04- Nikolai meets the enemy

NIKOLAI

Her anniversary?

And that bastard had spent it with his cock out in my club.

My jaw tightened.

What kind of man does that?

No…scratch that.

I knew exactly the kind of man that did that.

The kind that did not deserve a woman like her.

“What the hell does Kotyonok even mean?”

Her voice cut through my thoughts.

I exhaled slowly, dragging my gaze back to her.

She was slurring.

The fire in her had dulled at the edges, softened by alcohol, leaving something far more unstable behind. Her balance was gone. Her focus came and went in waves.

How drunk was she?

Far too drunk.

“It means kitten,” I said.

She blinked up at me like I had just spoken another language.

“Kitten?” she repeated.

“Yes.”

“That’s…” she waved her hand vaguely, “…strange.”

“It is not.”

“I look nothing like a cat”

“I did not say cat. I said kitten…”

She made an attempt to roll her eyes at me but it only looked very comical.

“Where is your boyfriend now?” I asked. “He let you come here on your own?”

“He went out”

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to say more but she did not so I did not push.

So he had left her alone and on their anniversary no less.

What an idiot.

If she were mine…

But she is not yours, an annoying voice reminded me. You are letting your obssessive self out again.

“I need a drink” She pouted,

“You are drunk enough”

I waited for her to argue but instead she leaned back, swaying slightly.

“Come with me,” I said, already rising to my feet and pulling her up.

“No.” she staggered, snatching her hand from my grasp.

“You are not staying here like this.”

“I said no,” she muttered, trying and failing to push herself up properly.

She made it halfway before her balance gave out.

Her body tilted.

I caught her.

One arm around her waist.

The other bracing her shoulder.

She stilled for a second, her hands gripping my shirt instinctively.

“I’m fine,” she insisted weakly.

“You are not even standing.”

“I can stand.”

She tried again.

For half a second, she looked like she might tip over.

This time, I did not bother arguing.

I slid one arm under her knees and the other around her back and I lifted her.

A sharp gasp left her lips.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, her hands clutching at me as the world shifted beneath her. “Put me down”

“No.” I echoed her.

“You don’t get to just carry me around,” she muttered.

“Stop arguing and stay still, kitten.”

She made a small, frustrated sound, but she did not fight me.

Her head instead tilted slightly toward my chest, her grip tightening just enough to keep herself steady.

I signaled for my men to not follow me and carried her up the stairs and through the hallway to my room. It was removed from the noise below and somewhere I never brought anyone at all.

I pushed the door open with my shoulder and crossed the room, lowering her onto the bed.

She sank into it immediately.

“My head…” she muttered, pressing her fingers to her temple. “It’s spinning.”

Of course it was.

I went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of cold water.

“Drink,” I said, sitting beside her.

She reached for it and missed.

I slid one hand behind her head, lifting it slightly and then bringing the bottle to her lips.

Careful,” I said.

She blinked up at me, dazed.

A small amount escaped the corner of her lips, trailing down her skin.

I caught it with my thumb without thinking.

Her breath hitched in her throat just slightly and then she leaned into my hand… unconciously.

I stilled, watching her for just a moment before I pulled back.

I set the bottle aside and lowered her head back onto the pillow.

Her eyes were already closing.

“Don’t leave me” she murmured weakly.

“I am not going anywhere,” I said.

She didn’t respond.

Her breathing had evened out and just like that, she was asleep.

I leaned back slightly, watching her, my gaze tracing her face slowly.

The curve of her cheek, the way her lips parted slightly as she breathed.

The faint crease between her brows, like even in sleep, she refused to fully relax.

Interesting…very interesting.

She still had not told me her name

A faint smile touched my lips then I stood, moving to the sofa.

I did not sleep immediately, merely watched her wondering why I was deeply attracted to this girl.

Sleep did eventually come and I drifted off.

…

My eyes snapped open instantly as the sound of my phone went off.

I reached for it without hesitation.

“Speak.”

“Nikolai.”

My father’s right hand man.

He sounded scared. Something was wrong.

“We need you.”

I sat up fully.

“What happened?”

“We were attacked.”

My jaw tightened.

“By who?”

“The Orlovs.”

Of course…Of course it was them.

A slow, cold anger settled in my chest.

“How bad?”

“Pretty bad,” he said. “We lost men. They took us unawares and we think they had information about where we would be. Your father is dead”

Dead?

“What did you say?”

“I am sorry, Nikolai… I could not protect him.”

I could feel my heart tearing from my chest.

“I am getting on the first plane…”

“No, son. We need you to do something before returning.”

“What is it?” I asked, my voice gruff.

“I will be sending you a picture,” he continued. “Orlov’s daughter. She is in America and we want her brought back with you. We will retaliate with her and make the Orlovs pay with their blood.”

Of course we would.

That was how this worked…That was how it had always worked.

“Fine,” I said simply. “Send it.”

“No complications, Nikolai.”

“I hear you”

I lowered the phone slowly, my veins singing with rage.

Th Orlovs were cowards… never attacking as real men should.

An eye for an eye.

I could not wait to get my hands on Viktor Orlov’s daughter.

My phone pinged.

The image of the daughter had arrived.

I opened it without hesitation.

My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the face staring back at me.

I knew that face.

I knew it very well.

Slowly… almost mechanically, I turned my head towards the bed.

She was still there, asleep and peaceful.

I looked back at the phone then at her again.

No.

No, there was no mistake.

But there wasn’t any mistake.

It was her…Katya.

This was not coincidence… her walking into my club was not a coincidence.

She had been sent no doubt by her father to distract me and I had stupidly fallen into their trap.

No, that did not make any sense.

Nothing made sense right now except she was here and in my bed.

And she was my target.

My hand moved without hesitation, reaching for the gun strapped underneath the table.

I stood and crossed the room slowly, stopping beside the bed.

Then I nudged her awake.

Her eyes fluttered open in confusion and then they widened as she stared at the gun pointed at her face.

“Nikolai…” she called out, fear in her eyes.

“Who the fuck are you?” I asked.