Owned by the Badman (Russian Bratva #1) (30 page)

However, I still think that this woman is outrageous. I want to cut her, but I wonder if there is truth to that. Maxim was with Catia, and then whatever he did with other women while we were apart, so can he stay faithful to only me?
The doubt is placed, and I hate it.

“I’m sorry Radimir does not have affection for you. It must be difficult to live with a man and be married to him in name only.” I switch the focus of conversation to her and her sad life.

“Radimir wants what I will not give him. It is my choice, and I am thankful to not have to shoulder the burden of fucking a man who wants to not only own me in name, but in the bedroom. He likes kinky sex, and he wants a slave girl. I am
not
that. He will have to go to America and find a little sad fat girl like you, then maybe he gets what he wants.” She smirks.

I ball my hand into a fist. I want to punch her in the face, but Radimir is there before I am able to say another word, and he is furious.

“You do not want to be owned by me anymore, Klavdia? Is good because I hate you. You actually fuck around with my right-hand man when you know he was suffering, and then you tell his wife? I release you, and maybe I sell you. You will be penniless, and I will laugh at you. Go back to the whorehouse you came from. I tried to be good man for you and give you time to want me, to want what I have to offer you, but I am finished.
You good-for-nothing whore
.” He reaches back and slaps her across the face. My eyes go wide, and Maxim grabs Maksimilyan, taking him from the room.

“Radimir, you misheard. I love you,
only
you
,” she pleads, holding her cheek as fake tears pool in her eyes.

“You love yourself and you love my money. You can have yourself, but my money stays. Maybe I will go to America and find a gorgeous woman like Maxim has found. One who will love me and treat me right. I have suffered enough in this life, no?
Do I not deserve some good
?” he whispers, dangerously low. I wonder what types of things he has suffered.

Radimir wraps his hand around her throat and marches her out of our house without another word. I could worry about her, but I won’t.

Does that make me a bitch?

Anybody could take one glance into Radimir’s eyes and know not to screw with him, that he has evil lurking in there, that he has seen and done more than one person should in their lifetime, yet she poked the bear.
Stupid skank.

Maxim doesn’t say a word about the dinner as he readies Maksimilyan for bed while I clean up the dinner and the kitchen. We go to bed in silence, but he wraps me in his arms and holds me tight. I can’t help but hear Klavdia’s words echoing through my mind. Can he stay with only me? Is this some trust manipulation tactic to keep me here with him and blissfully unaware while he is off doing everyone in sight?

“She is bitter, Haleigh. Do not listen to her. I meant it when I said no other women, only you,
moya koroleva
,” he whispers into the dark.

I snuggle closer to him before I let the heavy sleep I desperately need take over.
His queen
. The words swirl around in my head until I final fall into that heavy sleep.

T
HE NEXT MORNING,
I am bundling Maksimilyan up to go shopping for some more clothes for him. The boy grows like crazy. Maxim informed me that Alex will be escorting me and I smile softly. Alex is the most patient man I have ever met when it comes to shopping. He hates it, don’t get me wrong, but he is patient and always helps me when I need it.

There is a knock on the door, and I know it must be him. I don’t even look through the peephole before I open the door and gasp when I see Radimir standing in front of me, every terrifying inch of him.

“You should look at who you open your door to.” He nods and I gulp, hugging Maksimilyan a little tighter to my body.

“Please, come in,” I say, unable to look away from his blue eyes. On closer inspection, they are actually light gray. Nevertheless, they still make me shiver.

“I want to apologize for Klavdia’s behavior last night. Your meal was lovely and she ruined it,” he apologizes. I nod agreeing with him; my
chicken kiev
freaking rocked.

“I should explain a bit. You may think me overly harsh at my actions toward my
wife
,” he begins to say.

I press my lips together but don’t agree or disagree. I can’t say I hated it when the bitch was … well …
bitch slapped
.

“Sit.” He nods toward my sofa, and I find it odd that I am following his orders in my own home.

“Klavdia was a whore when I met her. She was one of those women taken at birth, but because of her beauty, she was sold to an extremely wealthy businessman. He was forty and she twelve. I saw her on his arm ten years after he’d purchased her, and my eyes, they fell for her. I knew what she was at the time. It wasn’t a dinner party I was invited to, but a sex party,” he admits. I suck in a breath as he nods at me.

“You know them? You have them in your country?”

“I have heard of them, that some people enjoy switching partners and that there are some different tastes out there, but no, I have never been to one,” I admit, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable. Radimir nods, and I’m not quite sure why he is telling me all of this.

“Her owner was fifty. He was sick with cancer. She stole my breath away with her beauty, and when he saw the way I looked at her, he ordered her to service me. The next day, her owner called me to a meeting. He had researched me, knew who I was and knew in my line of work a regular woman would not please me. I purchased her that day; I would have done anything to have her.

“She was so excited to come home with me. Foolishly, I thought it was because she was as taken with me as I was with her. I was not a man with desire to own a slave. I enjoy dominating, but slavery was not for me, so I gave her freedoms. I wooed her, dated her, and offered her everything so she would fall in love with me. I am nothing more than a paycheck to her. Sexually, we have never been together. I tried not to force her because I felt she had been forced all of her life, but nothing I did ever pleased her.

“Last evening was the last straw. She took advantage of Maxim when he was not in his right mind and then she used his transgression against him and planted seeds into your mind. You must not let those seeds grow, Haleigh. Maxim adores you, and he would be crushed if this did not work out.”

Radimir glances at me, and the terror I once felt for him is replaced with compassion. He fell in lusty-love with a woman who essentially abused his kindness for years.

“Thank you for explaining that to me. It does help with the doubts. What did you do with her?” I am afraid to ask and Radimir’s eyes flash, giving me an answer I am sure I don’t want verbalized.

“You are in this life now, Haleigh. You must know it is not one where simple slaps on the hands are doled out as punishment for wrongdoings. I am lucky I never trusted her and always kept my business information locked up tightly, so she is no threat to me in that way. I sold her.”

His words are pained; he didn’t want to, he loved her in a way and she shit on him. His cruel treatment should bother me more than it does.
What does that make me?
This whole situation has left me confused, about myself and my feelings.

“I understand,” I whisper, tears pooling in my eyes, threatening to fall.

“You are a sweet girl. Maxim was correct when he told me that you were his sweet little American ballerina. She knew the consequences of her actions, so we cannot feel badly for her. She knew her place and she became spoiled and too bold. She was not my wife, not legally. I was her owner and she was sold to me.

“I know the man I sold her to and, although he will be strict with her, he will not abuse her,” he offers the information and looks at me as if to see my approval for his actions. Radimir then pauses and looks at an empty spot on the wall contemplatively.

“He adores his slaves. He has several, and he also trains to sell them, but he has had his eyes on Klavdia for years. He was disappointed when I bought her and more than willing to pay double what I did for her. I must sound like a bastard.” He chuckles, the smile not reaching his eyes.

“Will you buy another?” I search his face for an answer and he sighs.

“Never. It was not what I envisioned. I hope that one day I am able to find a companion. I would like to have children and have a woman to love, who also loves me. I am resigned to the fact it may never happen.” He clears his throat as a knock sounds on the door, signaling Alex’s arrival.

“I must be going. We are okay, Haleigh?” he asks. I smile and nod at him.

I don’t agree with how he reacted toward Klavdia, but after hearing his story, I understand. I don’t have to agree with somebody’s lifestyle or decisions to understand them. Plus, who am I to judge? I was once sold to my husband.

“We are, Radimir, and if ever you are hungry, do not hesitate to come over for a home-cooked meal. I don’t promise that it will always be edible, as I am still learning, but we always order takeout if it is too bad.” I wrinkle my nose, and he genuinely smiles at me as he opens the door for Alex, nodding before he leaves.

“Are you all right?” Alex asks as soon as he is inside of the apartment. I can see the concern etched across his face, and I choose to simply smile at him.

“I am,” I respond. We leave, never mentioning the fact that Radimir was here in my home, alone.

We spend the rest of the day shopping, and I outfit baby Maksimilyan with anything and everything he could possibly need when it comes to clothes. By the time Maxim comes home, I am chomping at the bit to tell him about my visit with Radimir. He is equally as surprised as I am at the story.

“He is good man,
angel moy,
but he has had a hard life, much like me. Much like all of us in these positions. He will find his Haleigh,” he says softly.

I sigh as I curl into my husband’s warm body and then I whisper to him another piece of news I have been holding back for a few days, waiting for the right time.

“Congratulations, Maxim, you are to be a father again,” I say softly. He pulls me in tightly, and after a moment, I pull my head up to see tears streaming down his face.

“Maxim?” He shakes his head.

“You make me so very happy,
golubushka
,” he whispers, controlling his emotions. Then he makes the sweetest love to me, sweeter than he ever has; and while I miss my demanding lover, I can’t say that I am disappointed.

In this tender moment, we need tender loving.

I love this crazy Russian with all of my heart.