Epilogue

EPILOGUE

KONSTANTINE

" W hat the fuck, Var?" I pushed at his forearm, shoving the gun out of my face. "Is that how you greet an old friend?"

Var smiled as he holstered his gun.

We embraced, then Var placed his hands on my face and laughed. "Konstantine Nikolai Ivanov, you bastard! What the fuck are you doing here?"

I clapped him on the shoulders. "I was in town on a job that went south, but I'm back with another one."

"Did Gregor know you were in Chicago?"

I shook my head. "No. It was just supposed to be a quick recovery. In and out."

Someone behind him cleared her throat.

Var turned and placed his arm around her waist. "Vivian. This is Kon. He's an old friend."

Vivian stared at me with thin lips as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You two know one another?"

I grinned. "For years." Then I raised my chin in a nod as I placed my hands on my hips. "You should have told me you were under Var's protection when we first met. I would have treated the situation differently."

After learning the sexy forger I'd been tracking was actually Var's woman, I'd intended to swing by the Four Monks and assure him no harm would come to her at my hands, but I'd had to leave town unexpectedly before I could do so.

Vivian glared at us both as she lifted the skirt of her coffee-stained dress. "You both owe me a new dress."

Var winked at me as he kissed the top of her head. "You got it, baby girl."

She then stormed off, but not before calling out over her shoulder, "And a new pair of shoes!"

After Var nodded to the Four Monks guards who fell into place behind Vivian, he holstered his gun and gave me a smirk. "Do me a favor? Next time you come into my city, give me a heads up."

"Did I cause you any trouble?"

Var slapped me on the back as he admired the angry sway of Vivian's hips as she stormed off. "The best kind, my friend."

He escorted me back to the group so I could greet my cousins, Gregor and Damien.

As we did so, I scanned the crowd.

She was here somewhere.

No matter how far she ran, she couldn't hide from me forever.

I'd find her.

To be continued…