The Sun Always Sets in Paradise

Finally, Max spoke. "This may take a while." he sighed.

"I have time." I looked up at him with an encouraging smile.

He nodded and returned my smile with a small one of his own.

"Before I came to the United States, I lived in Moscow with my parents. It was like any other family. There were my parents, who loved one another very much, and my younger sister, along with me. The only problem with my small family is that we were in horrible debt when I was around seven years of age. My sister was about five at the time. The economy was very bad so it was hard for either of my parents to get sufficient jobs and my sister and I were obviously too young.

"That's were my uncle came into play. He paid my parents debts but in return, my father had to work for him. Then, when I became a suitable age, I was trained and told to work for my uncle." Max tightened his grip around me subconsciously. "My father hated that he had to resort to being tied to my uncle in any way that wasn't by blood. He didn't want me to be exposed to my Uncle's business. He knew that it would break and ruin me. And it did. But I became hard-hearted and in turn, it built me up."

"What is your uncle's business?" I inquired quietly and hesitantly.

Max looked down to meet my eyes. "He abducts people and sells them or kills them for money. Doesn't matter if they are young, old, male, or female. Any kind of person. He usually tries to avoid killing or capturing anyone of severe importance or with a lot of publicity so that he can avoid being caught. But then again, he is really a master when it comes to making anything look like an accident."

I could feel the blood drain from my face. I slowly turned my head and stared at the wall.

"You're in shock." Max whispered sadly.

"Well, yes. How can one not be? And you worked for him." I was barely audible on the last sentence.

The one person who was protecting me has presumably kidnapped, killed, and sold helpless people. I was repelled by him but I kept my emotions in check. I needed to finish hearing the information before I could judge like that.

Max sighed. "I can only assume that you are disgusted by me." His voice told me that he was distraught and in agony.

Max was hurting and I still felt the urge to comfort him. But I didn't. Instead, I asked him to tell me more.

"Okay," he consented before continuing on. "When I was ten, my uncle began training me in the basics of fighting, weaponry, and pain. I, at such a young age, was beaten to the point of near death on several occasions. It was necessary for me to be tolerable to great amounts of pain. This way, I would be able to withstand basically any possible situation that was thrown at me. Luckily for me, I am excellent at not getting caught. That seemed to become a natural instinct for me. I was able to go almost anywhere without being either seen, acknowledged, or caught. I had been caught once before but that is a story for another time."

I nodded to show that I was still awake and listening. My body felt like it was still succumbed to shock but my mind was reeling as it tried to catch a hold of every tidbit of information.

"After a year, I was sent to a master of many different areas of Martial Arts. He also was very skilled in regular boxing and handling any kind of weapon. I was trained by him for a year and a half. I was persistent and a good student. Or that is what I was told.

"After that, I worked diligently for my uncle. I was nearly thirteen at that time. So, the first few "missions" that I went on were horrendous. The very first one I went on, I went with two other skilled "fighters." That is what we called people who worked out in the field, so to say.

"Anyways, we had abducted two young girls not much older that me and an old gentleman that was very kind. We had taken them all in one night. I ended up sitting in the back of a van with them. We had sedated the girls because, from what I can vaguely remember, they were very annoying and would not stop moving. The older man, however, was calm. He talked to me about nature on that ride. He had laughed, too. It had been a nice, comforting sound.

"The other two men with me on this mission had yelled at him for it though. So, the older gentleman just simply smiled at me the whole time. It was as if he knew his fate and accepted it. He was at peace." Max's voice had grown distant and extremely sad. "It was like he had forgiven me..."

I tried to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. I wanted to cry for the man. I wanted to cry for Max. I wanted to sob for all who had been involved and victimized by Dmitri's business.

"He had been shot that evening. I wept the entire night. The girl's had been sold to the black market as sex slaves. I wept for them, too. They were pretty from what I can remember of them. Both with straight black hair and sharp, defining features. One was tall and slim while the other was short and curvy. They looked to be sisters..."

I ran my hand across Max's forearm in an attempt to bring him back to present day. He was getting lost in his dark memories and it saddened me.

Max sighed heavily. "I continued to work for my uncle along with my father. I was thankful, though, that my father and I never had to work together. I don't think that I could stand watching my father kill someone or have him see me," Max's voice faltered, "me do it." He finished quietly.

I still continued to gently draw designs on Max's forearm and hand. "Please continue." I whispered.
"Once my father and I had worked off the debt, my parents moved us to the U.S. I was around sixteen, almost seventeen, when we moved. I had been to the U.S. prior to visit a few family members and also carry out business here. My uncle was not very happy with the move but he got over it once he received more business here."

Max fell silent after this.

I finally dared to twist and look up at him. His eyes were wary but still shining in pain.

"What does your uncle do to cover up this aspect of the business?" I asked.

"He co-owns a major trading center in Europe."

I nodded before looking away. "Did you save most of the money you received from each... Mission?"

"Yes. Or I tried. Right now, though, I am working for one of my Uncle's clients as an agent that protects certain people when they go out of the country."

I was confused now. I turned myself around so that I was facing Max with my legs crossed over his. It was a rather awkward position but I made it suffice. "Then why does it seem like you haven't left since you have met me?"

"I'm on vacation for a year." He smile half-heartedly.

"Oh." That was ironic.

I looked away but I was still concentrating on all the information he gave me.

"Any more questions?" Max asked.

I looked at him for a brief moment before shaking my head no. "Not at the moment. I need to sleep on all that you have told me."

Max just nodded gravely.

I stared at him for a moment. He looked extremely exhausted but was still incredibly attractive. I ran my right hand up his chest to his shoulder. "Ya' know, I still feel safe with you by me." I told him quietly while I held his gaze strongly. "All that you have told me has not hindered my view of you. It has only cast more light on who you are and who you were."

Max watched my carefully. His large hand ran up my arm to gently cup my neck. He gently ran his thumb just below my ear. Max whispered something in Russian that I barely heard.

I smiled faintly, "What did you say?"

"I said that you are incredibly beautiful. Inside and out." He whispered then paused. "I have never met such a woman like you. You are so strong even though you have been beaten down repeatedly."

I flushed immediately at what he said. I traced my hand back down to rest on his hip. I was unable to find any words to say to him. "You have made me speechless." I finally whispered after a pause.

Max smiled. "Good."

With my left hand, I grabbed Max's hand and pulled away from my neck. I brought his palm up to my mouth and delicately placed a kiss right on the middle. I rested my cheek against his hand and closed my eyes.

It was such an incredibly intimate moment that I was left speechless by my own actions. Yet... I liked it.