58. Kat

Chapter 58

Kat

He’s come for me at last.

Even through the thick bedroom door, I hear Nik’s voice—low, steady, commanding—and the muffled echo of his footsteps on the marble floors. I freeze, holding my breath as anticipation coils tight in my chest.

It’s been hours since Nik ended the stronzo’s miserable life. Vladmir showed up not long after with a small army of bratva soldiers. By then, most of the members of the Seven Families had scattered, slinking back into whatever hole they crawled out of, while the chaos A.J. and I unleashed continued to rage on.

Alarms blared, sirens wailed, and the scene was pure mayhem. Eventually, the bratva managed to shut it all down before it attracted the cops—or so I’ve been told. As soon as the stronzo's body hit the floor, Nik had me taken from the scene.

Vladmir had strict orders to get A.J. and me straight to the penthouse. Even before dealing with Dmitri, Nik made sure I was out of there.

I didn’t go without a fight. The thought of leaving him behind felt unbearable, like my chest was caving in on itself. I begged, argued, even tried to dig my heels in, but he wouldn’t hear it. He promised—at least a dozen times—that he wasn’t in danger, that everything was under control. He said he wouldn’t be able to think straight until he knew I was safe, and he swore the sooner I listened, the sooner he’d come back to me.

In the end, I gave in—I had no choice.

When we got to the penthouse, A.J. insisted on a tour. I wasn’t in the mood, but I went along, grateful for the distraction. She oohed and aahed at everything—the sleek furniture, the breathtaking view, the sheer ridiculous luxury of it all.

When we reached the guest suite, she declared she needed a soak in the jacuzzi and shooed me away with strict instructions not to bother her for at least twelve hours.

I wasn’t far behind her. After everything—being kidnapped (again), scrambling to rescue Nik, witnessing a very bloody murder—I felt grimy down to my soul. A long, hot shower was exactly what I needed.

Now, freshly showered and wrapped in Nik’s oversized bathrobe, I sit on the edge of his bed. Restless. Waiting. Worry gnaws at me, my thoughts racing with every terrible possibility. As the hours drag on, my mind refuses to quiet, conjuring every worst-case scenario as I anxiously wait for the sound of his return.

And then, finally, I hear him.

His voice carries through the door, low and unmistakably his. The tension in my chest snaps like a rubber band, relief crashing over me like a wave—so hard and fast I feel light-headed. I grip the edge of the bed to steady myself.

He’s alive. He’s safe. He’s here .

His footsteps stop just outside the door. My breath catches, and a nervous laugh bubbles in my chest. Butterflies swarm in my stomach. Even after everything we’ve been through, he still does this to me.

The door creaks open, and he steps inside without a word.

One look at him, and my mind goes blank—nothing but pure static. My earlier worries and nerves evaporate, replaced by yearning, then giddiness, and finally an undeniable need to be in his arms.

I drink him in—so tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome. My heart races, thundering against my ribs. When his eyes meet mine, I know it: If I don’t touch him in the next heartbeat, I might actually lose my mind.

Then he sighs audibly, his broad shoulders visibly softening, tension draining from his frame. His gaze rakes over me, taking me in from head to toe with a raw intensity that makes my knees weak. Every emotion is written plainly on his face, but he doesn’t seem to care.

A bit clumsily—and completely desperately—I run to him. Without hesitation, he opens his arms, and I leap into them, wrapping myself around him like he might disappear if I don’t hold on tight. He staggers back a step, his arms locking around me so tightly I can hardly breathe

“I missed you,” I whisper, my lips brushing his ear.

At first, I think he’ll tease me about how it’s only been a couple of hours. Instead, his voice is thick with emotion as he says, “I missed you more.”

The sincerity in his words makes my breath hitch. Everything I’ve been holding back, everything I thought I’d never have the chance to tell him, rushes to the surface and I can't wait any longer. I gasp, pushing against his chest, and though he’s clearly reluctant, he sets me down. His hands linger at my waist, his grip firm, like he’s not quite ready to let me go.

“I need to tell you something,” I say, my voice trembling.

His shoulders stiffen, and a shadow crosses his face. “All right,” he says cautiously. “Lay it on me. What is it?”

The words spill out in a rush. “We’ve wasted so much time letting stupid fears and meaningless worries keep us apart. It’s ridiculous. After everything we’ve been through, we deserve to be happy—madly, embarrassingly, ridiculously happy. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m all in if you are.”

“Hang on.” His voice is unsteady, his brows furrowing. “Are you saying?—”

I cut him off with a small smile. “Listen... I hate feeling powerless, Nik. You know that. And, yeah, my past with blood and violence and all this mob stuff makes things complicated. If I never see another mobster again, it’ll be too soon. But you… you’re the exception. My exception. I don’t want to hold on to fear anymore. I want to hold on to you. Forever.” I pause, searching his face. “If you feel the same?—”

“I do,” he says, quick and certain, cutting me off this time.

Relief floods me, and I grin, squeezing his arms. “Great! Then let’s stop wasting time and just… be happy. Leave all this useless emotional baggage behind us.”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe I’m saying this—shooting myself in the foot like this—but, Kat, do you really mean that? Because, fuck, don’t get me wrong—I really hope you do, but… how? I fucked up. Big time. And then you almost died—because of me.”

I loop my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. “Nik, I need you. Even if today hadn’t happened and I hadn’t been forced to confront my mortality and yours, I would’ve come back to you.” I smile at him. “Eventually.”

His eyes widen. “You would’ve come back?” he asks slowly, incredulously.

“Of course. I was barely holding it together before Dmitri showed up at my doorstep to talk me into giving you a chance.” I shrug. “But let’s get one thing straight—that doesn’t mean you get to lock me in a tower or browbeat me into giving in to your every whim and dictate. You’re going to have to dial back the bossy control freak thing. In return, I’ll share all my secrets with you. All of them. I’ll be an open book. Get ready, Nik, because I’m about to give oversharing a whole new meaning.”

He scoffs, shaking his head, a smirk curling his lips. “Baby, please. Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

“Oh, I’m serious,” I tease, narrowing my eyes. “You’ll be begging me to shut up before long.”

“Doubt it,” he says with a wicked grin. “But if that day ever comes, I know exactly what you can do with your lips instead.”

I hook a finger into his collar and tug him closer, our noses nearly brushing. “Speaking of which,” I murmur, my gaze dropping to his mouth, “shut up and kiss me.”

“ Fuck me ,” he groans, squeezing his eyes shut. "I can't believe I'm saying this too, but…wait. There’s something I need to tell you first.”

“What is it?” I ask, trying—and failing—to keep the impatience out of my voice.

His hand trembles slightly as he cups my face, his thumb brushing over my cheek. Leaning closer, his lips graze my ear, his voice low and raw. “Kat, I love you. With all my heart.”

My heart skips a beat, but I shrug, flashing him a playful wink. “I know.”

He exhales, the sound shaky and uneven, as if he’s been holding it in. “Do you think… Could you ever feel the same?” His voice wavers, but he pushes on. “Before you answer, let me say this—I’m so sorry. I swear. For all of it. Every single thing. The shit I’ve done to you, the way I hurt you. For locking you in here, forcing you to stay. For dragging you into my fucking mess of a life.”

“Nik,” I say, exasperated but smiling. “You’re not listening. I wanted to come back to you after less than a day apart. Yes, locking me away was awful—and the other stuff didn’t exactly make you look great either. But I still fell in love with you.”

“You did?” he asks, his voice cracking with disbelief.

I laugh softly, shaking my head. “Of course I did. Oh, come on, Nik. You know I’ve been crazy about you from the start. Even when you were an insufferable dick and I told myself I hated you, I couldn’t stop craving you. Every word we exchanged, every moment we shared… it got harder and harder to remember why I wasn’t supposed to want more of you. And when you kissed me or touched me?” I shudder theatrically, fanning myself with a grin. “Let me put it this way: you don’t play fair. I never stood a chance.”

He shakes his head slowly, a flattered, awestruck expression softening his face. “I can’t believe this is my life.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, teasing.

“You know exactly what I mean.” His voice dips, low and intense, dropping into something almost reverent. “You’re the most excruciatingly beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. The moment I laid eyes on you, it was over—I was lost. Forever. Everything about you—the way your mind works, the way you smile, the way you look at me—feels like it was designed to drive me insane. And you have. Again. And again. And again. I tried to fight it, Kat. God, I tried so damn hard to resist you. But it was useless. Every second I’m with you, I fall deeper under your spell. I love you. I’m madly, helplessly, hopelessly in love with you.”

A smile bursts onto my lips, his words piercing straight through my heart, filling me with a warmth so overwhelming it steals my breath away.

“Well, good. Add that to the list of all the million reasons why we should be together. I guess that means you’re stuck with me now.” I narrow my eyes, my tone turning serious but teasing. “But let me make one thing clear—if you ever even think about trying to trade your life for mine again, I’ll kill you myself.”

“There was no other choice. I’d do it again, no hesitation.”

I narrow my eyes at him, ready to argue, but before I can get a word out, he pulls me into his arms. His warmth, his scent—everything about him turns my brain to mush, and I melt into him completely.

He nuzzles into my hair, his breath warm against my ear. “I still can’t believe you love me. After everything?”

“Oh, Nik,” I sigh, my voice soft but certain as I tighten my hold on him. “Yes. A thousand times yes. You have no idea how much. I’m hook, line, and sinker in love with you. Forever and ever, no matter what.”

He pulls back slightly, his lips twitching. “You sure about that? Don’t want to think about it? Sleep on it?” His voice softens with a teasing lilt. “Don’t want to put me through the wringer? Make me grovel? Crawl to you? Maybe get on my knees and beg?”

“Well...” I drawl, feigning deep thought. “Now that you mention it, I do have something in mind.”

He groans playfully, shaking his head. “I brought this on myself, didn’t I?”

“Yep, kotyonok . Rookie mistake,” I tease with a mock tsk. “Here’s the deal. I’ll love you always and forever, with all of my heart. But—there’s one condition.”

He raises an eyebrow, his lips curving into an amused smirk. “Go on. Name your price.”

“You’ll have to spend the rest of your life loving me back.”

He exhales softly, the humor fading from his expression as his dark eyes hold mine. “ Kiska ,” he murmurs, his voice thick with promise. “Your wish is my command.”

Still smiling, he hooks a finger under my chin, gently tilting my face toward his. My breath catches as his lips brush against mine—soft and teasing at first, sending a shiver down my spine. Then his kiss deepens, growing more insistent, his mouth slanting firmly over mine. His tongue grazes my lips, coaxing them apart, and I sigh into him, drinking him in, lost in the way he feels.

His hands trail downward, gliding over the thick fabric of the robe until they cup my breasts. My nipples harden under his touch, and a low, hoarse groan rumbles in his throat, vibrating against my lips. My body responds instinctively, arching into him, my hips pressing against the hard length of him as my pulse quickens.

“Spread your legs for me,” he whispers against my cheek, his lips brushing the corner of my mouth.

Eagerly, I obey, my heart pounding. His hand slips under the robe, dragging over my stomach with maddening slowness until he cups me between my thighs. A sharp gasp escapes me as his fingers begin to stroke me, light and teasing at first, each touch both infuriating and electric.

“You’re so wet for me,” he growls, his voice thick with need.

I nod, trembling, my breath hitching as his fingers linger. My eyes slide shut, and a shiver runs through me when he lazily parts me, his touch slow and deliberate, teasing me until I ache.

At last, Nik strokes my clit, his heavy-lidded gaze locking on mine as he languidly pleasures me. A soft moan slips from my lips, and the pure, raw satisfaction that washes over his face sends a rush of heat through me. His expression is unguarded, utterly masculine, and devastatingly beautiful.

I sigh, barely able to find my voice. “Oh, Nik… I want you. I need you—all of you. Right now.”

“Not yet,” he murmurs against my lips, kissing me deeply. His finger slides deeper, sinking all the way inside me as his thumb moves in slow, torturous circles over my clit.

My legs tremble, growing weak beneath me, and I cling to his broad shoulders, leaning into him for support. His strength grounds me even as my body feels like it’s floating, teetering on the edge of losing control.

I throw my head back, moaning softly as he continues his slow, deliberate thrusts, his movements unhurried and maddeningly precise. His lips find my neck, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses that send jolts of pleasure straight to my core.

“I'm close,” I gasp, my voice breaking.

But just as I’m about to fall apart, he stops. His touch vanishes, his lips leaving my skin, and a desperate cry escapes me as my body clenches with frustration.

Gripping my hand firmly, he leads me to the edge of the bed. The heat in his eyes hasn’t dimmed—it’s only intensified, smoldering like an inferno. He sits, his powerful thighs spreading slightly as he looks up at me.

With a commanding tap to his upper thigh, he says in a voice thick with need, “Come here. Straddle me.”

I glance at him, my breath hitching, before letting the robe slide off my shoulders. The fabric pools at my feet, leaving me completely naked before him. His sharp inhale is audible, his chest rising as his eyes roam over me with unrestrained hunger. He shudders, his voice rough and reverent.

“ Kiska … my woman is a work of art. A vision. A gift from the gods.”

A slow smile spreads across my lips as I approach him, step by step, letting him feel the full weight of my gaze. “Sweet-talker,” I murmur, my tone teasing, though heat blooms in my chest at his words.

Before I can settle into his lap, he moves with startling speed, making quick work of his clothes. Each piece falls to the floor until his body is bared to me. His muscles ripple under his skin as he sits back, gripping his cock at its base, the veins in his forearm taut with restraint. His voice is a low growl, thick with need.

“Come here,” he commands. “Take me inside you.”

I lower myself slowly, trembling as I hover above him. The moment his crown breaches me, his head falls back, a guttural groan tearing from his throat. His hands find my breasts, rough and possessive, his thumbs brushing over my hardened nipples before pinching them firmly.

The sensation sends a jolt of pleasure through me, and I can’t hold back any longer

“Oh, Nik!” I cry out, my voice breaking.

Even with only the tip of him inside me, the tension snaps. My body clenches and ripples, the force of my climax overtaking me. Slick heat coats him as the orgasm searing me, and I slide down his length, unable to stop the way my body demands more.

My nails dig into his shoulders, leaving crescent-shaped marks in his skin as I throw my head back, my cries filling the room. But his hand slides from my breast to the back of my neck, gripping me firmly and pulling me forward.

“Look at me,” he growls, his dark eyes locking on mine.

I gasp, my gaze captured by his as he pushes deeper and deeper inside me, filling me completely. My body pulses around him, squeezing him tighter with each wave of pleasure.

He’s so thick, so impossibly hard, his heat radiating through me.

The intensity in his gaze burns through every layer of me, leaving no room to hide. In this moment, as I stare into his eyes, I feel bared to him in every way—not just physically, but entirely.

His hands roam my body like he knows every inch, like he’s memorized me and craves to know me even more. As I come around him, a tremor races through me, and I can’t shake the overwhelming sense that he sees everything—all of me.

No part of me is hidden from him.

And in his eyes, there’s no judgment. No doubts. Only a fierce, unconditional love that tells me he takes me exactly as I am—and always will.

By the time the waves of my spasming orgasm subside, he’s fully buried inside me, his cock throbbing with restrained need. His hands grip my ass firmly as he raises his hips, pulling me down harder onto his lap, guiding us into a steady, unhurried rhythm.

The fire between us grows hotter and hotter with every deliberate thrust, and soon I feel myself climbing toward another climax, my body tightening around him.

He tangles his hand in my hair, wrapping the strands around his wrist with practiced ease, holding me steady as his intense gaze pierces mine. “I’m not done with you yet,” he growls, his voice rough and electric.

This time, as his maddening rhythm pushes me closer and closer to the brink, he doesn’t stop me. When I’m seconds away from losing control, he lets me throw my head back and move against him freely, my hips grinding into him, chasing my release with reckless abandon.

The tips of my hair brush against his legs as a raw, uninhibited cry escapes my lips. He leans forward, his mouth claiming my breasts, his hot tongue teasing my sensitive skin as I sigh his name over and over, my voice breathless and filled with ecstasy.

When I manage to open my eyes again, still gasping for air, I find him staring at me, his gaze mesmerized and wild. His face is tense, his lips slightly parted, and his eyes move over me like he’s desperate to memorize every inch of my body. He looks completely captivated, like my pleasure is the only thing in the world that matters.

Reaching for his hand, I pull it to my mouth, wrapping my lips around his index finger. I suck it slowly, teasing him with my tongue. His breathing falters, his chest heaving as I drag his hand down the curve of my neck, over the valley between my breasts, and past the plane of my stomach until it rests against my clitoris. My voice is a breathy whisper. “Touch me.”

We both watch as his fingers slide over me, my hips grinding down against his hand, moving in slow, deliberate circles. He groans deeply, his eyes riveted to where we’re joined.

“I want all of you,” I murmur, cupping my breasts, thumbing my nipples as his gaze tracks every movement, growing darker and darker. “Every inch of you. I need it just as much as you need to give it to me. I need you , Nik. Need you to ruin me.”

He groans again, the sound broken and rough, before his composure finally breaks. With a trembling hands, he suddenly grips my waist and lifts me, laying me brusquely on the bed. He doesn’t withdraw, staying buried deep inside me, his weight pressing me into the mattress, as he raises himself on his arms to hover over me. His dark, penetrating gaze locks onto my face as he begins to roll his hips, slow but forceful.

“You’re more than I could’ve ever dreamed of, kiska ,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion.

“Fuck me,” I whisper, wrapping my legs around his hips, pulling him deeper. “Take me as hard as you want. Own me. I’m yours, Nik—all yours.”

His expression hardens with unspoken determination. With a sigh that sounds more like a growl, he wraps his hand around my throat, firm but careful, pressing my head to the side to bare the column of my neck. His face dips to the sensitive skin, his breath hot as he inhales deeply, his groan reverberating against my skin.

He nibbles at the tender spot where my neck and shoulder meet, teasing with his teeth before sucking hard, leaving me writhing beneath him.

“Nik!” I gasp, my voice shaking as he pounds into me, each thrust deeper and more relentless than the last. “Oh, God… right there, baby…”

My cries fill the air as he grabs the back of my knees, pulling me closer, angling me just right, his cock hitting places that make me see stars. His hips slam against mine in an unrelenting rhythm, each thrust sending a shockwave of pleasure through my body, down to my very bones. His pace doesn’t let up, the sound of our bodies meeting echoing in the room, raw and obscene.

Then he lifts my legs, resting my ankles on his shoulders, and shifts the angle, his thrusts somehow deeper, more precise. Before he quickens his pace, his head dips, and he presses a soft, reverent kiss arch of my foot—a tender contrast to the punishing way his body takes mine.

When I begin to come around him again, my body clenching uncontrollably, his entire body tenses. He lets out a raw, broken sound, his head snapping back, veins straining in his neck. His grip on my thighs turns almost bruising, forcing them completely open, as he leans forward to press his forehead against mine. His hips rock into me, hard and relentless, his breath hot against my lips as his dark, burning gaze locks with mine.

“I’m so fucking close,” he rasps, his voice rough and uneven. He’s so deep inside me, I feel the vibration of his words as much as I hear them.

I pant, struggling to catch my breath, my body trembling beneath him. My fingers curl against his shoulders, and I arch into him, desperate to pull him even closer. “Come inside me,” I whisper, my voice desperate and raw. “I need it—I need you. Please, Nik.

That’s all it takes.

His restraint snaps.

“Damn it, Kat.” With a sharp, pained groan, he drives into me harder, deeper, his hips pounding against mine with an intensity that makes the bed jolt beneath us. “Can’t stop,” he grinds out between clenched teeth, each syllable punctuated by another punishing thrust. “I can’t— fuck —fight it anymore.”

His strokes become erratic, harder and deeper, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through me. The bed creaks under his force, the air thick with our ragged breaths and moans. My body surges up to meet him, desperate for the overwhelming fullness of him. “Nik!” I cry, my voice breaking on his name, and he answers me with another deep thrust, his fingers digging into my skin as if anchoring himself.

“Kat!” he roars, my name tearing from his lips as his body tenses above me. “ Fuck —take it, all of it.” His hips slam against me one last time and he buries himself as deep as he can go, shaking with the force of his climax. His hands clutch me like I’m the only thing connecting him to reality as he spills into me, his hips jerking with every wave of release. I feel the heat of his release flood me. His muscles tremble as he rides out the aftershocks, grinding into me with deliberate, almost punishing slowness, making sure I feel every last pulse of him.

Warmth radiates through me, consuming every nerve as I moan, my body shaking uncontrollably. “I can feel it inside me,” I whisper, breathless and raw. “So deep... so hot…” My knees give out, dropping to the bed, my body slackening completely as I come for him again, leaving me pulsing and quivering around him.

He groans low and rough, the sound vibrating through his chest as he feels me clench around him. He grinds into me again, his thrusts slow and languid, emptying the last of his come deep inside me. His jaw tightens, his face contorted with the pleasure of his release, and I feel him throb, sending goosebumps along my skin.

For a while, the only sound in the room is our ragged breathing. Neither of us moves—we simply lie there, chests heaving, tangled together in a haze of pleasure. My body feels heavy and spent, every inch of me alive but utterly useless after the storm of sensations he’s unleashed. My mind is a blank slate, wiped clean by the overwhelming intensity of him.

“Kat,” he murmurs at last, his voice hoarse and dazed, like he’s barely managed to find it.

I sigh contentedly, running my fingers over his damp skin. “I had no idea pleasure like this was possible,” I whisper, the words spilling out without thought.

For the first time in what feels like forever, I am utterly, completely satisfied. Finally I feel complete—whole. All the years I spent yearning, craving, and dreaming have led to this man. I could never have imagined anything so perfect.

He lifts his head from my chest, his dark, intense eyes finding mine. He studies my face like it's a puzzle he needs to solve, the weight of his emotions written in every line of his expression.

As I gaze at his dear face, all these now-familiar emotions spread to every inch of my body. Before, I’d told myself it was just attraction—an infatuation that would pass. I’d thought I could keep my feelings under control. But looking at him now, I finally understand everything .

His lips curve into the faintest smile as he leans in, brushing his nose against mine. “I love you,” he whispers, his voice deep and unsteady. “Completely, hopelessly in love with you.” He presses a soft, lingering kiss to my lips, so tender it makes my chest ache.

Tears prick my eyes, and my chest feels heavy as I whisper back, “I love you, too. With every part of me.”

His lips leave a trail of featherlight kisses across my cheeks, my forehead, my eyelids, each touch full of reverence and devotion. “I’ll love you every single day of my life,” he murmurs against my skin, his voice thick with emotion. “And if there’s an afterlife, I’ll love you there, too.”

I lose myself in his gaze, in the unmistakable truth I see reflected there. Every ounce of love he feels is laid bare, offered to me without reservation—all mine for the taking.

Once upon a time, I’d despaired at what I thought was my cursed lot in life, certain I was doomed to long for things I could never have.

Now, as my heart swells with more love than I ever thought it could hold, the truth finally sinks in.

I have everything I’ve ever dreamed of.

It’s all mine.