Maksim reared his head. Although he was physcially and emotionally exhaused from the long flight and from the fright of losing her, he growled like a demon.

He didn't recognize Knives' voice, and he felt threatened because another man was sniffing around his woman and children.

Seeing the change in his composure, Raelynn lunged for the door to block it.

Maksim wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet. She squirmed silently, not wanting to wake the babies, but couldn't reach the ground.

Maksim tossed her onto their bed and ran for the door. He exited and closed it just as Raelynn scrambled off the bed.

"Stop!" She-whispered yelled. She wiggled the doorknob, but Maksim was forcing it closed from the other side.

His strength was greater than hers. There was no way she could push it open.

Maksim's free hand jumped for the half-naked male that was standing in his hallway. He was wearing Maksim's towel. Was he wearing the scent of his woman, too?

"Hey– hey now!" Knives yelled when Maksim snatched a handful of his hair and slammed him face-first against the wall.

"Listen. I have no interest in Russian Roulette. This isn't what it looks like!"

"Lower your fucking voice. Just kneel, and let me let slice your throat. If you struggle, it will hurt more."

Hearing the murderous words, Raelynn pushed the door with all her might, but it still wouldn't open

"Damn it, Raelynn. Step away from the door."

It was hard to throttle Knives with one hand when he had to hold the door shut.

"Let me out. Don't hurt him!"

"Sweetness?" Maksim seethed, slamming Knives' head against the wall again. "Do you have any fucking idea who I am?"

"I didn't fuck her!" Knives insisted.

The idea of another man panting over Raelynn had him seeing red. He let go of the door and kicked the back of Knives' leg. Now that the man was kneeling, Maksim dragged him down the hall.

Raelynn opened the door and reached for Knives. In the struggle, Knives' towel came loose.

When Raelynn gasped and shut her eyes, Maksim had enough. He pulled a switchblade out and went for the other man's jugular. He would finish him off right here. Maybe he could get Viktor to mop the blood since the bastard already ruined the carpet.

Raelynn swept in to grab Maksim's forearm, so he only managed to slice Knives' cheek.

"Stop being crazy!" Raelynn demanded as she clung to his arm and looked from man to man.

"Stop looking at his fucking dick!"

"I'm not! Knives, go!"

Knives didn't need any more encouragement. He rolled and ran to the door with his buttocks flashing and his dick swinging.

Raelynn dug her heels into the floor to keep Maksim from following. In her struggles, she tripped, and Maksim had to stabilize her.

"He's just my friend!"

"A friend that calls you sweetness? And where were his clothes? Why was he in my fucking towel?"

"Yeah, because I'm definitely fucking him hours after I murder a woman and get my sons back. Screwing around is definetly my number one priority."

Maksim threw the knife down, and it scattered across the floor.

"I haven't slept in twelve hours, Raelynn. I don't think putting those images in my head is helping right now. Why was he naked? Tell me now, before I finish him off."

"Because he got some baby pee on him and went to shower. Just stop this jealousy nonsense and get into bed before you drop dead."

"Where did he come from? He's not one of my men."

"I met him in Arizona. He's from one of the MCs."

"He likes you."

Raelynn hesitated. "He does, but he knows I'm not available, and he helped me get the boys back because he's a good guy."

"He'll be a dead guy if he comes back here."

She glanced at the door. She couldn't kick Knives out of her life after everything they went through. For now, they just needed distance. Things with Maksim were complicated enough. They didn't need jealousy.

She looked at Maksim when he reached for her shirt and pulled it up.

"Maksim... it's not the time for sex."

"You were around him with these clothes. I want them gone."

He pulled her top off, leaving her in her bra, and then kneeled to unzip her jeans.

She couldn't help but cover the scars on her hips when her high-rise jeans were dragged down to her knees. She was embarrassed that she had some scuffle poking out of her bikini line. Looking cute hadn't been her priority over the past months.

Once her pants were out of the way, Maksim rose and scoffed when he saw that she was trying to cover herself.

"Don't be ridiculous." One of his hands slipped into her panties and tugged at her pussy hair with two fingers.

She hissed and grabbed his wrist. Her pussy pulsed for him. Her body didn't seem to care that it just gave birth to a set of twins. It was ready to deliver more.

"After all we've been through, you think some scars are going to pull me away?"

"After all we've been through, you think some scars are going to pull me away?"

She pulled his hand out of her pants, mortified. Sometimes, she forgot how brutish Maksim could be.

He swept her off her feet and stepped over the pool of clothes. He walked with determined steps, not interested in further conversation.

Raelynn was just glad that no second murder took place that day. Knives was safe. He was probably getting arrested for public nudity, but at least the knuckle-head would live to see another day.

Maksim entered the bedroom and looked into the crib to check on the twins. Satisfied, he fell on the bed with Raelynn atop him.

"Hey..."

"You said you're staying," he grumbled.

"I did."

"Then stay and sleep."

She gave in. Although there were a million things they needed to discuss, she knew he needed rest.

"Let me get off so you can sleep well."

"Only way I'll sleep well is if I know you're nearby. Stay right..." he yawned. "There."

He released the hold he had on her hip and reached for his nightstand. He pulled a drawer out and peeked inside.

Raelynn glanced and found a pistol in there.

He was making sure he was loaded, and she prayed Knives wouldn't come back because she wasn't sure if she could save him a second time.

Maksim closed the drawer and mumbled something about needing to "baby-proof" the place. After a few minutes, his breathing evened out.

Raelynn stayed still to avoid disturbing his sleep. She knew that she also needed rest, but she wanted to keep watch. The babies could need her, or something could go wrong.

She stared at Maksim's chin.

He was back, and she couldn't imagine leaving him again. He gave her the space she requested, but the universe brought them back together and she didn't have it in her to walk away a third time.

It was three hours later that one of the twins began to fuss. She tried to slip off Maksim without waking him, but he woke up anyway.

"Go back to sleep," she whispered.

Instead of listening, he helped her up and swung to his feet. He tossed his shirt off and walked to the crib.

"How do I hold him?" he asked, eyes hooded with exhaustion.

Raelynn picked the baby up and settled him in the crook of his father's arm.

"I'll get the milk. Be right back," she whispered.

So many months had passed without use that her breastmilk dried up. It was an experience she missed out on, but she wouldn't let it eat her up. There were plenty of experiences she could still make.

She picked up Maksim's shirt and buttoned it on as she walked to the kitchen. When she returned, she found Maksim sitting on the bed. His head bobbed as he fought sleep, but he had a secure hold on the baby.

She tried to pick the little one up, but Maksim took the bottle from her and adjusted it on the baby's mouth.

"Is this good?"

"Yeah," she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"He won't drown, right?"

"No. He won't drown in milk, Maksim. He has the natural instinct to suckle and swallow."

"Why is he so small?"

"Your hands are just too big." She sat next to him and was amused by the contrast between the baby's clear skin and Maksim's inked one.

"Did that Knives asshole get to feed them?"

"No," Raelynn chuckled. "He only got pissed on while trying to change a diaper."

"He's not changing my kid's pants again, or yours."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't wear diapers."

"You know what I meant," he gritted.

"Maybe I should get you a bottle, too, because you're acting like a baby."

He opened his mouth to reply, but the second twin woke up.

Raelynn picked him up and cooed at his pouty face. She carried him to the kitchen as she prepared the second bottle.

There were many things she had to buy again. When she and Maksim thought they lost them, everything was discarded. They were on base one all over again.

She went back to the bedroom and sat beside Maksim, who was fighting sleep.

The twins were out soon after they were fed, so she put them back in their crib. That was easy enough, but arranging her biggest baby was a struggle.

Maksim was leaning on the headboard, asleep, His arms were locked in a baby-holding position although she removed the baby long ago.

With a chuckle, she kneeled beside him and heaved as she struggled to get him to roll over. She couldn't let him sleep while sitting.

Maksim groaned and tossed an arm over her. The weight shoved her down, and she found herself trapped under his arm as Maksim snuggled her as if she were a teddy bear.

A/N: Updates again soon. Can't wait? This story is complete on patreon.com/ancientt