24. Kat

Chapter 24

Kat

There are plenty of things to complain about when it comes to my current “job.” The impossibility of quitting, for starters. But I can’t fault the pantry. For all his flaws—and there are many—Nik has excellent taste. It’s fitting, considering what I confirmed last night.

The man’s got it bad for me.

Of course, I’m hardly one to talk, considering I feel the same way about him. Still, I can’t deny how useful his inability to resist me is for my plans. If I want to stop being at his mercy—and save myself—I need to seduce him.

A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, though I won’t pretend it’s any kind of hardship. Between his devastatingly good looks and the surprising tenderness he showed last night, he has me craving him more than ever.

This morning, after finding the bag of Life Savers he left for me, I put extra effort into my appearance. I wanted to look irresistible to my elusive bed partner.

Total waste of time—Nik is nowhere to be found.

All day, I’ve waited for him to come find me, but the man is completely MIA.

By mid-afternoon, boredom creeps in. I consider texting him—or even sexting him—only to realize I don’t have his number. The thought is hilarious and sobering. There’s so much I don’t know about the man who holds my life in his hands.

Maybe his absence is the perfect chance to gather some intel.

With that in mind, I retrace my steps from the day before and make my way to his office. The penthouse is eerily quiet, and I half-expect to run into Dmitri or one of Nik’s henchmen. But no one shows up.

After lightly knocking on the door and hearing no response, I step inside.

Once again, I’m struck by how personal the space feels. From his faint, familiar scent to the carefully arranged photographs scattered around, it screams Nik .

I pluck a frame off the shelf. In the picture, Nik stands between two men, his arms slung casually around their shoulders. Humor sparks in his dark brown eyes, and the crooked smirk pulling at his lips softens the sharp edge of his typically intimidating aura.

I recognize Dmitri immediately. His pale blue eyes squint with laughter, his expression openly delighted.

It takes me a moment longer to place the third man. Maxim . Even more striking in this photo than the surveillance footage had suggested. His electric blue eyes seem to pierce through the image, sharp and intelligent, with a mocking twist at the corners. I can’t help feeling like I’d have liked him a good deal.

Behind me, the door creaks open. Startled, I nearly drop the frame but manage to place it back on the shelf before turning.

Nik stands in the doorway, one brow raised.

“Honey, you’re home,” I say, giving him my sweetest smile.

Behind him, Dmitri chuckles softly.

“What are you doing out of bed?” Nik’s voice is low, edged with irritation. “I hope you’re not ignoring medical advice just to snoop around my office.”

“What can I say? You’re too intriguing and irresistible. I couldn’t help myself,” I reply breezily. Dmitri laughs louder.

Nik narrows his eyes at me, clearly not amused by my wit. “You should be in bed. Resting. As the doctor ordered.”

“I’m more than happy to go back to bed,” I purr. “If you agree to join me. Although I can’t promise we’ll be doing much resting.” I wink.

Nik sighs heavily and turns to his desk, rifling through a stack of papers. The way he pointedly ignores me doesn’t bother me in the slightest. After last night, I know I’m chipping away at his Siberian cold exterior.

“Hiya, Kat,” Dmitri says, grinning.

“Hello, Dmitri. You look nice today,” I say, letting my gaze trail over his light gray suit. The color sets off his dark blond hair and makes the pale blue of his eyes even more striking. The way his broad shoulders fill out the jacket doesn’t hurt, either. He smiles at me, and if I’d met him before I knew Nik existed, my heart might have skipped a beat.

“Thank you. I was hoping you’d notice. You, on the other hand, look stunning every day. More than stunning, actually.”

I laugh, genuinely charmed, as Nik’s coffee mug lands on the desk with a deliberate thud.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be, Dmitri?” Nik asks, his words clipped, every syllable dripping with barely restrained annoyance.

Dmitri shrugs, as casual as ever. “Not really. But since you’re so obviously busy, Nik, I’d be happy to keep Kat company. Can't have her feeling lonely in that big bed while she’s... resting.” His tone carries an air of faux innocence, but the innuendo is crystal clear.

Nik stands abruptly, sending his chair clattering to the floor. “That’s it. You’re done. Get out.”

Dmitri smirks at me, clearly unbothered, while I cross my arms over my chest.

“Come on, Nik. You said I wasn’t your prisoner,” I point out. “You said I could have friends over.”

Nik’s gaze locks on mine, his intensity scorching. “Not this insolent fool. And most certainly not in your bedroom.”

I shrug and turn to Dmitri. “Oh well. You heard the boss-man. Rain check?”

“ Kat ,” Nik growls, his voice thick with warning.

“I guess I better bounce,” Dmitri says with an exaggerated sigh. “But I’ll see you soon, Kat.”

“Yeah, I hope I’ll see you very soon,” I reply, my tone teasing. Before he leaves, I fish a candy from my pocket and hold it out to him with a grin. “Life Saver?”

Nik storms over, grabbing my arm and spinning me to face him. His breath brushes my lips, his dark eyes burning into mine as he growls, “If you’re looking for trouble, you’ve found it.”

Dmitri chuckles. “Don’t worry, Kat He doesn’t mean it. My heart’s taken, anyway.

Intrigued, I give Dmitri a curious glance, but my attention remains locked on Nik, captivated by the fiery intensity radiating off him.

Before I can ask Dmitri anything about his cryptic confession, Nik narrows his eyes at me, cutting off any chance of a follow-up. “Dmitri, I believe I told you to get lost. I won’t say it again. And as for you, Ms. Devereaux, if you’re well enough to play games, you’re well enough to work. Get dressed. Put on something nice. We’re going out.”

With that, Nik strides back to his desk, effectively dismissing both of us.

Dmitri smirks at me, throwing a final wink my way as he saunters toward the door. “Good luck,” he whispers under his breath before disappearing.

On my way to my closet to follow Nik’s orders, I pause, my gaze landing on the CDs scattered across his desk. “Are those copies of the surveillance footage you showed me?”

Nik glances up, his brows lifting slightly. “Yes. Why?”

“Mind if I borrow them?”

He tilts his head, clearly surprised by the request. After a moment of consideration, he shrugs, grabs the stack, and hands them to me without a word.

I accept them with a nod and slip out of the office, clutching the disks tightly before he can change his mind.

After slipping into a red silk dress, I find Nik waiting by the penthouse door. He’s in an all-black suit and shirt, looking so devastatingly handsome it hurts me. I don’t even try to hide my appreciation, letting my gaze linger as I take him in from head to toe.

Spinning once to show off my outfit, I stop just in front of him and tilt my head. “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” he says, adjusting his cufflinks without sparing me a glance

“Thanks. It was disgustingly expensive. You bought it.”

“I figured. Ready to go?”

“Just lead the way, boss.”

He sighs like I’m the biggest annoyance in his life, shooting me that unamused look I’m starting to know all too well. Without a word, he holds the front door open, motioning toward the foyer.

We step into the elevator, and he punches the garage button before retreating to the farthest corner, leaning one shoulder against the wall, as far away from me as he can get. As if being stuck in this confined space with me is too much to handle, and that extra distance is the only thing keeping his self-control in check.

Charmed, I smile and lean against the opposite wall, fully facing him. “Can I ask you a question?” I say, trying to catch his eyes dart everywhere except toward mine.

He sighs again, deeper this time, like he's already regretting entertaining this. “Can I stop you?”

I shrug. “Probably not. Tell me about Dmitri.”

His glare sharpens. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Nope. I’m just curious. I know he works for you, but it's obvious you care about him. Are you two family?”

“Not by blood,” he says, finally turning to face me. “His mom worked for me. She made the best borscht I’ve ever had.”

“What happened to her?”

“She passed away a couple of years ago. Cancer. Lovely woman,” he says, his tone softening. “Dmitri was just a teenager when I hired her. I guess you could say I watched him grow up. Somewhere along the way, the lines blurred. He’s like a little brother to me now.”

“What about his dad?”

“He was never in the picture. She raised him on her own.” His expression darkens, and he shakes his head, disgust flickering across his features.

The elevator stops, and the doors slide open before I’ve settled on anything to say. Nik steps out, leading me toward a sleek black limousine waiting in the garage. Without a word, he opens the door, his movements precise and efficient. I slide onto the rich brown leather seats, the cool air-conditioned interior a welcome change from the stifling humidity outside. He follows, sitting across from me.

“You never told me where we’re going,” I say, adjusting my dress so the slit slides higher, exposing just enough leg to catch his eye.

If he notices, he doesn’t let on. “My accountant’s engagement party is tonight. I was going to skip it, but since you’re obviously feeling fine, I figured we might as well go.”

“Oh,” I say, blinking at him in surprise. “This is a date, then? I thought it was a work thing.”

The look he gives me could wither a lesser woman. "It is absolutely a work thing. For your information, McGuire and I share the same accountant. I’d bet good money he’ll show up tonight, which means you might as well get started.” He pauses, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulling out a small object. “Which reminds me—I want you to wear this.”

In his hand is a tiny recording device, barely bigger than a fingernail. I take it without protest, peeling off the adhesive backing.

Sticking it to the skin between my breasts, I lean forward slightly, batting my eyelashes to give him an unobstructed view of my cleavage. “Can you spot it?”

His jaw tightens as he shakes his head, looking anywhere but at me.

“Are you sure?” I ask, leaning just a touch closer. “Maybe you should check again—just to be safe.”

“Kat,” he mutters, his voice low and threaded with warning.

“What?” I reply, all feigned innocence as I sit back. “Just making sure I’m doing it right. Speaking of which, what’s the big plan for tonight?”

He exhales slowly, his expression unreadable. “Try not to freak out—if you can manage—but I need you to seduce McGuire. Or better yet, let him think he’s seducing you. From what I’ve seen, that shouldn’t be much of a challenge for you.”

My eyebrows shoot up as I blink at him. “Excuse me?”

With a sigh, he says, “The thing about McGuire is that he’s painfully predictable. The man’s a womanizer, and he’s hated me for years. You’ll be more temptation than he can handle. He’ll trip over himself trying to steal you from me. That's why I need you to charm him into admitting he ordered the hit on Maxim. Maybe drop a few hints about secretly despising me and only being in this for my worldly possessions—which I’m sure won’t be a stretch for you.” He shrugs, the nonchalance in his tone almost convincing. “Your job is simple: get me undeniable proof he’s behind Maxim’s death. With that, I can take him out without sparking a war.”

I watch him, letting his plan sink in. Cozying up to another mobster wasn’t on my bingo card for the night, but at this point, am I even surprised?

“Will you have my back if things go sideways?” I ask, remembering his earlier promises.

“Without question,” he replies, his tone so steady it leaves no room for doubt.

I nod, taking a deep breath to steel myself. “If I’m getting up close and personal with McGuire, I need the full story—what’s his history with you and Maxim?”

He exhales, he slightest hesitation flickering in his eyes before he speaks. “It’s a long story. A few years ago, Maxim worked as a bodyguard for McGuire’s daughter, Erin. One thing led to another, and they got romantically involved. The problem? Erin was engaged. Her fiancé—and her father—weren’t exactly thrilled about a bratva soldier claiming the Irish princess's virginity.”

A thousand questions race through my mind, but before I can ask a single one, he cuts me off with a short exhale.

“We’re here.”