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I wondered if he always felt this way, like he couldn’t fully express himself because it would be his downfall

The thought broke my heart

My dad stue in his eyes; he charged at hi a flare of harsh light inside

“What the hell are you guys doing?” Phoenix yelled “Sparring?”

“He hitto kill you!”

Maksim’s smile was different, colder Caled, and literally said “Hi”

Dad straightened his tie and tilted his head “Sim?”

“You have a hard jaw” Maksim looked at his hand, inspected it more likely

“I need you,” Dad said “But punch ain—”

“Why?” Maksiether, they hole, so I refused to change names based on personalities It just felt weird, different, not right It felt… almost inhuman

He was Maksim

He would always be Maksim

“We can’t find King, but he sent a text,” Phoenix said, hands on hips, “about thirtyto them to do his job”

“His job being taking the daughter of the boss I killed last week,” Maksim said in a bored tone “He was down by the docks Most of his men were”

“Do you re anywhere else?” My dad asked

Maksi around the room, then went and pressed his hand on one of the walls The whole wall flipped over like so a shit ton of guns and knives

His face reear to his body, and then, without looking back, he said, “Get Serena, Junior, Tank, and Ash, please”

He was so polite and norain, what did I expect? He was still hi his brain, maybe even his own soul

“I want to go” I couldn’t believe I just said that

Maksim’s hands froze over the weapons He shoved a knife into a sheath and buckled it against his skin under his shirt, then tugged it down and stalked over to ainst a wall

His mouth was on mine before my dad could kill him

Phoenix bit out a curse, and I kneas grabbing Dad to keep hi Maksim

But I was so lost in Maksi but wrap ed him close and tasted him

He was mine

Always

We broke apart, and his eyes searched ”

Tears filled my eyes “How do you—”