Chapter Thirty-Six Sarah
After the toast finished, Mila and Kellan made their way through their families hugging and kissing them. When they finished, they went to the dance floor. Tracking Maksim, I watched him pull out his phone. With a grimace, he brought it to his ear.
My heart twisted at the panicked look on his face. Something had happened.
Something bad.
After ending the call, he started talking furiously with his brothers.
Their expressions turned to fury. Lev said something before hurrying away from the group.
I didn’t want to tear my gaze away from Maksim to see where he was going.
I didn’t have to worry long because he returned with one of Kellan’s brothers.
At the desperate and defeated look on Maksim’s face, I started making my way through the crowd to get to him. As if he sensed me, he pulled away from the others and started moving towards me.
When we finally met, I stared expectantly at him. “What’s happened?”
“A b-bomb went off at the construction site for the new club.”
My hand flew to cover my mouth. “Oh my God. Was anyone hurt?”
“Thankfully all the workers had left for t-the evening, but we’re not sure about anyone else close b-by.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Nodding, he said, “I have to go.”
“Of course you do.”
“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want.”
Shaking my head, I replied, “I’ll just call an Uber to go home.”
“No. One of my men will escort you.”
“Am I in danger?” I questioned shakily.
Maksim gave me a tight smile. “I’m just being overly cautious.”
From his expression, I knew he wasn’t being completely honest. “I am in danger.”
“You are safe with me and my men.”
Although I wanted to believe him, I couldn’t shake my unease. “Okay, I’ll just have them take me home.”
Maksim shook his head. “Come to my house. I want you t-to be there when I get home.”
“Are you sure?”
His eyes conveyed more than he wanted to say. “Absolutely.”
Trying to lighten the mood, I replied, “You better be glad I have an automatic feeder for Voxie.”
With a smile, Maksim said, “You can always go b-by your place and get her. The allergy shots have had more time to t-take effect now, so I’m good.”
“That’s very tempting. Especially considering she’s bougie at heart and loves your place.”
Maksim’s amused gaze grew serious as he glanced over my shoulder. When I turned around, Dima was motioning him to hurry up. With a resigned sigh, he said, “I’ll see you later.”
“Be safe.”
“I will.”
After bestowing a brief kiss on my lips, he hurried off to join Dima. Timur, who I’d met earlier in the evening, appeared at my side. “Are you ready, Dr. Whitfield?”
Patting his arm, I replied, “There’s no need to be so formal. It’s just Sarah.”
“Mr. Korolov instructed me on how to address you.”
With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “Of course he did.”
I made quick work saying goodbye to Mila as well as Kira. All the other Korolov brothers had left along with some of the Kavanaughs. I imagined they were the Irish family that Maksim had mentioned having a stake in the club.
As we walked to the SUV, Timur said, “Mr. Korolov texted we might be stopping by your apartment.”
“That’s correct. I need to pick up some clothes and my cat.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
When I got into the car, I felt like I could finally slip my mask off. Slumping into my seat, I closed my eyes and let the silent tears flow.
***
After I got to Maksim’s, Timur carried Voxie’s bag inside. “Do you need anything else?”
“No. I think I’m good.”
Nodding, he said, “Goodnight, D–”
“Sarah.” With a wink, I added, “I won’t tell Maksim if you don’t tell.”
“Goodnight, Sarah.”
Grinning, I replied, “Goodnight, Timur.”
He smiled before heading out the front door. “All right, Voxie. Let’s get you settled.”
After letting her out, I went to the kitchen to get her water and food setup. Once that was done, I grabbed my overnight bag and went to Maksim’s bedroom. I made quick work slipping out of my dress and thong.
I was hoping after I took a shower and did my skincare routine that Maksim would be home. When he wasn’t, I propped myself up in the bed with the TV remote, a Churu for Voxie, and a glass of what I was sure was ridiculously expensive vodka.
Since I kept scrolling and scrolling, I finally settled on an I Love Lucy episode. I’d burned through two of them when Maksim swept through the bedroom doorway. At the sight of him, I threw back covers and hopped out of the bed. “Are you all right?”
His clothes and face were covered in ash and soot. “I’m fine. The b-bomb obliterated the club’s foundation. We have to start the project over.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“So am I.”
“Do you have any idea who might’ve done it?”
Maksim’s ragged sigh filled me with dread. “I would say my uncles or cousins.”
“The ones from tonight?” When he nodded, I asked, “All because you didn’t ask them to be a part of the club?”
“Russians are weird when it comes to being slighted, especially by family.”
Jerking his thumb at the bathroom, he said, “I’m going to hop in the shower.”
“Can I do anything?”
“Bring me a bottle of Stolichnaya vodka.” At what must’ve been my blank look, he replied, “The one with the red top and label.”
“Got it.”
As he started undressing, Voxie strolled to the edge of the bed and meowed at him. “Hello, beautiful. Let me get cleaned up before I pet you, okay?”
As Voxie flicked her tail at him in response, I smiled before heading out of the bedroom for the vodka. When I gazed at the liquor cabinet, I didn’t see one with a red label or top. There was Stoli with a red label but not a red top.
Although I imagined they were the same since the names were similar, I squatted down to look through the bottles in the bottom of the cabinet. When I opened the door, several bottles came tumbling forward.
“Shit,” I muttered.
When I started to shove them back inside, I realized a black box hidden in the back had knocked them over. Since there was no way to get the bottles back in without moving the box, I pulled it out.
“Omph,” I muttered since the box was heavier than I thought. It was black with a glossy appearance. Although the dimensions seemed off to hold liquor, I decided to peek inside just in case.
When I opened the lid, something silver reflected back at me in the muted light. Rising back to my feet, I held it under the lamp on the cabinet. At the silver skull mask staring back at me, I jerked my hands away from the box like I had been burned. It clattered to the floor.
And then a realization shuddered through me.
The Beast had remained hard after coming until he came again. Maksim always seemed to distract me after he came by building me to another orgasm or slipping away to remove the condom and shower.
“Oh God,” I muttered.
Maksim was the Beast.
The Beast was Maksim.
I’d been utterly deceived by the man I was in love with.
As tears filled my eyes, my fists curled with rage.
I didn’t know whether to sink to my knees sobbing or punch a hole in the wall.
I wanted simultaneously to run away and confront Maksim.
My tremulous emotions sent my body into convulsing shudders so strong I had to lean back against the cabinet for fear of falling to the floor.
This wasn’t happening.
This couldn’t be happening.
Maksim was not the Beast. He wasn’t a psychopath. He would never do something so vile as to pretend to be someone else.
While they were similar in build, their personalities were too different. Not to mention, I’d been with both of them sexually. There was no way I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.
I realized that until I heard it from his lips it wasn’t really true. Maybe there was an explanation. Maybe his associate had hidden the mask here.
STOP IT!
You know the truth. Now face it!
With trembling fingers, I bent down and retrieved the mask. Slowly, I made my way back into the bedroom. At the sound of the shower turning off, I swallowed hard.
When I appeared in the bathroom doorway, Maksim was toweling off. At the sight of me, he smiled, causing my chest to clench into an agonized vise. Nodding at the hand behind me, he asked, “Is t-that my vodka because I’m desperate.”
I shook my head. Fighting to breathe, I shoved the mask in front of me. My stomach churned as it gleamed under the bright bathroom lights. “I found this when I was looking for the Stolis.”
As Maksim froze, the color bled out of his face. “Sarah, I can explain.”
A maniacal laugh bubbled from my lips. “You’re even more insane than I thought if you think you can just explain away your deception and fraud.”
“There is no explanation I can g-give you without first starting with an apology for what I d-did to you. Yes, I was the B-Beast in primal play hunts. Yes, I found out t-that you also shared my kink. And yes, when you turned down treating me, I decided to kidnap you.”
“Oh God,” I moaned as bile shot into my throat.
“When I b-brought you to the house, I selfishly d-decided to keep my identity separate from the B-Beast’s because I d-didn’t want there to a stumbling b-block for you falling for me. You would b-blame him, not me.”
Maksim shook his head. I should have never d-done t-that. I should have b-been honest from the start. I’ve wanted to come clean so many times, b-but I was afraid of losing you.”
The fact I wanted to yell at him to loosen his jaw and relax made me feel truly psychotic. How could I possibly care about his stutter at a time of such betrayal?
“Is this what Dima was talking about?” At Maksim’s nod, I gasped. “He knew, and I didn’t.”
Maksim pinched his eyes shut. “It was wrong, and I was wrong.”
“You fucking bastard!” I screamed as I threw the mask at him.
When it slammed against his chest, his eyes popped wide. “Sarah, please. Just listen to me.”
“There is nothing you can say to me right now or ever for that matter that would induce me into forgiving you.”
“I’m not asking you t-to forgive right now. I d-deserve every emotion you’re t-throwing at me. I know you’re g-going to need time.”
Tears spilled over my cheeks. “I trusted you. After being burned so many times, I let you in, and you knew how much that meant. And all the while you were lying to me.”
“I know,” Maksim said in a low voice.
“You didn’t just desecrate my private life–you did my parents and my brothers.” With a sob, I swiped the tears from my eyes. “You desecrated my body.”
“I swear on my life, I never meant t-to hurt you.”
“LIAR!” I screamed.
When Maksim started to close the gap between us, I shook my head vehemently back and forth. “Don’t you dare come near me right now.”
He immediately froze. As I started backing away from him, I lost my breath at the sight of him dropping to his knees. “P-Please say you’ll give me some t-time. T-That you’ll t-think about the reasons why and not how I d-did it. T-That you’ll g-give me a second chance someday.”
“There’s no second chances when you broke my heart, you fucking bastard!”
Whirling around, I fled into the bedroom. Voxie cried out when I snatched her off the bed. I didn’t even bother with her carrier or my things. I didn’t care that I was wearing silk pajamas and didn’t have a robe.
With my tears clouding my vision, I ran from the penthouse. Ignoring Maksim’s voice, I jabbed the button for the elevator repeatedly. When the doors opened, I rushed inside. He appeared in the penthouse doorway just as the elevator doors slid closed.
The anguish and torment on his face would stay with me for days every time I closed my eyes.