The Price They Paid

by CzechKris91

*Follows The Price We Pay* After the rather eventful wedding of his cousin, Niko was ready to hang up the proverbial rifle and start a more peaceful and quiet life in Liberty City. He had somehow beat Death and came away victorious. But once the dust settles, will things continue to stay silent? Can he truly retire when the entire city was witness to the underground criminal power?

36. Bull in a China Shop

I am wayyyyy too nervous to post this chapter. Out of all the possibilities on chapter content to be this one as the one I make my return with… ugh.

*sighs and takes a deep breath* Massive trigger warning. You've been adamantly warned as these chapters have progressed and this story has taken on a life of its own.

Just… Please don't throw the ripened tomatoes just yet? Give me a chance?

aaaaaa

'Моја љубав (Moja ljubav)…'

'Kate… I missed you…'

The warm softness pressed flush against his body had his hand automatically seeking out her flat stomach, fingers bunching into the thin fabric. His nose greedily sucked in her scent where he buried it the lush strands of hair that tickled his cheeks- begging him to dive deeper and inhale her. The groan lodged in his throat when she nearly melted into him, giving in to his needs and wants effortlessly. God did he love mornings now, waking up with her was the perfect way to start the day.

Eager hips shifted back into him and he grinded his hardening member within his slim dress pants up the rounding of her backside. His hand smoothed over the pleasant feel of the delicate cloth that covered her smooth skin, the tips of his fingers finally reaching the silky valley her legs made. The heat that surged through him had him muffling a moan in the junction of her neck and shoulder. How long had it been? His mind shoved the question to the side as a dainty hand roughly traveled from his knee to his waist- the angle making it difficult to undo his pants.

"…Niko…" A breathy, sluggish, tired call of his name wafted through the still of the early morning darkness. Niko grabbed the hand that was fumbling to free him from his incredibly tight slacks. It was always his pleasure to undress as her eyes darted from place to place as if trying to find what she liked best. What he wanted her to always remember him by. Scars and all. It was her playground should she choose to adventure through the memories faded into the jagged edges of his flesh.

With a fluid and tender motion, he lifted their joined hands up toward the headboard. Sensually he trailed his fingers down the softest of unmarred skin below a feather thin sleeve, feeling himself twitch in his pants as she breathed out and turned her face in his direction. Her nose brushed against his fingers as he traveled down to her shoulder, then chest, squeezing one of her breasts as he lazily shuffled with the innocent buttons of her shirt.

"О Боже (O Bozhe ; Oh God)… да (da ; yes)… Niko…" Once more the hungry lust floated in his ears and set his body aflame. Yearning to be buried in her was building rapidly that it gave him a high he had been chasing for so long… Fingers sank into the openings between those blasted buttons, and with ease snapped them open.

The fuse had been lit.

'Finally…'

With a trained restraint he cupped her furthest breast and rolled the stiffened peak. He would be sure to rile her up as much as he was, let that recognizable scorch seep into their nerves and twist the coil to almost unbearable heights- before unraveling within each other's arms. Flashes of Kate's eyes struggling to stay open and locked on him as she came sent his needs to press against his control. A tiny curl of controlled chaos caressed its way to the semiconscious mind that was filled to the brim in a hazy fog.

The faintest of moans tried to force its way out from his firmly pressed lips as he nibbled on her creamy flesh under her ear. Her small and noticeable moves against his body shot off an electric spark. Niko lifted up some to place a kiss soundly to her cheek before dragging his hand from her breast up her throat, something rough greeted his thumb on his trek upwards and tried to derail him from reaching out to her sweet, plump lips. But the encouraging touch to the back of his hand dissipated those nagging thoughts.

They kissed like they never had before. Slow, but with intent, they said whatever needed to be said without words to jumble up what they were thinking about one another. Her fingernails dug into his wrist, streaking his harsher side of lovemaking to the surface, and he greedily glided his hand over her body and under the frail fabric to eagerly hook his steady fingers under the lacy thong he knew she liked to wear. A tiny smirk graced his lips as he started to teasingly kiss the column of her neck, avoiding her spot. He would get to that in time.

Wetness greeted his fingers, and not wanting to waste any time, they slipped into the warm and drenched channel he longed to be in. Her body instantly scooted back into him leaving no space between them, her legs opening just enough to give him better access, her neck stretched out for his feasting. Niko bit down into her firm, toned muscles of her collarbone, over a raised section of skin.

Something pricked his mind-numbing bubble.

"пожалуйста (pozhaluysta ; please)… Пожалуйста, не останавливайся (Pozhaluysta, ne ostanavlivaysya ; Please, don't stop!) The sizzling fire burned his cheek as the Russian rolled off her tongue with an ease he didn't think she possessed. It was pleading, yet light, as if she was unsure he would continue. But he never left her in need. It was his promise to her that if she needed him, he would answer…

…

'You had said that whenever I needed you, you would oblige me…' Her fingers had been soothing as they caressed over his cheek outside of Jerkov's. The beautiful green and blue of her worried eyes melted his heart every time she cast them his way. She was unbelievably innocent, and he swore to protect her no matter what. Protect that innocent soul that brightened his life.

…

Yet the Russian was distorting his memories of gripping his gun with the love of his life matching his intensity, the other brushing Kenny's ring from her loose grasp. The connection and bond they shared filled him to every dark crevasse within. Her light would never dim within him.

Suddenly shame and guilt thrashed through him, forcing his fingers to slow their attempts at teasing her opening and finding her trigger spot.

"Niko…? Все в порядке? (Vse v poryadke ; everything okay?)" Her voice held a flutter and shake. An insisting edge wove in between the words and would've gone undetected if he had lowered his guard and just surrendered to her. The tone carried what she wanted him to do and latched on to his attentive ears.

His eyes scrunched as the beseeching foreign language replayed in his awakening mind –

His lips hovering over the well-known sweet spot Kate had that was discovered by him. 'Only for me…'

'Russian… Since when…

She doesn't know…?

'That's…?'

Something wasn't right. The scent was all wrong. The usually silky-smooth curls were flat and thick. Instantly Niko snapped his eyes open to be greeted by the half slumbering form of Karen tucked up against him, writhing in pleasure. Dark hair fanned back onto his pillow and brushed against his five o'clock shadow. Heated half lidded eyes met his for a second before she clenched around his fingers that were buried as deep as they could go. His own fingers tingled when they went rigid inside her. His control over his body surged through him immediately and it overwhelmed his exhausted mind and heart.

'Shit. Shit. Shit… What have I done?! Jебати! (Jebatil, fuck)'

Stealthily he slid his fingers free, untangled himself from her, and sat up facing away from her softly rising and falling chest. He tried to ignore the guarded questioning gaze of her eyes that slowly filled with a sheen of unshed tears. He buried his face in his hands as if it would swipe away the scene he was caught up in. A lash of rage at himself for so many reasons snapped his back straight. He had been seconds away from taking that to a place of no return, turning her to him and climbing up to line himself up correctly… Burying himself-

'What the fuck is wrong with you?!'

Niko felt the shudder that wanted to surface, and he shoved it back down. But as hard as he tried, the sickly sludge worked its way up his throat and tangled around his vocal cords, squeezing down- taking away his inhale.

His chest was tightening by the second.

His hands and feet felt like they were falling asleep. The impossibly miniscule needle pinpricks were agonizing to endure.

The thundering pulse from his heart and body caused a sheen of sweat to gloss over his chiseled chest, and his vision of the rundown motel room through his fingers started to darken further than it already was...

Niko shoved his hands through his bedhead hair and hunched over his quaking knees.

His eyes focused on the faded carpet of the motel room within the darkness of predawn light. With a graceful rush his vision blurred as the tears forced themselves forward. The pattern smattered in the low pile carpet before him, the shaking was getting harder and harder to fight off.

'Kate… I- God. I am sorry! How can I explain this…?'

A throbbing beat started in his brain, growing to overtake his spiraling thoughts; a roaring train was headed his way!

Pathetic attempts to block it out were easily caught and maneuvered to let the inner turmoil flood him.

Was this what a panic attack felt like?

His eyes darted to the nightstand for his weapon, and he silently placed his hand down on top of the cold metal. Within one breath and the next everything ceased, and he could feel his heart rate lowering. Her laptop caught his attention, and he snatched it up to give his mind something else to work through. While he could take in shaky breaths, his skin was still on absolute fire. Thrumming with the phantom touch of the woman lying in the bed behind him.

'Don't think right now… Just focus on the job at hand. Work through this later when you are alone…' His mind gave a mocking huff as a muffled sniff from behind him twisted the barbed wire woven over his heart.

'Liar…' A dark whisper caressed his insides, dead set confirmation trudged unhurriedly across his mind and heart.

He reopened the file on Trevor and went back to the place he had left off, trying to blink away the blurring water from his eyesight. 'Come on Niko. You've disassociated from far worse…' He shook his head as he continued to stare at Trevor's last known job at a cash depot with his known associates, Michael Townley, Brad Snider, and a random tag-along driver back in 2004 in Ludendorff, North Yankton.

Boring police reports about the location and getaway car, the unknown in who the fourth person was in connection to Trevor, and how FIB was reportedly involved... The fact that this should have gone down easily and smoothly caused him to pause and flip back a couple of pages to the crew and logged crimes.

'Something changed during their plan… Like the Bank of Liberty? Ah. There it is. Security guard murdered and allowed someone to call the cops. Identities blown. Otherwise very cut and dry.' His lips drew down into a flat line. A nagging tugged at his brain for more than one situation. There was more to this than he was picking up on. Niko still wasn't sure why they truly needed the fourth person if they had gone in, prevented the distress call, and got out before the response time could start. The window could have been small enough if a person wasn't confident in loading up and high tailing it to freedom. He was starting to see the more intelligent side of Trevor and who he ran with.

But still nothing hugely noteworthy as far as news headlines. Not to say murder wasn't. But the Bank of Liberty story ran for a solid month as they mysteriously couldn't figure out the Irish hit it. Or they knew but had no real way of putting them at the scene of the crime. He rolled his eyes when his condescending thoughts told him it was clearly Francis keeping their names from crossing certain desks. 'Or Bernard…?'

Niko mindlessly scrolled over information from other supposed crimes, not really absorbing it. Pages merged together and he came to a stop in his scrolling. Honestly he could relate to Trevor's style of violence. Even liked how this small team picked their targets and had well thought out plans of entering and exiting without being caught. If the cops showed they always managed to out drive them and burnout to wherever their base was…

His inner demons perked up at the prospect of getting back to committing crimes again…

Flashes of memories of teaming up with Packie, Little Jacob, or Johnny- The briefest of time spent at Dimitri's side, retrieving money owed to Faustin… The high stakes drug smuggling of a large sum of cocaine-

The fleeting thoughts of his crime sprees in Liberty had him thinking of Karen, well Michelle's, betrayal and his mind started to spiral all over again about what had just nearly happened. He forced himself to click back to a page he had read multiple times within Trevor's file. The generic cutout of a person above each name had once been him…

He was a loner, a hired hand, a hitman.

Now a cheater…

He was not meant to have precious possessions in his life. The raw dishonor struck him to the core, and he was lost to the sea of damage he had caused the one thing he was meant to cherish and build on. Their foundation cracked and splintered in every direction. He could almost see it clear as day.

Kate would let the tears free, collapse down to their damaged bond desperately trying to make it right, only to get hurt in the end. The light would leave her eyes as she retreated within herself… Never to open up again.

'And I did that…'

Movement on the bed caused the sheets to crinkle in the stifled stillness of the room and he felt like jumping out of his own skin when her chin landed on his wide shoulder.

"Something worth noting?" Karen whispered in a hushed tone near his ear, the trail of her lips as she spoke the words against his skin caused a sick lustful want to cloud over the rational side of his brain- the one still recovering from a hangover- the one recovering over the mental toll being Kenny caused him- the whole of his brain and heart that was attempting to heal from the soul crushing wound from the knowledge of Kate miscarrying…

His would-be child snuffed out from the world before they got a chance…

Niko's fists tightened on the edges of the laptop as the weight within dragged everything down toward his demise.

Karen's bright blue eyes gazed over the dates and agencies involved on the screen Niko had paused at. Inside she was losing it. She was trapped back in the memories of their time dating, or not really dating, whatever it was labeled. Her hands longed to slide around him to hold him to her. They had amazing moments shared between them.

But that's all they were- moments. No longevity.

They faced two vastly different paths. Her the walk of defending the world from people like him. And he the walk of avoiding detection of people like her. Those two paths only met in catastrophe. A crash of strong wills and pain. A fiery pain that left them only wanting more once a part.

'Just like how he pulled away so fast when he realized I was not the Irish Princess…'

Searing, bright jealously and loathing suffocated her as she took joy in getting to be close to him once more. For the time being they were in their own small world, and she was going to capitalize every millisecond she received!

Her surging confidence, based on hollow faith, let the sensual smile spread before she kissed his exposed flesh above his collarbone. The coil from before agonizingly curled within her and she moved up toward his neck leaving open mouthed kissed as she went. Remembered weak points on his body became clear once more- the buttons of uncontrollability – the places where her nails could sink in and send him into a frantic pace. She ran her fingers a ghost length off of his back, letting them touch him here and there- randomly as to keep him guessing.

The prickle and fullness of his hair as she gently curled her hands within the short strands caused a painful and restrained groan to fill their ever-shrinking personal spaces. She was going to win this time around. There was no lingering wish to submit... Or forfeit. Only domineering needs that required filling. She firmly pressed the pads of her fingertips to his scalp and in an unhurried pace trailed them down to his shoulders and into the openings of his loosely buttoned shirt that was barely covering his body. Warm breath tickling the shell of his ear…

Niko was at war. Complete defeat and failing victory. He hated himself for how his body jumped back into old habits- grabbing her hands to halt their trek over his pecks, only to have them flatten under his hold and barely scratch him with back-and-forth motions of her nails... Lust wound itself encouragingly up his spine, shutting off the connection to his heart and consciousness. His head lulled back into her frame and turned toward the edge of her jaw, pressing his nose to her scent…

His eyes tightly closed, and he struggled to control his actions. Fear clouded his mind as his ability to stop was slipping away at an alarming rate.

'Kate… I… I-'

A foul firmness surrounded his emotions and tucked them away, clearing the way for his visceral needs to take charge.

The laptop soundlessly landed back on top of the scratchy bedspread. His body turned to face her better and reacted as she lunged forward.

His hands tangled in her hair as she continuously kissed him up his strong neck, nibbling on his ear, tilting his chin to give her better access. Her hands softly slid down his body to the hem of his fancy Italian dress shirt, and on a silent longing filled sigh, the cool tips of her fingers brushed along the recalled cut of his muscles. Instantly she pressed her face into the side of his neck and fanned her fingers out to soak in everything that was her Niko.

The one who took charge and fought her for dominance tangled in the sheets or shower curtain.

Niko nudged the top of her head to get her to look up at him. His brain was useless to him. Silent. Fuming. Judging him from a place he could not reach. Even his heart abandoned him. The gaping wound in his chest where Kate's soul had once filled was digging at his insides to find something to cauterize the bleeding.

Karen's understanding depth within her eyes gave him the kickstart to his autopilot.

Niko leaned down and kissed her harshly. Taking control of where he wanted this to lead. His body led. His darkened, vile, and cold killer that lived within seeped to every pore of the surface of his skin. She was nothing but a means to an end. A way to release his mass of disorganized thoughts and feelings. How many women had tried to sew together his hardened heart?

It was simply medicine to temper his level of pain.

Even if it was just a temporary fix. He desperately needed it.

Karen shifted to his lap as he roughly pulled her around him. They sank into a familiar connection and tumbled over the edge of realized reality. Lips and teeth went to war with one another- trying to one up the other- the blood bruises littered their necks and collarbones. The grinding of their hips with the thinnest of barriers keeping them from where they were going…

…

"I will be yours. I will protect you. Love you…" A murmur of his voice cracked his glass defensive walls. The memory associated with the start of a blood oath attempted to overlay his vision as he tangled himself around Karen's body, jerking the cloth open to gain access to her hidden flesh, lavishing the curve of her breasts.

"To my dying breath I will be yours… Wholly. Willingly. Longingly…" Kate's beautiful voice gently, lovingly, and shakenly broken slipped up his cheeks to hold his face as she worriedly glanced between his eyes, "To my last breath I will trust you and love you."

… 'Kate…?' …

…

The night terrors returned as he lifted them up…

Knees weak and strained supporting them.

Hands cunningly cradling Karen's body to his own.

He twisted to drop them both quietly to the springy mattress. Their bodies didn't waste any time finding that faded and severed bond. Hands wandered with a hasty impatience under clothes and over the closures of annoying clothing that kept them from feeling their heated skin on the other.

The familiarity of her go to moves caused his member to flex in anticipation…

The click of his belt freeing access to his button and zipper struck an exposed nerve- flooding his body with a sharp sizzling pain.

He dove his face into the crook of her neck to lessen the pressure building in his chest.

…

"Kate?" Niko immediately lowered his weapon and marched up to his girlfriend that was shaking so bad it was visible from the doorway. He dropped to his knees at her side-

"Лепа (Lepa)" Niko whispered, his own hands held a weird tremor to them as he caught her frame as she nearly collapsed into his arms.

"Come on Kate. I'm here now." Niko shifted his hold on her and stood up, pulling her up in his arms and to his chest. Her head lulled immediately into the crook of his neck just like it had the night he had first saved her life. His blood ran so cold it was nearly unbearable. He had gone the wrong way. Made the wrong call…

…

Balmy warm hands dove into his opened pants, under the firm waistband of his boxers, and started to pump him and caress him- building the tension in his sack. His own sweaty and uneasy hand slipped down between them to shove her thong to the side.

Just the brush of his knuckles along her opening strangled his throat.

'Almost there… Don't stop now. Get what we want. Just reach out and take it. Go on.' The tremor of a voice long forgotten encouraged him and filled his mind, jerking every thought of Kate to the side.

But his heart wouldn't give out to his soulless killer.

…

Swinging his gaze back to the bed he felt his insides knot up. Kate was on the bed, her arms held above her head, the metal of handcuffs glinted in the light of the knocked over lamp, the man's rough large hand was braced against her upper arm squeezing down on it beside her head. Her startled eyes turned his direction and the pitiful, helpless, look of fear she sent his way almost broke his resolve-

"Kate. Katie. It's me, Niko." He spoke softly and tried to not jar her too much. He was unsure of the extent of her injuries and didn't want to cause her any more pain. She didn't seem to hear him as she continued to cry and press her face further into her bound hands. As carefully as he could he sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She immediately buried her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder and gripped the front of his jacket tightly. He could feel how her whole body kept shaking with every broken cry that tried to make it past her gagged mouth-

He felt his world crumble with the way her body went limp in his grasp. The sobs had quieted, but the tears continued to soak the collar of his shirt and jacket. He lifted her off the bed and made sure she was tucked securely to him before taking a few steps away-

"Hey, hey, I'm right here. No one is going to touch you." Niko pulled her back into his chest and wrapped his arms around her once more. She held tight to him, her own arms finally being free were able to wrap around his waist, and she held on hard. Her face pressed into the center of his chest against his shirt and the tears left wet spots behind. Neither seemed to mind.

"I promise you, no one will ever be able to touch you if you don't want them to." Niko's voice was steady, and it calmed her frayed nerves. She turned her head and placed her ear over his heart. She could hear and feel the strong beat of his heart and it left her wanting to stay put and listen to it for the rest of her life…

…

A fleeting tug faded away from his soul when he roughly grabbed her chin and yanked it to his face, only to crash his lips to hers. He didn't want to remember. Not the harrowing memory of that exhausting night chasing down Natalya. Anything thing but that.

'Please…'

'Drown it out. That's right. Focus on the willing body under you. Use her for your escape.'

…

The way Kate defiantly glared up at Natalya as the gun pointed her way, huddled on the ground covered in Darko's jacket. Everything zeroed in on the sheen of his pistol within the grip of that monster. The hysterical madness overflowing Natalya's eyes. The unbearable dread that built when his body refused to get up and stop what came next.

The gun shot echoed in the clearing and was louder than the crackling fires, the howling wind, the clash of thunder overhead.

How just the pull of a trigger stripped him down to nothing. Taking the one thing keeping him alive away from him.

Blood splattered and flew in wild directions as the bullet tore into her. The feeling mirrored in his own chest stealing his air and will to go on.

Kate slumped back on the grass, her arms sprawling out to her sides, her face turning in his direction, and slowly her eyes slid closed.

…

"Pakhan, swear to me that you are mine and I am yours." Kate's peaceful and resonating voice roared through his soul.

"I give you, my life. This is my oath. To love you till my last breath… I love you." His own response matching her level of love and devotion had sealed their oath to one another, standing in the backyard of the McReary's brownstone…

…

A suffocating sob built up in his throat as he continually kissed Karen's lips raw, fingers digging firmly into her lacy thong- halting the search for the edge of her panties to yank them to the side. Anguish poured into him and instantly filled the abyss, begging him to stop before things got so far out of hand. The last pathetic plea that cried out at him.

…

"Niko, I want to be with you till the day I die. You are my world. My everything. No matter how much fear, anxiety, pain fills me over recent events- my answer is always you. You have possibly given me everything I have ever wanted in life-" Tiredly she lowered her arms from around his body and pulled Kenny's ring from her thumb, letting a couple more tears slide down her cheeks, "If you are meant to be the leader of the underground world, or just simply the man who loves me, I will always come back to you." She held it up near his face for him to take. To go be who he needed to be. It was like handing over the key to her soul.

More tears cascaded down her face. Was this really how they were going to be? Stolen moments between chaos?

…

The heat clashed with the chilled air as she freed him from his clothing and scooted down his body, hips rolling and legs opening to wrap over his lower back. The slickness greeted him eagerly along her folds as she guided him to her entrance, using her bolden strength to shift his hand holding her thong away-

…

'I only wish to disappear someplace new and peaceful. Our slice of solitude. I do not need Kenny or anyone else's power to gain this my love.' Niko flicked his eyes to the golden ring in her horribly shaking hand and knew within the spaces of his confident heartbeat that he didn't want the title. The only title he wanted was Mr. to his Mrs. He shifted his eyes back to hers and dived toward his one and only.

Her heart swelled in her chest, and she closed her eyes when his lips crashed into her own. She felt his hand land on top of hers that held Kenny's ring. Forcing her to drop it to the bed to link their fingers together. A sob rocked her body, and she gave in to him.

Niko moved his lips over her's hoping it was telling her what he couldn't in a language he was still learning new phrases in, "I love you and want you to be with me. I will find a way to make this work. I swear it. To my dying breath…" He spoke the words in Serbian between airy kisses to her mouth and face.

She recognized part of what he said, "To my dying breath… I am yours."

…

His body froze and she noticed immediately when he became rigid within her grasp. Conflicted hazel eyes met helpless blue in the darkness of the motel room.

…

"The moment I first saw you… I was so attracted…"

"I couldn't measure this and that- and said…"

"My answer is you."

Their voices blended so perfectly as they responded to one another…

…

He and Kate were bound to one another and there was a tug that fiercely built up in intensity on Niko's heart. Burning everything within. The killer struggled to stay in control… But the man he had promised to be would fight to the bitter end to ensure Kate was safe and happy… The eyes he longed to have directed his way were not the ones that were clouding up with hurtful tears beneath him.

…

'Kate stay with me… My heart is in a better place when you are around Kate…

I'm bleeding out- you are so far away…

There is no need to see the world when you are my entire galaxy.'

…

Karen tried to tilt herself to his tip to get him back to tearing away the built-up tension within. She was in ecstasy and her body shivered in eagerness of what was going to come next. No matter what she was going to be satisfied. Tears or no tears. Niko was skilled in so many fields, but to her? His ultimate skill was tucked away in the bedroom. He was unafraid to take charge and take her to places she'd never been. Toe-curling pleasure escapes.

When he started to lift up and put space between them, she dared to meet his remorseful stare, angry fear fueled her on now that he was going to reject her of her fulfillment.

Niko kissed her forehead, slowing his breathing down and pulling in the mistakes he continued to make when it came to his relationship with Kate. Not Michelle- Karen. He had seen the warning flags back in the apartment with Paul tied to a chair and bleeding out. Karen had been too open and relaxed within his personal space. Slowly integrating herself back into his life in a way he could easily fall into with her. He needed to sever this tie once and for all.

Carefully he untangled himself from Karen, giving her the best silent apology he could muster as his mind, heart, and soul seethed within him. His body ached and recoiled violently inside as he lifted to stand at the edge of the bed redoing his pants and belt. Their eyes never left one another. With a well-built knowledge of how the other reacts and thinks, they held a conversation in gestures, huffs, and expressions. She relented to his request for now, as well as his adamant promise he would never touch her again. But hadn't they settled the score back in the hospital? Or was she wrong in that assumption?

'He had started to sink in my private space. Touched me an-and loved my body! He can-can't just walk away now!'

"Why…? Why can't you love me?" Karen whispered out, ignoring the hitch of her voice as the overwhelming emotions overtook her. Her hands nimbly worked the buttons of Aleksei's dress shirt closed, before adjusting her thong back in place. Tears threatened to spill free, and she wrinkled her nose to alleviate the sting the tears caused. The same stab twisted in her chest at the look he was sending her way.

The only answer she knew she'd get from him.

Every. Single. Time.

"You know why." Niko turned around to blankly stare at the curtain covered window in the motel room. He was promised to someone else. He was fully in love with Kate. His tired and mentally exhausted brain tried to take him to a happier place- one where he held Kate tucked up against his body as they slept. It was the only time he was truly able to deeply sleep and rest. Her presence held him in ways he hadn't experienced since before the wars. The same loving and comforting embrace that his…

'My aunt…' Niko bowed his head as the weight of failure slammed down upon his worn-down body. It almost took him to the floor. The chasm gapped open under his feet and guilt, remorse, fear, hatred, anger, suffering spilled out from him. Draining him dry.

Leaving nothing behind but the one thing he swore he'd never become again.

"Niko… It-it wasn't my choice. I basically had a gun to my head from the IAA. If I didn't play the part right or-or fail in my mission… I would be wiped out of this world. I destroyed myself the night before my forced betrayal-"

Karen slowly rose to sit on her claves before him, hand outstretched to him. She needed to get him to understand her side of everything-

"My loyalty runs deep-" Karen started before a hand was wrapped around her neck and she was jerked up to her knees to match Niko's furious eyes.

"You know nothing about loyalty!" Niko churned his words between clenched teeth, voice raised above the quiet whispers they had shared previously. He noticed how his men shifted awake and started to stealthily reach for their weapons out of the corner of his eye. Had they heard and seen everything? Did they just let him try and sleep with his ex without interfering? The angry thoughts caused him to glare to the side and land on Anton and Aleksei. They both shrank away from the tendrils of loathing that was pouring off Niko in waves. Anton looked beyond guilty, as Aleksei wasn't sure what he had done to receive such a warning.

Aleksei moved to the edge of the coffee table and readied his rifle. Clearly something had happened for him to be holding Karen the way he was. Something poked at him with how harshly Niko was handling her. He flicked his eyes back and forth between his boss and his boss' ex. His mind told him he would need to eliminate each and every threat to his boss… But his level of understanding and newfound fondness of Karen stilled his finger from sliding into the trigger guard.

Anton could read the hesitation and uncertainty that blanketed Aleksei, Ivo, and Sergei. They had all been soundlessly asleep. But not him. He was on high alert and on watch. At the first sound of sheets rustling he forced himself to look toward the bed- only to hastily shoot his eyes toward anything else. The failed muffled sighs, moans, and Russin mixed with Serbian and English was impossible to ignore. Just what was he supposed to do? Or act? This hadn't been covered or brought up before when Niko took over for Kenny.

Karen dug her nails down into Niko's wrist with encompassing jealously and a slight edge of fear, "Are you fucking kidding me?! You want to start that fight? You started this! You wanted this! You call loyalty into THIS after you touched me and led me to want you once more. Your mind wasn't even thinking about your unequal Высочество (Vysochestvo)! Your weak and pathetic Принцесса (Printsessa)! не смей (ne smey)!-"

A slap echoed in the room and jerked his men to attention, weapons clicking and holding fast at the target Niko had hit. Karen fell toward the headboard shoving off with a renewed sense of blinding anger and rebounded with a punch of her own in retaliation. She would not let Niko get away with this! Her training kicked in and the adrenaline flushed her system. At Niko's block she swung her leg out and struck his side with her shin.

Niko grunted at the pain that still seemed to resonate occasionally from his gunshot wound. But he hardened his features and grabbed her leg as it started to retreat. He yanked on her shin and ankle, dragging her across the scratchy sheets in his direction. He swiftly read her next move and raised his hand as she twisted around to her side to deliver another strike with her opposite leg- this time her target being his head.

He followed her motion letting her energy be the driving force. His free hand snatched her missed attempt to hit him, and with his steeled grip still on her opposite leg, he flipped her over to her stomach and roughly pulled her off the edge of the bed. Her shirt bunched up under her and exposed her backside.

That vile lust taunted him for a moment.

He let go of her legs and let them drop to the small space between him and the bed. Using more force than he should he grabbed her shoulders and jerked her upright to his body- blocking her in to the raised edge of the bed. He wrapped one arm around her neck before she could respond and caught her elbow when she did recognize the hold he was putting her in.

He caged her into his solid frame and moved with her struggling as to not burn his own pulsing energy. He frowned as her attempts to free herself started to build in intensity rather than fade out. Her switching between fighting styles to get out of his hold was slightly concerning. He wasn't aware she could fight back this way. With an exasperated sigh he wrapped his fingers around her throat and pulled her head to the side, lowering down to press his lips to the shell of her ear, jerking her body into submission.

"You went with your bullshit IAA plan the entire time. The so-called foundation between us was built on a lie. You got me trapped doing work for your employer to stay out of prison. Where was the loyalty in all of that? Hm?" Niko spit the words out in Russian not caring if she picked up what he was saying or not.

His words were like daggers in her back. Had she not taken the kill shot meant for him?! Multiple times?

Rage burned hotly and guided her. She shoved her hand, wrist, and then arm through the hold of her neck and hastily dropped her elbow down in a powerful strike against his funny bone located just above his elbow. Instantly his arm dropped away from her, and she shoved her hips backwards to throw him off balance.

Niko hissed at the unpleasant feeling radiating from his arm, but he had been hit far worse while in hand-to-hand combat. What he wasn't expecting was for her to continue her assault so quickly. He stumbled back a couple of steps raising his arms to a defensive position. She charged him and started to rapidly swing her fists at him in unpredictable places. This was definitely not the same woman he had easily disarmed back in the Holland Hospital.

She worked to keep her face blank and focused on landing a decent hit to that utterly annoying face. It was NOT a lie to her! Her feelings and brought up emotions were valid and real when she spent time with him. Hell it wasn't even an act on her part to play the role of innocent love interest. Frustration started to balloon in her lungs at being blocked so expertly by Niko. Yet she could now see the annoyance and mirrored frustration crease his forehead and draw down his eyebrows.

'Let's just see how strong willed you truly are!'

Karen allowed him to take hold of her arm just above her wrist and shove her away from his body and toward the bed. It would give her a chance to regroup and strategize how to attack him next. She feigned pain at where he had forcefully gripped her. And cowered in on herself, clutching her supposedly throbbing wrist. Her head fell forward and cast her hair to drape down over her features. She may not be strong physically to take down someone like Niko- but fights aren't always sticks and stones.

"And where is your gratitude for taking a bullet for you multiple times now?! Am I just a chess piece in your life? Something to toss around and use when needed? Have you no guilt over the way my body is now scarred over protecting you and that childish female you call your equal? I have served you and honored you with my life!" Karen raised her voice and ignored the thump to the wall from the unit next door. She glared through the strands of her hair, cradling her uninjured arm to her chest, "Am I nothing to you?"

Part of her did not want him to answer that question. Her soul wasn't ready for the nail to be driven down into her coffin.

Niko's toes curled and stretched out within his socks; the only tell he couldn't hide when something conflicted with his emotions and thoughts. What was she really to him? Friend felt too close. Business partner required common ground…

But the middle of the night fixes to his pent-up anger?

He titled his head as he assessed her. She had been willing. 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer Niko. You know how this works. Don't let her useless questions throw you off of what you want. There is still blood to be spilt and perhaps it should start with her…'

"Pakhan do you need assistance?" Anton hesitated to speak up, his Russian a bit shaky with the current situation. As his role of second in command demanded he defend his boss, he slowly lifted his pistol to point it at Karen. He really wished he could wipe the vision of his boss and Karen making out and taking their clothes off away from his mind. Kenny pulled stunts like this all the time. He and his fellow captains would leave and give them the privacy needed, but Niko was different! Niko wouldn't dare to cheat on Kate! Anton shifted his eyes in Niko's direction waiting for his call.

Which one he wasn't sure he could follow at this point…

Aleksei rubbed the sleep from his eyes and tried to figure out what had caused him to wake to such a bizarre scene. He glanced between his boss and Karen and followed his fellow captain's lead. If Anton perceived the uncontrollably seething woman as a threat to Niko, he would be sure to hit his target. His previous suspicions of her whirled around in his head. Had she attempted something with Niko while they had been resting for the mission ahead? "Anton? Shall I prepare a deep hole not far from here? Plenty of ditches and culverts that would work perfectly."

"Pakhan? Your orders?" Anton ignored Aleksei and refused to lower his weapon from pointing in Karen's direction. The man before him was not his beloved boss. No. This was someone to fear and avoid crossing paths with. The iron grip he would place over his kingdom and keep people in line. Kenny may have been able to produce fear in his captains… But nothing compared to the spinetingling dread that slid over him in Niko's presence now. Even his throat dried the second his words left his lips. He was unsure of what to stick with and believe. Kate was taking hold of a special place within his own family, and he never wanted to see her cry and get hurt by the one person who shouldn't dare to try. Was this going to be what finally broke his own resolve at holding his title and rank within the Bratva?

Sergei and Ivo scooted back from the developing scene and took up defensive places again the wall the bathroom rested on. They would be able to shoot anyone who tried to leave or come in through the only exit to the motel room. Their sleep laden brains couldn't figure out what was happening or why their boss looked so stoic from their position in the room. Or why she had attacked him and he matching the level of intensity on her. Was she not considered a friendly on their mission? They took a quick glance at one another and simply shrugged.

"Step outside and guard the unit Anton. Aleksei- Take Ivo and Sergei to the airfield and locate my plane that has been misplaced. Use the rental car and clean it down once you get there. Have the plane waiting for Anton and I to meet you on the runway. I do not want to be delayed in returning to my Принцесса (Printsessa). Моја лепа љубав (moja lepa ljubav)." Niko proudly stated Kate's official title in Russian before switching back to his native language to say the term of endearment he held for Kate. His voice may have lacked any emotion and was cold, but deep down in the recesses of his blackened soul, was a flicker of light that painfully recoiled when he focused on it.

At their hesitation he glared in their direction, "I only ask once."

Aleksei and Anton shared a nervous and somewhat scared glance before getting to the orders they had been given, saluting their boss to alleviate the sting of his request. Neither one of them wanted to be in the room with the domineering pressure Niko exuded in the small motel unit. They were going to leave the fate of Karen up to their boss and pray they didn't have to clean up a bloodbath afterwards.

Ivo and Sergei hunched in on themselves as they scurried to the door, grabbing bags and luggage with them as they retreated away from the intimidating man their boss had become. They had several trips to make from the rental car and the motel room, and they both dreaded having to interrupt Niko's kill.

The door softly clicked shut, leaving only Niko and Karen within the unit.

The absolute pressure in the room would surely collapse the walls at any given moment.

Death impatiently hovered above them-

The spark sizzled on the ever-shortening fuse.

With his continued silence and lack of movement Karen decided now was the time to start tearing him down. Crumble his inner walls and get to what really hurt him in the end. Get him unbalanced and destroy his confidence in himself. She wasn't fooled by the stoney façade he had pulled over himself. He used it too many times when she would pry into his and Roman's life. It was simply a safeguard and nothing more.

"I once believed you would never settle on anything- Too caught up in your life to care about what was right in front of you. All you cared for was money and power. No wonder you fit so well in Kenny's seat." She angrily spat the words trying to get a rise out of him. To dig at his buttons, peel the layers back, and find what was underneath.

'You may not like what you find… Stop this now and leave before true damage is done…'

Karen scowled at her inner thoughts. Damage had already rained down on them and had them pitted against one another. What would be the point in backing away? Defeat was not in her vocabulary. She finished missions and sought out an end. Open-ended things in her life gave her extreme anxiety. Anxiety that stormed into anger, then exploded in a fire laden outburst at whoever was in front of her at the time. This time her sights were dead set on Niko.

"You've lost the ruthlessness you kept just under the surface because of her. Some cold-blooded killer you are now. I could even laugh at how the IAA perceives you now. The once sought after gun for hire is nothing but a simpering aging man; Caught up in red hair and green eyes. She hold your leash or what?!"

Her eyes widened when he charged her and forced her back down on the bed. Her arms flailed into action and blocked best she could at his punches. His full-strength ones. He wasn't pulling his punches like last time. This was real and she recognized the red hazed eyes of an enraged Niko.

His weight rested over her stomach as he pinned her arms above her head with one hand, easily detaining her, and slid his other hand below her head to bunch into the silky, tangled strands of hair. He jerked her into submission with one firm tug on her hair and lifting her head off the bed to be within inches of his chilling glare.

"Don't play with things you know nothing about. I have killed people for most of my life. It is nothing new to me. I-" Niko ground out between his clenched teeth and jaw before she shoved upward and kissed him heatedly on the lips. The moan that radiated from her exposed neck and slightly visible chest stirred that dangerous side to derail his thoughts.

Niko didn't waste any time and tilted his head to deepen the kiss, letting his weight lessen to give her the chance to breathe deeply. To inhale his domineering lust for her body- and nothing more.

Karen took advantage of his off-balance position and rapidly lifted her hips to roll him to the side, following the movement and freeing her hands to brace herself over him, "I know plenty. You were pussy whipped the second you laid eyes on her. I knew your patterns. How you would work faster through assignments to make time for her." Karen locked her hardening sharp eyes on to the cold ones of Niko, "Tell me. Were you thinking of her as you got off on me?" With her words dripping with resentment she leaned down and rolled her body into his, being sure to rub her lace covered opening over his still hardened member.

Niko cupped her under her arms and used his knee to throw her over his head to the dirty carpet with a thump. Her words had sliced deep and sank into his hemorrhaging heart. Unrelenting shame slapped him across the face as he realized that he had been thinking of Kate when making out with Karen. His own precious memories guiding him to reach his finish- not knowing the women he was lovingly touching wasn't his Kate… Yet he continued on once he learned of his mishap.

'Don't go overanalyzing it now… What's done is done, and there is more still left to be accomplished. Use that pit in the bottom of your stomach. Let it consume you!'

Smooth and devious words slugged through his head as he rolled over to his stomach, scooting backward off the bed to be in a better position to attack or defend. His eyes snapped down to the nightstand where his reliable pistol rested innocently. He took the step toward the nightstand and jerked his pistol up from the surface- the welcomed weight pushed some semblance of control inside.

His blood thickened and oozed through his body.

'Kill… Kill… Kill…'

Everything was being torn in so many directions…

'Don't. She isn't worth the bullet!'

Soulless eyes took their time observing the side of the bed she had been unceremoniously dumped, waiting for her next move.

'What are you waiting for?! March over there and unload twelve rounds into her devilish form!'

His soul fractured more as his emotions, thoughts, and being blended into a jumbled mass:

Depression,

Panic,

Rage,

Anger, Fear,

Loathing,

Failure…

They battled to win dominance within his battered soul.

He ignored the warning signs of coming to Los Santos.

They were there from the beginning. Even Georgi had sent him his questioning stare at the table… Why had he agreed to leave Kate's side?

And with Karen he knew he should've been shorter and more distant from her. Not given her openings to manipulate and work everything in her favor. But he had to admit he wasn't in the best headspace for defending himself.

The anguish that dropped him to his knees over losing his future child and what Kate was going to have to carry for the rest of her life…

It was too much for one person to handle…

And he had handled it so devastatingly poorly.

The fuse was rapidly reaching the end.

Niko locked eyes to the frightened and pleading blue eyes of the female who lifted just enough to see where he had moved. She had betrayed him in the worst ways. She had deceived him and handed him over to the IAA as if it was nothing. Even scoffed and sarcastically introduced him to Bernard at the front office IAA held in Liberty City. Then she magically clicks back into their comfortable past relationship within his life as if nothing had changed or happened from their last night together before the coke deal and her opening the door to the apartment the handler was hiding out in.

'She is using you again and you know it… But this time you can put a stop to the worst outcome imaginable.'

He snapped his pistol up and took aim at her forehead, just as she shot up to her knees, her own pistol raised at him. Their frames froze in the perfect firing pose, weapons trained on their enemy, fingers slid into the trigger guards.

"Niko. This isn't how this needs to end." Karen lowered her eyelids slightly and tried to find his finite of movements. Something to give her a heads up to either fire back or scurry around the bed to start fighting once more. How had they ended up like this?! A shiver shook her entire body as the phantom touch of his flared to life on her skin. 'From lovers to enemies. It's the cycle you will always have with him.'

"Do tell then, how this should end. Hm? With you on your back? A bullet through your head? I am enraptured to know the answer to these questions." Niko growled out taking a sliding step toward the end of the bed, forcing her to counter his move and be cornered in the room, "You always did strike me as the weak one in the bedroom."

"Weak?! I'll show you weak!" Karen expelled the words in Russian and chucked her pistol toward her small duffel bag, jumping up to the surface of the bed- feet landing in the ruffled bedspread from their forbidden love making. She'd leave her fate in his hands. With an unbearable pull on her heart she ran across the short distance of the bed and leapt toward his towering form.

Niko took a step back to rest his pistol on the dusty windowsill before closing the distance between them. He was slightly caught off guard as her legs wrapped around his shoulders and neck. His hands automatically went to catch her and keep her from falling and injuring herself. The whiffof her essence nearly strangled all other reservations he still clawed at.

It was distraction enough as she lifted her bent arm above her head, elbow on target to strike the top of his head.

'Enough of this.'

Niko's large hands gripped the back of Aleksei's dress shirt and yanked as hard as he could to get her to fall forward. Buttons flew in random directions as the delicate cloth gave way under his harsh treatment. A sharp pain ignited on his head as she scraped her nails down the side of his head- pulling stiches free from his near miss.

A pissed off hiss emitted from the back of his throat as blood bubbled along the slice and started to rush down around his ear and cheek. He gripped her thigh with his free hand and shoved her away from him.

Karen let out a panicked yelp as she was effortlessly thrown away and onto the edge of the mattress. An oof pushed out of her lips as the wind was knocked out of her lungs. She rolled her head upright and recoiled instinctively at his looming form getting closer.

He didn't hesitate to give her the time of day to recover and stalked closer to her crumpled form on the ground. The slick warmth that trailed down his face and stained his skin in its wake was just another battle scar to show as he crushed his enemies. They could wound him, but never stop him.

Karen sucked in air and managed to block his first strike, letting the force guide her to shift his foot away to kick the lumpy mattress. She rolled to the side to use the bed as leverage to jump to her feet. She was a sure target on the ground and the fight or flight surged through her as she was spun around to a blank-faced Niko.

Large hands wrapped around her throat and squeezed down with all the force of a betrayed male.

Black spots danced within her vision, full-fledged terror dragging down her body in waves. The black spots started to bleed together and tunnel her blurring vision. At the last second before she fell unconscious her hands landed on his forearms and with her fleeing strength, she leapt up and kicked his chest with both her feet solidly.

Niko had his grip falter as he stumbled backward with the blow to his chest. Feet shuffling over the low pile carpet. A small coil of pain tried to twist around in his chest, but the darkness snuffed it out. Nothing ran through his head as he braced against the wall to stop his fall. The void was taking over and shoving the man he had become because of Kate into the depths below. He was not useful to him in this battle.

Karen ungracefully landed on her feet and hands, recovered, and took off around the bed for her pistol. It was the only way to stop him from taking her life! She had successfully pressed all of his buttons… And then some.

Niko lifelessly watched her retreat and followed pursuit, drawing his hidden blade as he stalked around the bed to her bent over form.

Karen's now sweaty hands landed on the chilled metal of her pistol and took hold to be able to shoot the one man she didn't think she'd ever have the courage or gumption to fire upon.

Niko fisted his hand into her wild hair and threw her against the wall to disarm her but frowned as the gun stayed within her shaking hands as she caught herself against the faded and peeling wallpaper.

Karen's heart was now beating so rapidly that it was getting harder and harder to breathe. The air that she desperately sucked in as a searing hot hand landed on her right shoulder and forced her around to face her death. In a knee jerk attempt to save herself she drew the pistol in close and took aim at his chest.

The once lustful hand that would find all her hidden places trapped her to the wall by her neck. A swift shove to her arm that held her last line of defense was knocked back into the paper-thin wall. An itchy, sharp jolt shot up her arm before she could decipher what had happened.

Niko shoved the blade to the handle into the sleeve and arm of Karen to pin her hand in a way she would be unable to direct the gun to him. A loud banging shook the wall behind the headboard, but he ignored it. He was zeroed in on inflicting as much pain on his pinned prey as he could before he got bored and disposed of her.

'Aleksei did say there were plenty of ditches and culverts around here…'

"I was correct. You are nothing but a weak IAA agent." Niko squeezed her throat as he raised his hand to firmly hold her face in place. Forcing her to helplessly stare into his eyes. To be met with the death sentence she had begun.

Karen met his stare with her own fire and tenacity, "And your weakness is so blatantly obvious." Pain radiated up her arm in waves every time she tested her fingers or wrist. It was absolutely useless to try and move it. The gun just kept weighing down her hand and would sink her flesh further into the sharpened, deadly edge of Niko's knife. With an annoyed huff she released the gun to the floor.

The loud clatter and thump were somewhat muffled by the carpet- the only sound to break the silence between them.

"I have no weaknesses." Niko pursed his lips together and let his head tilt in the direction of her discarded weapon and lifted an eyebrow. Why had she given up so quickly? It was never fun when his assignments relented to their fate by his hands. The chase and fight were always exhilarating and poured a form of ecstasy over his body- coating him in a complete mind numbing high when he cornered the person for extermination.

The sum of money that soon followed wasn't all that bad either.

"Your bitch. She is how people will get to you. In whatever way they see fit-" Karen gagged and spluttered as the hold on her neck got harsher, cutting her off completely.

"The ones who would dare harm her are dead." He slowly drew her away from the wall by his hold to where their noses were almost brushing on one another. His voice dripped with acid and pure hate. No one would ever come for what he declared as his. And if they dared to challenge him on that statement, he would once more go on the hunt.

Karen took in short rapid breaths to try and fill her lungs that were burning in her chest, "It will never stop. And you know it." Without a trace of fear she cupped the wrist of his hand that held her tightly. She kept her touch light and calming. Hoping it would knock him from the edge of despair and violence.

At the narrowing of his eyes, she let some of that fear surface.

Her fingers shook uncontrollably as she reached out to the hand that still resided over the knife. The tips of her fingers brushed over the cold gold of Kenny's ring, "So long as you are at the top… Those who wish to take your place will gun hard to the open weakness you show the world…"

Niko eyes followed her movements down to where her digits kept stroking over the ring that had put him in his current role. The title and power that came with running the most feared criminal organization in America. He had reach. He had security in numbers and weapons. He had powerful allies who would instantly jump to defend him and his Bratva.

"The ring fits well." Niko let his voice drop and darken- one of his fair warning signals to people that he was done talking.

"Perhaps…" Karen sighed and felt the tears well within her fearful irises, "Perhaps it fits too well. I- I know Kate would eventually resent you in this role-!"

Niko silenced her with his iron grip and slammed her back into the wall, cherishing her gasp of pain, "You leave Принцесса (Printsessa) name out of your foul mouth!" He braced her against the wall with his body, leaving no escape path she could somehow take. His thumb pressed down on her rapidly beating pulse point, "I could mutilate your body and not even have a flicker of remorse. You are nothing to me." He darted his eyes between her widening ones.

"Th-this… Is no-not- wh-who…" Karen struggled to gasp the words out. Her body was falling asleep on her and she knew she'd be out of it any second. Leaving her prone for Niko to do whatever he wished. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she locked eyes on the completely guarded, indifferent, chilling stare that held death by the smallest of tethers.

The fuse was nearly gone, the sparks licking the end.

"You've-ve become th-the monster she- she fears…

This is not who Kate loves!"

Her words slashed the rope he was still desperately trying to climb up out of the darkness.

The darkness encased his soul and bleeding heart.

The light was rapidly snuffed out inside, retreating from the evil that consumed him.

Muscles ached to recall the memory of dispatching the enemies in snow covered forests- snapping necks, plunging jagged knives into chests or throats, getting the perfect headshot with a trained precision. With a steady hand he yanked the blade free and changed hands within the blink of an eye. His more dominant hand pressed the knife across her throat, while his other flattened and pressed her firmly within his hold.

A blank and bland façade descended over his features-

She was his to kill.

The quiver that raked over his target ignited the thrill of getting to shed blood. The evil smirk pulled his mouth and churned his scowl into a frightening inviting con. He obnoxiously inhaled her absolute fear as he leaned into press his cheek against hers, his lips barely tickling the shell of her ear-

The deadly sharpened edge dug in just a hair more, freezing her stiff.

"Do you know how many people I have killed in my lifetime?

Even I think my count is off.

Should I be tempted to add you to that ever-growing list? Hm?"

The Serbian fell from his mouth, keeping his face close to hers as he backed away, making sure her line of sight never shifted away from him.

He did always enjoy watching the life leave the ones he truly wanted to kill.

Flashes of Dimitri's mangled face as his shotgun slug took him from this world greedily egged him on.

The bullet that ripped through Natalya's forehead with a satisfying bang, curled his lips into a sinister smile.

His eyes darkened into an impossible depth, and he adjusted his hold of the knife to press horizontally across her throat.

Karen whimpered and let the tears continue to wet her face as the hand that held her end against her neck. A building plea pooled in her eyes as she clung to hope that somewhere in his hurting mind he was still the empathetic, caring person. The Niko she had fallen for…

The one Kate adored and loved from hell to heaven. And everywhere in-between.

Karen tried to slink away from the sharpened blade to give her a fighting chance but was jerked back to her previous position. The movement caused the blade to nick her skin and she let out a hushed sob.

There was no escape.

Niko was gone.

Her life was about to end at the hands of the one man she craved to have in her fucked-up life.

The one constant she could rely on when IAA took control again. Her soul cried out at having to continually be the IAA's puppet. It wasn't fair!

With her final goodbyes rushed through her weirdly calm mind, she figured she would give absolution and put their whatever it was called relationship to rest. A shaky, tiny suck in of air gave her the strength to face her fears and let her tired act fall away. If this was the end, it would be with her true self.

Her lips trembled as she gave Niko an honest smile. The edges of her mouth barely moving upwards, letting her face do the smiling,

"I know saying sorry only goes so far after hearing it a million times… But I am sorry for betraying you. For taking your trust and faith for granted. It breaks my heart…

Go on Niko. I am ready."

One last tear broke free as she felt his body shift-

The knife bent her skin till it couldn't anymore and agonizingly slowly cut everything open.

Her eyes closed instantly and prayed her death would come quick.

'Boss please be okay… I only trust you to place my star on the wall…'

…

Thump, thump

….

Thump, thump…

Thump…

…..

Thump.

…

The silence of death cloaked over his shoulders…

…!

"Niko… Stop!"

Kate's voice loudly screamed.

Niko immediately lessened his killing slice at her voice- knocked clear out of his thirst for blood.

Faint, light, and hesitant pressure guided his hand away to give Karen her life back. And as clear as the tucked away ponds in his homeland he could see Kate's worrisome look as she stepped between him and his rightful kill once more.

'She is not worth the cost of your soul…'

Kate's voice didn't hold an ounce of reprimand, only sound knowledge that killing Karen was not the answer. The smallest glint of disappointment marred her beautiful face and Niko felt his hand go numb- the knife falling to the floor to embed in the filthy carpet between them.

Niko turned away from the silently sobbing form of his ex- whatever they called their time and took the few steps to the window. With a heavy sigh he pulled the curtains back to gauge how much longer it would be before daylight started to paint the sky in dazzling bright colors. Such a contrast to how he was feeling. The tip of his pistol tapped on the dusty windowsill when he picked it up once more. He hadn't realized he had set his gun down.

He felt the bitter taste rise in his throat at letting a kill go. There was never compassion or mercy in his life. The heavy confirmation of those thoughts caused him to turn away from his place against the window, hand instantly training his pistol to be ready to fire, to openly watch her blood spill. The thirst to just end her life was nearly all consuming. He forced himself to return to the brightening sky and breathe deeply. His eyes blearily looked down to the one constant in his life.

The faded words in Serbian flashed with the emerging sun.

His forehead connected to the cool glass and his eyes slid shut.

…

"What… Wh-What do the words say?" Kate spoke brokenly-

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid." Niko recited the words they had all said to one another as they got the commissioned weapons and supplies after getting assigned a unit. He was a terrified teenager. Not even- more like a pre-teen who had anger and hatred in his heart. Which molded him into the man he was today.

"English… please?" She whispered the word in Russian-

"Лепа (Lepa), I am afraid of losing you. It means bravery is knowing you are afraid…"

…

Niko came out of the memory and tucked it away. There would be a time and place to dwell in happier times. But now was not it. Now he needed to be the boss the Bratva needed. The title of Pakhan. He frowned over his shoulder as Karen was still standing frozen to the spot, blood slowly trickling down her neck and streaking into the crumpled fabric that was still Aleksei's dress shirt.

His hatred continued to build and swirl within. He was pissed off at himself for allowing his guard to drop that drastically. Furious that he gave in so easily once he knew what was going on. His own blood was thrumming with the need to just turn ever so slightly and pull the trigger. Snuffing out one more secret he needed to keep and eliminate.

'How does it go? Three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead …?'

Oh how his hand gripped the gun in his grasp. Just one pull of the trigger and she'd no longer be a threat to him or his relationship with Kate. IAA would then become an enemy and start tracking them down. He could use Bernard's present to get them out of the country, but at some point the powers that be would figure it out and flag their alter identities.

Which then he'd put Kate on the actual run… Something he knew how to craft perfectly. But surely Kate would be anxious and fearful the entire time and beg him to let her leave. She wasn't built for the criminal world. God were his thoughts running a million miles a minute. Too much to think about and figure out. He was truly in a mess of problems.

…

He dropped a kiss to the top of her shoulder, "Remember. One thing at a time."

She met his gaze in the fogged up mirror and let a small smile lift her lips, "Together though, right?"

"Together." Niko let the silent sigh slip between his lips before placing another kiss to the top of her exposed shoulder.

…

'Just… Clean up this mess and get to tracking down Trevor. Now that might be the fight we are looking for!'

"Grab your things and leave. There is nothing between us. It has been ignited and burnt to ashes. You do not realize the damage you have committed toward me." Niko sent her one last glare before resting against the cool glass again. He would allow her to grab her things and walk out of the unit to wherever she felt she needed to go to… It would also remove her from his sight. His hand squeezed down on the pistol in yearning.

'What was one more kill?'

"I will walk out that door and never look back. Should we meet again, it will have to be a bloodbath. Neither one of us will be able to leave unscathed. You know this right?" Karen whispered the words, too frightened to do much more than shake and pray that once she did move it wouldn't snap her throat open and her life would end swiftly.

"If I ever see you again I will slit your throat open all the way. That's just a flesh wound. Nothing life threatening." Niko mumbled the words as he replayed their physical altercation more clearly. She had improved her fighting dramatically since the last time he had seen her. It was precise. Lethal. Almost an alternate version of how he fights. A ruthlessness needed to dispatch people quickly and effortlessly. His lips drew down as a thought crossed his mind.

One he really didn't want to be true.

Karen bunched what little clothing she did have into her duffel bag. Her left hand was holding and pressing her neck to attempt to slow the bleeding. It was a lost cause. She needed a gauze pad or something clean and medical grade. There was a safe house not too far from their motel room, somewhat walking distance. What choice did she have? Her eyes glanced over to the stone, solid form of Niko. There was a zero chance he'd offer her up a ride.

With a slow inaudible sigh she stood and looped the strap to her bag over her shoulder. The Niko she loved and longed to be with was no longer there before her. It twisted her soul into an unrecognizable monster. This was the person the IAA, FIB, and Interpol feared. He was finally back into his role needed to keep Liberty City in order. The delicate balance required to keep the peace between LCPD and the criminal underground. He is the one every criminal organization fought to have in their corner… And somehow she had followed protocol to the point of completion.

On careful, silent feet she approached the hunched over simmering Niko. Karen boldly cupped his wrist gently and was amazed that she was able to twist her hand to slide down into his calloused one. With an excited breath she dipped her fingers into the spaces between his. The ring dug painfully into her shaking digits as she took his hand.

Her heart almost stopped when he held her hand back.

"Miche- Karen. Don't push your limits." Niko's void of emotion-fueled words felt like blades in her chest.

His visible refusal to even look at her or acknowledge they were holding hands froze her soul into a painful, jagged, masterpiece. It wasn't just him who needed the shove to do their jobs effectively. She realized that she too needed to expel everything she held dear. Attachments and compassion were never listed on the job description when she took on work for the IAA.

Regret tended to be the hardest emotion to shake when a job was completed. And here she stood next to the one person she once held an attachment to. Once held love, compassion, and empathy. All those things were killed within once the blade sliced her throat.

This was it. Her and Niko were through, and she could never contact him or Kate again. Heavy, thick tears escaped down her face at the image that vividly appeared in her mind of Kate. How what they had done in the bed would break Kate's fragile heart. The chill forced her to squeeze his hand once and let her fingers drop away one at a time.

The fuse sizzled out as fingers pinched the flame dead.

"Um… I- I surrender my life to the Bratva and protecting its leader." She valiantly glanced up to the side of his face where she picked up a tiny twitch on his lip as his blood rolled down to his jaw. Part of her would always long to help him and protect him in ways he was unaware of, "We have reached the end. There is no saving you from the clawed in power."

Her eyes flashed with a truth he needed to figure out.

"You push that quite a bit." This time Niko did roll his head to the side to see her reaction. The glint caught his attention and he fully turned toward her and crossed his arms, "Why is that?"

The thought from earlier sat front and center in his mind. The skill level in her fighting. The ability to just roll lies off her tongue like it was nothing.

It was too close to his own skillset.

Karen took a couple of retreating steps in the door's direction, not wishing to be within his eyesight anymore. He was starting to catch on to her job. And that was something she couldn't let happen. He needed the clues to put together an answer, but it needed to come from someone other than her. She would be instantly ordered to death, but at the hands of her employer. Her feet planted in front of the door, and she reached out to hold the handle.

And turned her body in Niko's direction…

'One last hint… Then it's on to the next assignment…'

"For what it's worth- You will never be replaceable. This is your title and Bratva-

I had told you to hold on to that hate.

Because if it starts fade, you will give in, and that will be the end…"

Karen let the tears free and didn't care if he saw her weakness or pain. This was her goodbye. This was her leaving everything on the table. No more lies or deception. Her title and job wouldn't save her or him this time.

Silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity. Niko studied her closely. Her wording and body language were screaming at him to look beyond the surface. To discover an ugly truth that he wasn't meant to find. Everything was right there at his fingertips. His mind flipped through the last several days and his interactions with Karen. Something was missing.

A connection to why she was here. Helping him.

…

"Then why was a crew of Kenny's top interrogators killed in a van not far from the McReary residence early this morning?"-

"Come again?" Niko released his hold of her and nodded to Bernie to lower his weapon. He didn't want to believe what he had just heard.

"A van was found a street over from the McReary brownstone. Total bloodbath." Avia retracted her blade and tucked it back into her jacket pocket.

…

The free fall into dangerous beliefs smothered him. Things were lining up. And he did not like it one bit.

The mysterious heads up given to LCPD about the hacker and the apartment with all the photos of crimes he and Francis committed.

The warning of stumbling upon it with just enough of a window to destroy the evidence and escape…

The perfect timing of Robert showing back up in LC.

The formed wedge that tried to pry Kate away from him. How Robert knew exactly how to touch Kate and scare her into cowering within herself. Just enough to derail her for a time- Nothing permanent. A small seed planted inside her heart to fear everything to do with him and the soon to be title that would be bestowed upon him.

Why the meeting had to be held at the McReary homestead. The convenience of Kenny leaving for Los Santos with Antonia. The ambush needed to capture the most prolific and protected person in all of the criminal underworld. The one shooter who had to have had years of weapons training.

How Kenny's men were skillfully dispatched in the back of their van…

Everything that led to him taking Kenny's ring snapped into place. The timeline was clear as day.

And it infuriated him to lengths he hadn't been stretched to in a long, long time.

'There it is. Be steadfast with that newfound rage…' His inner demons softly, gently, encouragingly spoke to him. Putting events in the order to see the transparent picture. They were picking him apart for missing all the signs he was given. He was better than this.

'She is a distraction… She has stilled your hands far too many times. Those missed kills will come back to haunt you. Focus now… Or we will perish before we can claim victory…'

The storm within ceased and rinsed him sterile of attachments and compassion.

The fuse once more sprang to life at the removing of her hand, only to burn the fuse to its end.

He shifted ever so slightly to regard Karen with his hardened, unearth truth to what put him in this dingy motel room. His nostrils flared as he sucked in air to drop it at her retreating feet. He knew now what he didn't know then.

"How easy was it to assist Bobby in killing those men in the back of Kenny's truck?" Niko spoke coldly toward Karen.

He had to confirm with finality in order to put his thoughts to rest. He'd read her reaction to get his answer. The strike of being correct didn't rock him like it should. It only passed through him to be replaced with a renewed need to end Karen's life, "You know this means that you are an enemy of my Bratva. You have killed my men in cold blood. What do you have to say to keep me from shooting you right this second?"

He lifted his eyebrow in a silent warning that her time on this earth was rapidly fading away. Aleksei would be waiting for her- would track her down, and when her guard was lessened, he would lash out and do his boss' bidding. There was no question that his captain would follow his order to perfection.

His eyes watched her shoulders lift and her body go into a defiant pose.

'That wasn't all of it…Shit!' Niko held his breath, pulled his pistol to his side, and hated how long it took her to speak up.

Karen mirrored his coldhearted stare. The last ace was seething to be set free.

To let him know she knew his secrets. All of them. Just as he knew hers.

'It's now or never. I am sorry for where this leads- to a future you claimed you never wanted… But it is the future chipped away in stone Niko… How you thought you could get away with past mistakes and not have consequences…' Karen cleared her voice and winced in pain as the cut pulled on her neck. Fresh blood rolled freely down her throat to stain Aleksei's poor dress shirt more.

"My safehouse apartment you blew up was just a small loss.

The hard drives being stolen is a major concern- and not just for me.

I need those back. Be available near a landline to get the drop point location from the fixer.

The hacker's demise by the hands of someone unknown is something I am still working on. He was a valuable asset and cooperated with just enough persuasion inflicted. That loss is something I will be punished for… I shouldn't have left that day. My own guard was down at the right time. When I saw how the door was rigged I fled out the window to the fire escape off the hallway. My cover had been made." She had been cornered in the small alley by the one who killed her subject she had been assigned to be his handler. The fear licked across her back at the memory of his covered face within a motorcycle helmet feeling locked to her eyes. He pinned her with intention to end her life but stopped just before his kbar could slash her stomach wide open.

'Why he spared my life is also unknown…'

Karen spoke with confidence and authority- the IAA voice she honed every day. Even if the small sliver of remorse and regret, along with a longing fear, stained her words. 'You can do this. It's all just part of the job. You knew this going in… I really am sorry boss, but this came from above you and left me in their power.'

She opened her mouth to once and for all sever the crumbling bond between herself and the head of the Petrovic criminal organization. But was silenced, her jaw snapping shut, as she focused on the end of the barrel that shifted in her direction, the back hammer clicking down loudly in the heavy silence.

Niko marched up to her unwavering form and pressed the end of his pistol to her forehead with force, "You have been playing with my life in the background?! So many people were nearly killed during that ambush the Albanians conducted against me! Gerry is dead! Is that what you wanted out of all these lies and deception?" Niko's voice rose as his control over his anger was broken. The people in the room next to them once more banged on the wall and shouted for them to be quiet.

When they kept yelling profanities and derogatory sexual comments, Niko barely moved his pistol and shot the wall separating the bathroom from the main living space.

Karen did her best to not flinch at the gunshot. But the ringing in her ears was hard to ignore. She had to tilt her head up to meet his eyes and she let out a muted whimper. Her life was destroyed anyway… And all she wanted was to hold herself up in a safe place and cry everything out. To get that emptiness to shove her regrets out of her, leaving room for the next mission.

"Your eyes betray you. Show me." Niko kept his arm outstretched that held his gun and scooted just enough to enter her personal space. 'There has to be a mark. Something… She has loyalty to me. I know that now…' He could see the shrinking of her soul as it dug down deep to be protected. The professional IAA defensive wall crumbled under his eyes.

Karen closed her eyes; the new tears worked their way down her face to blend into her blood. The scared little girl that was trapped in her mind and heart buried her head further into her crossed arms that rested over her knees. The shame and disappointment at getting herself in this predicament shoved the door closed.

The lock scraped across her soul.

As the tears kept coming and falling relentlessly she lifted the ruined shirt borrowed from Aleksei up to under her left breast, cupping it and moving it over so he could see the thick, black ink that was forever etched in her skin.

Niko automatically trailed his fingers over the mark in Russian- the tag that loudly claimed her as a snitch, a rat. The more prominent tag told him she was under contract to gain her freedom. The missing slash through that would come with her doing their bidding told him she had yet to do whatever it was she was tasked with.

"который (kotoryy, Who?)" Niko lifted his eyes away from the painful looking tattoo. It looked rushed and hurried, as if she fought back to not let the person place the mark on her.

Karen looked away and leaned into Niko's outstretched arm- searching for comfort and help. She didn't want to follow through. The ugly, tarnished ink was the driving force behind her every move. It kept them from killing her only true friend from back home. The one who dreamed of flying planes and touching the sky…

"Ты знаешь (Ty znayesh', You know.)" Trembled forth from her wet lips, caused by all the tears that just wouldn't stop. She released the shirt to cover her tag from Niko's sight. Not caring that his fingertips were still pressed over the slightly raised skin, "And you now know why I must continue." Sorrowful eyes lulled back to his unforgiving hazel eyes. There was no other choice.

"You know you could have simply come to me to be free. All of this could have been avoided." Niko slipped his fingers out from under the barely held together shirt and lowered his pistol to once more be at his side. His confusion was evident on his face. Did she not know that he would've helped her get out from the forced oath?

He took a step back to be out of her personal space as his sharp mind answered his question. The deep wound of being betrayed thrived wildly to every nerve in his body. Another step back as it rocked him into the foggy hate that welcomed him with open arms. 'Even after the outpouring of truth, she still held back…!'

The unshakable assassin that was created through the wars, the stint he did in prison, the work he mindlessly did for Bulgarin, and the paying orders he followed once in Liberty- actually felt a shiver at the realization of everything she had said to him. His eyes widened drastically. His mouth opened and closed in disbelief. His aim swayed before him as he tried to lock on his target.

'Three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead…'

Karen let out a watery, soul induced, sarcastic huff. She raised her arm and took hold of the door handle. Too much time had been spent in the motel. And she knew he wouldn't shoot her. Not with everything that shoved them apart. Past. Present. It all blended into one large thrashing ball of resentment.

'Forgive me Niko…'

Her hand twisted the handle to the open position, but held the door shut. Everything reeled in and went back to their proper cages in her mind. Her head shifted to give Niko a distorted stare. His disbelief was on display fully. Her locked away feelings rattled the bars wanting to be set free to comfort the love of her life. The unrequited love that was her true motivation in everything she did.

It braced her upright and set in motion the last segment of her job-

"How easy was it to shoot Derrick on Francis' orders?"

Her eyes sharpened at his ability to know her secrets. The small hope that he could see beyond it all was fleeting as she flung the door wide, "Goodbye Niko Bellic…" Karen let one final tear fall as she bowed her head and saluted him with the proper acknowledgement that he was her Pakhan.

And should it come down to it, she would give her life to protect him.

Karen lowered her bloodied fist from over her heart and stepped securely through opened the door to the next chapter of her life. One without the notorious Niko Bellic at her side through gunfights and crazy adventures. With her head held high she let the door close behind her.

At the sound of the door slamming shut Niko tripped over his own feet to weakly sit on the corner of the bed. Surrounded by reminders of what he had done with Karen. His pistol clattered to the floor between his feet.

How was he supposed to go face Trevor now that he was beyond repair?

'Or better yet… How can I look at Kate without showing my own betrayal…?'

His stronger, more consistent side urged him to give in to familiar habits. They had carried him through most of his life. Shielded him from taking a direct hit to where it would hurt him. It wouldn't be much of a fight to just give in. The killer had been pacing and waiting for the other shoe to drop after killing Natalya.

The shoe definitely crash-landed with all the force of an exploding star.

He dropped his face into his hands and scrubbed harshly. How had he missed all the red flags?! He was the one meant to be on high alert and searching for the dangers that lurked off to the side. He was the one who eliminated anything headed toward his beloved.

He groaned as he thought about the ring that was excitedly being crafted by the joyous jeweler. The deal he had altered to help the man's business.

Which led him to rapidly review every decision he made after he slipped on the ring for the first time. It weighed his hand down in more than one way. He had been somehow tricked to take on this title.

'I bet even he was tortured into making sure I received the ring.'

He scoffed loudly and wiped his hands down his face to dangle between his open-stance legs. His eyes lazily trailed over the room and what would need to be cleaned and fixed before he could leave this prison. The bullet hole caused a wince to overtake his face, the move producing a new throbbing sensation to his torn open stiches.

"Could really go for one of your hugs, "Лепа (Lepa)" …Niko sighed with resignation. He would finish what he started here in San Andreas and return to her. He'd leave his fate and approach to her up to the higher power that seemed hellbent on making him suffer till death snatched him into the nothingness that waited for his tainted soul.

'Too many people know that I shot Derrick. It is bound to get to Kate before I find the courage to tell her… It should come from me and nobody else…'

The demon rolled his eyes at the thought of ever telling Kate. They had done a wonderful job at keeping her in the dark so far. What was another fifty or so years of keeping this secret? It would wear on him as the years passed, but he had kept most of his unmentionable secrets from her.

She would never know of the atrocities he committed while under Bulgarin's reign.

If that wasn't enough to set her running, then the truth of who killed her brother would.

Even then he could see her turning back with the willingness to stay with him.

She declared him as her rock. Her foundation. The exact person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with…

To bear his children…

The inner killer shifted uncomfortably at not knowing how to even start with unloading that whole thing. Though he be unflinching at killing, torturing, and getting answers out of his targets- There was a soft spot when it came to Kate. Even in his bloodlust, cold demeanor, he loved the woman who hugged him fiercely and bared her soul to him.

"She loves all sides of me…"

Niko stood up and started to pace. He had fucked up royally. He claimed to hold loyalty above all else when it came to his friendships and relationships. Yet here he was heatedly making out with his ex and nearly having unprotected sex.

His knees shook and he had to plop down onto one of the dining room chairs- the possible consequences of what almost happened crushed his lungs. What if he had carried through and Karen became pregnant?! That was a scenario he'd never be able to handle. Kate would leave immediately. Maybe even leave the state.

A quake shook his body as he tried to slump down in the chair, "Fuck! Just what the fuck am I going to do?!" Niko kicked one of the other chairs around the table over. The loud bang it made hurt his ears, so he fell forward to dig his face into his crossed arms. He wanted to cry, scream, throw things, fire his gun! Just anything that would stop it all from continuously spiraling out of control.

'Let me take over. I can handle it. Kate will remain safe.'

He lifted his head to rest his chin on his arms. It was tempting to just let go and let the autopilot get him through the next few days. He had leaned on that mechanism for a lot of things that would normally gross out everyone else. But not him. It would be okay. Things will work out and he'd get time to rest and recharge.

For he had one hell of a challenge once back in the compound.

His nerves flashed all over his body and had a painfilled moan floated past his clenched teeth.

His guilt,

His worry,

His pain,

His regret,

His broken promises…

He had completely ruined his promise… But more importantly-

"My oath to you… I'm so sorry Kate.

For so many things.

For having to always lie and change the topic.

For being someone you once feared wholeheartedly.

And not changing that someone in me.

I'm on my knees begging for your forgiveness once more…"

Niko slipped down from the chair to huddle in on himself in the middle of the motel room. He was so far gone and depressed. Nothing was going to get him going now. He wanted to simply be left alone and forfeit the title of Pakhan. He didn't earn it. He didn't deserve it. And he most definitely kept failing at measuring up to Kenny's level.

He released his hold of the injured hope that he could do what he always did when he needed people to not know of what he had done. The killer smirked as he surged to the surface to take control… permanently.

At the last second he longed to rewind time and do things differently.

To not be Derrick's killer.

To not be close to the IAA.

To not be the head of the powerful Petrovic Bratva.

And to not touch his ex in any form or fashion. His hands were Kate's… But could he really scrub the feeling of Karen's body from them? Or his entire body? Niko shut down when he imagined her waiting for him at home and wanting to hug and kiss him. He couldn't kiss her with his cheating mouth.

'Shhh now. I'm here to straighten things out. We won't lose Kate. No matter the cost.'

The light from the window faded as he fell over to his side, blankly staring at the source of light that was rapidly receding.

It understood his broken heart.

For in his mind, Kate was already gone.

And he was once more the ruthless monster that lurked within her mind.

….

'Kate… Мој један једини (Moj jedan jedini) … How can you forgive someone like me?'

aaaaaa

I know it's been forever since I've posted something to this story… And I'm super sorry that it had to be this chapter XD.

I know it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but just wait for the reconciliation that resides in the coming chapters. I feel like a broken record, but I swear Valentine's Day is around the corner!

Next chapter is more action packed with more angst and tears. Anton is now drifting from Niko, and I think I know how Georgi would react if he found out while in the compound alone with Kate and Niko's extended family. And poor Aleksei- he has no clue what to do when it comes to his boss and Karen.

I know it's getting old to say this- but I will get the next chapter out soon. My life is finally on the upswing health wise, and I feel confident that I am truly over my illness that nearly left this story as orphaned.

So with a writing schedule in mind with everything else going on, I am trying to shoot for every two weeks till I get into the full swing of things. I'm also playing around with the idea of a one-shot set between this story and the first one. It would be a Christmas fluff piece. Which… Lol I am struggling big time with producing good fuzzy feelings right now. T.T

If I don't get the next installment out before Thanksgiving- Happy Thanksgiving to my American and Canadian readers!