party, that Nikolai jumps to the conclusion I should have first.
“You are eavesdropping! Sneaky whore, come here,” he snaps.
Kitty pales, her lipstick the only color on her face. I have the wherewithal to pour the stones back into the bag and tuck it away, but then she is beside us, cowering in fear. And my hackles are raised.
I don’t know what she was doing, but I don’t like her terror. I need some answers.
“What are you doing, Kitty?” I demand, my voice harsh and biting.
She shakes a bit. “Nothing, I just . . . you said to give you a minute, so I was waiting. For you.” She looks up at me, and I can see honesty in her eyes, but there’s something else. She pushes the drink in her hand toward me. “I got you this.”
Nikolai’s fury is rolling off in waves, though his cold demeanor is what is truly terrifying. “Nyet, she’s is spying, eavesdropping as we discuss business. What did you hear?” he challenges.
“Nothing,” she says, but even I can hear the lie in the word. She was listening, and my first instinct is to eliminate her because of it . . . but something in her eyes stays my hand.
Nikolai looks at me, not so influenced. “She must be dealt with. There is no telling what she has overheard, and more importantly, it is about respect.”
He spits the word like it means something great to him, though I know he truly means fear. “It is your territory so I will defer and let you handle it, or I would welcome the honor to take care of her myself.”
But his eyes flick to Kitty, tracing down her body as he leers at her, and every cell in my body wants to gouge his eyes out for daring to look at her. He goes as far as lifting his hand, running the rough back along her jaw. “Yes, I will kill you, but I will make your last moments sweet. I promise you that, whore.”
Rock. Hard place. And I’m stuck in the middle.
I don’t know Kitty, certainly don’t trust her, but I can’t let Nikolai take her, knowing the ugly fate he’ll give her. Not when there’s something buzzing here between us.
But I have questions, so many questions. Perhaps I can get those answers in a way that doesn’t result in Kitty’s death at Nikolai’s hand.
Her eyes are pleading with me, her breath jagged, but when a small whimper escapes as she waits for me to declare her fate, my mind is made up.
Stupid or not, I jump in.
With a put-upon sigh, I glare at Nikolai and then to Kitty, standing tall and letting every bit of power I wield into my countenance.
I scold her, “What are you doing? I told you to give me a moment and I fucking meant it. You will be punished for your disobedience, Kitty.” I sound like a disappointed father, like a dark romance movie version of a Dom, but the act is enough to get my gist across.
Her eyes flash fire for a moment, but then she sees my demand that she go along with this fantasized kinky tilt to our nonexistent relationship.
She demurely says, “I’m sorry, sir. I was only trying to be good and wait nearby for you to be ready when you wished to return to the party.”
I swear I can hear the quiver in her voice and the urge to curtsy, like some days-past princess. It gives me an idea, a dirty and delightful one.
“Your desire to be close to me has resulted in your interruption of an important meeting. Kneel and apologize.” I’m pushing it, but this needs to be good or Nikolai might just kill her right here and now. He’s done much worse for far less of an infraction.
Beside me, Caleb’s eyebrow lifts, but that’s it. I’m sure if we were in private, he’d be laughing his ass off and asking me what was running through my head, but with Nikolai here, his eyebrow is his only betrayal of his inner thoughts.
Kitty stumbles as she hesitantly tries to lower herself in her heels and dress, and I fight the desire to help her as her right knee smacks into the ground. Punishment should not be easy or kind.
She drops her chin, speaking clearly to the floor. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“And to Mr. Romanov.”
She glances up, eyes meeting Nikolai’s boldly. “I am sorry, Mr. Romanov.” Her chin droops again as she waits for my next order,