Maxine sits on a stool in the kitchen of the Rusk mansion. Natalia leans on a counter absentmindedly snacking on a carrot stick. Maxine deftly observes the behavior of Natalia. She begins to notice the cool manner of the woman, who just moments ago, killed a man with an electrical cord. But before Maxine could make any more observations, Ivanova enters the kitchen while talking on the phone.
"So payment in the usual manner I assume? Good, I am sorry I had to call you so unexpectedly but you how it is, Oh don't forget about the door too, I don't know, how about make it look like a bunch of kids having fun or something, I trust your discretion, thank you again," Ivanova speaks into the phone.
When Ivanova turns off the receiver, she gives Maxine a cold hard look. The look prompts Maxine to follow Ivanova into the living room. Maxine moves quicker than normal to catch up to Ivanova as she begins to pace back and forth with one hand on her hips and the other on her forehead.
"Ivanova, look I'm sorry for not telling you about Gregory's brother sooner, I just didn't-" Maxine begins.
"You know who it was on the phone? It was Jacob, the cleaner, I hoped that I didn't need to call him again, but I had to because my sister killed a man, and I didn't want the police to get involved, You should have told me, Maxine, That way we could have done things differently," Ivanova chastises.
"Oh? Like what?" Maxine responds with a question.
"Oh, I don't know, how about instead of a romantic walk to the park and getting shot at as we are on the way there, we would have gotten in the limo and came here instead for starters!" Ivanova sarcastically answers.
Maxine couldn't come up with a comeback for Ivanova's statement. Natalia and Illiana, Ivanova's mother and sister, appear from the kitchen and begin to make their way to the front door. Illiana arm hooking onto Natalia's as they walk through the living room.
"Are you leaving mama?" Ivanova asks.
Illiana regards Ivanova with a gentle smile, "Yes, my dear Ivanova, we are, Natalia's schedule has been moved up so we have to go so she can rise early to be on time."
"You can stay here tonight, I have the room," Ivanova offers.
"Oh no dear, We don't want to be a bother, really we have to go," Illiana says as they made their exit.
Maxine turns and begins to follow the pair out of the room. Ivanova turns suddenly toward Maxine with a harsh look.
"And where do you think you're going?" Ivanova asks.
Maxine looks at Ivanova like a newly captured animal looking upon the trapper that captured it.
"Uh, I'm going home, to my bed," answers Maxine.
"Like hell you are, you are staying here, right here with me," Ivanova states.
Maxine raises an eyebrow, "Excuse me, last time I checked I'm an adult, and I will do what I want, and when I want."
"They're probably watching you, Maxine, How else do they know where, and when to attack us tonight? You would be safer here tonight in the mansion," Ivanova curtly explains.
"Oh come on Ivanova, I'll be fine," Maxine reassures.
"But can you guarantee that you will be safe the whole time tonight, that those killers won't attack you and put bullets through that old house of yours?" Ivanova interrogates.
"Ivanova you worry too-"
"Can you?"
"Come on I-"
"CAN YOU?!"
Maxine is at a loss for words. She couldn't guarantee anything regarding her safety, and what's worse, Ivanova knows she can't. Maxine breaks eye contact and looks down as if she was some chastised child that was caught in some lie. Her hand rubs up and down her forearm nervously. Maxine sighs as she begrudgingly looks at Ivanova's eyes.
"No," Maxine quietly says.
"What?"
"No, I can't ok? I can't guarantee anything Ivanova," Maxine says.
Ivanova looks at Maxine as a mother would look at a child who just learned a hard, heartbreaking lesson. She moves closer to Maxine and begins to slowly embrace Maxine with a sigh.
"Look, It's different now, You're not protecting some target, Maxine, You are in fact, the target," Ivanova quietly explains.
The embrace of Ivanova becomes a little tighter.
"You are my everything, Maxine. If something were to happen to you, my world would just shatter around me, and I would not have the will to go on."
Ivanova pulls away slightly to look into Maxine's shy eyes.
"You are one of the reasons, the most important one, that I decided to make Rusk Holding legitimate, so you wouldn't have to put yourself in front of bullets for me, to protect me because there would be no need to," Ivanova tearfully explains.
Ivanova places her hands lovingly on the sides of Maxine's face as Maxine wraps her arms around the blonde's waist.
"So please, will you at least promise me that you spend every night here in the mansion, at least until a solution to the situation presents itself?" Ivanova request.
Maxine lowers her gaze and after a little pause, he nods her consent. Ivanova breathes a sigh of relief and quickly kisses Maxine. Maxine responds by adding emotion to her responding kiss, causing Ivanova to have a surprised moan. They pull apart a little with Ivanova touching her forehead onto Maxine's.
"Love me tonight Maxine," Ivanova whisper in Maxine's ear, "please."
Maxine runs her fingers through Ivanova's hair, her eyes studying the blonde's features as if for the first time all over again.
"Alright love."
YOU ARE READING
The Beautiful Guardian: Vengence
Action(PART TWO) A brother of a slain enemy comes into town bent on revenge. An unknown assassin begins to hunt. Future inlaws coming in for a visit. Maxine sure has her hands full!
