Page 65 of Deadly Knight (The Bratva’s Elite #2)

The door to my apartment opens and her draw, her energy, is instant as she enters, even though there’s a wall separating us. Katya and Anastasia murmur a few things back and forth before their steps approach my room. Vanessa glances up from her phone in time for them to appear in the doorway.

Katya’s attention flits straight to me, her expression saying what her mouth isn’t. In my peripheral vision, I notice Vanessa standing up and she and Anastasia leave, shutting the door behind them.

“You’re awake,” she breathes, slowly approaching the bed, yet still too far away for my liking.

I won’t reach for her, even when I crave nothing more. Before my capture, the last time we were face-to-face, she ran, claiming to not love me. A lie we’re both aware she told, but one she either needs to uphold or let die.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better now that you’re here.”

A hint of a smirk pulls at her mouth. “Cheesy.”

“Worked, didn’t it? Where’d you run off to?”

“To see my boss and then my parents. To quit my job and tell them I’m moving back to Russia.”

My mind blanks, all except the few words I’ve longed to hear for so damn long.

Moving back to Russia…

To home.

Fuck this. Now, I can’t help myself from grabbing onto her, to tugging her onto the bed until she topples over me with a giggle, trying to adjust her weight so she’s not pressing on my battered body.

While my bruises agree with her, my dick and heart think otherwise and I lock her thighs into place on top of me.

“Katya.” I chew her name around in my mouth, trying to formulate my next few sentences; to figure out how to say what I need to before demanding everything from her.

“My unfortunate trip to the past made me realize exactly why you left. Rewatching it, hearing it all over…made me see what I was unable to before. Why you ran then, and why you did a month ago. You never asked to be protected. You wanted to forget, and whether I liked it or not, we were a living reminder to one another. Some, like a therapist”—a tap beneath her chin breaks the seriousness for a second—“might say it was an unhealthy dependence. If that’s how you feel, I’ll respect it.

” I won’t like it, and my fingers dig into her hips, contradicting my words.

“I’ve never been able to let you go, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to…

but I’ll stop, if that’s what you want. If it’s what you need. ”

“Did you not hear what I just said? I’m done living here.”

“I did, but before allowing myself to think this is real, tell me why. What changed?”

Her hand trails up my chest, hovering over but not touching the yellowing marks.

“I believed it was best for us both if we weren’t together, because I wasn’t the person you needed—and before you argue—you know it was the truth.

Think about it. If I never left, would you have become the man you are today?

Would you be the Bratva’s second?” Her eyes flick up to mine, swirling with futures unknown.

“Maybe not, and I wouldn’t change the man you are now for anything.

I left because I wasn’t good for you or your world.

I left because I believed I wasn’t strong enough to handle everything.

I worried what it might mean having you back in my life, when it wasn’t the same as when we were kids, but truth is, I’ve been missing you every day for the past month.

When Vanessa called, I had to help. Not out of guilt or anything, but because the thought of you being harmed ruined me.

You said you understand my feelings; well, I now see yours— needing to see the other person safe.

Because that’s what I felt. It drove me more than air, food, and sleep.

Seeing you like this”—she cups my cheek—“it hurts , Dimitri. It really does. But it also proves that we were attacked when together, and we were attacked when apart. I’d much rather deal with anything else that comes for us together , as a couple, than experience it apart.

I love you. I’ve never stopped loving you.

I convinced myself I had, only to stay away. ”

Her explanation barely dies on her tongue before I’m hauling her to my chest, tangling my hands into her hair, longing to do the very thing I’ve been missing every fucking second since she ran from the mansion.

“I need you to choose, Katya, ’cause if you change your mind later on, you’ll officially have killed me. Choose now, before I never let you go.”

“I’m choosing you,” she whispers, and I seal her agreement with a scorching kiss, the taste of her exploding on my tongue. She pushes me away almost immediately, her cheeks flushing red. “Your cousin and Ana are out there.”

“I don’t give a fuck. They can deal,” I shout the last part, and judging by their chortles, they’ve heard me. “Tell me again,” I murmur, flicking stray hairs away from Katya’s forehead. “Tell me you’ve chosen me.”

“I’ve chosen us . Finally. I love you, Dimitri.”

She said it often when we dated as teenagers, and I was stupid then. Didn’t realize I’d one day have to go without it, and like an addict with a fixation, her reminding me of her feelings, is my drug. Every day, all day, I want—no, need —to hear her.

“I visited my parents to let them know I’ll be moving back to Russia.

They’re staying here because they’ve settled well.

Work has my two-week notice. I figured it’ll be that long until you’re on your feet again anyway.

Then I need to give notice to my landlord.

” Eyes sparkling, she gazes into mine. “Here’s my notice, Volkov. ”

“Only the owner,” I correct. “Hired a management company to oversee all that shit.”

She laughs and it’s the lightest feeling I’ve had in a long damn time. Much better than the endless screams echoing in my head from being chained to the chair. Her laughter alone is healing.

“Still can’t believe you own this place.”

“I’ll sell it if you’re leaving. Or perhaps we can keep it so we’ll have somewhere to stay when visiting your parents. I’ll maintain the rent on yours, put mine on the market.”

“That’s silly.” She shakes her head. “Hotels exist for a reason. Besides, my parents have a spare room we can use.”

Given the things I plan on doing to their daughter on a daily basis, their guest room isn’t the answer.

“I can’t believe this conversation.”

“I can.” My arm tightens around her waist. “We should have had it ten years ago.”

Her expression falls six feet under. “Sorry.”

“I’m not. We’ve grown, Katya. We became who we had to be. Now, you’re a kickass woman meant to be by my side.” I pause, wondering how she’ll feel about me bringing up the next subject. “Heard you protected yourself.”

Unblinkingly, she replies, “I’m not sorry. He was coming for me and Vanessa. He worked for the people who took you. Hurt you. He deserved to die. I only wish I was the one to do it. It felt nice to protect myself rather than be attacked.”

With her explanation, all previous fears of her being in danger are swept away by her self-acceptance and willingness to fight when required.

“Moy malen'kiy zadira.” My little badass. “You defended yourself and did amazing at it too.”

Pink taints her cheeks. “I’d like to not make it a regular occurrence, but it was necessary.”

It’ll never happen again. It’s the vow I make to both her and myself. She’ll never have to defend herself like that again, because I’ll be the one taking the bloodshed.

Nevertheless, I’d be dumb not to cover all our bases.

“You’ve been taking self-defence classes and they clearly paid off.

In Moscow, I’d be more than happy to continue training you.

Weapons lessons, as well, would be beneficial, so you’ll have a few ways to defend yourself, should the worst happen.

If you’re not comfortable with me doing it, we can ask Vanessa or Ana. Ana especially lives for this stuff.”

“That’d be good. I, uh, never practiced with a man before. For comfort reasons, so you might have to go gentle for a bit while I figure out how to take down someone of your stature.” She makes a point of looking me up and down.

I link my hands into hers, bringing one between us and laying a kiss on her knuckles. “ Moya dusha , you did that already. At least with me, I won’t actually hurt you.”

She opens her mouth to say more but a loud knock followed by Vanessa’s face appearing interrupts us. “If you two are almost done, this food smells fucking amazing, so if you’re not going to eat it, we will.”

Katya slides off me and stands beside the bed. “Anastasia and I picked up Thai on our way home. You need something to eat and soup’s probably the best, so I ordered you pho from one of my favourite restaurants.”

With her help, I unsteadily get to my feet and swipe a shirt from my duffle bag. After shrugging it on, she leads me into the kitchen, which has almost never been used in all my years of staying here. When I eat, it’s normally takeout on the couch.

Across my island, Anastasia has plates never before used spread out. There’s a large plastic takeout bowl of pho soup on one end that Katya directs me to.

“Should you be standing?” Vanessa asks as I pick up a spoon and use the counter to take most of my weight.

“I didn’t exactly stock this place with chairs. It’s fine. Worst case, there’s a couch.”

Katya moves beside me with her own plate of food, and Vanessa and Anastasia stand across from us, both with theirs. Vanessa gestures between us with her fork. “Back together for good then? Katya, will you be coming home on the jet with us?”

She shakes her head, and immediately I’m irritated with the realization that she has a life to wrap up here and I must be patient while she does so. With Corsetti having a record of exactly who is in the country, he’ll be monitoring to ensure every one of us goes back—me included.

“No. I have two more weeks of work to tie up, a friend to say goodbye to, plus packing an apartment’s worth of stuff.”

“We can take whatever back with us,” Anastasia offers. “That way, when you’re ready it’ll be less to move.”

“And of course,” my cousin interjects, “when you are ready to leave for good, don’t worry about flights or shipping companies. I’ll send the plane.”

Katya beams. “Thank you. And yeah, actually, that sounds good. Later, I’ll go up and pack as much as I can; I have some stuff I won’t be needing.”

I eat more of my soup to hide my irritation, because it means she’ll be heading upstairs later while I’ll probably be too weak to pass the threshold.

“How long do I have?”

Vanessa stares at me when answering. “’Til tomorrow. Since Dimitri’s up on his feet, we need to head back before we wear out our uncomfortable welcome from the Corsettis.”

“I’m not leaving without her.”

“You don’t have a choice.” Vanessa’s tone turns sharp, her eyes narrowing in that look she gets when she’s enforcing demands. “Corsetti has men waiting outside to ensure we stay inside until leaving for the plane.”

“It’s true,” Anastasia mumbles around food. “They tailed us when I brought Katya to work and her parents’ house.”

“They did?” Katya’s brows ripple, her disturbed and concerned look makes obvious where her worries went.

“Nico doesn’t trust us, and I get it,” Vanessa continues.

“They know how many Bratva members are in this building, and if all but one comes out, I’d rather not test his kindness.

Returning in a few days might be a different matter, considering you’ve done it for a decade, but he also might be on higher alert for a while.

Either way, he has to see you physically leave the country, no exceptions. ”

I don’t like it at all. Not so soon after I was targeted. Even with Mikhail and Andrei gone, who knows what’s next, who’ll go after Katya once she’s unprotected.

Recognizing my anxiety, Katya knocks her shoulder into mine. “I’ll be fine. I’ve survived many years without you here every minute of the day, remember?”

Not by choice. Duties took me away more often than I care to admit.

“If not me, can one of the men stay here and guard her until she moves?”

Vanessa’s silent response is my answer.

“Fuck. Fine,” I concede with a grumble. “Only because I know you can wield a knife.”