Welp folks. Here is the next small bit to this story! I am forcing myself to work on it. Promise. I'm kind of stalled out for some reason on pushing the plot forward. I know how I want it to end. But I think the darkness and somewhat uncomfortable situations are keeping me from pushing it that way. Kind of want everyone's opinions on what they'd like to see so I can weigh that against what I have typed already.
Anyway! Enjoy!
aaaaaa
"Call."
"Check."
"Check."
"Raise."
"That's it! She's going to end up having my entire week's income!" Vanya dropped his hand to the table and shoved the last of his chips to the pot, trying to hide the smirk from lifting the corners of his mouth. They had all been intensely playing hand after hand, money piling up- granted no one was really betting or expecting to pay up at the end of the game.
"You expected an easy go of it against an Irishmen?" Anton chuckled and lifted the corner of his cards up to check the face values, "Check raise." He tossed a couple of larger valued poker chips on the pile before sliding a few over to Vanya so he could keep playing.
"Just because I'm Irish…" Kate grumbled lifting her new card and tucking it behind the ones in her hand. Her eyes scanned over the numbers and selected the ones she wished to discard, shuffling them around in her hand before placing them face down.
"Ah! But you sit at a Russian card table!" Aleksei tisked rolling a chip between his fingers, drumming his others on the smooth plastic tabletop. He slowly scanned the faces of his fellow men looking for their tells.
"The house usually wins…" Georgi slid his discard pile toward the used deck and nodded at Anton to deal out the fresh cards.
"Tell that to Miss Beginners Luck!" Vanya crossed his arms and waited for the next round of betting to begin.
"Oh, I don't think I need luck to win at cards." Kate snorted as the guys started laughing, "Alright boys, final bets."
"Final? I think someone's got a tell!" Anton chucked and pointed a finger in Kate's direction, "See the way her eyes ever so slightly shrink? Yes! Like that!"
"Or it's her way of being annoyed at you." Georgi rolled his eyes knowing exactly what gave Kate away. He had spent more time in her personal space the last few days that he could almost read her exhaustion and deflecting signs that she was wanting to avoid heavy subjects. The card game had eased some of the tension from her shoulders, but he knew there was something else there under the surface that had her on edge. But he would continue to lighten the mood and keep her happy.
"I'm the favorite." Anton jabbed his thumb back at himself before tossing a couple of chips on the ever-growing pile in the center of the table.
"No! I am!" Aleksei threaded his fingers together over his cards and glared at Anton across from him.
"Just because she grabbed your gun doesn't make you the favorite." Sergei hid his smile behind his hand as he rested his elbows on the table, "My bet is Georgi."
"It's about to be no one…" Kate huffed trying to pin them all with a mild glare, but really was having too much fun to care. They joked, poked fun at one another- it was like having her brothers at the dining room table again… Before all hell would break loose and a fight would ensue. Their laughter and easy banter had done wonders to shove the looming question back to the recesses of her mind.
It wasn't that she was counting down the seconds till Kenny took back over… It was that she was starting to enjoy the people involved with the Bratva and everything that came with the title. She was making friendships, meaningful ones, and she didn't want to lose them once Kenny came back into power. Even the knowledge that people wanted her and Niko dead was getting easier to not dwell on the longer they stayed within their temporary roles.
Temporary.
The word left behind a slew of mangled emotions.
The second the ring slid on Niko's finger she clung to the term, temporary, now she didn't want their newfound lives to end. She was happy.
And the dread that enjoyment spread through her was getting harder to ignore. The last session with her therapist replayed over in her mind.
'You are becoming violent...' Kate desperately tried to stop and snap out of it- to pay attention to the joke Vanya was telling or figure out why Sergei was pointing down the table at Georgi, or why Aleksei was rubbing his eyes in a show of exasperation- but her therapist's voice echoed loudly in her thoughts and cut her feeble hold on reality.
"Like your family… Or like the man who had been protecting you? Or, and what's even more possible- Violent like Niko?
Ever since he came into your life, you've been slowly letting go of everything you used to keep close. You never wanted to live the life of crime like your brothers. You never wanted to associate with their friends due to the repercussions that came with it. And look what happened because you caved and decided to take his call.
People don't change. You know this. It's not the person who changes, it's the circumstances that change.
You told me he was going to give up the life of crime. If that is the case where is he right now?"
Kate sat rigidly upright on the armchair and rolled her neck to alleviate the darker thoughts. She wasn't wanting to deal with her life's dilemma. She was going to keep shoving the thoughts to the side and powering through everything- For if she stopped long enough, she would break. The laughter from the guys at the table refocused her eyes and she glanced at Georgi at her side when he dramatically placed a hand to his heart.
"But! But! There has to be a favorite! Tell them Kate!" Georgi playfully whined before dissolving into a round of laughter as the guys broke down in tears from cackling too hard. Fists hit the table as they tried to contain themselves. It had been years since they had all cut loose and just relaxed for a minute. Sure, there was danger lurking outside the compound, but here in the main living space, with Niko's girlfriend, they found the chance to let their guards down.
'Later. Sort yourself out later… Get out of your head and live in the moment!'
"I don't think I can pick just one of you!" Kate tucked her hair behind her ear and forced a smile at Georgi, "I haven't had the chance to get to know all of you yet!" She couldn't fight the smile or bubbling happiness that rose within her at seeing them all relax. Despite all the weapons and threat level they all posed, they were nothing but a bunch of pranksters and jokesters. And as her tired mind shifted back to the present, she vowed to herself that she would make the most of her time with them.
'Even if this is just- temporary…'
"You spend too much time around Georgi, and you'll turn more Russian than Irish!" Aleksei shook his head and leaned back in his chair, "He will have you speaking Russian phrases in no time."
"Or maybe we will all start drinking whiskey? Because we are going to be spending more time with the Irish Mob?" Anton twisted his cigar out in an ash tray, "But I call." He turned his attention back to the new hand of poker they started and matched the starting bet.
"I could probably use the lessons in Russian… It's so difficult to keep up with what's being said. Just glad I can kind of read body language." Kate sighed heavily and adjusted the blanket over her lap. The room was beginning to feel colder with the windows open, but she wasn't about to complain about it. The wind would pull the headache inducing cigar smoke out and Georgi had insisted on having good ventilation in case she was pregnant.
"What do you wish to understand? I'm going to lose this damn hand because Georgi can't shuffle?" Aleksei laughed when Georgi tried to kick him under the table, "I call." He placed his cards face down and matched the bet Anton made.
"Maybe simple words? So if… Like if I am in trouble, and I'd need only you to understand something?" Kate bit her lower lip. Her brain had been trying to process the whole breakdown of her security detail for the spa and random scenarios kept trying to play out. What if someone had a gun to her head and if she spoke another language, maybe she could communicate that she could duck or-
"We have a list of code words. Those are easy enough to teach you." Anton could see the wheels turning behind her eyes that had glazed over, "It is easy for Kenny's wife since she speaks Russian already and we hardly ever have to interact with her. But with you, we will be actively at your side in public. If you have time this week get with Georgi on distress signals or phrases. That way we will know something is off and can take care of the problem."
"You… You all would do that for me?" Kate absently added her bet to the pile before sinking down into the cushions of Kenny's chair. Her body was reeling with the knowledge that the men at the table would so willingly incorporate her needs into their daily routines.
"You will need to ask Pakhan permission to train her properly. She did pull my gun." Aleksei locked eyes with Georgi letting him know the seriousness of the situation. Had this been at a true table meeting or in front of other alliances… He didn't want to dwell on the consequences, "Kate we have been tasked with keeping you safe. If you can let us know that someone has threatened you when we are not within reach, we can keep the situation from getting worse. But we do not plan to ever let you fall into a trap or dangerous scenarios."
"And I have been around you long enough to know when you feel uncomfortable." Georgi darted his eyes away from everyone and tossed his chips to the pile, laying his cards down slowly, "I can let the guys know what to watch for."
"Cheater! I knew you knew her tells!" Vanya dropped his bet and pointed down the table at the man they turned to when their direct boss was unavailable.
"Georgi!" Kate covered her face with her hands and groaned as the guys started to laugh loudly, "You aren't supposed to be able to read me so easily!"
"It's the hair tucking? Yes?" Anton mimicked how it would look if he had long hair and tucked imaginary hair behind his ears.
"Or the tilt of her chin?" Aleksei ducked his head minutely and smirked when Vanya shoved his shoulder.
"No! No! It's both. Right before you discarded your cards you tucked your hair and dipped your chin!" Vanya leaned forward some and patted Aleksei's shoulder with the back of his hand, "You even did a double take."
Kate's phone vibrated in her shirt pocket, and she roughly slid her hands down her face to glare at the men she had been beating at poker, "Now boys. Just because I have long hair that constantly comes loose from its resting place and annoys the hell out of me by getting in my face, does not mean I don't have a winning hand!" She leaned up on her knees and flipped her cards over triumphantly showing her full house.
"Oh, that's bull shit!" Anton flipped his cards over and smacked his hand down over his two of a kind.
"You bluffed your tell?!" Aleksei turned his pair over and crossed his arms.
"Told you she is a tricky one…" Georgi laughed as he knew he wasn't going to win the hand but had kept raising the bet to get Kate a big win. Seeing his fellow men get beat at their own game was priceless. He had been wanting to see how well they would hold up against her, and it had been magnificent to see them fall for her fake tells and bluffs. She had played them just like he knew she would.
Kate pulled her phone from her pocket and smiled at seeing Niko's name as the sender of the text message. She had been missing him and was wanting to tell him about her victory over the Russians at a card game. Carefully she uncovered herself and used the table to stand up, she wanted to move out into the hall in order to call him.
'Meet me in the hall? – Niko'
Her smile only grew, and she met Georgi's eyes as she rounded the armchair. He only shook his head and exaggeratedly rolled his eyes. He knew to give them a minute before coming to look for them. The blush bloomed across her cheeks with the eyebrow wiggle Georgi sent her way. It wasn't her fault Niko could get rather… Handsy.
"I'll be right back. Maybe Sergei should shuffle the cards this time?" She smirked when the guys oohed and ahhed at Georgi before breaking down into another round of uncontrollable laughter.
Kate ducked out into the hall and immediately noticed Niko leaning into the wall a few feet down from the double doors. His eyebrows were raised in the silent question as to why everyone sounded like they were having a grand old time. His arms were tightly crossed across his chest and his stance gave off the impression that he had bad news to tell her.
Then he turned more toward her, and her eyes landed on the dried blood smeared down his neck and caked into the collar of his jacket.
"Niko!" Kate whispered out and rushed forward to him. The large white bandage above his ear had her heart tripping into overdrive.
"Yeah it was a close one…" Niko reached up and lightly trailed his fingers over his throbbing wound, "Couple of stiches. Nothing major."
"Nothing major! Niko! What happened?!" Kate brushed his hand to the side to get a better look. The sight of so much blood on him caused her legs to shake beneath her. Her fingers gently touched along his scruff, coaxing him to lean down for her to see.
"Your brother is working on getting their identities. But my guess is the Albanian's stole the armored truck to run me off the road. Was trying to open the back hatch when they opened fire at my head. A bullet grazed me before I could get out of the way. I'm okay…" He could see the tears building in her eyes and her terrified look softened his heart. She always worried about him and here she was fretting over his injuries.
"My God… Thank the Lord above they didn't-" Kate sucked in a harsh breath and slipped her arms around him, needing to hold him and quiet her more morbid thoughts.
"I know. I know." Niko pulled her into his chest and smoothed his hands over her back, trying to quell the shaking he could feel on her.
"It really is dangerous outside these walls." Kate whispered as she rubbed her cheek over his chest and let his heartbeat fill her ears. The strong thump of each of his heartbeats softened the anxiety and fear that coursed through her blood. He had almost been killed. Taken from her and their possible future. A tear worked its way free, and she felt him still his hands and hold her tighter.
"I'm not going to leave you. I promised you, and I plan to keep that promise." He dropped a kiss to the top of her head and nodded at Georgi who had poked his head out into the hall.
"Pakhan?!" Georgi immediately saw the dried blood and bandage when he approached them.
"Albanians are getting desperate and sloppy. Armored truck tried to ram me in the car. I managed to kill the driver and front passenger. LCPD killed the men in the back. They got a lucky shot off while I was in the cab trying to unlock the back hatch. Bullet graze. Hurts like hell." Niko filled Georgi in on what took place. As soon as Kate calmed down some, he was going to head down to Hove Beach with Kenny's men and put an end to the handler.
"I can imagine… We have had a rather, uh- eventful day ourselves." Georgi looked down to where Kate was resting against his boss. Niko needed to know that Kate had stepped into her role and had someone basically arrested within their organization. Boris waited to be either executed or excommunicated for the insult thrown at Pakhan's girlfriend. If Kenny had been in the room, Boris would already be dead, and they would be throwing his headless body into the ocean.
"Georgi… Do we have to tell him?" Kate turned just enough to glare at him from her tucked position within Niko's arms. She was going to wait to tell Niko what happened when they were alone and in Kenny's apartment. Where she could keep Niko from storming down to wherever Boris was being held and unloading his pistol into the idiot. While she felt her own anger and pain at the words hurled at her, they weren't something to kill someone over.
"Yes Georgi has to tell me." The anger he had worked off on the drive back to the compound was resurfacing in him and he glared to his second. Eventful could be anything, but with the way Kate tried to push the subject off, he was going to be told right this second.
"I was escorting her to the living room to let her listen in on the planning for her and Mallorie's spa day. Boris, one of the guys we have been having issues with since your rise to power, had some rather unkind things to say about Kate. I was handling the situation-" Georgi started to retell the mornings events before Kate roughly moved out of Niko's arms and jabbed her finger into his chest.
"I will tell him Georgi! I do not want you getting the brunt of my mistake…" She sighed heavily and looked up to his eyes, "You were doing what you are supposed to do. I shouldn't have pulled Aleksei's gun and threatened him." Kate legitimately felt scared to turn around and look at Niko. Silently she pleaded with Georgi to let her know what his reaction was.
"Kate…"
"She was brilliant boss. The men followed her lead. She had me wait to shoot him in order to handle the situation. And when Boris wouldn't let up, she took Aleksei's gun from his holster. I would have taken the shot before she would be able to shoot. I would not let her have her first kill happen under my watch. But with your permission I would like to have her spend some time in the shooting range or with Aleksei and I in the gym on self-defense. Unless you are wanting to be the one to teach her?"
"You can give me all the details when we leave for Hove. Kate? Are you okay?" Niko reached out and trailed his fingers down her arm. It was beyond concerning now that she had wielded a gun a couple of times- stepped into a role he didn't want her to. He was meant to protect her and keep her from reacting violently. It had been what started their difficult month of February. She was fighting herself and trying to avoid the path he walked effortlessly.
"She is suffering Niko… More than I realized. She could have simply shot Natalya. She had a gun on her. And somewhere in her soul she didn't want to drop to our level. And she is fighting herself over it. Her therapist suggested she was diving into her family's violence because she is dating you. That she had given everything up just to be with you. She also believed that Lenny's death was the catalyst for why she was attacked. Which I know not to be true." Bernie's words from within his Holland apartment rushed through his thoughts and he took her hand within his own.
"Pakhan I do believe this needs your attention now and not later." Georgi caught the lone tear that trailed down Kate's face. She was stuck somewhere between relief and fear, and he didn't like the look one bit.
"Niko I am not wanting to delve into those emotions right now. He was unkind, vulgar. Some of his choice words brought back a couple of nightmares…" Her eyes slid closed as yet more tears worked their way free. This was not how she wanted to tell Niko. She wanted to have the quiet and comfortable space to be able to explain, in detail, what had taken place. And maybe he could help her figure out why she was starting to look for a weapon to defend herself every time she felt threatened.
"Where is he?" Niko would kill the man. He could take an easy guess at what was said since Kate had mentioned nightmares. The ones that kept her glued to his side at night, silent sobs shaking her body, and numerous hours spent soothing her back to sleep. If one of Kenny's men had thrown out words that made her think of her time in her bedroom- he was going to make sure it never happened again.
"In one of the open cells outside of where the assassin is being held. I can take you to him." Georgi jerked his head back towards the main living room. If Pakhan wanted to get this over with first, he would follow his lead. But what about Kate?
Kate found the strength to look back at her boyfriend. His voice was cold and absent of the tenderness he had been using around her. It was reminiscent of his taunting and angry screams from outside the church as she took cover behind the oak doors. His eyes were trained on Georgi, and she watched as a murderous glint fogged his eyes. And she thought Florian looked evil…
"Kate stay in the living room with the others. I have something to take care of." He brushed his fingertips over her shoulder as he marched down the hall and toward the double doors; Georgi scrambling behind him to try and keep up.
"Wait!" Kate jogged after them putting two and two together. Niko was on a death march and Boris was his target. 'Not good! Not good!'
The guys shoved to their feet with the sudden appearance of their boss and did double takes at his new injury and livid look he was sporting. Chairs were tucked under the table hastily to make sure nothing was in Niko's way as he moved toward the back staircase. Georgi sent a worried glance over his shoulder toward Kate who reentered the room, a look of dread splashed across her features.
Kate grabbed Aleksei's arm, tugging him along, knowing if Niko slipped too far she was going to need the extra help to stop him from killing the jerk. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed it- hoping he would get the silent message to just join her. She was not going to let someone be killed over her hurt feelings. Punished sure. But death? Was that really the answer?
"Anton stand guard." Aleksei read the situation and figured Niko had been told about Boris. He let Kate guide him over to the stairs and he hurried his steps to not have her become unbalanced. The urgency of her grip on his hand made him worry about what was going to happen. While he knew the consequences Kenny held over them, he thought Niko was more lenient and less cruel.
Niko slammed the heavy metal door open and into the adjoining wall. His eyes narrowed at the man who was casually leaning against the thick metal bars of his prison. His feet carried him across the room swiftly and he grabbed a fistful of Boris' shirt yanking him against the bars face first. Fear seeped into the now trembling man he held in his grasp.
"Have you apologized adequately?" Niko seethed as he debated on how he wanted to kill him, "You dared to insult my girlfriend and add to her nightmares? What right do you think you have to make such decisions?"
"Niko!" Kate rushed into the room and was held back by both Georgi and Aleksei. She fought against their hold and managed to shove forward some before Georgi nearly picked her up and turned her away from the sight of Niko holding Boris against the metal bars. He tucked her into his chest and firmly held her in place.
"Aleksei take her from the room." Niko didn't bother to look in their direction as he pulled his pistol and placed it against Boris' forehead, "Answer me. What did you say, and have you apologized to Kate?!"
"You let her please Georgi too? That the deal? Huh? You are not Kenny!" Boris glared at Niko. Not a shred of doubt flowed through him. There was a zero chance he was going to kill him. Kenny would have, but the man who stood before him, holding his shirt roughly, was soft and a poor leader. Their entire Bratva was attacked under his leadership. The Irish was hit hard and lost their leadership. Kenny's girlfriend was more than likely going to die from her gunshot wounds. No. The man before him was not what the Bratva needed.
Niko flicked the safety off and leaned back some as to not get any blood splatter on him, "Kate leave the room. You do not need to see what happens next."
"Niko… Stop!" Kate jerked against Georgi's hold and fought to land her eyes on him, "Georgi tell him."
"Pakhan does what he must to ensure our safety and rules Kate. Let's go back upstairs and get you something else to eat." Georgi tried to ignore the knot in his throat and the pitching of his stomach. He could feel her desperation and refused to look to her eyes knowing he would break against it and cave. But this was Niko's right and he would not step in and disobey his boss.
"Aleksei! Do something! Explain what Kenny would do in this situation." Kate turned her plea toward Aleksei seeing as she wasn't going to get through to Georgi. Surely there was something else that could be done or changed. She did not want his death on her hands, and the thought that he was going to be killed because of her renewed her fight to get free and to stop Niko.
Georgi yanked her back to in front of him, roughly grabbing her wrists, "Kenny would have had us chop his head off and give it to the pig farmer and order one of us to drop his body off the bridge. If he said what he did to Kenny's wife or girlfriend or anyone he is affectionate with he would have been executed instantly. You do not deserve those words. Now stop struggling, I don't want to hurt you." Georgi evened his voice out and let the coldness weave into his words. He gave her wrists a slight shake to get her to focus on him. This was their way and law, and she would have to accept it and understand.
"Kate you pointed my gun at him. If your intention is not to shoot the person you are aiming at then do not wield a gun." Aleksei crossed his arms and kept his line of sight on Niko. He knew he was waiting for them to get Kate out of the room before carrying out Boris' execution.
"He wasn't worth the cost of the bullet." Kate fumed and winced at the pain that shot through her arms with the semi harsh way Georgi was containing her.
A gunshot rang out in the room and Georgi snapped his head to the side to see if Niko had killed Boris.
"She has a bigger heart than I do. She has spared your life. But I am starting to warm up to Kenny's way of doing things. Now when you lay down to sleep you can feel the bullet hole that should be through your forehead." Niko had shot at the wooden bench inside the cell at one of the ends. He released Boris' shirt and shoved him backwards, "Open your mouth again and it not be an apology to Kate- I have no problem wasting the money on bullets." He clicked the safety on and tucked the pistol back into the waistband of his jeans.
Everyone stared at Boris waiting for his response or what he would do.
"That's what I thought. Enjoy your lifetime of confinement." Niko slowly backed away from the cage, maintaining eye contact to intimidate the man who had hurt Kate, "Aleksei prep the car and have it ready to go in fifteen minutes. Georgi have a couple of rifles, bullet proof vests, and backup ammo ready and loaded into the car. I will join you shortly."
Georgi lessened his hold on Kate and rubbed over where his hands had grabbed her, "Forgive me." He caught Aleksei's eye as he left the room- They were going to have a small chat before Niko joined them at the car.
"It's okay. Go do what Niko asked of you." Kate patted his chest and dropped her eyes to the ground. The gunshot had chilled her to the bone and the flood of relief at knowing Niko hadn't killed Boris was making her dizzy. Flashes of Darko killing people left and right during their escape came and went and added to the nausea. Georgi lifted his hand and tucked a finger under her chin to get her to look up and she backed away from the touch. Silently he moved around her and exited the room, leaving her with Niko and a silent Boris.
"Pakhan? The handler is bound to have left the city once they figured out almost all of the team were dead and missing. You will need to hurry." Boris lowered down to the shabby bench and kept his eyes lowered as a sign of respect. He had been wrong in his assessment of Niko… But it only added fuel to the fire that scorched his insides.
"You will remain silent in my presence." Niko turned on his heel and walked over to Kate, threading their fingers together. He needed to get her out of the room and away from what would have been an execution. Why he kept avoiding certain kills created an itch that just couldn't be scratched. There was usually no hesitation when the rage and anger were present. Sparing Darko had been a blessing in disguise... So maybe that was why he took longer to decide on when to pull the trigger?
The warmth of her hand knocked him from his inner debate, and he guided her out of the room and up the stairs. The other men had left the living room, either out of fear or respect. Or maybe they wanted to not disturb Kate or break the thread she was clinging to.
"At least let me clean off the blood before you head out…" Kate mumbled as they neared Kenny's armchair. 'He is going out again… Where he can be killed or kidnapped. Or confront Alexi. He might have to kill someone…'
"Kate I am going to ask something of you, and I need you to agree." He pulled her around and gently placed her against the armrest of Kenny's chair. Carefully he trailed his fingers up her neck over the red lines to cup her face. He hated to ask this of her. But it was necessary now.
"Niko I'm sorry. But he wasn't worth kil-" Kate started before Niko firmed his hold on her face.
"There is two sides of having this title- this role. The side of luxury with the fancy apartments, cars, clothes, everything at your fingertips. Then there is the side that I am doing my best to shield you from. Kenny's men and enemies expect a level of cruelty and violence. I have to maintain it otherwise people are going to think they can come after us and there be no consequences."
He watched as the color began to drain from her face, "If you question me or my motives in front of people they may start to come to you to negate me. They will seek favors and a false sense of friendship from you- only to keep them safe and feeling like they can get away with whatever. I know this because I was once part of Ray's organization and worked my way up the ranks."
Kate lifted her hands to rest against his and fought the tears that built with his words. He had this odd look in his eyes, and she started to flip through her memories of him to try and place the emotion or feeling he was giving her.
"I doubt Georgi or Aleksei or any of Kenny's close circle of captains would do this to you. But I don't trust anyone else. We have to be extremely careful on who we give information to and what we let the world see. Everything can be used against us. Boris hates that I took over. That much I can tell, and he pushed the boundaries to see how far he could go before I would react. I'm sorry he went after you to get to me."
"If I ask you to leave so that I can do what I need to, then I need you to leave. I don't want you to be front row to any more death. Darko did plenty of that. You saw me at Derrick's funeral. I can't protect you if you keep me from doing what I think is best. I have to maintain Kenny's level of power. I hate hurting you, but Kate- Please." He scooted closer to her and tilted her head back and locked his eyes to hers, "I love you too much to risk your safety, mine, or the Bratva."
A single tear slipped down her cheek and soaked into the edge of his hand.
"I don't want his death to be because of me." She whispered the words and closed her eyes, needing to no longer see his worry and pain over what Boris had done. Kate began to feel the dread sluggishly trudge through her body and she involuntarily shuddered against it.
'He is being forced to do things he doesn't want to do because of me…'
"Forgive me Pakhan, I do not mean to intrude. But Boris will need a meal soon and I need your permission to keep him fed." Vasil leaned into the living room; eyes trained on the floors not daring to invoke the wrath he knew Niko was capable of.
"He will get two meals a day, with the bare minimum nutrition required to stay healthy. Nothing fancy and only water. You can tell the chef to space the meals out to be once in the morning and once in the evening. He is to be left isolated and alone. When he is ready to formally apologize and right the wrong committed against me, he will be brought before me for judgement. Do I make myself clear?" Niko shifted his gaze off of Kate's crestfallen face to glare at the man who had interrupted their conversation.
"As you have asked it, so it shall be done." Vasil flinched at the tone he was given and immediately retreated back to the kitchen to get something put together to feed his friend.
"His death would be of his own actions. They all know the rules and there is no excuse for what was said to you. Is there anything I need to know that he said? Specifically?" With a heavy, silent sigh Niko released his hold of her and backed up to lean into the card table, noticing how all the chips seemed to be stacked closer to the armchair.
"He said something to Georgi that really got to him. It was Russian so I don't know what was said. But he did call me a… Whore." She frowned at the word and shifted her arms to cradle her body, "He insinuated that I am only here to please you. Something that Vova had said would be my purpose for the rest of my life…"
She didn't want to ever repeat or voice what had been said to her while she was pinned to her bed. Everything about that harrowing ordeal wanted to be locked up and left there to fade into the background- to never see the light of day again. But apparently the world was not done with it and was continually throwing things her way to relive the touches, pain-
Kate sucked in a rush of air and gagged at some of the images and fantom agony from the bite mark.
"Лепа (Lepa). Look at me." Niko recognized the distress that was rolling off her body. Could almost feel the tremors that quaked within her. He needed to get her off this topic and back to something more positive.
"Niko… how can you look at me, love me, do the things we do together, and not think of what was done to me? You can call me beautiful all you want, but I certainly don't feel like it most of the time." Tears obscured her vision as she wearily cracked her eyes open to see her boyfriend, "I was touched, violated! I was wanting to save everything I am for the man of my dreams… And they took that from me!"
The sound of a handgun clattering to the hardwood snapped both of their attentions to the double doors that lead into the hallway. Georgi stood rigidly still, face paling, hands shaking, and a sheen of tears glassing over his painfilled eyes. Carefully Georgi looked to his boss for permission to speak, talk, move, anything! He couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"Don't you dare add to her stress right now by breaking what hold she is barely keeping together. There are things she has not opened up about and I will not have you tearing that thin thread to pieces by seeing your tears." Niko hardened his stare to his second and held his hand out to Kate to give her something to anchor to.
Kate lightly dropped her hand into Niko's and felt the first few tears tumble free… Before the chasm overfilled and the lock gave way.
It all played out in her mind in vivid color and sound. The door giving way when they slammed it open. The punches and kicks that landed on her as she fought to get away from them and to her mother's room down the hall. Being tackled to the ground and roughly handcuffed-
"Ты так же прекрасна, как и прежд (Ty tak zhe prekrasna, kak i prezhde)." Georgi whispered the words before throwing caution to the wind and swiftly walked into the room and let her collapse into his outstretched arms, "мне так жаль, моя любовь (mne tak zhal', moya lyubov')" He shushed her with his kind words spoken in a language he knew she didn't understand. But Niko would. He would tell her every day that she was beautiful and kind. That he was sorry he hadn't warned Niko of what he knew would take place- only to get the information too late to do something about it.
"God I don't know how I held out hope and longed to get free… Begging for you to show up Niko." Kate crumbled in Georgi's arms and just let the sobs flow freely. She had never once let herself mourn and grieve over what had happened. Kept it all bottled up inside under lock and key. Refused to face it head on and instead let Niko's words, body, and love overpower the negative emotions.
Now it was front, and center and she couldn't break free.
"Katie… Мој један једини (Moj jedan jedini). Everything is going to be okay…" Niko softened his voice and let her turn into his arms when Georgi passed her off to him. He let the Serbian roll off his tongue knowing it helped her find her way back to the present, "You are the only one I want and love. Do not let something vile ruin it."
"I was saving myself for you…" Kate barely spoke above a whisper as she buried herself into the safety of his neck. The place she had found comfort in right after being saved. The one spot that would snuff out the never-ending anguish that haunted her body and soul. Here in the warmth and fortified arms of the man she loved was she able to escape for just a moment in time.
"You did Моја љубав (Moja ljubav). You were and still are everything I could ever want in life. I am yours just as much as you are mine. No one will ever, and I do mean ever, get to you again. I swear it on my life." Niko hauled her up off the armrest and tucked her into his body, holding her tightly to push off his own insecurity and fears. Alexi was still out there and was just as depraved as Natalya.
"As I have sworn undying loyalty to you and Pakhan, I will gladly give my life in order to protect you both. If Pakhan so wished it- I would brand myself to you. To give life, blood, body, and service to your will. The oath I have given Kenny will be the blood oath I could easily swear to you." Georgi knelt down on the floor and bowed his head. He would make sure that every enemy of Niko's would be met by a bullet from one of his guns. No one would ever be allowed to harm his boss or Kate.
"As you are my second in command- my brother- my replacement… Promise me you will watch over Kate and our possible child if something were to happen to me. While I am confident that I can hunt down my enemies and win… I need to know someone will be here for her. Until Alexi is dead I need to know someone will always be watching over her." Niko squeezed her body to him as another gut-wrenching sob tore from her throat.
"I swear on my life. Her safety will be paramount." Georgi fixed his line of sight to the slightly faded area rug and waited for Niko's orders. He was done serving Kenny and would align his entire life to his new Pakhan.
"Kate… I need you to calm down. The stress isn't good for you if you are with child." Niko stroked over her hair and did his best to try and lessen her hectic crying and breathing. Her entire body shook with each intake of air and the tears were drenching the non-bloodied side of the collar of his jacket.
"I- I need to… I don't know. I need to sit down or be alone for a bit." Kate fisted her hands into the back of Niko's jacket and willed her mind to quit replaying it all. The tingle in her jaw told her it was only a matter of time before she threw up and she really didn't want to do that in front of anyone.
"Get her situated in the apartment and then meet us outside by the car. We will wait for you there. I will place Anton on high alert and to watch for her." Georgi slowly stood up from his knelt position and mournfully glanced at Kate's back. He could feel her pain with every broken sob and cry. It ate at him and the longer he stayed close by, the more he wished he had just killed Boris before he had the chance to open his mouth.
"Thank you. I will be down as soon as I can." Niko nodded at his second in command as he waited to be dismissed. He would take the next few minutes to get her calmed down some. If not for her, but for himself. His heart lurched and thumped harshly with the knowledge that she was hurting so significantly inside. He watched as Georgi silently left the room, leaving them alone in the somewhat chilly living room.
"Let me take care of you." Niko pressed his lips to her ear and softly whispered the words to her. His fingers deftly stroked through her hair and removed the hair tie, untangling the curls as he went. She leaned into his touch and stuttered against the skin of his neck.
"Shh. I'm right here." He kissed the shell of her ear and lowered one of his hands to be able to trace over her spine, "No more tears Лепа (Lepa). You know it pains me to see you hurting so much."
"I love you… But I am terrified Niko. Must you leave? Stay with me… Please!" She shifted within his hold and implored him with her eyes to let someone else handle the situation. To simply shut them both off from the world in Kenny's upscale apartment.
"I am always with you. But this is something I have to see through. I would not leave if it wasn't for your safety. Trust me Kate. That's all I can ask of you." Niko brushed his knuckle over the faint white line of the scar on her cheek. He needed to see for himself that the handler was brought to justice and gain whatever information they had to offer on the whereabouts of Alexi.
Kate's bottom lip quivered as fresh tears threatened to break free, "Promise me you will be careful and come back unharmed. I can't take another near miss right now."
"I promise." Niko leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her lips, "Trust in our relationship and me. I will fight my way through hell and back in order to return to your side… You and our little one." His free hand slid down her body to rest over the life he hoped she was creating.
All Kate could manage was to nod her head and close her eyes as once more thick tears tumbled down her face.
aaaaaa
Not the best chapter in the world, but it moved the story ahead some. I had another 6-7k worth of words for this chapter, but the flow and length needed to be its own chapter. I am thinking it'll be the new year before I get the next chapter out. I have another one shot that I've been staring at for about a year that I want to post. It's set between The Price We Pay and this story. Nice little Christmas fluff.
If I don't get anything out till 2023- Happy New Year EVERYONE! One Love!