Page 50 of The Enemy's Defector
I didn’t really care about those things. I had no close friends or people to have as a guest at a ceremony, except Joann. I never cared about dresses and designer gowns, preferring practical attire that wouldn’t impede me from being on my laptop and at the screen.
“The officiant will have a couple of rings for us, but we can renew vows or whatever and have custom ones made. Or use something in the family vault.”
Again, I didn’t care. All that mattered was that I was marrying him and I could lean on the faint hope that he might love me one day.
Just like we had on the way here, we were quick on our feet and cautious of our surroundings. I didn’t bother to ask any more questions because his answers about any details wouldn’t matter. Being quiet and critical of the way we went, I tried not to be so tense and distracted by this gnawing ache in my heart.
He could come to love me yet.
We could build on this.
Stop being so damn picky and greedy and worrying about love.
This is life-or-death.
This is about survival.
Survive first then ask him about his feelings.
I rolled my eyes at my inner monologue and did my best to dispel this funky mood.
I’m marrying Nikolai Ivanov. This will work out, one way or another!
He led me toward the second floor of what seemed to be a busy apartment building. After living in the seclusion at the mansion, then being on the run and staying in isolated hideouts with Nik, it seemed so weird to re-enter society. It felt strange to tiptoe this close to others again. People resided here. Lives were carrying on like usual in all these apartments. I smelled meals being cooked. The stench of boiled cabbage bothered my nose that was so much more sensitive with my pregnancy. The sounds of TVs, music blaring, and children screaming in play. It all bombarded me, almost serving to wake me up tolife. I hadn’t realized I needed a reminder that the earth still spun regardless of the chaos in my mind and my life.
But I appreciated it and kept my head held high as Nik guided me toward an apartment on the fifth floor, near the end of the hallway.
He knocked three times and the door was opened. As soon as we were given clearance to enter, an Ivanov soldier smiled at Nik.
“Nikolai…” he greeted with a sly chuckle. “I knew you were alive.”
“Of course, I was,” Nik replied smugly, rolling his eyes as he walked further in the narrow hallway. “I gave my brothers a code every day to prove it.”
While I walked in behind him, he held my hand. The soldier lowered his gun, clearly there as a lookout, but as soon as he saw me fully, he raised his firearm and scowled.
“What the?—”
Nik deflected him, smacking his hand down in a chop before the soldier could ever aim the gun toward me at all. “Don’t ever threaten her again.”
“Nikolai. A Kozlov?” He held both hands up in a truce, leaving the gun to dangle from his finger. Shaking his head, he was slow to comprehend. He obeyed but didn’t seem to know why. “What’s going on?”
“Exactly what I asked you to arrange for,” Nik replied coolly, leading me further into the room toward the older man who stood near a pair of windows. It seemed to be his home, this officiant. Another Ivanov guard stood near the white-haired stranger, but this soldier didn’t make the same mistake as the first did. He didn’t touch his gun.
“You’re marryingher?” the second soldier asked.
I sighed and began to shake my head.
“No, none of that, Katerina,” Nik warned.
“I didn’t say anything,” I replied as he indicated for me to face him near the officiant.
“I heard it anyway. That sigh.”
I smirked at him as he held my hands. “Nik. It’s not going to work.” I shrugged one shoulder to gesture at his guards. “They’re already suspicious of me.”
“Fuck them.” He turned to glare at both of the men, who had the grace to lower their gazes. I wasn’t convinced that they were contrite or apologetic at all, just wise to avoid Nik’s scorn directly.
“Your family and your men will always see me as the enemy?—”
