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A knock sounded on the door, and a soldier walked in.
“Pakhan, a friend of your wife, insists on speaking with you. She’s very persistent.” Judging by his pinched face, he’d unsuccessfully tried to get rid of whoever it was.
I was in no mood for one of her friends, and was about to wave him away, when Sokolov said, “She insists, you say? Please, let us meet this fearless creature.”
I nodded, and as soon as the soldier left the room, a whirlwind barged in. Mia’s face was like a thundercloud as she put her hands on her hips and glared at me. I hadn’t had much of a chance to talk with her yet, though Damon had done a background check on her, of course. The soldier who stood behind her looked stumped, so I waived him away.
It was the first time Mia had sought me out, and by the looks of her, it wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.
She made a beeline to my desk, ignored Sokolov, and pinned me with her stare.
“The only reason I’m here is because I love Katya,” she said, her voice tight. “I think she’d regret it if she kicked your ass to the curb just yet. Show her you give a damn, or you’re going to lose her. You know, like, prove to her you’re somewhat of a human being.”
Interesting. I had expected her to ream me, after which I would have possibly thrown her out the window, or gently asked her to leave. It could have gone either way. But I hadn’t expected this.
“And what do you suggest I do?” Other than locking Katya up in a room with me and bang her nonstop for a week.
“Show some damn empathy. Ever heard of the word?” Her eyes zoned in on Sokolov. “You must be the Russian asshole who wanted to kill my bestie.” Her eyes drifted back to me. “Why isn’t he dead yet?”
Sometimes I asked myself that very same question. “We came to an understanding.”
She huffed. “Well, come to understand this as well. My girl puts on a tough exterior, but she’s sensitive. Whatever you do, fix it, and fix it fast. It’s not like she’s a diamonds-are-a-girl’s-best-friend kind of girl. Katya is about people and connections. Figure out what she likes and give it to her, while showing you have a heart.”
After a final glare, she pivoted and left the room, not bothering to close the door behind her.
Sokolov stared after her, with an expression on his face that chilled me. It wasn’t homicidal rage, or lust, or anything that I could easily handle. No, it was interest. Which was the worst of all, ’cause as long as I’d known him, other than avenging his family, nothing had ever sparked his interest.
I gave him a dark look. “Don’t even think about it.”
Then he did something equally uncharacteristic. He grinned. Well, damn.
I didn’t have the time to ponder that. Not my monkey, not my circus. Mia did put a thought in my mind though. Katya was about connecting to beings, not to things. Then it hit me. A Trojan horse would be my way in.
***
My horse in this case was actually a cat. The day after the pool party Yuri found one, and got it up a tree in the backyard.
It didn’t take long before a group of people were huddled around the huge oak tree. I stood underneath it, pondering how to climb the tree to save the cat who was perched in it.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Katya hurrying over. Perfect. I took off my shirt and started to climb up.
It took me all of five minutes before I reached the feline. It took another fifteen before I managed to grab the hissing creature, which more resembled a ball of gray fluff than a cat. As a thanks for saving him, I earned three long scratches on my chest and one on my arm. It was clear the creature from hell loathed me. The feeling was mutual.
The moment I dropped to the ground with the cat in my arms, Katya dashed forward.
Did I get any thanks for my heroic efforts? Of course not. The cat hissed at me, and his claws almost gouged my eye out.
Katya gently took the demonic cat from my arms as if it needed saving from me. I wanted to tell her it was the other way around, but somehow didn’t think it would help my case.
“You poor thing,” Katya cooed, her eyes darting over to me, with a soft look in them. “How did you get up there?”
Through a wooden horse, love, through a damn wooden horse.
I hid my grin. For the first time in days, I felt like my world was right again. All I had needed was to be reminded that I was Kristoff Romanov and I always found a way.
8.
KATYA
