Jessie took a deep breath in…then he told the pair exactly what happened. Every moment, every beat, every word. And as Jessie explained the magic contract ripping Pierre apart, Nikolai stood awkwardly in his own skin.How does this even happen…and not even Jessie or I…damn, even Knox? How does a guy like Knox not know?
And how do we figure out who he is? Quickly.
Chapter Thirty:
~Katarina~
KatarinaheldIsabellatight,staring at the dark of Nikolai’s room for most of the night. She didn’t get a wink of sleep as she played the problem over in her head like an unending puzzle that continuously lost a piece before she put it together. Gill waspossiblyout. Her in-laws wanted to fight for custody. There was some guy named The Executive coming after Jessie. Even while her child snored away, happy as a bug in a warm, fuzzy rug, Katarina fussed with the problem till the bedroom door creaked open at five am. Nik poked his head in, and the pair caught gazes in the hazy morning light.
“Can’t sleep?” he murmured.
Katarina shook her head.
“Come on,” he nodded back toward the hall before creeping back out with his overalls in hand. Katarina slithered out from behind her baby and tiptoed out the door with Nik. She spared a glance to find Isabella still wrapped firmly around Barnibus. With a deep inhale, she followed her silent boyfriend down the stairs into the kitchen. He opened a cabinet near the sliding door and pulled out two pairs of boxing gloves, tossing her a pair.
“What?” She whispered with a little laugh.
“Sometimes you just gotta punch stuff…this makes it hurt less.” Nik winked at her before shuffling out into the yard. “I got an hour before I gotta brush the tusks and pull on the overalls.”
“Oh, Nik, I don’t want to interrupt your morning routine.”
“Pfft,”Nik shook his head, “my normal routine starts in fifty minutes. Couldn’t sleep, thought about going in early to work.”
“Then let’s work-”
“Let’s punch stuff first.” Nik grinned, putting up his mitts to the air. “Let’s see what you got, or can you only whoop ass with a tire iron?”
Katarina chortled, tugging the gloves tight around her wrists with her teeth. “Oooooh, that’s it. You’re going in a bruised bugbear.”
“Whole lotta talk for—”
Nik jerked out of the way, grinning from floppy ear to floppy ear as Katarina swung at him. She swung again, causing him to dance from foot to foot. Katarina chased him across the yard, losing herself to the movement. With every jab, Nik floated just out of reach, egging her on with a simple wiggle of his eyebrows. It wasn’t till the backdoor whooshed open and a sleepy-eyed Jessie and Isabella stepped out that she even realized they’d worked up a sweat. Jessie ducked out of the doorway, Isabella rubbed her face against his head to wipe away the crusties.
“Momma angry?” Isabella blinked slowly into the ruby light climbing over the trees of King’s Fall.
“Ah—Bug! No, Momma’s not angry. Nik and I were exercising.”
“I wanna!” Isabella fake boxed between Jessie’s horns, making small ‘pew-pew’ sounds as she swung on the air.
“Careful there, Bug, don’t wanna take Nik out,” Jessie laughed. He sauntered up to the sweaty pair of lovers, taking Katarina by the back of the head. She happily leaned into the kiss, humming with delight against his lips.
“Momma kiss!”
She didn’t even think about it. When she glanced up at Isabella leaning over the top of Jessie’s head, she saw her child smiling down at her.
“Yeah, I did,” Katarina wheezed, breathlessly as she studied her daughter’s face. “How does that make you feel?”
Isabella shrugged. “Beckfast?”
Katarina doubled over, hands to her knees, laughing so hard it made her limbs weak. She only caught sight of Jessie sneaking Nik a kiss before the large man jostled Isabella for a shriek of delight. Jessie chortled, sauntering away from the pair, “Breakfast sounds perfect.”
“I gotta head in. Finish that engine,” Nik pressed a kiss to the back of her sweaty head. He helped hoist her back up straight before whispering. “Now would be a good time to talk to Blightwood about that Gill problem.”
Katarina sobered up in a moment as Nik pressed a kiss onto her cheek.Shit.She needed to do that today. The school made it apparent that Gill and his preferences for pickup were just as valid as hers. And while it was the weekend, and she didn’t have to worry…Monday would come soon enough.
I need to talk to the big man. I need to protect her. I need to ensure he stays away.
So, while the boys got dressed and Isabella sleepily chased marshmallows in her cereal bowel, Katarina called up Sera. They had a mission…and Katarina was going to need to support. The kind a best friend who isn’t afraid to get arrested for biting an Enforcer could offer.
