17. Kat

Chapter 17

Kat

My eyes snap open, and I jolt awake, gasping. For a few panicked heartbeats, I’m disoriented, caught between reality and the lingering dread of a dream. Sheets pooled around my waist, I scan the room, my heart still racing as I realize it was only a nightmare.

I’m not actually running for my life down a darkened street; I’m in Nikolai’s penthouse. I’m safe, kind of. Nik has already caught me, unlike the faceless man in my nightmare. For what it’s worth, he doesn’t seem to have any immediate plans to kill or torture me.

My phone buzzes as I catch my breath, watching the sunrise. It’s a text from A.J.

Sorry about last night. If you decide to tell the Russian to go to hell, I’m only one call away.

A sigh slips out. After Nik left me alone in his kitchen—and before I found him pacing outside my door—I called her. Her reaction to my news was nothing short of explosive. First, she was furious with him, worried sick about me. But once she’d heard everything, her anger had shifted to me. Keeping Nik a secret, she argued, betrayed our friendship, endangered us both, and jeopardized our plan to take down the stronzo . She was right; we can’t afford secrets right now.

I text back:

Sorry again for keeping things from you. I wish I could be there to track down Camilla’s lead with you.

She replies right away:

You have a lot going on already. You’ve done more than your share. Just keep your Russian happy. But not too happy.

Rolling my eyes, I type back:

Easier said than done. Trust me.

A second later, I shoot her another text:

Be careful, A.J. Please.

Her reply is instant.

I will. Take care of yourself, Kitty Kat.

After promising to stay in touch, I set my phone aside and steel myself for the day ahead. I don’t know what Nik has planned—or even what his deal is, honestly. Does he like me? Does he like me not ? And yes, apparently, I’m back in second grade.

One thing is clear: I need to get the upper hand, and fast. He’s already proven how mercurial he can be, and the last thing I need is to be at the mercy of his mood swings. Like I don’t already have enough to deal with. No, I need to level the playing field—and I need to do it now. Even if it means seducing him.

I get ready in record time—not that I have much to work with. The closet in my cell-slash-bedroom is totally empty, and there’s no chance I’m wandering around the penthouse in Nik’s boxers.

So I retrace my steps to his closet, keeping an ear out for any sign of him. Fortunately, the coast is clear. I grab a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, both way too big for me, and head to the kitchen. It's so early, I doubt I’ll see him for a while.

In my experience, handsome billionaires rarely keep business hours. He wasn’t in his room, so who knows where he is or what he’s up to right now. Working out? Walking his hellhounds? Or maybe the same thing he does every night—trying to take over the world?

To my surprise, leaning against the kitchen island, I find a tall stranger, coffee mug in hand.

“Morning,” he says, nodding as he takes a sip. “You must be Katherine Devereaux.”

“I must be. And you are?”

“Dmitri. I’m Nik’s friend.” He smiles, all dimples, offering me his hand. Stunned, I stare at it for a second, then shake it. His hand is warm, rougher than I expected.

“And by friend, you mean henchman, of course,” I say.

He laughs—a deep, genuine laugh. His pale blue eyes crinkle as he smiles, dimples appearing on his cheeks again. He shakes his head, his dark blond hair bouncing. He’s young, maybe in his mid-twenties. He’s also extremely tall, towering over me by more than a foot.

"You're funny," he chuckles. “No wonder Nik likes you.”

“He does? That’s news to me.”

A grin spreads across his face. Even though he’s a few years my junior, I can’t deny Dmitri is hot . His boyish good looks are cute and disarming, but his broad shoulders and lean muscular frame tell me he’s all man. Sure, he doesn’t make me all weak in the knees like Nik, but I can still appreciate that he is a fine-looking man.

“Well, let me put it like this—people who steal from Nik don't usually get invited to his hang out at the penthouse with him. That much I can tell you.”

“You and I have a very different definition of the word ‘invited’.”

He shrugs. “Fair enough. But my point stands. You’re getting off easy.”

“I hate to sound like a broken record, but clearly, our definitions of the word ‘easy’ don’t match.”

“Looks like we’ll have to agree to disagree,” he says. “Coffee?”

I sigh and sit on a kitchen stool. “I thought you’d never ask.”

He pours coffee into a mug and then gives it to me. A pastry box sits on the counter next to where Nik plopped me down last night before shoving himself between my legs.

Before I can even ask, Dmitri grabs the box and puts it down in front of me on the kitchen island. I waste no time opening it, marveling at the different flavors of donuts and bagels. I grab one of each.

“So, how long have you and Nik been partners in crime? Excuse me—I mean friends, of course.”

He lets out a chuckle. “I've known Nik for practically my whole life.”

“What’s that? Sixteen years?”

A smirk plays on his lips as he sits on a stool opposite me, the same one Nik occupied last night as we started playing footsie.

“Cute. I definitely see why he likes you,” Dmitri says.

“So you keep saying.”

“For what it’s worth, I can assure you I’m of age. I’m all grown up where it matters.” He gives me a wink.

I can't resist laughing. He’s delightful, especially for a made man. Ready to tease him back, I lean towards him over the kitchen island, an equally flirty retort on the tip of my tongue, but he’s staring past me.

“Thanks for the update, Dmitri,” Nik says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He looks... absolutely devastating. His freshly washed hair is still damp, curling slightly at the edges where it brushes his collar. The casual way he moves—fluid, confident—makes my pulse trip over itself.

As he brushes past me to grab a mug, I catch a faint whiff of his scent. It’s nothing extraordinary, just clean and simple, but it hits me like a wrecking ball. My stomach does this ridiculous flip, and I grip the edge of the stool to keep from toppling over. Thank God I’m sitting down; otherwise, I’d probably keel over and die of embarrassment if my knees buckled and I face-planted into the kitchen island.

When his gaze flicks to mine, the memory of him pacing outside my door seizes me, unbidden and far too vivid. My cheeks heat, and I look away fast, but it doesn’t matter. Blushing this hard is basically the same as wearing a flashing neon sign that says I’m thinking dirty things about you .

And yet, it’s not just that. The memory of what happened in the hallway feels illicit. It’s absurd, completely ridiculous. It’s not like I did anything wrong. It’s not like he did, either. But still, the feeling lingers, irrational and impossible to shake.

Dmitri’s voice disrupts my reverie, his smile holding no trace of remorse. “Morning, Nik.”

“I see you two have met,” Nik says, taking a seat next to me. I try to scoot away, but he holds me back by gripping my seat and pulling it towards him. He's so close, I can practically smell his shampoo and feel the warmth of his skin. I can even see his chest rise and fall as he breathes.

"I've been keeping her entertained for you," Dmitri says, winking at me.

“Is that so?” Nik asks, his tone as dry as sandpaper.

“Yep. She’s been peppering me with questions about you. Wanted to know all about the great Nikolai Stefanovich.”

“I have not,” I scoff, maybe a little too defensively.

Nik arches an eyebrow at me.

Dmitri chuckles, leaning casually against the counter. “Of course, we were also getting to know each other better. Figured it was a good idea since we’ll be seeing so much of each other. You’re okay with that, right, Nik?”

Nik’s gaze turns stern. "Dmitri…” His tone is a warning. “Don’t you have somewhere to be this morning? Last I checked, I don’t pay you to stand around and drink my coffee, bothering my guests.”

“I wasn’t bothering her. Kat was having a good time, weren’t you, Kat?” He throws another wink my way. “You don’t mind if I call you Kat, do you? ”

“Dmitri—” The chill in Nik’s voice is unmistakable—he’s one Dmitri wink away from the breaking point.

Dmitri just grins, unfazed. “See you around, Kat.” And with a final wink, he strolls out, leaving Nik to quietly seethe.

I watch Dmitri leave, taking in the view and letting my gaze linger a bit too long—just to make sure Nik notices. He stays silent beside me.

“Wow,” I say finally, breaking the silence once Dmitri is out of sight. “Just… wow.”

Nik sighs wearily. “Sorry about Dmitri. He can be a lot sometimes. I let him get away with way too much, and he knows it. I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you again.”

“No need for that,” I reply with a smile. If he can manage some civility after yesterday, then so can I. “At least not on my account. I haven’t laughed this much in a while.”

“Oh, really?” he asks, setting his coffee mug down with a hard clink.

“Yeah, I think he’s wonderful. Please don’t punish him because of me. I’d love to chat with him again, so don’t tell him to stay away from me or any nonsense like that.”

“Wonderful, huh?”

“I thought so.”

“Well,” he says, his voice dry, “I hate to disappoint you, Kat, but you and Dmitri are here to work for me, which won’t leave you much time to—how did you put it?— chat .” He gives the word a pointed emphasis. “I expect you both to focus on your jobs, so you won’t get a chance to chat anytime soon.”

The nerve of this man.

I smile even more sweetly at him. “Sounds good to me, Nik. I wouldn’t want to waste any time I could be working. After all, the sooner we finish this job, the sooner you and I can go our separate ways.”

“My thoughts exactly. Glad we’re on the same page,” he says, mirroring my tone

“Oh, absolutely. Besides, once this is over, there’ll be plenty of time for Dmitri and me to chat, right? I’ll give him my number so he can reach me.”

The look he gives me could cut through stone. Clearly, he hasn’t forgotten I refused to even give him my name when we first met.

“I hope you’re not too busy daydreaming about Dmitri to do your job properly. As his boss, I can tell you he’ll be way too occupied to chat with you anytime soon. And as your boss, I can say the same for you.”

“That’s fine. For someone as wonderful as Dmitri, I can wait.”

“He’ll be busy indefinitely.”

“Forever?”

“If that’s what it takes, yes.”

I set my cup down sharply and turn to face him fully. “What’s your problem today? Do you get off on antagonizing me?”

“I could ask you the same thing. For the record, not everything is about you. My life doesn’t revolve around your wants or wishes. I run a tight ship here—get used to it.”

“Right. It’s all about efficiency with you, isn’t it? That’s the only thing you care about,” I say, dripping with sarcasm.

A small smile curves his mouth. “Exactly. See? You’re learning already.”

“Uh-huh. So, this animosity I’m getting from you has nothing to do with jealousy, right? Dmitri flirting with me doesn’t bother you at all, does it?”

“As I said, all I care about is you and Dmitri focusing on this job. With that in mind, I’m afraid I have to insist you avoid any distractions until the work is done.”

He stands, clearly considering the conversation finished.

“And I’m afraid I must I insist you mind your own business.”

Slowly, he turns back to me.

“Your business is my business. You work for me now. And as long as that’s the case, I set the rules. Unfortunately for you, that means no dating anyone until the job is done.”

I must have misheard him. He can’t seriously be banning me from seeing any men for the foreseeable future, not just Dmitri.

“No dating anyone? Are you out of your mind? Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t get to make demands like that. I’ll be working for you, not signing my life away.”

Nik leans back against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms. His biceps flex just enough to distract me, even while I’m furious.

“You already signed your life away when you stole from me, Kat. Don’t act like you’re doing me a favor by working for me. If anything, I’m cutting you some slack. Men have died for less.”

“I’m starting to realize there are fates worse than death,” I mutter under my breath, my frustration mounting. I’m so done with men bending me to their will.

He chuckles at my dramatic statement. “There sure are, Kat, but this isn’t one of them. You’re getting off easy, and it’s about time you realize that.”

I shoot him a venomous look before glancing away. His smug expression says it all—he’s got me, and he knows it.

After a beat, he sighs, then pushes off the counter and walks over to me. He pulls the stool next to mine and sits down, facing me.

“Come on,” he says, his tone softening. “You know who I am and what I do. You agreed to this deal. What did you expect? You knew exactly what you were getting yourself into. Don’t act surprised I expect you to stay focused.”

I stare back in silence. It’s not enough for Nik that he has me at his beck and call—he wants me to be happy about it, too.

“Look,” he continues in an appeasing tone, “there’s no reason for us to be more miserable than we have to be. Come with me. I think I have something that’ll cheer you up.”

He stands and holds out his hand. I glance at it and sniff, not moving.

“Doubtful.”

“Come on. Give it a chance.”

The idea of giving him an inch grates on me, but really, what choice do I have? Do I want to tell him exactly where he can shove it? Absolutely. Is that the smartest move? Probably not. Antagonizing him won’t get me anywhere.

Besides, the memory of his... moment of vulnerability outside my door lingers, softening me in ways I don’t want to admit—even against my better judgment.

So I stand and take his hand, as reluctantly as possible. He doesn’t seem to mind. He just smiles, his fingers wrapping around mine with a gentle squeeze. Then his thumb brushes over my skin, sending a ripple of something warm and unsettling through me. “Good girl,” he murmurs. “Follow me.”