Page 116 of Bound By Revenge

I step forward, pinning him with a cold stare. “If you don’t get out of my chair in the next five seconds, you’ll never get to know.”

With a mockingly slow stretch, he finally stands, completely unfazed. “I expected you to be in a much better mood after spending the entire night—and most of the morning—in yourlittlekiska’sarms,” he says, taking his sweet time moving to one of the guest chairs.

“Dmitri,” I say, dropping heavily into my rightful seat. “One of these days, you’re going to push me too far. And trust me, you won’t like what happens then.”

He shrugs, utterly unbothered. “Maybe I like to live dangerously.”

I shake my head, glaring at him. “For your own sake, I hope you haven’t spent the morning twiddling your thumbs. Tell me you have something new to report.”

“Of course. Once we’re done talking about the actual important stuff.Come on, Nik. I’ve been waiting all day. Don’t leave me hanging now. I’m too invested in your romantic life. Are you going to make me beg?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but if you must know, I spent the night with Kat, yes. Now that we got that out of the way, about McGuire?—”

Dmitri chuckles, incredulous. “Hang on. You can’t just leave it at that.”

I sigh, realizing I won’t get anywhere with him until I give him what he wants. Might as well indulge him. “What can I say, Dmitri? It was… perfect. Everything just… clicked into place, I guess.”

“And…?” He leans forward, eyes lit with anticipation, hanging on my every word.

I take a deep breath, feeling absurdly self-conscious. “And I’ve never met anyone like her. Obviously, she’s incredibly charming and attractive. That goes without saying. And it’s no secret to you—or anyone else—that she drives me crazy. Half the time, I don’t know whether I want to throttle or kiss her.”

Dmitri grins, and I glare at him before continuing.

“But there’s something about her—this way she gets under my skin, like no one else ever has. And the truth is, no matterwhat I do, I can’t seem to shake her. Honestly, I’m not even sure I ever actuallywantedto.”

For once, Dmitri is quiet, an uncharacteristically thoughtful expression on his face. Then he whistles, slow and low. “Wow,” he says, shaking his head. “Damn. She’s the one, isn’t she? I knew it. There was just something different about the way you were obsessing over her.”

“Well, to be fair, shedidsteal the Flame of Mir. And I don’t know about your word choice here.Obsessingsounds a little dramatic?—"

“What else should I call it? Let’s face it—you're always so... emotional around her,” he adds with an apologetic shrug, as if the wordemotionalmight offend me.

I laugh despite myself. “Fine. I see your point. You’re not wrong. She certainly made an impression on me from the beginning. And she does get to me in ways no one else ever has. I guess… last night was just us finally being on the same page. Right place, right time, and all that.”

He shakes his head theatrically, his grin widening. “I can’t believe my eyes and ears. I never thought this day would come. Nikolai Stefanovich is taken.”

“Okay, okay,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Don’t push it, Dmitri. Now that our little heart-to-heart is over, why don’t you tell me all about howproductivelyyou’ve spent this morning chasing after McGuire?”

Still smiling, he launches into a report of last night’s and this morning’s developments in our search for the Irish family boss. His tone is professional enough, but his smirk lingers, as if the conversation about Kat is still his favorite highlight of the day.

He's interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I say.

Kat enters the room, and just like that, any coherent thought I had vanishes. Her smile is a sucker punch to my chest, andI swear my heart does something I can only describe as a somersault.

She’s dressed in a black slip dress that hugs her every curve, her long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She narrows her eyes at me, mock accusation lighting up her face.

“You promised me food. Croissants, you said. And orange juice.”

“My word is my bond,” I say, standing from my chair. “Whatever my Kat wants, she gets.”

“Empty promises,” she teases, crossing her arms. “Do you know what else is empty,kotyonok? My stomach.” She sighs dramatically before her gaze shifts to Dmitri. “Oh, hello, Dmitri. Nice to see you in one piece.”

“Hiya, Kat. I told you I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself,” he replies with a wink.

Normally, his brazen flirting would irritate me, but not today. Not after last night. Instead, I find myself grinning at Kat’s new pet name for me.

I step around the desk, grabbing her hand. “Let’s go. I have a reputation to protect. I can’t have you thinking I’m not a man of my word.”

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