Page 12

Nikolai

I step out of the cabin, bracing myself against the sharp bite of the cold. The snow’s settled some, and it’s not as vicious as last night, but the ground’s still a frozen mess. Every step feels like wading through broken glass. I move quickly and check the perimeter, scouring the area for tracks or anything out of place. Can’t be too careful. Not with her here.

The traps I’d set before are rusted and useless. I toss them aside and start resetting new ones. I found just basic snares and alarms made from scraps around the cabin. It’s crude, but it’ll do the job. Anyone stupid enough to come this far will get their warning.

I shove my hands into my pockets, eyeing the tree line. Nothing but dead branches and snow. But that’s how it always is before someone makes their move. It’s not paranoia if they really are out to kill you.

When I’m satisfied nothing’s waiting to rip my head off, I head back inside. The cabin’s colder than I left it, but the fire’s still smoldering. She’s in the room, huddled under the thin blanket I tossed her way last night. The stubborn thing’s still shivering.

“You’re freezing,” I say, stepping over to her. She looks half-dead, face pale, lips cracked. But her eyes track me like she’s waiting for a blow.

“No shit,” she snaps, voice rough from sleep. “This place feels like a goddamn icebox.”

“That’s because it is.” I drop down beside her, the bed creaking under my weight. She doesn’t move away, just watches me with that wary look like I’m going to knife her in her sleep. “The heat is limited. Deal with it.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re like a damn furnace.” She shifts, trying to find some comfort in the lumpy mattress. “I’m pretty sure my toes are numb.”

“Then warm up,” I say, tugging her closer. She stiffens but doesn’t fight it. Smart girl.

“You’re just using me as a heater,” she mutters, but she burrows into my side anyway. “Not exactly what I imagined when I pictured revenge.”

“You expected something else?”

“I expected answers.” Her voice drops, something raw slipping through the cracks. “About Irina.”

“Still stuck on that, huh?”

“Wouldn’t you be?” She looks at me, eyes hard. “If it were someone you cared about?”

“Caring about people gets you killed.” It’s the truth. But her expression makes me wish I’d lied.

“Maybe.” She’s quiet for a moment. “But Irina didn’t deserve to just disappear. And you… you were there. You might know something.”

“I told you, I was hired to escort her. That’s it.”

“But you saw things. Heard things.” Her fingers tremble where they clutch the blanket. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“There’s plenty I’m not telling you.” I watch her, the way her gaze drops to my hands, the suspicion simmering just under her words. “But you’re right. I did see something.”

“So, tell me,” she insists, voice sharp. “Unless you enjoy dragging this out just to piss me off.”

“Not everything’s about you.” I tilt my head, letting the silence fester just to see her twitch. “Irina was talking to a man outside a club. One of the last times I escorted her. Didn’t think much of it at the time. He had a tattoo on his neck—a snake wrapped around a rose.”

“A snake…” Her voice trails off, eyes narrowing. “That’s not just a tattoo, is it?”

“No. It’s an insignia.” I rub my hands together, the cold seeping into my bones. “Belongs to a rival Bratva faction. The kind that dabbles in trafficking, extortion… and worse.”

She’s staring at me now, the disbelief giving way to something harder. “And you didn’t think to mention this sooner?”

“Didn’t think it was relevant.” I shrug. “And I didn’t care.”

“You didn’t care.” She repeats the words like they’re poison. “Even when you saw her talking to someone?”

“I was paid to keep her alive for those jobs. Nothing more. Didn’t matter who she talked to.” I shrug again, but the guilt creeps in. “But I remember her wearing something. A locket. Silver, with a symbol on the back.”

Her breath catches. “Irina’s locket.”

“You know it?”

“I found it at her apartment after she disappeared. The chain was broken. Like it had been ripped off.” Her fingers toy with the edge of the blanket, her knuckles white. “I didn’t recognize the symbol.”

“I did.” I pull out my phone, relieved when the signal bars flicker back to life. “It’s a Double-Headed Eagle. Old Russian symbol. A lot of Bratva factions use it. But this one… it’s different.”

“Different how?”

“It’s twisted. The wings look… clipped. Like they’re broken.” I scroll through old files, hunting for the one that matters. “Trafficking and extortion are their specialties. If Irina got tangled up with them, it’s not good.”

“But she was working for Kirill.” Katya’s voice shakes. “Why would she be talking to someone from a rival group?”

“Maybe she was playing both sides. Or maybe someone else was pulling the strings.” The truth clicks into place, a bitter taste in my mouth. “I’ll ask Kirill. See if he knows anything.”

“You’d do that?” Her suspicion returns, but there’s something else there, too. Hope. “Why?”

“Because you’re not going to leave me alone until you get your answer,” I say it like a joke, but the truth’s tangled up in there somewhere.

“And if you find something?” she presses.

“Then we deal with it.” I lean back, my shoulders pressing into the creaky headboard. “Together,” I say, but the word feels hollow. Not even a minute passes before I’m regretting it. “Or not. What the hell do I care? I’m here at Kirill’s orders, not to play hero for some girl’s fucked-up family drama.”

Katya’s eyes harden, the flicker of hope extinguished. “Right. I forgot. You’re only in this for yourself.”

“You didn’t forget.” I keep my voice flat, clinical. “You just wanted to believe I could be something I’m not.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m not here to hold your hand and play nice. I’m here because this might be tied to Kirill’s daughter.” I shift against the headboard, arms folded like I’m shielding myself from her words. “If this links back to her death, it’s my business. That’s all.”

Katya’s face goes still. No anger, no sadness. Just a blankness that pisses me off more than anything else. “Right. Because it’s not like we were just screwing each other senseless, right? It’s only ever business.”

“Don’t pretend it was more than it was.” I snarl. “You wanted a warm body to make you forget about Irina. I gave you that. Don’t act shocked now because I’m not offering you a fucking fairytale.”

“You’re right.” Her words come out cool and measured, but I can hear the fracture in them. “It was nothing. Just a distraction. I don’t know why I expected anything else from you.”

“Good,” I snap. “Keep it that way.”

She gives me a look, something brittle and resigned, like she’s already boxed me away in her mind as just another brute. Maybe she’s right. But it shouldn’t feel like I’ve been gutted by a rusted knife.

“Well, if we’re being honest,” Katya says, her tone sliding into something casual, even playful. “We’re stuck here in the snow, no way out until it clears up.”

“So?” I grunt.

“So.” She shifts closer, fingers tracing over my chest with a lazy sort of curiosity. “If all this is nothing, then we might as well enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Enjoy it how?” I ask, my eyes narrowing as she leans in.

“Like this.” She presses her palm flat against my chest, her touch deliberately slow, testing my patience. “You said it yourself. This isn’t about emotions or some twisted attempt at making things right. Just… distraction.”

“Distraction,” I repeat, tasting the word like it’s something bitter and sweet all at once.

“We’re trapped here.” She slides her fingers down, tracing the lines of my abs through the fabric of my shirt. “Might as well make the most of it.”

“You’re suggesting we just… screw each other until the snow melts?”

“You sure about that?” I tilt my head, letting my fingers brush her thigh, watching the way her breath catches. “Because if I take you up on this, I’m not playing it safe this time.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to. If you’re not holding back, then neither am I.”

“Is that right?” My hand slides over her thigh, gripping harder than necessary just to hear her little gasp. “Because I’ve got some ideas. And they’re going to make what we did before seem like child’s play.”

She shivers, but her gaze doesn’t falter. “You keep talking, Nikolai. But you haven’t shown me anything yet.” It’s a test. I can see that. She wants to prove something, to herself or to me—I can’t tell. But if she thinks I’m going to turn her down, she’s dead wrong.

I chuckle, letting my hand travel higher, fingers digging into her skin. “Careful what you ask for.”

“Why?” She leans in until her breath warms my neck. “You think I can’t handle whatever twisted thing you’ve got planned?”

I let my thumb graze the inside of her thigh. “I think you’ll beg me to stop. And then you’ll beg me to keep going.”

“Prove it,” she whispers, her lips grazing my ear.

My lips curve up. “Oh, I will. It will help you heal, in fact.”