"You have known they're twins since the beginning, haven't you?"

Raelynn glanced at the doctor, who picked up on the tension.

"Don't worry about him. Look at me." Maksim lowered himself and caged her between his arms.

She was tired of being in cages, so she stood up.

"Why?" Maksim asked from his crouched position. "Why do the lies not end with you?"

I love him.

The thought crossed her at an odd time. An argument was about to erupt, but the thought whooshed out like volcanic smoke. She should be getting defensive and ready to fight him, but instead she was remembering this.

The simple fact that he didn't stand up was so significant to her. Maksim recognized that he didn't need height to assert dominance. Anyone would expect him to abuse his size and colors, but Maksim unpredictable.

That's what reeled her in. He had always been so complicated with his words, gaze and build, that it was easy for people to stereotype him. Maksim was like a ball of aluminum foil, looking so chaotic with all its creases that no one considered to look at the shadow.

She looked, and she found peace within it.

"Why did you lie again?" Maksim repeated.

She collapsed in her seat. "For survival."

"What?"

She pointed to the staff that was walking out the door. "You have people, and a building, and money, and lawyers. All I have is my word. What was I supposed to do? Just tell you that I'm carrying twins and let you play God and choose if I get to raise my kids or not? You know I wouldn't win that battle. Your lawyers would crush me."

"What the hell do my assets have to do with this?" he shook his head. "I told you I wouldn't separate you from him– from them."

"No. You mumbled it, as if you were unsure. Whenever I tried to follow up, you were stiff. You avoid questions, fly out of the state to do your shady mafia business, and assault old women. It feels like every day the image I had of you is blurring."

"So what was the plan?' he challenged. "Keep one twin hidden so you could steal him?"

"I wasn't sure. I didn't want to separate them, but I didn't want to give up on them either. I don't know."

His stern expression morphed to hurt. An expression he didn't wear often.

He stood up– not to intimidate, but to run away. "I wouldn't separate the babies from their mother, Raelynn. I know my line of work can be... brutal, but I'm not a monster. Not yet, at least."

She wanted to cry, but her eyes were dry and her face ached. "I'm tired. Of all of this."

"You need rest," he said. "Come."

She couldn't move on her own, so she didn't resist when he pulled her back into his arms and helped her to the bathtub. Her scratched hips and abused feet had been treated, so she couldn't wet them.

Maksim balanced her on her thigh– the same way he did when he discovered she was pregnant, and looked after her.

They went to bed on separate ends of the bed. The first thing she did in the morning was call her therapist to get back on track.

Maksim was busy for most of the following days as he cleaned up the aftermath. He made sure she had everything she needed, but they were still disconnected.

A ding made her look at her new phone. Tiffany came to mind, but she shoved her away. She would deal with that witch when the time was right.

DANIEL:

I missed you today. The klepto girl chatted me up. I thought she was just being nice until I got home and realized she stole my wallet.

Raelynn laughed and called him.

"Hey," his deep voice echoed through the kitchen.

"Hey! Sorry. I had to shift my schedule because some... things came up."

Like a kidnapping.

"So what did the klepto girl do?"

"Guess what she used my credit card on?"

"Do tell."

"Dildos. Now I have to dispute with my bank a large shipment of dicks."

"Damn!" she laughed. "That's great."

"Right. I'll bet you'll love the fact that the total came up to sixty-nine dollars."

Her laugher got louder, and she turned to move her bowl of tomatoes to the kitchen island. Maksim's unexpected appearance made her gasp and drop the bowl.

"Sorry. Did I interrupt?" he glowered.

Raelynn looked back at her phone. "Daniel, let me call you back."

"Daniel?" Maksim repeated just as she hung up. "Were you not told to stay away from him?"

"I haven't seen him in days," she sighed and stared disappointedly at the dropped slices of tomato. "He's just a friend."

"Are you sure?" Maksim asked. He did not look happy. His expression was as ruined as the slice that fell in the garbage.

"What does that even mean? Of course I'm sure," she replied, reaching down for one of the whole tomatoes.

Maksim gripped her forearm, stopping her from bending down. "Are you sure there's no third secret?" he sneered. "Don't tell me you fucked him and the twins aren't even min–"

The slap resonated so loudly through the penthouse that one of the men guarding the door walked inside to asses the situation. He left within seconds.

Maksim didn't acknowledge him. His shocked eyes remained on Raelynn.

Through gritted teeth, she forced, "You will not call me a whore. I won't take that disrespect again." Her palm hurt from how hard she slapped him.

Her disbelief made her add, "What is happening to you?"

Maksim was speechless, but he passed that speechlessness onto her by diving in and devouring her mouth. His hands palmed her stomach– which she noticed he had been avoiding the past few days.

She clutched his biceps, fearing she would lose balance, and mumbled her protests against his mouth.

"Damn it, Raelynn," he panted. "Damn it. You make me псих."(crazy)

She was so dazed thar she could only manage a, "Huh?"

He pressed his forehead against hers. "I don't... I'm not used to jealousy. I'm sorry."

"Can you lower me?"

Realizing that she was on her tippy toes, he put her down. "That Daniel bastard..."

"Daniel is a friend. A friend. I haven't slept with him."

"He's who I used to be," Maksim blurted. "Normal. Has a lawful job, little to no income. He is who I was when you and I were happy. For a second, I wanted to be him."

Raelynn closed her eyes. "Maksim..." she sighed.

"I miss those days."

"I know," she whispered, blinking slowly so her lashes kissed his. "Thank you for telling me. You worry me. After seeing what you did to your mom... it feels like you're different now."

He pulled away.

Raelynn stared at the back of his t-shirt. She had no idea what was running through his mind. She dared to approach, stepping over the fallen tomatoes to hug his back and press the bump between them.

"It's okay."

Maksim inhaled and exhaled. It took him a minute to finally deliver, "my mother is a poison. I couldn't let her near you."

She wanted to tell him that he couldn't throw a woman down just because he disliked her, but didn't want to interrupt.

"I have many brothers and one sister," he said. "One of my brothers died at thirteen."

"I'm so sorry, Mak."

"Demyan was a shy boy," he added. "My father criticized him for being so skittish. He slept with the lights on and had an abnormal fear of doorknobs. No one knew why– no one but Viktor and my mother. Only after Demyan committed suicide did Viktor admit that mother snuck into his room to molest Demyan."

Now, she was the speechless one.

"I would push that woman out of a window if I could. I will not let her breathe in the direction of my boys. They will not relive the fate of their uncle. I won't allow it."

Scene from chapter 15:

"Maksim," Viktor finally answered the phone.

"What the fuck are you doing?" His roar was so loud that he was sure they heard him in the lobby.

"You found out about the girl?"

"Why did you send her after me? What are you planning?"

"She said she would fix you. Since you returned to us, you have been more machine than man; all about numbers and using alcohol as fuel. I thought she would be worth a shot."

"Spare me the philatrophic bullshit," Maksim interjected. "You are in no fucking position to meddle with my life."

"You're an asshole, Maksim, but I don't want you to waste away. I did what was best for you."

"The same way you did the best thing for Demyan? Like that?"

"How many times will we discuss that? I was a boy!" Viktor snarled.

"Do you feel that rage? That festering, invasive and draining parasite? That is what I felt when I found out what you did to Demyan, what I felt when I left Russia, what I feel now. I hate you more than I hate that rage. I hate that you look like me, and you bleed like me. I hate that we have a bond I can't fucking escape. You want to do what's the best for me? Then crawl into a hole and die. You can bring her with you. Just stay out of my way."

Viktor was silent for a long time. Maksim's declaration of hatred was enough to make a grown man cry, but the men in his family only fed on hatred. That's why Maksim wasn't surprised when Viktor chuckled. It was typical of him. It's how his darkness manifested itself.