Page 18 of Maxim (The Syndicates #12)

She’s been fidgeting for ten minutes. She keeps glancing over at me as she works through whatever is going on in her pretty little head.

I can’t handle it anymore.

“Are you going to spit out whatever’s on your mind or not?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I focus on her, raising my brow. “Your mind is turning something over. I can tell. What is it?”

I’m patient as she mulls through her options. I know it’s hard for her to trust me. Thea might be helping her cope with her trauma, but she really needs professional help. Not that she will take it. I have a feeling she is the type to work through it on her own.

I have no doubts she will be okay if I can get her siblings here.

Not if. When.

“It sounds bad, but I worry more for Daryna than Alek. Alek is being shown my father’s business, and that is terrible, but he is my father’s heir.

The male who will take over once my father is gone.

I know that while he will go through horrific things to become the man my father wants him to be, he will live.

My father will ensure it. Daryna isn’t safe in that way.

If she becomes too much, he will sell her.

That is his only use for her now that I am gone.

That is unless Alek shows his own care for her.

He has always tried to act disinterested in her around my father.

He is a caring boy, but he tries to do what he can to protect himself.

I’m afraid that if Daryna becomes too wild with her free spirit, he will snuff it out.

He never let anyone touch me. Not until he sold me, but will he do the same for her?

He sells children. I’ve seen it. I don’t want him to sell her. ”

Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her into my arms.

“Hey, let’s try to remain positive. Daryna knows you are gone by now. I know we want her to be happy normally, but maybe she has been too sad to cause issues,” I tell her.

“Maybe.”

“What would she normally do if you were there?”

A small smile fills her face. “She likes to push limits. She runs around the house and hides in places she shouldn’t. Father never caught her, but I always worried he would.”

“So she’s good at hide-and-seek. Does she know how your father is?” I ask.

She nods. “She is scared of him. Avoids him whenever she can.”

“So she is smart. She knows he isn’t a good man. Maybe she acted out because you were there to protect her. Now that you are gone, maybe she will lay low.” I try to ease her fears.

“You saw her in the office. She should have never intervened.”

“You were in danger, and she was trying to save you. Emotional outbursts are normal in children her age.” I start to caress her hair as she lies against me.

“I suppose you are right.”

“Tell me this, did you teach her to watch out for him?”

“No. Not in that way. When she was younger, I would try to stay positive in front of him. He had no interest in her as a baby or toddler. She would hear his outbursts and cry. I would have to do everything I could to stop her before he complained. A complaint usually meant a beating.”

“It sounds like she took your lead. You are a smart girl, Olena. She is too. Trust that she can survive. It won’t be much longer.”

“You promise?” Her voice is so small and weak.

“I promise.” I kiss her on the side of the head.

She lets out a relieved breath as she relaxes into me. “Thank you.”

“It’s what I’m here for. Can I ask where you get your vocabulary from? Did your father hire a tutor for you?”

She shakes her head. “A maid taught me to read when I was younger. Then she would bring me different books and help me work through them. Once I was old enough, she would sneak me anything I wanted to learn about. I then started teaching Daryna and Alek everything I was learning.”

“That’s awesome. They are lucky to have you.”

“I don’t think they always felt that way.

Daryna is so strong-headed. I don’t know where she gets it from.

Lord knows I am not that way. Alek is the quiet one.

He always has been. I think he caught on quicker than Daryna about our father.

She still believes in fairy tales and such.

Alek hasn’t acted like a kid in a long time.

I worry about him even more now that my father has him going out with him. ”

“Kids are resilient. He will be okay too. We will get them both any help they need once we get them out of there,” I promise her.

“You won’t abandon us once this is all over?” she asks.

I squeeze her tight, laughing. “Try to get rid of me.”

She pulls back, looking me in the face. “You mean that? You will keep helping us?”

“As long as you’ll have me, Сонечко.”

“I don’t know why I feel like this,” she admits.

“Like what?”

She mulls over her words before she speaks them. “Like I can trust you. I don’t want you to not be in my life. That’s crazy, right? I mean, you bought me, for Chrissake.”

That familiar guilt kicks me in the gut at her words.

“I didn’t want to buy you. I think had we met under different circumstances and in different lives, it wouldn’t be crazy to feel the way you do.”

She smiles up at me. “It’s not now either. My feelings may be new, but I like them. I like relying on someone other than myself.”

“Good. You can rely on me. I won’t let you down.”

I shouldn’t say the words, but I do. I can’t promise her everything will be all right, but fuck if I’m not willing to do anything I can to make it true.

“I know you won’t.”

She rests her head back on my shoulder, settling in to cuddle next to me. I keep my arm around her, holding her to me.

In that moment, I can see it. The future we could have together.

I only need to do whatever I have to in order to make it happen.

Even if it means I will be haunted for the rest of my life.

Olena is worth it.