Page 49 of Maxim

“While I am intrigued, I won’t just work for pussy. I can always buy pussy. I would need more.”

“I’m open to negotiations,” he muses.

“I would need to be a partner. If I’m going to go through each member personally, there will need to be something monetarily in it for me. Especially if you want me out on the frontlines snatching product.”

“Understood. I’ll bring that to my partner for us to discuss.”

“I’ll need an answer from you back in forty-eight hours, or I will consider the offer null and void.”

“You don’t waste time, do you?” he asks as he studies me.

“No, I don’t. I’m the all-or-nothing type.”

“I respect that. You will be hearing from me soon.” He stands. “Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a woman who needs to be reminded of her place.”

I nod as I stand, holding out my hand. “I look forward to doing business with you.”

When he’s finally out of view, I head toward the exit. Only when I’m back in the safety of my car do I take a deep breath.

Holy shit. This is it.

“Icannot believe she chose Damon. Stefan was totally the better option,” Thea exclaims as she throws popcorn at the television.

I had no idea this show existed before her, but we have been doing what she calls a binge-watch of it. It reminds me that living with my father, I was deprived of so many things.

Not anymore.

I laugh. “I can see the appeal of Damon. Stefan is all about the greater good while Damon only cares about her.”

“That’s your trauma talking. It makes sense, though. You’d like the bad boy,” she teases.

The first day we met, she would tease like this, and it would make me uncomfortable. Now, I understand her a little better. She likes to joke a lot. She doesn’t hide from her trauma, she makes it part of the joke.

Slowly, I feel like I’m starting to be able to do the same.

“Well, you know me, gotta go for the guy that’s considered the monster,” I joke back to her.

I confided in her that I once thought Maxim was a monster. She finally got me to admit that I find him attractive. I think talking with her has opened my eyes to things.

Maxim still sleeps with me every night. At first, it annoyed me, but now it brings me comfort. I have even found myself gravitating toward him in the middle of the night.

“Oh, I know. Have you had the talk with him yet?” Thea asks, breaching the topic I know she has been wanting to since she arrived.

Yesterday we talked about Maxim. About how I feel about him. I’m still finding it hard to trust him. She suggested I ask him to be honest with me. To tell me why he chose me and kept me alive. She thinks it will be healing for me.

I’m not sure I’m ready to be healed yet, though. Not until I have my siblings by my side. Why should I get better when they are getting worse?

“Not yet. It was so late when he came home last night. I didn’t want to bring it up,” I admit.

She nods. “Makes sense. You should do it sooner rather than later.”

As if speaking about him conjures him, Maxim walks through the door moments later.

Thea gives me a devilish smile.

“Awesome. I’m heading home. Hey, Maxim. Olena has something she wants to talk with you about. See you tomorrow.” She blows me a kiss before blowing out the door like a storm.

Maxim sets the alarm behind her, watching from the window until she is in her car. Then he turns to me. “What did you want to talk about?”