.”
“Lots of men have dark hair and eyes,” Aleks argued.
“It’s in the way you interact.”
“Are you filing that away to use against us or something?” Lev demanded.
“No…I–I was just making an observation.”
“Guess we should’ve gone with the masks,” Aleks mused.
Stepping away from him, I closed the distance between Sarah and me. “I’m Maksim, D-Dr. Whitfield, and you’re right. Those are my brothers, Aleks and Lev.”
“Unbelievable,” Lev muttered under his breath.
Ignoring him, I said, “I-it’s a p-pleasure t-to meet you.”
When I extended a hand to her, Sarah eyed it with disgust. “I unfortunately cannot say the same.”
“I’d like to once again give you my apologies for the actions of my associate who kidnapped you. His heart was in the right place, but his head–”
“Is completely psychotic.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Oh, I would,” Sarah grumbled.
“Count me in on that one,” Aleks teased.
Gritting my teeth, I snarled, “I t-think we’re good here. I’ll call you when I need you.”
Lev nodded while Aleks replied, “It was nice to see you again, Dr. Whitfield.”
Sarah pursed her lips. “I wish I could say the same.”
Her response caused both of my brothers to snicker as they headed out of the living room. The bastards were loving the venom she was shooting at me.
“Won’t you sit d-down?” I asked, motioning to the couch.
Sarah reluctantly took a seat before staring up at me. “Is this the part where you promise no harm is going to come to me as long as I comply?”
“No harm will come t-to you regardless of whether you help me.”
Sarah’s dark brows creased in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“The last thing I would ever d-do is hurt you or allow you t-to b-be hurt.”
“If you say so,” she muttered.
Although my brothers would’ve thought I was a fool, I decided to be as honest with her as I could. “I would like t-to explain why I need you.”
“If you think explaining your deranged reasons for having me kidnapped is going to change my mind, you’re full of shit.”
The corners of my lips quirked. I’d prepared for her to be frightened of me. After all, I was the boss of the man who had kidnapped her. Her fire was certainly unexpected.
“You’re not afraid of me?”
A mirthless laugh burst from her lips. “Are you kidding? I’m fucking terrified.”
“B-But–”
“Why am I acting like a bitch?”
I chuckled. “T-Tough is what I was g-going to say.”
“It’s a defense mechanism from living with a schizophrenic brother.”
“I’m very sorry.”
Her chin trembled as she turned her head, and it took everything within me not to cup her cheek and tell her I’d do anything to ease her pain. Instead, I sat down across from her on the couch.
“I understand complicated families. In fact, my own complicated family d-dynamic is why I need your help.”
Sarah slowly turned back to face me. Although I had every reason in the world to be cagey and withholding, I decided to tell her everything. Well, the sanitized version that didn’t involve me being a Bratva heir.
I began in childhood before ending with what had occurred in the last week. To her credit, she hung onto every word of mine. Often her gaze dipped to my lips or throat as I spoke. I know she was probably assessing me as she listened.
When I finished, I exhaled a ragged breath. “Now that all my cards are on t-the t-table, I will g-give you the option to stay or g-go.”
Sarah jerked back in shock. “Wait, what did you just say?”
“I’m g-giving you a choice.”
“Don’t play with me.”
“I’m not.”
A mirthless laugh bubbled from her lips. “After going through all the subterfuge of having the Beast kidnap me, you’re just going to let me go?”
“No, I’m giving you a choice.”
Her dark eyes narrowed. “You’re a real bastard, aren’t you?”
My brows creased in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“I know you’re aware of my parents’ financial situation.”
“That is true.”