Page 89 of Bound By Revenge

“No!” I plant my feet, shoving my hands against his chest to stop him. “Nik,stop.”

His chest heaves under my palms, his entire body taut, ready to snap. “Kat,” he growls, his voice low and dangerous. “Move.”

“I’m not moving,” I fire back, locking eyes with him. “You’re not doing this. Have you completely lost your mind? You were just talking about how badly outnumbered we are. This ishishome. You pick a fight with him here, and you’ll get yourself killed.”

He smirks darkly. “I’ll take him with me. It’ll be worth it.”

Horrified, I gasp and grab the lapels of his jacket, yanking him back into the shadowed corner with me. It takes all my strength to drag his massive frame, but thankfully, he doesn’t resist—at least not much.

“How can you say something like that?” I whisper harshly, my voice breaking. “What about me? What happens to me if you get yourself killed in a fight with McGuire and his men?”

His frown deepens as he blinks rapidly, the crazed glint in his eyes dimming. “Kiska,” he sighs, his hand coming up to cradle my cheek. His thumb strokes softly over my skin as his dark eyes finally meet mine, their anger melting into something achingly tender. “No, no, don’t be upset. Please. I can’t stand to see you upset. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“What did you think would happen when you said you’d throw yourself at them? All by yourself, against dozens of men!” My voice trembles as I shake him by his jacket. “What were you thinking?”

His brows knit together, confusion flickering across his face. “I—I wasn’t thinking.”

“No kidding,” I mutter, exasperation lacing my voice. “I just don’t understand you sometimes, Nik.”

He exhales heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Since I met you, I don’t understand myself sometimes, either.” His shoulders rise and fall in a helpless shrug. “But can you really blame me? After everything that bastard has done, is it so surprising that I can barely stop myself from killing him?”

“Well, no,” I admit reluctantly, my tone softening just a fraction. “But there’s a reason you’ve held back this long. You don’t want to start a war, remember?”

His jaw tightens, his lips twitching into a grim, humorless smile. “Less and less by the minute.”

“Nik,” I growl through clenched teeth, giving him another sharp shake for good measure. “I can’t believe you’re riskingeverything you’ve worked for—everything we’ve worked for. Especially now, when we’re so close to nailing McGuire. I haven’t even told you what Erin said to me. That’s how crazy you’re acting.”

“You think I’m crazy now?” he snaps, his voice low and brimming with menace. “Wait until you see what I’ll do if I have to stand by and watch him flirt with you or touch you one more time.”

“What about Maxim?” I fire back, my voice rising. “What about your plan to make his killer pay? Have you forgotten all of that?”

That wild, unhinged look flashes back into his eyes, his jaw tightening. “No, I haven’t forgotten. But maybe I’ve had enough. Maybe I just want to watch it all burn, consequences be damned. If McGuire wants a war, maybe I’ll give it to him.”

“You don’t mean that,” I whisper, my breath hitching.

His brow arches, his eyes glittering dangerously. “You sure about that?” he asks, his voice dropping to a near growl. “Because I’m not.”

My chest tightens, my hands still clutching his jacket. “You wouldn’t do that,” I say softly. “You wouldn’t do that to your men. They trust you. You’re theirpakhan.”

His lips twitch into a bitter smile. “Maybe I’m tired of always being thepakhan. Maybe I want to be just a man for once.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

His burning gaze locks onto mine, molten and raw. He leans in slowly, his forehead pressing against mine, his breath hot and unsteady. “As thepakhan, I have to think of others,” he murmurs. “I have to put their needs above mine. But if I was nothing but a man, I could take what I want. What Ineed. And tell the rest to go to hell.”

My breath catches at the rawness of his words. “What do you need and want so badly,” I whisper, my voice barely audible, “that you’d risk your life for it?”

His eyes never leave mine, blazing with unrestrained emotion as he answers. “You,” he says simply. “Right now, I need to take you away from this place and make you mine. Until there’s no doubt in your mind—or anyone else’s—that you belong to me. Until you understand that I’d burn the whole world down if it meant keeping us together.

The weight of his confession steals my breath. I can only stare at him, words lost.

Without another word, Nik closes the space between us and kisses me.

Chapter 34

Kat

Nik’s kissisn’t gentle—it’s raw, demanding, like he’s been holding back for far too long. His mouth moves against mine with a desperate hunger, and when his tongue sweeps into my mouth, he groans low, tasting me like he’s starving.

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