25. Nik

25

"Easy-peasy!" Kat whispers to herself as she quietly steps into the dimly lit chamber, swinging a large, nondescript cloth bag over her delicate shoulder.

She hasn't spotted me sitting in silence in the empty room. As far as she is concerned, I'm supposed to be over a hundred miles away—and I was. But my meeting ended earlier than expected, so I returned home and decided to sit back and relax until Kat returned from her outing.

"Did you get anything nice?" I ask her, my voice loudly rumbling through the penthouse's empty foyer.

With an almost imperceptible gasp, Kat freezes mid-stride before slowly turning to face me, a far-too-wide grin plastered over her face.

"Nik…" she says, concealing her shock at seeing me. "You're home early, my love. What a wonderful surprise!"

While eyeing the bag she is now subtly hiding behind her legs, I dryly say, "I'm sure you paid for all that."

After blinking twice, Kat seems to decide there's no point in denying the obvious. With a sigh, she rests her free hand on her hip. "Maybe not with money or anything of the sort, but I'd say that I earned it fairly. In a way. I mean, I certainly paid for it with the sweat off my back."

I study her for a moment, from the top of her head—where not a hair is out of place—to the tip of her designer six-inch heels. She rolls her eyes at my incredulous expression. "Figuratively speaking, of course, miliy."

With a tired but amused sigh, I rub my hand over my jaw. "Who did we steal from today, Kat?"

"No one you need to worry about," she says, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "This guy A.J. told me about."

"This guy?"

Kat shrugs. "A.J. said he broke her heart and that I should knock myself out as far as he was concerned. Since we owe her through the heat death of the universe for saving our lives repeatedly, I figured the least I could do was oblige her. Just this time, of course. And since you were busy with work, I thought you'd be happy if I kept myself busy to ease the pain of being away from you."

"I am. But I also have half a mind to heat your ass for endangering yourself. Again."

Kat scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please! Nobody even saw me. The fool probably won't even know I took something of his for months. You should've seen his place, Nik. What a mess."

I sigh. "Let me see what you have," I say at last. It's the damnedest thing—no matter what kind of new havoc this madwoman wreaks around me, I can't stay mad at her to save my life. Especially not now, with our new life together, when she's all smiles and kisses whenever she sees me around the penthouse.

This isn't Kat's first heist since we officially moved in together. I strongly doubt it will be her last. I might as well make peace with my fate, pleading to all deities listening to help me keep her unharmed. And to grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change—like Kat's devil-may-care attitude when it comes to her personal safety. At this point, Kat knows I'll let her get away with anything. That's why I had no choice but to spread the word that if even a hair on her perfect head is harmed, somebody is going to beg me for the mercy of a quick death. She's perfectly aware of this fact, of course. And she doesn't hesitate to take advantage of it at the slightest inconvenience or provocation.

Kat saunters over to me, practically skipping across the marble floors before dropping her lush ass on my lap. Barely containing her grin, she proudly offers me the bag.

Curious, I glance inside. The small collection of colorful gemstones—diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and even a few blood-red rubies—astonishes me.

My perplexed expression delights her, and she shrugs, placidly saying, "What can I say? He and I are in the same line of work. I guess there's some truth to that saying about no honor among thieves, after all."

With an impressed whistle, I shake my head, returning her loot. "Not bad, milaya. Not bad."

"Right? Especially not for an afternoon of light work. What can I say?" She sighs with feigned modesty. "It's not much, but it's honest, dishonest work."

"Speaking of honest work," I innocently say, "did you give any thought to my suggestion that you should consider devoting some of your time to charity work?" Kat gasps in outrage, clutching her jewels to her chest. "I'm just saying—it could be a good use of your time. It's not as if you need to take on any more jobs, milaya. I have more money than even you can ever spend."

"Is that a challenge? Because it sounds like a challenge."

I ignore her interruption. "And who knows? You could find a cause that is dear to your heart. Maybe helping young girls with an attitude problem who can't seem to stay out of trouble to save their own lives? I feel like that could be your calling."

Kat narrows her eyes at me. "You're teasing me," she says accusingly.

With a small laugh, I nod. "Unless, of course, you happen to agree with me."

With an outraged huff, Kat lightly slaps my shoulder. "Can you imagine?" she asks, horrified, nibbling her bottom lip. "Me, gainfully employed, doing some good, old-fashioned honest work?" She shudders. "I don't think so. No, sir!"

"Call me sir one more time, and I won't bring it up again," I say in a whisper, and Kat rolls her eyes before laughing. She leans forward to kiss me, unwittingly awakening my insatiable hunger for her. It's been too long since I made love to her. At least eight hours by now…

She pulls away too soon, and I groan in protest. Mercilessly ignoring my starving pleas, she asks, "So, how did your meeting go?"

Patrick McGuire and I have been meeting periodically for months now. In the aftermath of the Salvatore ordeal, McGuire finally accepted that the bratva and I had nothing to do with his daughter's disappearance. In an attempt to mend fences, we've been working together to find her. It was, if nothing else, a gesture of good faith.

Besides, Maxim would have wanted me to ensure Erin was safe and well. I owe him that—and so much more. Especially considering the mess involving the location of his remains, a mystery I still haven't been able to solve.

Kat insisted we should have a memorial service for him. At first, I resisted her idea, thinking the whole thing would leave a bad taste in my mouth since we would be burying nothing but an empty casket. But in the end, as usual, she was right. It was time. Even though it was nothing but a symbolic gesture, it gave me the closure I needed to move on and start a new life with her.

"It went as well as it could be expected," I say with a sigh. "And by that, I mean it was a complete waste of time, but at least McGuire and I didn't come to blows. This time."

"Baby steps," she jokes. Then, gently, she says, "You'll find Erin. And Maxim. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing the best you can, and that's not nothing."

I sigh. "It sure feels like it sometimes."

"I know, miliy," she says, wrapping her arms around my neck before pressing a soft kiss against my forehead. "But I know you'll succeed at this as you have with everything else you've ever set out to accomplish."

"My greatest accomplishment," I say, squeezing the plump flesh of her ass, "is to be loved by you."

She winks me. "And I'll never let you forget it."

I laugh. "Don't I know it."

Kat smiles at me for a moment before a sober expression settles over her finely wrought features. Before she even opens her lips to form the words, I already know what she's going to ask me.

"Did you see him?"

I nod in response, still beyond words, even after all these months. "Lorenzo was there, too."

After the reigning Italian boss, Giuseppe Salvatore—or the stronzo, as Kat tends to refer to him—died at my hands, his nephew, Lorenzo, took his place. The young man was a breath of fresh air compared to his disgrace of an uncle. In all fairness, as Lorenzo likes to remind me, Giuseppe was only his uncle by marriage.

Lorenzo has been trying to step up to the plate and establish order within the Italian family's ranks. He has his work cut out for him, and I don't envy his position. But for whatever it's worth, he seems to be made of stronger—and better—stuff than his predecessor.

"How is he doing?"

I know she's not referring to the new young Italian boss.

"Dmitri's…condition hasn't improved much since I last saw him. He barely seemed to recognize me this time. Or at least I felt that way because all he does is ask about her."

His girlfriend. Shortly after Salvatore died, we found Dmitri's girlfriend in a deplorable state. We freed her, and we've been trying our best to help her recover since then, but understandably, the young woman is still profoundly damaged and traumatized.

Somehow, Dmitri is in an even worse state.

His betrayal cut me deeply, more than anything or anyone else before him. Still, I just couldn't bring myself to kill him. The best alternative had been to have him incarcerated. Not in an actual, government-provided prison, of course. We always handle these things internally. Instead, I had him confined in our private lockup. Indefinitely.

Dmitri hasn't been faring well ever since. At times, I fear that keeping him away from the girl might be a fate worse than death for him. Every time I visit him, he seems to be further down the path towards insanity. I worry I will gaze into my friend's eyes one day, and nothing but madness will stare back at me.

Kat sighs. "Poor Dmitri. I wish there were another way."

I rub my hand over her back. "I know, milaya. I do, too."

She stares blankly ahead, frowning slightly. But to my surprise, after a moment, she seems content to drop the subject, shrugging before turning to face me.

"After you left this morning, I thought about the night we first met. As monumental of a night as it was for you and me, we had no idea everything would change. Forever." With a teasing glint in her eyes, she brushes her lips against mine. "I bet you didn't even know what hit you when you first saw me across the room."

"It was the stuff of legends, Kat. The earth moved. Even if I live to be a hundred years old, I'll still perfectly remember the way you looked that night and the devastation you caused in my life. You stole my diamond and my heart—and I was better for it."

"And now you have me and your diamond."

I rise from my seat and set her down on the chair. "Speaking of which, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Kat stares at me in confusion as I walk over to where my suit jacket hangs, fishing around the pockets for the item I've been carrying for a while.

After grabbing the small velvet box, I take my time walking back to her, and she watches me with unmistakable curiosity.

"This belongs to you," I say, referring to the object within my hand. "I've been dying to give it back to you since you threw it at me. I've had it with me this entire time, waiting for the right moment to return it to its rightful owner."

I drop to one knee in front of her, and she gasps, her eyes widening. "Nik?—"

My heart thunders inside my chest. "Kat, I've been yours from the first moment I saw you. I would do unspeakable things to make you the happiest woman in the world. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, and there's no one I love, cherish, or trust more. I never, ever want to be parted from you again. Please make me the happiest man on this earth by giving me the honor of loving, protecting, and treasuring you with all of me for the rest of my life. Marry me, Kat."

I flip the ring box open, revealing the ring I commissioned for her months ago—days after she stormed into my home office and rightfully flung the red diamond at me. Before I had any reason to believe there was hope she would miraculously forgive me. Before I knew she would ever take me back. One look at the red diamond, and I knew there was only one acceptable fate for it.

It was appropriate, after all, that the gemstone that brought us together in the first place should be the one to symbolize our eternal bond.

Kat stares at the ring with wide eyes before gasping. "Is that… is that the Flame of Mir?"

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

"Do I like it? This is the most stunning ring I've ever seen in my life! It is, of course, scandalously, outrageously extravagant—but, oh, Nik! I love it! It's perfect."

"Does that mean you will marry me?" I ask her impatiently, barely daring to breathe.

Kat finally averts her mesmerized eyes from the ring to my face, her expression changing from confused to exasperated. "Of course I'll marry you! Nik, I love you. Marrying you is a no-brainer."

I slide the ring onto her finger before she can take the words back. She dreamily gazes at it for a moment. Then, before I have a chance to react, she launches herself at me, sending both of us tumbling to the ground.

My delighted laugh echoes as she enfolds me with her arms, showering my face and neck with the most delectable, feathery kisses.

"Nikolai Stefanovich…" she says, sighing. "You're the man of my dreams. You're the answer to my every prayer. You're more, so much more than everything I've ever wanted—you're everything I've always needed. Being loved by you is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. There's nothing I'd love more than to marry you. I love you, you know."

The look on her exquisite face almost unmans me. "I'll never get over hearing you say that."

She smiles at me with a playful glint in her dark blue eyes. "That's fine with me. I'll never stop saying it."

"Maybe one day you'll somehow love me as much as I love you."

"As it happens, I already do. Scratch that—you can't possibly love me as much as I love you. I'm positive I love you more."

I bite back a groan as Kat's luscious body rubs against mine. As always, the slightest friction between us is enough to make me crave her to distraction. "In your dreams, Kat."

"While we're at the subject of my dreams," she says, her gaze fixated on my lips, "I think it's time we seal the deal."

I couldn't agree more. Still, I can't resist teasing her. "Ask me nicely."

Kat's maddening mouth curves into the most sensual smile. Her eyes darken before she whispers, "Kiss me, Nik. Kiss me, and I'm yours."