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“We are.” Katya shrugs like this is all no big deal, like Ididn’tjust riddle my wall with bullets.
“I have to go see a cardiologist to make sure I didn’t have a heart attack just now.” Griffin keeps his eyes off me. “I’m checking in with the guards. Meet me down there.”
“10-4, Quinlan,” I say, not covering up. It’s my damn house! “Get someone to come up here and patch these holes.”
“Aye,” Griffin says, leaving and not looking back.
Katya comes up beside me, gawking at my new bullet-riddled wall. “Nice shot. Good grouping.”
I stare down at her again, amazed at how nothing scares her. “Are you hungry?”
“I am.” She nods.
“Let’s get dressed, and I’ll take you out for breakfast.” I think my word is final, but I catch Katya touching her face.
“Um.” Pain shows in her eyes.
I halt my steps. “Unless you’re concerned being seen with bruises.” Not that anyone would think I gave them to her. It’s well known how we treat our women.
She straightens her spine. “No. I don’t mind. I’m sure what’s happened has gotten around the city. I won’t hide.”
I stroke her hair. “Good girl.”
“I’ll go put some clothes on.” She looks down. “That aren’t so messy.” With mischief in her eyes, she saunters down the hall toward her bedroom.
I get to my room and dress easily since most of my clothes are black. Black pants, black shirts, and a long trench coat. But it’s July, so I swap out a white T-shirt and a light jacket. I never leave home without two guns and a knife, so I always need some kind of coat.
I return to the living room to find Katya dressed in a light green dress with a cute denim jacket over it. Her hair is in a high ponytail and when she turns to me, she smiles with a face full of bruises sitting on her skin like a badge of honor.
I need a tough woman, and fuck, she’s made of iron.
I steer her to a short breezeway that leads to my garage. I use my phone to unlock the door and it opens with a sigh. The smell of rubber greets me as overhead lights flash on in succession, brightening the three-bay garage.
“We’ll take this car for breakfast.” From my phone, I pull up the Vette’s icon and start the engine. It hums to life.
“Wow, a Corvette.” She sounds so enthusiastic, it’s fucking addicting. “You fit into this?”
“I had it specially built for me.” I step to the passenger side and open the door for her. Before Katya gets in, I say, “I always open this door for you. Do you understand? Getting in and out.”
“So chivalrous.”
“That and it might be unsafe. I don’t expect you to see what I see. To watch out for danger the way I do. That’s my job. Not yours. I protectyou.”
“Like I said, chivalrous.” She gets in and strokes the leather dash. “This is gorgeous.”
“It is now.” I run a hand across her shoulder. “Now that you’re in it.”
“Thank you.” She sounds sad.
“What?”
“Do you really find me attractive, or are you just being nice?”
Her question hits me. “I don’t find you attractive.”
She exhales, fingering her bruised lip. “That’s okay. You clearly didn’t marry me for my looks.”
That’s a minefield because she’s right. I planned to marry her because she was being sold to that disgusting prick. I decided tokillhim when I saw her fucked-up face.
