Page 44 of Diamond Don

A small smile curves his mouth. “Right on. See? You’re learning already.”

“Uh-huh. So, this whole animosity vibe you’re giving off has nothing to do with you being jealous of Dmitri, right? You wouldn’t care about him flirting with me, would you, Nik?”

“As I mentioned, all I care about is that you and Dmitri focus on this job. With that in mind, I’m afraid I must insist that you two avoid any distractions until the work is done.”

Nik stands up, evidently considering the conversation finished.

“And I’m afraid I must insist you mind your own business.”

Slowly, he turns to face me.

“Your business is my business, Kat. You work for me now. And as long as I’m your boss, I’ll set the rules. Unfortunately for you, that means no dating anyone until your work for me is finished.”

I can’t possibly have heard him right. He doesn’t intend to just forbid me from interacting with Dmitri, even if only platonically. The bastard means to tell me I can’t see any men for God only knows how long.

“No dating anyone? Are you completely out of your mind? Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t get to make demands like that. I’ll be working for you, not signing my life away.”

Nik leans against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms against his chest. His biceps bulge enticingly, and even while furious, I can’t help staring at it.

“Well, that’s because you already signed your life away when you stole from me, Kat. And you didn’t steal just a trinket, but a diamond worth more than you could imagine. Don’t act like you’re doing me a favor out of the kindness of your heart by working for me. If anything, I’m the one cutting you some slack. Men have died for less.”

“I’m starting to realize that there are some fates worse than death,” I say under my breath. It’s frustrating beyond belief to be reminded of his leverage over me. I’m sick and tired of being owned by men with no scruples about bending me to their will.

Nik laughs at my dramatic statement. “There sure are, Kat, but I assure you this isn’t one of them. You’re getting off easy, and it’s about time you realize that.”

I shoot him another venomous look before glancing away. I can’t bear to see his smug expression. He’s got me, and he knows it.

After a moment, Nik sighs. He pushes off the counter and walks over to me. After pulling the stool next to mine out, he sits down again. This time, he faces me.

“Come on, Kat,” he says in a soft tone. “You know who I am and what I do for a living. You agreed to the terms of our deal. What did you think was going to happen? You knew what you were getting yourself into. You can’t be surprised I’m demanding that you stay focused.”

I stare at him wordlessly. To no one’s surprise, it’s not enough for Nik that he gets to have me at his beck and call. It doesn’t satisfy him that I have no choice but to obey his every whim. He wants me to be happy about it, too.

The nerve of this man doesn’t cease to amaze me. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn he also expects me to thank him for his mercy.

“Look,” he says, appeasingly. “There’s no reason for us to be any more miserable than we have to be. Come with me. I think I have something that will cheer you up a little.”

Nik stands up, holding out his hand for me. I glance at it and sniff, not moving from my seat.

“I really doubt that.”

“Come on, Kat. Give it a chance.”

I dislike the idea of making any concessions or giving him any chances. But really, what choice do I have? At the end of the day, he owns me for all intents and purposes. Do I want to tell him to shove it? Absolutely. Is that in my best interest? Probably not. Antagonizing him won’t do me any favors. If there’s any chance I can butter him up so he will go easy on me, I would be stupid not to take it.

So I stand up and take his hand as reluctantly as possible. Nik doesn’t seem to care. He smiles at me, squeezing my hand before caressing it with his thumb.

“Good girl,” he says. “Follow me.”

17

KAT

Nik leads me down a darkened hallway without letting go of my hand.

We walk past closed doors to my left and right, and I hear muffled voices here and there—his men, I assume.

At the end of the long corridor, a door is slightly ajar. Nik pulls me towards it and pushes it open with his free hand.

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