Page 105 of Deadly Knight

She glances over her shoulder, to where Vanessa’s leaning on the doorway to her office, observing. Unfortunately for Katya, she’s always been a shit liar, and her mask falters what she attempts to hide; the lie peeking out.

“No.”

Bullshit.

“Fine.” I move aside and she immediately goes to rush away, but a quick jerk of my hand stops her. Scared eyes meet mine, her face flushing red as I lower my head, brushing my nose alongside hers. “Run. Leave me. Chase the future you think you want. I’ll be here when you realize what you truly need.”

Seconds after releasing her, the mansion’s front door slams shut. I don’t chase her, not worried about how she’ll get herself home because of what Vanessa said. The driver will take her to the plane, and the pilot will return her to Toronto on their Pakhan’s orders.

Vanessa strides from her doorway. “What now?”

“She lied. She loves me. So, I’ll play the next round on her terms. I’ll give her a few weeks before putting myself in her path once more. Let her process everything that happened here.”

Vanessa snorts. “Man, you should talk to Zeno more often. You two come up with the same damn plans. What if she still claims to not want you?”

“That’s not an option.”

I spin on my heel and head for my bedroom.

Days pass,and as much as I hate admitting it, I needed the week as much as Katya did. It might have taken a few days to realize what she was actually saying to me when she was spouting her points about choice.

My father took the choice of her breakup away, and the only thing she felt safe to do was escape.

My father took the choice of her future away when he used her once again to lure me out of hiding.

I took her choice away when I kidnapped her while searching for him.

I took her choice away by demanding she remain with me.

She’s only ever been tied down by me and the Bratva, so of course she’s wanting to come to terms with everything at her own pace.

But I’m impatient and waiting another decade won’t be an option.

After spending most of the week constructing a plan to be with her on her own terms, I enter the meeting room where the Pakhan always holds meetings with the Elite. The same room Vanessa claimed her crown within, and I first swore my oaths to her.

Inside, Vanessa’s seated at the head, Anastasia to her left. I take my usual seat by her right, noting the empty chair beside me.

“Lev still in Rome?”

Vanessa nods. “I’ll call him later if there’s any important updates he should be aware of. On that note, he’ll be there for a while.”

She launches into organization updates, including a few deals she has in place. The most notable for a new weapon not yet released to markets, being developed by a Polish company who offered it first to us in hopes of gaining a contract.

Anastasia comments on the brothels and shares updates from Lev, noting the security updates he pushed through all systems controlled by the Bratva before leaving for Rome.

It’s my turn to speak, and I catch everyone up on the few things I’ve been doing since Katya’s absence. Mainly, setting things into motion for the future while trying not to reflect on how much I’ve missed doing my duties. Chasing my father around the world prevented me from doing my main job.

Before Vanessa ends the meeting, I gesture, noting I have one more thing to say. The two women turn their attention towards me.

I stand, tossing my gun, along with my vows, onto the table in front of my Pakhan. “I’m out.”

Silence for a few beats before Vanessa reacts. She jumps to her feet, pushing the gun across the table, scarred with age and blood, back near me. “Nyet.No, don’t pull this shit. Don’teversay that again.”

She has to choose one of two paths: end my life for breaking my oaths or brand me as a traitor, which guarantees I’ll never be allowed back here. This mansion will no longer be my home, either way. Vanessa, Lev, and Anastasia could no longer contact me. It’ll be as if I’m dead. Which, to the Bratva, is exactly what I’ll be.

“You know what this means, Dimitri.”

“I do. I also know the decision you have to make. I’m taking a risk by hoping you choose the better of them.”