Page 142 of Deadly Knight

He grimaces. “Poor guy’s in so deep, but nothing I say will help. I’m sure this will all get figured out. But…” He rears back, eyes glinting with the kind of danger only associated with Dimitri. “Talking about another man while you’re beneath meisn’t exactly my idea of peace. It’s our first night in our new house, and I plan on using every minute of it to show you all the ways I love you.”

He takes my hands into his, thumb brushing over the green ribbon around my wrist. Next week, I have a tattoo appointment booked to make it permanent. He brings the same arm up to his lips, nipping at the ribbon, and then my hand to kiss the engagement ring.

“These right here, Katya. This is my peace. You, this house, and our future. I love you. Then, now, and for the rest of our lives.”

“I love you, too. Forever and always.”

Safe.

Real.

Mine.

Earlier That Day

C:\Users\levp>shutdown /r /t 300 /e /c “Security Update” /m \\Bratva1

One.

Two.

Three.

The screen flashes as the main server reboots momentarily, letting the updates I downloaded earlier apply. The processes the server is in charge of are immediately adopted by the second server—the backup one—until the updates finish.

The door to the basement opens, whoever’s hovering about to threaten the peace I’ve found, and my finger begins tapping its typical pattern against my leg to ground myself. This task gives me something to focus on. Something thatisn’ta wedding due to take place in a few days.

Fucking christ.

If only I’d never?—

Whoever it is begins down the stairs. One, two, three… All the way to twelve. An even number; a comforting fact.

“Kill me.”

“Suicidal thoughts, Lev. Should we talk?” Dimitri comes up behind me, his steps across the room were too quiet. Or I was too lost in my head thinking about the wedding fromAd.

It’s been like that since I met her though. All my orderly thoughts and feelings have been made disorderly and messy. It’s unnerving and confusing as to why I enjoy it at all.

“I’m fine,” I grumble, watching the remote connection to the server begin booting back up. The window-in-window shows a black virtual screen, the server’s operating system logo flashing right before the progress bar appears, allowing me to track the update installation.

Ten percent.

“Sure you are.” Dimitri moves beside me, propping himself against my desk, even though he knows I hate people doing that. “You look like shit.”

“I feel it too.” The reminder has me reaching for the energy drink can nearby, only to find it depressingly empty.

Fifteen percent.

“Vanessa mentioned how she pieced it together.”

“If you’ve come to lecture me, Vanessa and my sister have done it plenty.”

“Nyet, I actually came to thank you for your help in Toronto and everything with Katya. As well as helping them find me.”

Twenty percent.

“Wouldn’t have without Katya.” She gave us answers for the address I tracked his cell to.