16. Kat

16

My eyes snap open and I jolt awake, gasping for air.

As my heart races madly, I sit in bed, sheets falling to my waist. I take a second to realize I am not actually running for my life down a darkened street.

It was just a dream, but I'm safe now—or at least safe enough for the time being.

Unlike the faceless man chasing me in my nightmare, Nikolai has already caught me. For what it's worth, he seems uninterested in killing or torturing me at the moment. Maybe it's because he thinks he can use me to catch his own boogeyman. But something tells me it might be for another reason entirely.

My phone vibrates as I try to catch my breath, watching the sunrise through the windows in my new room. I check it right away and see it's a text from A.J.

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

A sigh escapes me. After Nikolai left me in his kitchen last night, I came back to the bedroom to call A.J. Her reaction to my news was explosive, to say the least.

At first, she was furious with Nik, worried out of her mind about my abduction and the identity of my kidnapper. Once I shared all the details of my predicament, her anger shifted to me. My best friend was livid that I had never told her about meeting Nik at the gala. It didn't matter to her that I didn't know then who he was or that the diamond belonged to him. A.J. was disappointed with me on behalf of our friendship but also of our plan to destroy the stronzo. We can't afford to keep secrets from each other when we're so close to defeating him.

I apologized because I knew she had a point. Still angry, A.J. told me all about her meeting with Camilla, the stronzo's former secretary. The woman delivered more than we expected. She told my best friend that there is hard evidence of the man's secret. A.J. is working hard to track it down using the information Camilla shared.

After keeping Nik a secret from her, my friend's apology text is more than what I deserve. I hurry to type my response.

Sorry again about keeping secrets. And I'm sorry I can't track Camilla's lead with you.

Her reply comes fast.

Don't worry about it, boo. You have enough on your plate right now. And you've helped me too much already. It's my mess to clean up. You just worry about keeping your Russian happy. But not too happy.

Rolling my eyes, I start typing my reply, ready to defend my honor. But she has a point.

Easier said than done, trust me.

After a second, I send her another quick text.

Be careful, A.J. Please.

Her response is immediate.

I will. And right back at you, Kitty Kat.

After promising to stay in touch and extracting the same promise from her, I set my phone down and prepare to face the day. I have no doubts it will be a tough one. Priority number one is to figure out how to get the upper hand with Nik—once and for all.

The alternative is unthinkable. To be helpless at the Russian's mercy? Subject to his every whim? That won't work for me.

Somehow, I must even the scales between us—sooner rather than later. The man has shown how mercurial he can be. I wouldn't be surprised to learn he is a Gemini. There is no time to waste. I must get him under control, even if it means seducing him.

So, I make quick work of getting ready since I don't have much at my disposal to do so. Although I showered last night, I didn't have any fresh clothes to wear. The closet I spotted yesterday is empty. All I could scavenge was basic toiletries—toothpaste, a fresh toothbrush, soap, shampoo and conditioner.

Less than fifteen minutes after waking up, I exit the room. It's early enough that I doubt I'll run into Nik. In my experience, handsome billionaires rarely wake up at the crack of dawn. I can't say I blame them.

I'm sure he will track me down eventually, but hopefully not before I can eat breakfast and inhale an ungodly amount of coffee. After last night, I won't be ready to face him until I get some food and caffeine.

I retrace my steps from the previous evening through the massive penthouse, and I find the kitchen. To my surprise, a tall stranger stands by the kitchen island, coffee mug in hand.

"Morning," the man says over his mug's rim before gulping some deliciously smelling coffee. "You must be Katherine Devereaux."

"I must be. And you are?"

"I'm Dmitri. I'm Nik's friend."

He smiles, all dimples, offering me his hand. Dumbfounded, I stare at it for a second before shaking it. His hand is big and warm, and the skin feels a little rough.

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

Dmitri laughs—a genuine, heartfelt laugh. His smile reaches his pale blue eyes, and dimples pop up on his cheek again. His dark blond hair bounces as he shakes his head. He's young, likely in his mid-twenties. He's also very tall, towering above me by more than a foot.

"You're funny," he says. "I can see why Nik likes you."

"He does? That's news to me."

He grins. 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 is all man. True, he doesn't make me all weak in the knees like Nik, but I still appreciate that he is a fine-looking man.

"Well, let me put it like this," Dmitri says. "Most people caught stealing from Nik aren't invited to hang out at his penthouse. I can tell you that much."

"You and I have a very different definition of the word ‘invited', Dmitri."

"Fair enough." He shrugs. "But my point stands. You're getting off easy."

"Once again, our definitions of the word don't match."

"I guess we'll have to agree to disagree," he says. "Coffee?"

Sighing, I sit on one of the stools by the kitchen island. "I thought you'd never ask."

Dmitri fills a mug with coffee before handing it to me. I spot a pastry box on the kitchen counter, right next to where Nik set me down last night before shoving himself between my legs.

Before I even get a chance to ask, Dmitri picks up the box and places it 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."

Dmitri chuckles. "I've known Nik almost my entire life."

"What's that? Sixteen years?"

He smirks at me, sitting on one of the stools across from me—right where Nik sat down last night before I started playing footsie with him.

"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 winks at me.

I can't help but laugh in response. He is delightful, especially for a made man. I lean forward over the kitchen island, ready to reply with an equally flirty comeback, when Dmitri glances over my shoulder. Wordlessly, he stands up.

"Thank you for letting us know, Dmitri," Nik says with sarcasm.

Dmitri smiles, not even the slightest bit remorseful. "Morning, Nik."

"I see you two have met," Nik says, sitting beside me. I try to scoot away, but he grabs my seat and pulls it back, keeping me at his side. He is so close I can smell his shampoo and feel the heat from his skin. I even detect the up and down of his chest as he breathes in and out.

"I've been keeping her busy for you," Dmitri says, winking at me again. I roll my eyes.

"Is that right?" Nik asks, his voice as dry as sandpaper.

"Yep. She's been bombarding me with all these questions about you."

"I have not," I protest with a scoff. Maybe a little too emphatically.

Nik glances at me, an eyebrow raised.

"Of course, we were also getting to know each other better. I figured that was a good idea since we'll be seeing so much of each other. You don't mind it, do you, Nik?" Dmitri asks the man at my side, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Nik shoots him a stern look. "Dmitri…" he says after a long pause. "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 enjoying herself. Weren't you, Kat?" Before I can answer, Dmitri asks, "You don't mind if I call you Kat, do you? You can call me by my nickname, too. It's Dima. Or you can call me D."

"Dmitri—" Nik says in warning.

Dmitri winks at me. "See you later, Kat."

I raptly watch him leave. I must know what he looks like from behind, but most importantly, I want Nik to see me studying Dmitri from behind.

Nik remains silent.

"Wow," I say, 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 from now on."

"No need for that," I say with a smile. If he can be civil after yesterday, then so can I. "At least not on my account. I haven't laughed this much in a while."

"Oh, is that right?" he asks, loudly setting his coffee mug down.

"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."

"Right. Well, I hate to disappoint you, Kat, but you and Dmitri are here to work for me, so I'm afraid you won't get a chance to—how did you put it?—chat again. I expect you both to do your jobs to the best of your ability, which won't leave you much time for chatting."

I shoot him a displeased look. The nerve of this man. He might be able to force me to work for him, but that doesn't give him the right to dictate how I spend my free time or who I socialize with. If he thinks I'll let him keep me on a short leash like that, he is in for a surprise.

I smile even more sweetly at him. "Sounds good to me, Nik. I wouldn't want to waste any time I could spend working, trust me. After all, the sooner this job is finished, the sooner we can go our separate ways."

"My thoughts exactly. Glad we're on the same page," he says in the same tone.

"You bet. It's not like there won't be plenty of time for Dmitri and me to chat after this job is done, right? I'll give him my number so he can reach me."

The look he gives me could burn through stone. Undoubtedly, Nik hasn't forgotten I refused to give him my number and name when we first met.

"I hope you aren't too preoccupied daydreaming about Dmitri to do your job properly, Kat. As his boss, I can tell you he'll be too busy to chat with you in the foreseeable future. As your boss, I can say you will be, too."

"That's okay, Nik. For someone as wonderful as Dmitri, I can wait."

"He'll be busy indefinitely."

"Forever?"

"If that's what it takes, sure."

Forcefully setting my cup down, I turn on my seat to face the infuriating man next to me fully. "What the hell is your problem today? Do you get off on antagonizing me or something like that?"

"I could ask you the same thing. And for your information, not everything is about you, Kat. You might be surprised to learn this, but my life doesn't revolve around your wants and wishes. I run a tight ship around here. Get used to it."

"Right. It's all about efficiency with you. That's all you care about, of course," I say, sarcasm dripping from my every word.

A small smile curves his mouth. "Right on. See? You're learning already."

"Uh-huh. So, this whole animosity vibe you're giving off has nothing to do with you being jealous of Dmitri, right? You wouldn't care about him flirting with me, would you, Nik?"

"As I mentioned, all I care about is that you and Dmitri focus on this job. With that in mind, I'm afraid I must insist that you two avoid any distractions until the work is done."

Nik stands up, evidently considering the conversation finished.

"And I'm afraid I must insist you mind your own business."

Slowly, he turns to face me.

"Your business is my business, Kat. You work for me now. And as long as I'm your boss, I'll set the rules. Unfortunately for you, that means no dating anyone until your work for me is finished."

I can't possibly have heard him right. He doesn't intend to just forbid me from interacting with Dmitri, even if only platonically. The bastard means to tell me I can't see any men for God only knows how long.

"No dating anyone? Are you completely 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 against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms against his chest. His biceps bulge enticingly, and even while furious, I can't help staring at it.

"Well, that's because you already signed your life away when you stole from me, Kat. And you didn't steal just a trinket, but a diamond worth more than you could imagine. Don't act like you're doing me a favor out of the kindness of your heart by working for me. If anything, I'm the one cutting you some slack. Men have died for less."

"I'm starting to realize that there are some fates worse than death," I say under my breath. It's frustrating beyond belief to be reminded of his leverage over me. I'm sick and tired of being owned by men with no scruples about bending me to their will.

Nik laughs at my dramatic statement. "There sure are, Kat, but I assure you this isn't one of them. You're getting off easy, and it's about time you realize that."

I shoot him another venomous look before glancing away. I can't bear to see his smug expression. He's got me, and he knows it.

After a moment, Nik sighs. He pushes off the counter and walks over to me. After pulling the stool next to mine out, he sits down again. This time, he faces me.

"Come on, Kat," he says in a soft tone. "You know who I am and what I do for a living. You agreed to the terms of our deal. What did you think was going to happen? You knew what you were getting yourself into. You can't be surprised I'm demanding that you stay focused."

I stare at him wordlessly. To no one's surprise, it's not enough for Nik that he gets to have me at his beck and call. It doesn't satisfy him that I have no choice but to obey his every whim. He wants me to be happy about it, too.

The nerve of this man doesn't cease to amaze me. It wouldn't surprise me to learn he also expects me to thank him for his mercy.

"Look," he says, appeasingly. "There's no reason for us to be any more miserable than we have to be. Come with me. I think I have something that will cheer you up a little."

Nik stands up, holding out his hand for me. I glance at it and sniff, not moving from my seat.

"I really doubt that."

"Come on, Kat. Give it a chance."

I dislike the idea of making any concessions or giving him any chances. But really, what choice do I have? At the end of the day, he owns me for all intents and purposes. Do I want to tell him to shove it? Absolutely. Is that in my best interest? Probably not. Antagonizing him won't do me any favors. If there's any chance I can butter him up so he will go easy on me, I would be stupid not to take it.

So I stand up and take his hand as reluctantly as possible. Nik doesn't seem to care. He smiles at me, squeezing my hand before caressing it with his thumb.

"Good girl," he says. "Follow me."