Page 42 of Bound By Revenge

He smirks. “Did you think I wouldn’t pay you for your services?”

"Well, you kept reminding me—over and over—how lucky I am that you're sparing my life. I figured that was my generous ‘compensation’."

“Well,” he quips, reaching for the papers, “if you don’t want the money…”

I smack his hand away. “No returns, refunds, or takesies-backsies. I’ll accept your humble offering. But remind me to thank Dmitri for putting this package together.”

Nik scoffs. “Keep talking, and I’ll change my mind. Now come here. I want to show you something.”

He guides me to the couch area, and I tuck the papers safely back into the envelope as I follow him, taking no chances.

He motions for me to sit, and I sink into the leather, eyeing the paused surveillance footage on the TV screen. He settles beside me, close enough that I feel his warmth.

“What am I looking at?” I ask.

“Can’t you tell? This is the surviving footage from the night of the gala,” he replies, propping his feet up on the coffee table. I feel like I’m sitting in the lion’s den, yet somehow the scene feels almost… comfortable, intimate even. Nik seems relaxed, completely in his element, and oddly enough,thatmakes me relax. I breathe out, tension slipping away.

“Oh, I see it now. Are those the museum gardens? What about the footage from inside?” I ask, trying to shift my brain into work mode. I do this everyday. This is a surveillance feed. This is my bread and butter. I’m in my element. I can do this.

“We haven’t been able to recover any of it so far. Apparently, someone was messing with the feed that night, jamming the signal with this clever little electronic device. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you, Kat?”

“We haven’t recovered that yet. Apparently, someone was jamming the feed with a clever little device.” He turns to me, raising an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Kat?”

He aims for an intimidating glare, but it only makes him look infuriatingly attractive.

“Oh, my bad. Oops, I guess.”

He sighs. “Oops, indeed.”

“I could ask A.J. to take a look—the SBU is her invention. Maybe she can work some magic.”

A brief flicker of surprise crosses his face. Obviously, he didn’t expect me to offer A.J.’s help. “SBU?” he asks after a while.

“That’s what she calls it. The Security Bypass Unit,” I reply with a grin.

"Cute. Appreciate the offer—I’ll keep it in mind."

I shrug. “You’re welcome.”

He’s lost in thought, eyes on the footage. Just as I’m about to break the silence, he speaks first.

“I meant to tell you earlier, but you distracted me,” he says, his eyes glinting with amusement. “As much as I enjoy watching you scurry around stealing my clothes, I’m sorry you don’t have anything to wear—or any shoes. A personal shopper will be by later to help you pick out a new wardrobe. Also?—”

“A new wardrobe?” I interrupt. It’s like he’s speaking to my heart.

Nik smirks, his eyes sparking with amusement as he glances my way. “You’ll need to look the part for what I have in mind.”

Chapter 19

Kat

“What’s that supposed to mean?”I ask, wary.

“You’ll see. In due time,” Nik replies, his mouth twisting with a smirk.

“You can’t just leave me hanging like that.”

He grins. “Watch me. Like I was saying before you tried to sidetrack me—again—I know you’re not thrilled to be here, but let’s try to make the best of it.”

---