48. Andrey

48

ANDREY

The door to my office flies open and Katya hurtles inside. She's teetering on her heels, a leopard-print dress and thick fur coat drowning out her small frame.

Shura reaches to steady her, but she barrels past him and dives into my bathroom. The sound of her retching answers the questions neither of us have had the time to ask.

Shura rushes to the door, but before he can knock or go in, I stop him. "Natalia never wanted me around when she was throwing up. I doubt Kat will be any different."

Shura sighs and retraces his steps back to my desk. "If he's touched her, so help me God, I'm going to end the fucker's life today."

"Let's wait for Katya to tell us what's going on, shall we?"

A few minutes later, Katya emerges, pink in the face as she dabs her lips with a paper towel. "Sorry about that, boys. I'm feeling a little rundown." Sinking into a seat, she lets out an exhausted sigh. "So, anyway. Info. Nikolai is working with Slavik."

"There's the corroboration you wanted," Shura mumbles.

Katya spins to me. "You already knew?"

"We found out a few hours ago."

Her eyes are wide and curious. "How?"

"Ola, Slavik's former mistress. I flew her down from Russia and she sang like a canary."

"Well, she wasn't lying," Kat confirms. "Apparently, Slavik's been planning this takeover for years. He got Nikolai on board and it accelerated everything."

"Viktor told you all this?"

"Just before I left him. I doubt he'll remember what he said to me when he wakes up, though. He was pretty drunk."

"It's not even five o'clock," Shura spits. Then he eyes her obnoxious dress. "Did he buy you that monstrosity?"

She shifts uncomfortably in place. "I've gotten away with not having sex with him, Shura. I can't refuse his gifts, too."

"You've really got him convinced, haven't you?"

"Easy, brother," I warn. "She's just doing her job."

"Who knew she'd be so damn good at it?" he mutters.

Kat whirls on him. "Are you accusing me of something? Don't be a coward. Spit it out. Say it to my fucking?—"

I insert myself between them before Kat can get her manicured claws within striking range of my second-in-command. "He's not accusing you of anything, Kat. Shura's just?—"

"Don't fucking speak for me!" Shura bellows. "I'm perfectly capable of explaining what I mean on my own."

"Go ahead then!" Katya replies. "Tell me what you really think of me!"

I meet Shura's eyes, silently advising him. Don't say something you'll regret later.

He promptly ignores my silent warning. "I think you're enjoying playing Viktor's whore."

Something you'll regret…

Like that.

Cringing, I close my eyes as Katya's breathing hitches. "You… you… asshole !"

Then she bursts into tears.

Far from doubling down on his rage, Shura looks panicked. "Kat?—"

She holds up her hand, nearly face-palming Shura. "Don't talk to me. From now on, I'm addressing Andrey only." She turns her back on Shura and looks at me, tears still running unchecked down her cheeks. "There's one more thing you should know. The hit on Mila is still active."

"Yeah, I didn't expect that to disappear overnight," I admit. "My brother doesn't forgive a slight easily."

"It's more than that." Kat tugs on the hem of her dress. "He doesn't just want payback; he wants Mila out of the picture altogether."

"What is my brother's plan, Kat?" I ask gently, holding up a hand to stop Shura from butting in.

"He wants to… remarry."

"Oh, fuck no!" Shura explodes. "He wants to marry you, doesn't he?"

Katya winces and it's clear that Shura's right. "Has he asked you yet, Katya?"

She nods. "Pretty much."

"And what did you say?" Shura grits.

"I had to say yes!" Still, she refuses to meet his eyes. "Why do you think he told me about Nikolai and Slavik in the first place?"

Shura kicks the side of my desk hard enough that the entire thing slides a few inches to the left. "How much longer are we going to keep this up? Until you're married? Until you have his first child?"

"Shura…" Kat's eyes are still glistening with tears. But the anger has vanished from her face, her voice. She just looks broken now.

That's when I get it. When the pieces click.

Unfortunately, Shura doesn't seem to have reached the same conclusion.

"Katya, I know you feel you need to do this for Nat's sake, but trust me: she wouldn't want you putting yourself in this position for her." He gets on one knee in front of her and grabs her hands. "Please, I'm begging you—this has gone on long enough. You need to get out while you still can."

There's a beat of silence.

Then: "Okay."

Shura's jaw drops. "E-excuse me?"

Another tear falls down Katya's cheek. She turns to me. "Andrey, I think it's best for me to get out now. Is that okay?"

I can only nod. "Yes. Especially now."

Shura turns to me with a frown. "What does that mean? ‘Especially now'?"

Katya touches his face, drawing his eyes back to her. "Shura… I'm pregnant."

If the man wasn't already on his knees, he would be now. He's speechless.

"Things have been so hectic lately that I didn't even notice that my period was late. But then the last few days… the morning sickness…"

His jaw tightens. "Is it?—"

"If you ask me if the baby is yours, I will kick you in the nuts so hard that this will be your first and last child. Do you understand me, Shura Federov?"

A dumbfounded smile spreads slowly across his lips. He rises, grabs Kat with a hand on either side of her face, and smashes his lips against hers.

I turn away to give them some privacy.

"Idiot," Kat murmurs through a bubble of laughter.

Shura hugs her close, grinning like a fool over the top of her head.

But the second his eyes meet mine, his smile melts away. His eyes are cold and hard. "I'm going to be a father, ‘Drey. I'm going to… Fuck. We have to end this," he breathes. "For all of our children."