Page 48 of Then We Shatter

There’s the tap-tap of Katarina’ long fingernails hitting her cell phone case. “You’re not talking, Shorty, and you always talk. Which means, you’ve either got another woman in your bed or there’s something you don’t want to tell me. Which is it?”

Of the two options, I have to consider which would result in a less painful death. It’s a close call. “There’s no woman getting into my bed or my pants except you, Kitty. You know I’m yours. Never question it.”

“Spill,” Katarina orders.

I’m not sure if she means spill the tea or spill blood. I’m dead either way. “Duke met Grace a year ago according to Rory. It was only a one-night stand, but Grace sneaked into the iceman’s heart. The Moncriefs refer to her as a legend, and they can’t wait to welcome her into the family.”

“Unlike me,” she says so quietly, I’m taken aback. It’s not the explosive response I was expecting. Katarina sounds dejected more than anything when she adds, “I’m not good enough for the Moncriefs of this world. Just the lowlife my uncle deals with.”

“You’re right, you’re not good enough. You’re better than any woman I’ve ever met. By a fucking mile.”

“And yet your family won’t be welcoming me with open arms either.”

“Katarina, I can promise you my dad would love you.”

“Would that be before or after he slits my throat?”

“That’d never happen. I wouldn’t let it.” Would I kill my own father to protect her? There’s a question I never thought I’d ask myself. The answer should be no, but as a vision forms of my father laying a hand on Katarina, my fingers tighten around my imaginary knife.

“It wouldn’t happen because you and I don’t have a future,” she reminds me. “We never did and we never will: and especially not after you kept quiet about Grace,” Her voice lowers with menace. “I swear, Killian McConkey, when I see you, you’d better hope I don’t have this mold of your cock in my hand because I’m going to shove it right up your fucking–”

“Are you holding it now, Kitty?” I ask, my voice suddenly husky as every muscle in my body tightens. “Are you stroking it?”

“Strangling it,” she corrects. “So, who do I have to kill for making the mold?”

A stupid grin pinches my cheeks. I like that I can predict some things. “I was in a private room on my own, thinking of you and only you when I got as hard as I am for you right now.”

“Did she make more than one?”

This is a question I wasn’t expecting. “I suppose it’s possible,” I admit. “But only you get the real thing.”

“It’s a nice thought, but you’ll move on. You have to.”

“Unless I kill Vasili. Because sooner or later, I will hunt him down and when I do, you won’t need to hide anymore.”

“But you’ll never be free, Killian. You keep forgetting that.” She doesn’t give me the chance to reply. “Just like you keep forgetting to tell me things. Why didn’t you tell me about Grace?”

“You’d already threatened Duke, and I didn’t think it was relevant.”

“I’m not buying it. Try again.”

I might just be the first man in history to run his fist along his shaft while being interrogated by a Barkov. “Fine. I didn’t want you to panic and bring forward your departure.”

“And why would I do that?”

Jesus. “Because if Vasili found out Duke had a significant other, he might cash in his chips in the US and put his money on a certain South African arsehole.”

Katarina’s silence is even more disturbing than a barrage of questions. My heart is in my throat and my dick starts to soften. I know what’s coming. I just don’t want to hear it.

“I have to leave.”

I jump out of bed again and start pacing, dick back in my boxers. “You see now why I didn’t fucking tell you? You don’t need to do anything hasty, Kitty. You don’t need to do anything. Leave it with me. I’m going to fix this. Grace, the legend, won’t be a problem for much longer.”

“You can’t kill her.”

“Why? Because she’s already on your list?” I remind her. I shake my head. “Neither of us are going to be killing her, but we do have other options.”

“Name one.”