47. Kat

Chapter 47

Kat

My phone buzzes on the coffee table, the sound cutting through the tedious silence of the room. A.J.’s name flashes on the screen. My chest tightens with hope. Thank God . Maybe she’s calling to tell me she’s found the Flame of Mir.

I snatch the phone and press it to my ear, keeping my voice low as I rise from the couch and head toward the far side of the room. “Tell me you’ve got something,” I whisper, my gaze flicking toward Nik’s office to make sure he doesn’t overhear. “Anything on the Flame of Mir, and I’ll owe you—forever and ever, until the end of time.”

Her voice is frantic, a raw edge of fear slicing through the line. “Kat… Oh God, Kat, he knows. The stronzo knows.”

I stop mid-step, my heart dropping. The floor feels like it tilts under me. “What are you talking about? Knows what?”

“About our plan. About the Russians. About everything. He left Camille here, Kat," she chokes out, her voice cracking on Camille’s name. “He… he killed her.”

“What?” My stomach plummets. “What do you mean he left her? Where are you?”

“At home,” she sobs. “He killed her. Oh my God, he killed her. She’s… she’s on my bed, Kat. Blood everywhere. And… and he left something else. Camille was... holding it."

I stumble to sit on the armrest of the couch, my legs suddenly too weak to hold me. "What did he leave, A.J.?”

Her answer comes in a whisper, trembling and broken. “A picture.”

“A picture?” My throat tightens.

“A picture of you and the Russian. You're standing outside an airplane, kissing him,” she says, barely audible. “He knows, Kat. He knows you’re close to Nik.”

The room tilted, my grip on the phone tightening until my knuckles turn white. “He’s sending us a message.”

“Yeah,” A.J. says, her voice trembling. “He knows what we’re trying to do. Which means we’re out of time. He’s coming for me. For you. Fuck ! What are we going to do now?”

A cold sweat breaks over me. My pulse thunders in my ears. “A.J., listen to me. You need to get somewhere safe. Somewhere he doesn't know about. I'm going to come and get you and bring you back here?—”

“No!” she cuts me off, her voice rising in panic. “Don’t come here! He could be watching. I don't want him to hurt you, too. I have a place I can go, but you stay put. You have to promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I’m always careful,” I lie, my mind spinning. “Everything's going to be fine. I want you to come here to Nik's home. I'll make up a story for why you're staying with us. You'll be safe here."

"I can't," she says. "I... There's something I have to do. I have a place to go, don't worry."

“A.J—”

"I don't have time to argue with you about this. I'll be fine, I promise. You have to trust me, as I have always trusted you."

"Fine. Just… tell me what you’ve got on Camille's lead, then. Do you know where the documents she mentioned are? If we're going to make our move, it's now or never—we need that leverage right now."

"Yes,” she says, sniffling. “Funny you should ask, actually. I was snooping around his business, trying to find the Flame of Mir for you, when I hit the jackpot. The stuff Camille mentioned—it’s all in this massive safe he keeps. It's stashed in a safe house at one of those abandoned banks in the old financial district. I had no idea it existed until now. And, Kat—there’s more.”

Her pause sends a shiver down my spine.

“The Flame of Mir is there too,” she says, the words hanging heavy. “But…” She draws a shaky breath. “It’s a fortress. Guards everywhere. Cameras, motion sensors—you name it. Getting in would be next to impossible.”

My heart pounds as I push off the couch and start pacing. The Flame of Mir. The proof. Everything I need to make this right.

I close my eyes and exhale slowly. “Good. That’s good, A.J. This is how we end him. You get the hell out of there, and I’ll figure out the rest.”

“You can’t do this,” she says, her voice trembling again. “It's too dangerous. You need to tell the Russian. Ask him for help.”

The mention of Nik freezes me in place. I picture his face, the fury that would darken his features if I told him any of this. He wouldn’t hesitate. “No.”

“Don't be ridiculous?—”

“I can’t tell him,” I say, forcing my voice to steady. “If he finds out, he’ll go after the stronzo . He’ll be fighting the Irish and the Italians at the same time. He’ll get himself killed.”

“And what about you?” A.J. snaps. “You think you won't get himself killed if you go after the fucking don of the Salvatore family by yourself?”

“I don't have a choice,” I promise, ignoring the guilt twisting in my gut. “I’ll scout the location first, figure out a plan. I won’t do anything reckless.”

“Kat—”

“I’ll call you soon,” I say, cutting her off. “Send me the blueprints and everything you’ve got. And A.J.—get somewhere safe. Promise me.”

“I promise,” she says, her voice shaking. “Just… don’t do anything stupid, Kat.”

“I won’t,” I lie, my heart pounding. “I’ll call you as soon as I know more.”

I end the call and set my phone down, my hand lingering on it as guilt twists in my gut.

I glance toward the hallway, my heart racing as I scan for movement, ears straining for any sound. Nik’s office door is closed, but that doesn’t mean he won’t step out at any second.

My breath comes in short, shaky bursts as I pull on my jacket, the weight of what I’m about to do settling heavy on my chest.

I linger by the foyer, my eyes drifting to his office door. Nik is in there, likely buried in work. I could tell him. I should tell him.

But the image of his reaction flashes in my mind—the fury darkening his face, the chaos that would follow. The bloodshed. The loss. The unbearable pain. The guilt coils tighter around my throat, squeezing until it’s hard to breathe.

This isn't something he can know. Not yet.

“I’ll tell you everything,” I murmur to the closed door. “When it’s safe. When this is over. With any luck, you won’t even notice I’m gone.”

I grab my keys and step out, letting the door click softly shut behind me. As I descend into the night, I whisper a silent prayer, the weight of my choice pressing down on me.