Page 44 of Hunter's Trial

Anya’s mouth opens like she’s going to say something before abruptly turning on her heel and walking out of the cell. It’s just Helena and I now.

“You need to protect me yourself. Stop trying to die, you’re not getting out of this that easily.” I cup my hands to his face once more, pushing up into his short hair, trying to memorize every bit of his face despite the sad expression that he’s wearing. I would take some of the pain from him if I could.

Footsteps echo down the corridor, and a moment later Alek, Daniel, and Anya return to the room. Anya is holding onto Alek’s hand tightly, but if it’s uncomfortable for Alek, he makes no note of it. Helena is looking at me like I’ve grown a second head. She can’t seem to take her eyes away from where my hands are on Nikolai. I drop them slowly, feeling somewhat self-conscious under her scrutiny and take a step away from him. I choose to focus on Daniel and Alek instead, knowing that whatever decision they have come to, I’m not going to be able to lawyer my way out of this. Silver tongued or not, I have no power here.

Daniel slides his hands into his pockets. Somehow, he makes it look like a damned power pose as he stands confidently, and casually, all at the same time. Unlike Alek, who looks two seconds away from punching Nikolai and waiting for is the signal.

“We have reviewed all of the security cameras, as well as looked into the current movements of Di Gennaro’s Camorra.” Daniel says simply. “I am… familiar with them. My own clan is Cosa Nostra and while Alek and I have a truce in place that allows us to work together, that does not extend to the other clans in the area. While the Camorra hasn’t been nearly as active in the last few years, I am well aware of the vicious reputation they hold. What we have been unable to figure out, Volkovich, is why they are suddenly so interested in Kate.”

How do they manage to say his name like it’s a curse each and every time?

Nikolai’s not going to say a word about what we have become to one another. But it’s not like it’s not obvious at this point.

“Horus has informed us of the fact that Volkovich didn’t exactly leave town when he was supposed to, following his release. This deal between us won’t work, Kate, if you continue to keep secrets from me.” Alek says, finally looking at me.

“And if I told you that I was welcoming Nikolai into my bedroom every night, what would you have said then?” I say without even a small hint of shame.

Helena’s eyes widen at the confirmation of what she was clearly guessing at, and she pulls herself into Daniel’s side. He manages to tuck her under his arm and hold her closely without shifting his intimidating posture. That’s a skill set, for sure.

“I told him to leave, thinking that if he was gone, they would have no reason to keep chasing after me.” I tell the room at large. “I didn’t think that they would reach out to my ex-husband. While I’m not going to lie and say I’m displeased by his staying, I have no idea why Nikolai hung around after we broke things off.”

“If I know anything about Di Gennaro, it’s that he’s not going to quit just because plans have changed. He would and will keep targeting Kate until she gives him what she wants. There’s no length he won’t go. He would consider hurting her if it was his only way to truly get back at me, and that would just be an added bonus.” Nikolai says. “I had to make sure that she was safe.”

“Her safety is handled.” Alek scoffs incredulously at the notion that Nikolai’s protection could possibly be better than his own.

Nikolai’s nose crinkles as he looks about a second away from snarling at the arrogance of Alek. “Like you protected her when her ex showed up on her front door? Like you protected her last night?! Fucking disappointing. All of those resources and you can’t keep a single woman safe?”

“What do you know about safety? Huh? You only ever hurt people!” Alek snaps. The history between the two of them is making the tension in this room so thick it’s going to smother me.

“I never said that I could do it on my own, but you know just as well as I do that nobody will protect her the way that I do.”

Alek laughs bitterly as he moves closer to Nikolai. “That didn’t take long, did it? Old habits really do die fucking hard, don’t they? Was that the plan? Use Kate to get access back to your old men? Guess what, they wouldn’t come back to you for anything, Volkovich. I promise you that.”

“Somebody has to move against the Camorra, or she and her daughter are going to be dead before you even know it’s happened.”

“And you’re going to be the one to do it? Pull a new Bratva out of your ass? Is that the fucking plan? Kill me and Daniel and take back what you think is yours?” Alek pushes.

Nikolai balks, his anger shattering and he shakes his head. “That’s not… no.”

“I think, if I may suggest, what Mr. Volkovich is proposing is that this might be the perfect situation for a hitman to be hired. A proper one.” Horus interjects calmly.

My eyes widen as I see the olive branch that Horus has tossed into the room, cutting through the tension.

“Yes!” I say quickly. If they hire Nikolai as a hitman then he won’t have to leave. He won’t be a part of a clan officially; he will keep his rogue status, but he will still be able to move into the territories that he needs to in order to carry out their jobs. “That’s a perfect idea!”

But will Nikolai’s pride and ego him to be employed by his former enemies?

Alek looks to Anya, trying to gauge what she thinks about the matter at hand. Daniel and Helena say nothing at all, I can’t read them in the slightest. Waiting for their answer, I feel like I can’t breathe.

It’s Nikolai who speaks up. “Absolutely fucking not.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

NIKOLAI

Nobody in their right mind would ever forgive me. Least of all right now. I don’t expect mercy from Alek, but I do expect him to uphold his end of the deal that he made with Kate.

I knew the moment I didn’t get on that plane that this was how things would end.

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