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Viktor had only left Katia long enough to speak his mind before returning to her.
“Nice speech.”
Katia turned to the voice, surprised to see Viktor.
Our eyes connected, and I could see Viktor ready to continue but my attention shifted when Katia said, “Don’t harm the kid. He was the only one who stepped up after I pressured.”
“You can’t lose control, fratello. Not now.”
Not now.
I placed my gun behind my waist and took a deep breath as I stared at her wild eyes.
Not. Now.
“Don’t harm the kid?” I scoffed. “I think you did just fine, Katia. And he’s not a kid. He’s a made-man who made his own decision.”
“He wouldn’t even punch back!” Katia’s temper returned, and my demon twitched.
I was tired of seeing her in this room and the idea of her fighting with my men, I took a step forward and roared back. “As he shouldn’t have! And yet, it didn’t seem like that made you stop.”
Katia shook her head.
“Tell me, how many brawls with mafiosos have you encountered?”
She stepped back.
“Tell me, why did you act against my orders to stay out of this room?”
Her lips curled as her breathing grew unsteady with every inch of distance I removed from us.
“Tell me, Katia. Whose face did you see instead of the man you fought, huh?”
My fingertips snapped to her jaw, and I pushed her head high to watch her answer. The loud scratch of iron against concrete caused her eyes to fall, and I didn’t turn to the sound of the chair or the eyes that watched from afar.
I didn’t care, I had my answer.
Me. She wanted to cause me pain.
“Leave,” I warned Viktor, and he finally listened as I heard him step farther away from us. I tipped her head again. “I asked you a question.”
“You asked many.”
“Then answer me!”
“Too many brawls, Lucca. It’s how I learned to fight. My grandfather was right. It was vital for my life.” Katia snatched her face from my hold. “I’m thankful he did. If not, I would’ve been dead by now.” I tasted blood as she continued, “And I acted against your wishes because you’d gone against mine by keeping the arrival of my family and their stay from me. My god, you’ve had weeks to mentally prepare for the chaos. You only gavemea night!”
Katia’s palms extended over my chest, and she pushed her weight against me. Her force was weak as she tried shoving my body away. Resentful and enraged, she tried again, and this time, her palms formed into small fists.
“You gave me nothing!”
Struggling to see her breaking madness, I held one of her wrists between our bodies. Her arm fought to be freed, angering her further by the feeling of helplessness.
Tugging her close, I asked between my teeth, “Whose face did you envision, Katia?”
Katia pushed, and I pulled. She writhed, I held her tighter, and when she wouldn’t face me, Imadeher look.
And I saw them. The unshed tears that threatened her hatred rim-filled emeralds. The teeth that captured her bottom lip as it shook, and the slight twitch of her button nose. Katia was losing her fight to the battle of hurt she’d held inside.
