Chapter 20

Katja~

I walked into The Swan, and I felt like all eyes were on me, though that wasn't true. However, now that I'd actually had sex with Maksim, I was officially a whore for the Russian Bratva, even if I was only laying down for Maksim right now. Like Klive, I had no idea what more would be asked for me at a later date, and I'd have to be super stupid to believe that Maksim might see me as something more than a means to an end.

At any rate, unlike last time, he hadn't escorted me inside, and for whatever reason, it felt like déjà vu of the first time that I had walked in here. Honestly, I didn't know which was worse, not knowing what I'd been getting myself into or knowing exactly what Maksim expected of me now.

It also didn't help that I actually felt something inexplicable for Maksim Barychev. While it was rather sick and twisted if you thought about it, I couldn't get the other night out of my mind, no matter how hard I tried. I'd never cum so hard in my life, and it was shameful to admit that I wanted him to do it again. I wasn't sure what that made me, but I knew enough to know that it didn't make me a good person; a good person would have gone to the police. Or maybe that was a smart person. A smart person would have gone to the police, and then allowed the wheels of justice to do their thing. Now I was embroiled in a mess that had me way deep in over my head.

As soon as I stepped up near the bar, I looked around the room until I saw Maksim seated in a corner booth. He lifted his tumbler of liquor in my direction, and I almost laughed like an idiot. I had no idea if he was just flagging me down, or if he expected me to get him another drink. A second later, I felt like crying. I felt like everything around me was falling apart, and no matter how hard I tried, I didn't have enough strength to hold any of it up.

Figuring that it was a whore's job to service her keeper in all areas, I turned to the bar, then signaled for the bartender. When she walked over, I asked, "Can I get a…Maksim Barychev needs another drink."

Dropping everything, she quickly made his drink, and not wanting to offend her or Maksim, I held my tongue when she told me how much it cost. Thankfully, I'd had enough sense to put some cash in my purse before coming out tonight, so I slid her a hundred-dollar bill, then told her to keep the change. I felt stupid because she probably expected more, but I didn't have much more to give her.

Doing my best to shake off my nerves, I grabbed Maksim's drink, then turned to head towards his booth. Walking over, I was careful not to spill any of the expensive vodka because I couldn't afford to get him another one right now. Granted, I could always use my ATM card, but I'd rather pay cash at places like this. It was an expensive slippery slope to start putting drinks on a tab.

When I finally reached the table, I placed the glass in front of him, and it wasn't until I got comfortable in the booth that I notice how wild his eyes looked. "Is…is everything okay?"

"Did you just buy me a drink?" he asked, and his voice held a touch of that familiar darkness that I was beginning to recognize. Maksim was pissed, only I had no idea why.

"Uh…yes," I stammered. "I…I thought that's what you wanted when you lifted your glass."

Maksim's fingers grabbed me by my chin before squeezing painfully enough to get my attention. "Do not ever spend your own money on me, Katja," he ordered. "Do you understand?"

"It's…it's just a drink," I replied, resenting how he was making me feel stupid for doing something so simple.

"I support you," he practically snarled. "You do not support me, understand? Do not ever do something like that again."

I could only stare at him.

What in the fresh hell?

Before I could say anything to that, Maksim let go of my chin, then got up from the booth. I watched as he stormed across the room towards the bar, then tell the bartender that had helped me something unpleasant. She looked like she was facing the firing squad, and I immediately felt bad for placing her in Maksim Barychev's crosshairs.

When Maksim finally returned to the booth, he pulled out his wallet, and I watched in stunned silence as he pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, then drop it on the table in front of me. I stared at it like it was a snake, ready to bite me, but I didn't know why. For some reason, this moment felt significant, but this was also just another game with no real rules. It was just a drink, but Maksim was acting as if I'd insulted his mother.

"Take it and place it back in your wallet," he ordered. "Now, Katja. Do it now before I really lose my shit."

Not wanting to cause a scene, I quickly did as he'd demanded, regretting not getting a drink for myself. I was also so damn sick of this shit.

"It was just a drink," I repeated.

Ignoring that, he finally took a seat next to me, asking, "What is wrong? You seem upset."

I looked over at him, my eyes wide. "Are you serious? Everything is wrong, Maksim. With the exception of my grandfather finally coming home, everything about these past couple of weeks is wrong. I mean, what is there that's right?"

"Have you forgotten the other night already?" he asked, his voice low, and I hated how that simple question had my body clenching.

"Maksim-"

His hand on my bare thigh immediately shut me up, and I stared into his chocolate-colored gaze unbelievingly as his palm trailed up the inside of my leg, the man not caring that we were out in public. Though I couldn't deny the dark shiver of need that raced down my spine, I'd also never been this adventurous. I'd never been a big public-displays-of-affection kind of person, and I'd definitely never been the type of person to have sex in public.

When Maksim's fingers reached the apex of my thighs, he said, "Let me help you forget your troubles, lyublyu."

I could barely speak as his fingers slid inside my panties. "Maksim, we're…we're in pub…public."

"Do you think that anyone is going to comment?" he asked, his voice a dark symphony of need.

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I wasn't a whore, but the words wouldn't come out. After all, that's exactly what I was, and I needed to stop living in a time before Klive Simpson had entered my life; I was no longer that woman. Besides, sex in public didn't automatically make a woman a whore. Lots of couples found the risqué behavior sexy and empowering. I mean, what was hotter than someone wanting you so badly that they were unable to wait until they got you home?

So, with nothing significant to say, I just stared into his dark gaze as his fingers worked their way inside me, the stretch eliciting a shameful moan from my lips. When the slick sounds of his ministrations hit my ears, I curled my fingers around the edge of the seat, the soft fabric tightening in my grip. It felt both embarrassing and exhilarating to be doing this, but I also wasn't going to stop him. Even if I could, my body didn't want him to stop. Everything that Maksim Barychev did felt like sin wrapped up in more sin, and every inch of me enjoyed it all.

With no choice but to just hang on for the ride, I licked my lips, then closed my eyes, and that's when Maksim abruptly pulled his fingers from my pussy.

When my eyes snapped open, he said, "I've decided that this does not work for me."

He was cancelling our arrangement.

I didn't say anything as he dropped another large bill on the table, then stood up, leaving his fresh drink untouched. When he walked around to stand in front of me, he reached down, and on autopilot, I grabbed his hand, then allowed him to help me stand as I quickly grabbed my purse.

As Maksim escorted me out of The Swan, my mind began to race with what I was going to do now. Waves of rage also coursed through my body as I realized just how sinister Maksim Barychev really was. Like a sadistic sonofabitch, he'd waited until my grandfather was back home before pulling the rug back out from under me. He'd waited until I'd felt that familiar sense of comfort before finally making me pay for ever agreeing to help Klive. Everything made sense now. It explained why he hadn't waited for me outside like he'd done before.

Since Maksim's car had remained out front, just right across the street, as soon as Jurik saw us walking toward the vehicle, he walked over, then immediately opened the door to the backseat. With his hand on the small of my back, Maksim escorted me inside, then said something to Jurik in Russian before getting inside the car himself.

Once we were on our way, I stared at my hands in my lap as my heartbeat drummed in my ears. Everything was spinning so out of control, and I really felt like I was losing my mind. I had no idea if Maksim was taking me home or taking me out into the country to shoot me dead, and I almost laughed with the absurdity of it all. However, before I could become completely hysterical, Maksim Barychev was surprising me once again.

"Now let's finished what we started, lyublyu."