Page 42 of Hunter's Trial

“Nikolai,” I answer finally.

Helena snatches her hand back toward her like I’ve said something shocking.

“They took him away, where are they taking him?”

“Let’s get you inside and warmed up, then we can talk about everything once everyone’s calmed down and clean.” Helena holds her belly as she stands and then holds a hand out for me to take. Horus appears just a moment later. He is the one who I let take me by the elbow and stand with Liz.

“Let us get you inside, Ms. Kate.” Horus says again, watching the men carting off my ex-husband’s body. The same one that Helena won’t even look at. I guess I don’t blame her. Knowing what I do of her, she’s already had more than her share of death.

“I don’t want to go anywhere until I know what’s going to happen to Nikolai.”

“Daniel will be back shortly, and we can speak about everything then.” Horus explains and gestures that he could take Liz from me, if I wanted.

I pull her more tightly against my body, despite the fact that her long legs make it hard to hold her properly. She’s been growing so fast in these last few months. Even still, I let them guide me into the house. It’s not that a nice, hot shower doesn’t sound good, because it does.

When Horus leads us inside, it’s not to the room everybody else is in, it’s to a private bedroom and bathroom. Fresh, clean clothes are already laid out on the bed for Liz and me.

“Nothing will be decided until you join them, I will make sure of that.” Horus says.

I have no choice but to trust him. I have to take his word for it.

With great difficulty, I get Liz changed and bathed and tucked into bed. She doesn’t want to be more than a few inches from me at any moment and I can’t say that I blame her. I don’t leave the room until she’s asleep. She hasn’t said a single word to me yet, and I know that the conversation that we’re going to have later is going to be an intense one. But it will have to wait.

I head downstairs in the loose black sweats that they left for me, my hair braided and still damp as it hangs over one shoulder. At least I’m not wearing Billy’s blood anymore.

Horus is the only one to rise to stand when I enter the room.

I don’t bother waiting for explanations. “Where is he?”

Daniel is back and is standing behind Helena with a hand on her shoulder. Her massive wedding ring glints in the light as she holds his hand, her thumb rubbing back and forth over the back of his palm.

“That’s not what you need to worry about right now.” Daniel says.

I think it might be one of the most insulting things that I’ve ever heard.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” I answer, my anger barely contained. I might have worked for them, but I’m not part of their little clan or Bratva or whatever it is that they want to call it. I’m not affiliated so they don’t have any right to tell me what to do or what to say.

A muscle in Daniel’s jaw feathers. He’s obviously not used to being spoken back to, and I don’t give a single shit about it.

“I want to know where Nikolai is, and what you plan to do with him.”

“Shouldn’t we focus more on the fact that you’ve betrayed our trust?” Daniel asks too casual for my liking.

Shocked would be an understatement. “What? What are you talking about?”

“Would you care to tell us just how it is that your ex-husband came to find our location here tonight? It’s not listed on any maps.”

“You think that I invited him here?!” My voice is raising as I speak and I can’t stop it. “Are you insane?!”

Horus physically steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder, just a moment of reassuring touch and then it’s gone. “As I have informed Mr. Colombo, there was a contract sent over by the Di Gennaro clan, and we have good reason to believe that Ms. Kate’s ex-husband was contacted by them, possibly under contract, in order to get closer to her. Presumably, because she did not start working with them right away.”

“I demand that you let Nikolai go. He was defending me. That’s all. He saved my life. He saved my daughter’s life. Sorry that it inconveniences you all, but how was Billy able to get here in the first place?! Why don’t we talk about the constant lapses in your shitty security?!” I shout, pausing to look at Horus. “No offense.” I add as an afterthought.

Horus doesn’t say a word.

“Be that as it may, Nikolai broke the terms of our deal by coming here.” Daniel continues.

“So, my life… my daughter’s life are less important that some fucking deal? You heartless bastard!”

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