55. Kat

Chapter 55

Kat

Dmitri’s clammy hand smothers my scream, trapping it in my throat. I shake my head frantically, trying to beg Nik with my eyes. Don’t do this. Please don’t do this .

Nik looks at me, his dark brown eyes glowing with warmth and affection. He studies me for one long, heart-wrenching moment before turning his focus back to Dmitri.

“Think about it, Dmitri—you don’t need Kat if you have me,” Nik says, his tone calm but commanding. “I’m worth more as a hostage. With me, you’ll have all the leverage you need. Let her go, and I’ll go with you willingly.”

Dmitri’s grip on me tightens slightly, but he doesn’t respond.

Nik presses on. “You can bring me to your father and make your demands. Tell him to summon the Seven Families to witness me surrendering the bratva to the Italians. In exchange, he lets Kat, her friend, and you go. And he frees your girl. That’s the deal. I’ll even give give him information he can use to fuck with McGuire. He won’t refuse.”

I thrash as hard as I can against Dmitri’s iron grip, trying to break free. But he doesn't even flinch. He’s too strong, restraining me with a casual lack of effort that feels almost insulting.

“He’ll kill you, Nik,” Dmitri says, his voice low, almost regretful. “The second you surrender, you’re dead.”

“I know,” Nik says simply.

“You’d have to lose your phone,” Dmitri adds with a sigh. “And disarm yourself.”

Nik pulls out his phone and gun without a second thought, sliding both across the floor toward Dmitri.

“Done,” he says, with an unsettling calmness, as if this is just another business deal.

The tears come fast and hot. I sob against Dmitri’s hand, the sound muffled but unstoppable. This can’t be real. This can’t be happening .

“I need to restrain you too, Nik,” Dmitri says firmly, his eyes fixed on Nik.

Nik nods. “Of course. Just let me say goodbye to Kat first.”

Dmitri hesitates, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. “I promise I won't try anything,” Nik assures him calmly. “As long as you let her go, you have my word I'll go with you without a fight.”

Surprisingly, that's all Dmitri needs. He releases me without a second thought, gently nudging me toward Nik. I rush into his arms, my whole body shaking.

Nik holds me tight against his chest, burying his face in my hair. The familiar scent of him—woodsy with a hint of spice—fills my senses. He's warmth, strength, home. For the first time since storming out of his office, the tension drains from my body, like it instinctively knows I'm safe now.

I sob incoherently into the fabric of his shirt. “Nik..." I just got him back. I can't lose him again.

He presses a soft kiss to my hair before gently tilting my face upward. His eyes meet mine, glittering with warmth and unmistakable affection. The dim light casts soft shadows across his features, highlighting the sincerity in his gaze.

“Kat,” he says softly, a small smile on his lips. With effortless ease, he snaps the plastic ties around my wrists. The sudden freedom stings a little, but I hardly notice.

“Everything's going to be just fine,” he assures me.

“Liar,” I manage between sobs. He chuckles softly.

He brushes a stray tear from my cheek before pressing a brief kiss against my forehead. “Here's what's going to happen,” he says gently. “I want you to go outside and find A.J. She's waiting for you—I somehow convinced her to stay in the car.”

I frown, gripping his shirt. “No way. I'm not leaving without you.”

“Oh yes, you are,” he replies firmly. “You'll meet up with your friend, then find Vladimir and let him protect you—at least until Dmitri settles things with his father and Salvatore deals with McGuire. After that, you'll be free from all this shit.”

“I don't want to be free from you,” I whisper, fresh tears spilling over.

Nik's smile turns bittersweet.

“Nik...” Dmitri calls out urgently from behind me.

Nik glances over my shoulder, giving Dmitri a quick nod before looking back at me.

“Now, listen to me, Kat,” Nik says, his tone low and firm, leaving no room for argument. “Whatever happens next, I need you to know how sorry I am for all the hurt I’ve caused you. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but if it means anything, I’d give up every cent I have and every breath I’ve got left for the chance to make it right.”

“Nik,” I cry, the words catching in my throat. “Stop. You can’t go with him?—”

He shakes his head, his eyes locked on mine, fierce and determined. “If I don’t see you again—if I never get another chance to earn your forgiveness or your love—I need you to know something." He takes a deep breath, like he’s pulling the words from somewhere deep inside him. "From the moment I met you, nothing in my life was the same. Meeting you was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If this is where it ends for me, don’t feel sorry for me. I got to be with you. That made my life worthwhile.”

Tears stream down my face, hot and unrelenting. “Don’t say that. There has to be another way?—”

His hands cup my face, thumb brushing a tear off my cheek. His touch is soft, but his voice isn’t. “This is the way,” he says firmly. “If my life is the price for yours, I’ll pay it. Every time. But you have to promise me something.” His gaze holds mine, steady and unyielding. "Promise me you’ll take care of yourself.”

“I can’t,” I whisper, shaking my head. “Nik, I can’t?—”

“Kat,” he says, gripping my shoulders just enough to make me listen. “Promise me.”

His dark brown eyes hold mine, filled with strength, certainty, and something I can't refuse—desperation. My heart shatters into pieces, but I nod, my voice shaking. “I promise.”

A small, sad smile tugs at his lips, and he leans down to kiss my forehead. His lips linger against my skin, warm and soft. “Good girl,” he murmurs, his voice like a final caress.

I clutch his shirt, my hands trembling hands. “Tell me this isn’t goodbye,” I whisper, barely able to get the words out. “Tell me I’ll see you again.”

Nik’s smile deepens as he studies my face, his eyes tracing every line like he’s trying to commit it to memory. His hand slides up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly across my skin. “Are you kidding me?” he scoffs, but there’s a crack in his voice, the smallest tremor that betrays him. “I told you, remember? Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”

The words hit me like a blow because I know—this time, he doesn’t mean them. He can’t. This is goodbye, and we both know it.

My face must give me away because he pulls me into his arms, holding me so tightly I almost can’t breathe. “Shh,” he whispers into my hair, his voice shaking now. “Don’t cry, kiska . I can’t stand it when you cry. You’ll break me.”

“And I can’t stand losing you,” I whisper, clutching him tighter.

“You’re not losing me,” he says, kissing my temple. “Not now. Not ever. I’m yours, Kat. Until the end of time.”

I sob against his chest, my tears soaking his shirt. “Nik?—”

“Time to go,” he says, cutting me off, his tone firm again. “A.J.’s waiting for you outside. Don’t look back, okay?” He pauses, his gaze softening before he leans in. “Now come here and give me a kiss.”

Tears streak down my face as I rise onto my toes, pressing my lips to his. My arms wrap tightly around his neck, holding him close, unwilling to let him go. I kiss him with everything inside me—the agony, the words I’ll never get to say, and every emotion he’s stirred in me since the moment we met.

As our lips meet with urgency, I breathe him in, branding this moment into my memory. The sound of his shaky gasp, the familiar, intoxicating scent of him, the warmth of his skin under my hands, the softness of his hair against my fingertips, or the roughness of his scruff against my skin.

It ends too soon.

Too soon, he pulls back, untangling our limbs with an unbearable gentleness and stepping away. The space between us feels unbearable, cold and empty.

His eyes lock on mine, steady but full of emotion. “It’s time, Kat. Go now.”

I shake my head, my hands twitching, desperate to reach for him again. But one last look, and he turns away from me to face Dmitri. My heart clenches painfully as Dmitri steps forward, his hands already moving to restrain Nik.

I can’t watch.

Spinning on my heel, I bolt from the warehouse, the cool night air hitting my face like a slap. The sharp contrast of the quiet, indifferent world outside feels unbearably cruel, a harsh reminder that the universe doesn’t care my life is falling apart.

Nik’s car comes into view, parked under a flickering streetlamp. A.J. is inside, her blonde head visible through the window. I don’t even remember how I get there, but suddenly I’m behind the wheel, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles ache.

“What the hell happened in there?” A.J. demands, turning to me with wide, worried eyes. “Where’s Nik? Are you okay?”

I swallow hard, trying to shove the lump in my throat back down, and somehow, I manage to get the words out, explaining everything—the deal Nik made, Dmitri taking him. My voice sounds flat, mechanical, like I’m talking about someone else’s life. Every word feels like it’s slicing into me, but I force them out.

A.J. listens, her lips pressed into a thin line. When I finish, she exhales sharply, leaning back against her seat. “Well,” she says after a long pause, her voice unusually subdued, “let’s call this Vladimir guy then. Do you have his number? No? That's okay. I’ll find it. Hand me my laptop—it’s in the bag in the backseat.”

Her calm practicality jars me. I turn to her, my decision already made. “No.”

She frowns. “No?”

“No,” I repeat, firmer this time, my hands trembling as I reach for the laptop. “We’re not calling Vladimir. Not yet. I need you to do something else first. Can you track Nik’s phone?”

Her jaw drops, and she stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Track his phone?”

“Yes,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, but the tremble gives me away.

She shakes her head, blinking hard. “Why would you want me to do that?" she asks, her voice rising. “You’re not actually thinking of going after him, are you?”

“A.J.—” I start, but she cuts me off, throwing her hands up.

“Because that would be suicide!” she snaps, crossing her arms. “And you’re too smart for that. Right? Please tell me you’re not about to throw your life away for some guy, no matter how hot or sweet or ‘devastatingly in love with you’ he is. You’re too smart to be this dumb.”

“I have to save him.”

Her mouth falls open in disbelief. “Let me get this straight. We just got everything we’ve been working toward for the last year. We’re finally free of the stronzo and all the other mob bullshit we’ve been dragged into, and now you want to throw it all away? For a man?” Her voice pitches higher. “Am I missing something here?”

I shrug. “Nope. I'd say that pretty much sums it up.”

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” she yells, her voice echoing harshly in the enclosed car. I wince, my grip on the steering wheel tightening.

I sigh. “I might be. But it doesn’t matter. I have to try, A.J. If I don’t, Nik dies. And if he dies…” My voice cracks. “I’ll never be happy again.”

She stares at me, wide-eyed. “Who even are you right now? You’re really going to storm into a fucking mob summit with no plan, no backup, no nothing? Just—what? Wing it?”

“Yes,” I say simply. “Now, can you please track his phone?”

She groans, pressing her hands to her temples. “You’ve completely lost it,” she mutters. “Stealing the Flame of Mir was child’s play compared to this.”

“I know,” I admit softly. “But I don’t have a choice.”

She exhales sharply, her eyes narrowing. “You realize that even if you succeed, you’ll lose everything we’ve fought for, right? As a mob wife or whatever, you’ll never be safe again. And I’ve met him, Kat—I know how he is. If he gets his hands on you again, he’s never letting you go. Ever.”

I nod, a small, sad sigh escaping my lips. “God, I hope so. I’m counting on it.”

A.J. groans louder, her frustration palpable. “I don't even know who you are right now.” She snatches the laptop from my hands, muttering curses as she powers it on. After a minute of furious typing, she spins the screen toward me.

“There,” she says with a resigned sigh. “That’s where his phone is.”

I study the blinking green dot. It’s moving away from the city, heading toward the old financial district. My stomach churns. Of course. That’s where the stronzo's safe house was.

I grip the steering wheel, my heart pounding as I start the car. “Thanks, A.J. I've got it from here. If you don’t want to come, I’ll understand. No hard feelings.”

She scoffs. “Please. Like I’d let you do this alone. Now, tell me you have a plan.”

I glance at her, guilt and gratitude swirling in my chest. “You’re not going to like it.”

“Figures,” she mutters, leaning her head back against the seat. After a beat, she squares her shoulders, sighing and giving me a resigned look. “Just fucking drive.”