LOGINVIKTORI was furious. Not irritated or annoyed. Goddamn furious. How she managed to get past all the guards? I had no idea. Sasha was standing in front of me looking like he'd rather be in a gun fight right now than tell me what had happened."She just disappeared" I glared at him. "I know she disappeared" "We've been looking for her boss" "Apparently not very well, else you would have found her" I yelled making him cower in fear. I dismissed him, so he would go do his job and find her.I think I would just go find her myself.I went to my study, picked up my jacket and my gun when I glanced through the security cameras feed by chance and found her climbing down the fence like she was on a quest to Mount Everest.Irritation washed over me as I walked downstairs and went to the back of the house where she was coming from. The moment she saw me, she stopped, like she already knew she was in trouble. Because she WAS in trouble. "Where were you?" I asked, getting straight to t
KATHYI walked back to my room after Natalia had left, slowly sitting on my bed. "You're not her mother" Natalia's voice rang in my head over and over again. Of course I knew I wasn't her mother, but I had somehow grown attached to Anya. And no one could really blame me for that.She's a sweet little girl. I sighed. Laying flat on the bed I closed my eyes for a moment only for my phone to ring. I glanced at my screen and the name on the caller ID made my stomach tighten. Commissioner Harris. "Sir" I said, answering the phone. "Come to my office" No greeting or explanation, nothing."When?" I asked. "Now, Katherine" And the call ended. Great!How was I supposed to leave the mansion with Viktor watching my every move. With all the guards and especially Sasha. I opened my door as quietly as I possibly could and looked towards the hallway. Sasha was standing near the staircase and another guard was near the entrance. There were two more guards. Wonderful! Getting out of here
KATHY I was spending more time with Anya, more time than I expected. Somehow, the little girl had gone from being my student to becoming someone I genuinely cared about. She followed me around the mansion whenever she could, showing me things she found interesting, asking me questions in the little English she knew, and dragging me into games I didn't always understand. She made the mansion "liveable" with her tiny feet and laughter. That afternoon, Anya was sitting beside me on the floor of the study, trying to arrange a puzzle while I helped her with the pieces. "No, Kathy," she said, shaking her head when I tried to put one of the pieces together. "Then where?" She pointed proudly at another section. "Here" I stared at the piece. Then at her. "You're very bossy for someone who can't even reach the top shelf." She giggled. I smiled. Moments like this made it easy to forget why I was actually in the mansion. Then my thoughts drifted back to Viktor. Hi
KATHYSomething had changed.I couldn't quite explain what it was.Maybe it was the photograph.Maybe it was the way Viktor had looked when he told me about his mother and sister.Or maybe it was simply the realization that the man I'd been calling dangerous for weeks was also a man who had spent most of his life losing people.I still knew what he was capable of.I hadn't forgotten the things I'd seen.But now, whenever I looked at him, I didn't only see the ruthless mafia boss everyone feared.I saw a wounded man.And somehow, that made him even harder to understand."You're doing it again."I looked up from my coffee.Gabby was staring at me."Doing what?""Thinking about Mr. Expensive."I rolled my eyes."Mr. Expensive?""Yes. Viktor.""You're still calling him that.""Yes. I am."She leaned closer."You've been staring at the same spot for five minutes.""I was thinking.""About him."I opened my mouth to deny it.But nothing came out.Gabby's eyes widened."Oh my God.""What?""
KATHYSasha was driving me insane.Actually, all the guards were.But Sasha was the worst.He was always there.If I went to the garden, he was there.If I went to the library, he was there.If I went downstairs for a glass of water, somehow, six feet of muscle appeared behind me.I was beginning to think he slept outside my bedroom.I wouldn't have been surprised."Do you ever leave?" I asked him one afternoon.He looked at me through the rearview mirror."No."I sighed."That wasn't a joke.""I know."I turned toward the window.Viktor had completely lost his mind.I couldn't even leave the mansion without an escort anymore.The previous day, when I'd gone to Nana's, I had to actually lie to her.She looked at the men following me and raised an eyebrow."Who are they?""Friends from work."Friends.That was one word for heavily armed men following me around like I was some international criminal.Nana had accepted the explanation.Barely.At least Viktor had finally allowed Gabby to
VIKTORI couldn't stop thinking about the alley.About Kathy lying on the ground.About the blood.About how easily someone had gotten to her.That was what bothered me most.Not the attack itself.The fact that they had been close enough to touch her.Close enough to hurt her.I had increased security around the mansion immediately.Two more men at the gates.Guards stationed on every floor.Cameras checked twice a day.And Sasha.Six feet tall, built like a fucking wall, and one of the most capable men I had.He followed Kathy everywhere.The kitchen.The garden.The library.Everywhere.She hated it.I didn't care."You don't need to follow me into the bathroom," she told him one morning.Sasha looked at her."I have orders.""From Viktor?""Yes."She stared at him for a moment."Tell Viktor he's insane."Sasha nodded seriously."I'll tell him."I almost laughed when Romanov told me about it.Almost."You know," Romanov said, leaning against the doorway of my office, "most men hire
KATHY When the car came to a stop I looked out the window then froze. My house. My actual house? A chill ran down my spine immediately. How did he know where I and Nana lived? I looked at him and a small smile creeped up his lips. He knew what I was about to ask. I decided to bru
KATHYI opened my eyes groggily, for a moment I had no idea where I was.I was in a bed that was not mine and that was the first problem.The second problem was that the sheets were too expensive. The sheets would cost higher than my rent... If I paid rent.The third problem was that I sat down too
KATHY"Katherine, Katherine" Daniel called out to me while I was walking as fast as my legs could carry me.My hands were shaking and my heels were suddenly too loud that my feet felt numb. My chest hurt so badly that I couldn't breathe properly."Katherine, wait!" he said again. "It's not what you
KATHY"Forgive me, father, for I have sinned" I said, the words leaving my mouth for like the millionth time. And honestly, every time I said it I meant it a little differently and today it was about a man I shot last Tuesday. I didn't kill him...but still...The guilt every time I shot someone si







