Chapter 35 – MAKSIM
Thirty-Five
MAKSIM
“What’s Furia?” I ask as Valentina pulls onto the highway.
She slides me a sideways glance as she shifts gears and hits the gas.
“It’s an underground racing circuit.”
Of course it is. And of course she’s part of it.
The Supra growls beneath us, the sound vibrating through the cabin as she weaves between cars. My hand tightens on the edge of the seat. I love speed, but it feels different when I’m not the one in control.
“How long have you been racing there?” I ask, unable to stop watching her hands, so steady and sure.
“A while.”
“That vague shit’s not gonna fly anymore. You said you wanted to share this part of your world with me. I want everything.”
She shoots me a smirk, eyes drifting between the road and the mirrors. “I’ve been running at Furia for almost two years, but I’ve been driving a long time before that. Always loved the thrill of being behind the wheel, watching the world fade past me. There’s nothing like it, Maksim.”
“I can think of a few things.”
Valentina playfully narrows her eyes, suspecting where my mind went, but continues without missing a beat.
“Uncle Kai always took Remi and me for rides—to car shows, drag races...the legal kind,” she adds with a grin.
“The more I raced, the more in love I fell. Winning was just a bonus. But I won’t be humble about it.
” Another smirk curves her mouth. “I’m good.
” She catches my smile and nudges my arm. “You know I am.”
“Well, we haven’t crashed yet, so I believe you.”
That earns me an elbow to the forearm. But my smile fades, and I touch her thigh, grabbing her attention.
“Your dad know? About Furia...all this? I can’t imagine Derek would be okay with his little girl putting herself at risk.”
“If you knew my dad, you’d know there isn’t much he doesn’t know—or won’t find out eventually. So yeah, he knows. But I’m not a little girl anymore. He can’t stop me.”
“And your mom?”
Valentina shrugs. “Dad would never keep secrets from her…not anymore,” she says with a trace of sadness. “Of course she worries. But she understands.”
I lean back, unable to take my eyes off her. She’s calm and focused. Like speeding through traffic in a bright green streetcar is just another Tuesday.
“And you?” she asks, eyes on the road, thumbs tapping the wheel, waiting for my answer. “What do you think?”
“It’s one hell of a hobby, beautiful. I won’t lie and say I’m thrilled knowing you’re out there risking a wreck, especially today. But fuck...I have to admit, it’s kind of sexy too.”
She doesn’t hesitate and reaches for my collar, hauling me in and kissing me hard and fast. Her teeth nip my bottom lip before pulling back, settling into her seat, and sliding the window down.
That’s when I see it. What this really means to her. How it makes her feel.
And I’m mesmerized.
Just yesterday, this woman broke beneath me, wearing my hand like a collar. But right now, I realize she’s the one with hers around my throat.
There’s no turning back.
She owns me.
I’m fucked if she wants me, and I’m even more fucked if she doesn’t.
“Do you feel that?” she shouts over the howling wind as the needle crawls past a hundred. Still, she pushes harder, engine roaring beneath us, and glances at me, like she knows I’m watching. Like she knows exactly what she does to me without even trying.
“I feel everything.”
In my chest, my cock, and every damn place she's got me wired tight.
Valentina downshifts, taking a corner hard, tires screeching, and laughs.
..wild, free, beautiful. Her hair whips around her face, catching the moonlight, and for a second, I swear she’s fucking glowing.
I should be watching the road, but all I see is her.
The way her fingers dance over the wheel and how her eyes light up when she shifts gears.
The world around us could burn, and I wouldn’t give a damn.
With her, everything fades. The ghosts from my past, the blood that trails me like a shadow. None of it matters. Only her.
“What else don’t I know?” I want all of her.
“You sure you want all my secrets, Maxy?”
I don’t answer. I don’t have to.
She takes the exit ramp at a speed that makes the tires scream.
A few more turns and we’re in a run-down industrial zone with cracked pavement, rusted fences, and the scent of smoke and gasoline clinging to the air.
Valentina slows just enough to creep through a shadowed alley before cutting the engine behind an old warehouse.
“Welcome to Furia.”
The deep thumping of the bass hits first. Then the lights, neon undercarriages flash like strobes in the dark, where a dozen cars are already lined up.
People everywhere, all around Valentina’s age, laughing, yelling, some looking like they’re placing bets.
I don’t dwell much on the fact that she’s still in her early twenties, but it’s never been more evident than in this moment.
As Valentina grips the handle, I take her chin and lean over the center console.
“I need to know that you’re sure you can do this. And not to prove a point to some asshole, who I can take care of for you if you just say the word. But because you’re confident, you’re healed enough that it won’t be a problem.”
That pretty smile of hers lights up her face, and she grabs my cheeks, holding my gaze. “I thought I told you not to commit felonies for me.”
“That shit runs in my blood, Kolibri. And you’re one of the few I’d do it for and enjoy every second.”
The tip of her nose brushes mine. “I’d do that for you, too,” she whispers.
“That’s not something I’d ask of you. Not for me or for anyone.”
“Well, that’s too bad, Ruso. Because that shit’s in my blood too.”
Valentina pushes the door open before I can stop her and slips out. I quickly follow, rounding the hood and falling into step beside her.
“So when do I get to meet your little friend?”
She laughs as we make our way through the crowd. I could solve all her problems with this Balterra son of a bitch, but I’ll feel him out, let her do what she feels she needs to do.
Until I decide otherwise.
“He’s around here somewhere. But can you maybe not shoot him in the face or anything? Not yet anyway.”
“Can’t promise that,” I say, looping an arm over her shoulders as a grin spreads across my face.
We both laugh, but we both know she’s only half-joking. In a lot of real ways, she isn’t. And her acceptance of the darkest parts I thought only my parents would ever love, it does something to me.
As we split the crowd, people turn when they see her, and their phones come out. I hear the whispers, but Valentina isn’t fazed.
Some of the men watch her. A few with respect, others with interest, and I clock each one because I don’t fucking like what I see in their eyes.
“Val!” a sharp voice calls from our left.
She grins and throws a nod to a tall guy leaning against a stripped-down RX-7.
“Who’s that?” I ask.
“Casper. One of the first people I met here. He’s cool.”
Casper? The name alone makes me want to break his jaw on principle.
Valentina steps closer to the car and fist bumps him, but he yanks her into a hug, his hands way too low for my taste.
“Remi said you’d be here. Didn’t believe it,” he says, eyes searching for the cast she ditched on her living room floor. “Heard you busted your leg.”
“I did. But I’m good now. Ready to get back in the game.”
He nods, greasy blond hair flopping as he grabs her again, this time lifting her off her feet and spinning her like she’s his. Every turn begs me to cut his arms off and make his stupid nickname stick.
I’ve never been the jealous type, but his feelings aren’t as platonic as he’s pretending. Not when he can’t keep his fucking hands off her.
“That’s my girl,” he says, setting her down half a second before I snap.
I clamp my jaw and swallow thick.
His girl. Is that so?
“Casper,” she says, stepping back and lacing her fingers with mine. “This is Maksim. My…mine. We’re together.”
His dark eyes widen like he’s just noticed me. Which tells me exactly what I need to know.
“Oh…I didn’t know—shit!”
“It’s okay,” she says.
It’s not.
I keep my glare locked on him until Valentina tugs me back.
“I’ll see you at the finish line,” she says.
“You’ll have a hell of a time shifting gears with bloody fucking stumps,” I growl. “Think twice before touching her again.”
“I’m cool,” he mutters, shuffling off.
By the time I turn, Valentina’s halfway to her car.
“What the fuck was that about?” she snaps when I catch up.
“What?” I shrug.
“Casper is a good guy, Maksim. If I thought for a second he was being anything but friendly, I’d shut it down myself. You have nothing to worry about.”
I laugh—short, ugly. “You think I’m jealous?”
“You weren’t exactly welcoming.”
“I don’t give a fuck about your friends. Have as many as you want. This isn’t about you.”
My fingers hook into her waistband, dragging her against me. “Because I know how wet your sweet cunt gets for me. How your cheeks flush that pretty shade of pink when I fuck you until you’re crying for more.”
Her lashes lower. I trace her bottom lip with my thumb and push past her teeth until it’s in her mouth. “Isn’t that right?” She sucks slowly, nodding.
“You’re mine to use, to fuck…to fill to the brim. Aren’t you, Ptichka?”
Another nod. Another moan.
“But the second someone touches what’s mine…” I lean in, my breath hot over her ear. “I can’t promise you’ll ever see them again.”