I think I sped typed this chapter out. I was not expecting to get an entire chapter done this fast, but I will take what I can get, when I get it. The Cowboys lost and I think I took my pain and turned it into some creativity.
Enjoy!
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Beep. Beep. Beep.
The heartrate monitor softly counts the beats as the second hand makes its trek around the clock on the wall. The cadence was slow, but steady. The expression that graced her slightly tan face could attest to resting peacefully.
Carefully Kate placed the large bouquet of flowers down on the counter by the sink. Her own breathing seemed to agree with the tempo and slowed down as she turned to look upon Avia. A couple of cards rested on the side table and Kate walked around the bed to see who had left behind words of kindness.
"I should've known. Heh. Ron you sly dog." Kate whispered and laughed softly reading the intimate words scrawled over the inside of the folded card. He had definitely dug deep to come up with some of the rhyming words and she was shocked at being impressed with his level of devotion. But it was nice to know he had someone now that would look after him.
With a thoughtful smile, Kate laid the cards down to the table and dropped her hands to the hospital bed rail. Avia may appear to be deeply sleeping, but she was hooked up to so many machines that it brought tears to Kate's eyes.
"Shattered clavicle and humerus. Lacerated thigh and arm from bullet grazes. Extensive blood loss. Concussion."
Kate jolted at the sudden words and spun to the door to see Ron standing there, two cups of coffee in his hands. Her hands shot to her heart as she took a couple of deep breaths. Her fingers curled into the hem of her collar and grabbed the fabric. A great shudder rocked down her spinal column before her brain caught back up with her, "Jesus Ron! Nearly gave me another heart attack!"
"Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you… Coffee?" He held the cup up in her direction and smiled his boyish grin, "Rather done up for a visit."
Kate's hair was still immaculately done up and her airbrushing hid the marks below. Wing tipped eyelined eyes shot up to meet his. The green stood out within her normally blue-green irises. Blushed cheeks grew in intensity the longer Ron openly stared at her. But how could he not just ogle the woman before him? Kate had come into the station a couple of times dressed up, a pale comparison to who stood before him now.
The deep royal red dress hugged her curves, the ornate gold cuffs with Kenny's coat of arms stitched in thick roped threads had his mouth dropping open. Then the coat laying over the small recliner caught his attention. The softest of furs longed to greet his fingers- just to test to see if it was as smooth as it looked. And once more the flash of gold caught his eye and counted eight golden buttons.
No longer was she the little shy girl that visited Francis for lunch. No. This was a completely different version of Kate. The confidence that kept her upright had him tilting his head in a silent question-
'Who are you and what have you done with Katie?'
A tender smile curved her lips, "I know. It's a change, isn't it?"
"I don't mean to be offensive. I just haven't seen you this done up before. You look amazing!" He let out a nervous chuckle and shuffled forward to hand her the cup of coffee, "I spotted Georgi in the hall and figured you or Niko were here. Got lucky with my guess on the coffee order. Still the same as ever?"
"Too much Irish cream and sugar that it's not really a cup of coffee anymore?" Her smile bloomed across her face as she happily accepted the cup of joe, "Thank you for this. I feel like I'm constantly cold now." Without missing a beat, she brought the cup up to her lips and took in a greedy sniff. The warmth curled upwards and had her testing the heat with a small sip.
"Francis told me… I am so sorry Kate." Ron had sat next to his boss for an hour just listening to him cry before he got his answer. The news of Kate miscarrying hit him like a ton of bricks. Her sheer joy had sunk into his own skin and had him optimistically thinking about Avia's extremely long road to recovery. Now it ate away at him.
He thought he saw a dark shadow cross over her face, only to be met with crestfallen eyes.
"I… Thank you, but there is no need to make it a big deal please. I still haven't had a moment to grieve or process any of this-"
"And yet you wear the Petrovic crest on your expensive looking dress and are completely alone in here without one of the guys hanging around. What did you say to them to get you alone time?" His detective side decided to come to life trying to piece everything together. It was rare to see Kate without Niko close by, let alone one of Kenny's men be within earshot, so he was stunned that he found her alone in his partner's hospital room.
"I took my place at Niko's side within the Bratva. I can have some quiet when I demand it. But to answer your Niko question- I am having a day away from the compound to get ready for this extravagant party Saturday. Niko is at the compound getting measured for his suit. I. Um. I wanted to check in on Avia. She took the hit meant for my brother. It would be cruel of me to ignore her." Kate figured he was wondering why Niko wasn't glued to her side after everything that happened. She missed having him within arm's reach.
The excitement at seeing the sketch of her dress was doing a good job of burying most of her harsher emotions.
"Do I need to start calling you Pakhan too?" Ron took a sip of his coffee to hide the smirk that wanted to form with her frustrated look.
"Please don't. I'd like to keep us at first names or nicknames. You've been loyal to my family for so long that it would feel wrong of me to address you any differently. Ron I am struggling. I feel this tremendous weight. And I'm not so sure I can carry it for much longer." Kate sighed and lowered down into the recliner feeling tired suddenly.
"My words come second to Niko. And when he is away, I am in charge. I know nothing about running this ship. It makes me sick to think something I say could end someone's life. I worked for so many years at the community center trying to help people the underground world messed up. Broken women. Addicts. Children. I swore I would never get involved."
"And yet…
I have been shown love.
Seen up close the families directly tied into it all.
Walked the halls of what should be my hell.
But Ron? I find myself utterly torn. I miss the joy that came with helping people. I miss not worrying over someone's life so vividly every moment I exist. Shoving it down just to get by.
Yet I find myself opening up and taking charge for once. I have found my voice. I've found someone who loves me just as compassionately as I do.
They have tried to break me. Kill me. Destroy all the progress I've made in healing. I can't even have a moment to myself. Not because people are near me- My own thoughts refuse to leave me be. I wish I could just stop the noise all together." Kate fiddled with her fingers on her lap. The tears wanted to break free so bad. She was a mess, and she knew it.
"I understand completely. I was dedicated to the LCPD and catching the bad guys. And now I'm technically one of them now. I'm a corrupted member of the force. Turning a blind eye to things Kenn- Niko does, just to pad the lining of our pockets more. I'm not sure how to feel about it honestly." He mirrored her exhausting sounding sigh and walked around Avia's bed to sit at the foot of the bed close to Kate.
"Do you remember the night I showed up to let you know about Gerry?" Ron spoke softly and let his thoughts wander as he remembered how Francis panicked when Gerry was brought in. He was frantically hellbent on searching through the case against his brother that he forgot to notify his own mother and family. Ron had decided to beat the news networks and tell his boss' family in person.
"I remember I treated you unfairly. I couldn't see what you were trying to do was really a favor to us. I was cold." Kate rubbed her temples and longed to let out a loud groan. Now was not the time she wanted to get dumped back into those last days of Derrick. But Ron had brought it up for a reason she assumed. 'I really need to show Francis the letter. Maybe he can decipher it better than I can…'
"It hurt like hell. I won't lie. The way you looked at me- I never wanted to see it again. My own partner, she is somehow tied into all this. I don't know how. But if me taking on this role keeps her and you happy and safe, then so be it. Sometimes what we want doesn't align with what we perceive our lives to be. Having that NOOSE team turn dark at Roman's wedding hit me hard. I never could understand why anyone works for the mafia…
Now look at me. I'm in bed with Niko." He had to look away from her empathetic look. He didn't want to add to her pain. Only show her that he understood her dilemma and yearning for things to just stop for a second. And like her he hadn't had the time to process any of it.
Her nose crinkled with the words but understood the meaning, "You think we will get through this?"
"We've got what it takes, but it will take everything we've got." He grew somber with the subject, "What has you down currently? Anything I can help with?" Ron wanted to change the topic completely but knew he needed to at least make sure she was okay.
'Actually, yes there is something… Time to test this trust.'
Kate hauled herself up from the chair and walked to the open door. She looked both ways and spotted Georgi and Sergei talking a few doors down, their earpiece boxes easy to see. Her fingers lifted to remove her earpiece and turn the dial to off. Some conversations needed to stay between two people.
Georgi's eyes darted her way when she went to close the door.
His hand lifted to the earpiece and frowned. Just what was she getting at?
'Don't Kate. Don't shut us out!'
The door clicked shut.
Kate leaned into the closed hospital room door and sighed heavily. Georgi was aware of her wanting to keep the rest of her conversation personal. And it hurt her for some reason. He had appeared to look wounded for a millisecond. Normally she wouldn't mind him listening in, but this was going to be one of those times where she was going to stick with her gut instinct…
Her eyes closed as she slipped the earpiece back in and was greeted by silence. Her thumb rubbed over the power dial and double checked that it was in the off position. 'Start small… You got this.'
"Just some stupid things Mrs. Petrovic said to me." Kate rolled her eyes and turned to slump back into the door, cradling her steaming cup of coffee to her chest. She would start with what should be trivial things and build up to what was truly a thorn in her side. 'Talk till this cup is empty. Then track down this head doc to help quell my fears…'
"Good Lord. That woman is a pain in the ass. She somehow got Avia's number and would call her all the time begging us to send the cops to the compound to arrest her husband. It was usually when he got caught with another woman." He snorted at the last time Avia had gotten a call from the screeching Russian woman.
"It's pretty much that- a few insults that cut too close to home. Making doubts show up that I had once squandered. Her words are forcing me to make different decisions. This dress is so out of my comfort zone. But damn does it look incredible. And I hold onto that feeling to deal with the doubts-"
"That isn't remotely something to be down in the dumps over. She is just a delusional-"
"She told me cheating comes with the power territory. And that Niko would eventually be tempted." It had clawed its way into her soul and was tarnishing it with each passing thought of Niko getting into bed with someone else. She shivered and took a large gulp of coffee. Yet the cold clung to her body eliciting another shiver to roll down her spine.
Her coat was calling her name. It would shut the cold off and help her relax her shoulders. Her mood had significantly soured with the thought of Niko cheating, and it was stirring even larger problems to the forefront. Feet hurriedly moved her over to the recliner.
Shaky hands lowered the cup down to the side table to be able to slip the coat on properly. The metal of the gun and holster clinked against the dial of her earpiece box, shifting it just enough to turn it back on the quietest setting.
Kate adjusted the coat over her body and crossed her arms when she plopped back down on the recliner, "I mean look at Kenny. He has a family but cheats on them all the time. And no one stands up to him out of fear and-"
"That man is so stuck on you Kate. Get real. Don't let those kinds of thoughts derail you." Ron wanted to laugh at the thought of Niko doing something that absurd. He had watched them interact with each other. The puppy love wasn't hard to miss. It basically came off of them in waves. He was beyond convinced that the two of them were going to set the example of true love and have the whole town talking about their wedding.
But.
The longer he looked at Kate; Something felt off.
She was picking at the wool removing imaginary lint from her jacket. Fidgeting the longer she stayed under his gaze. Her eyes had yet to lift from being locked on to her cup of coffee. It caused him to pause. Maybe there was merit in her fears?
"He was extremely distant with me when he returned from Los Santos. I keep telling myself he isn't reacting poorly to me losing the baby. That it is all in my head. But he stops us from going further. And what if he no longer finds me desirable? It would be so easy for him to find someone else. He has loyal men that would cover for him. Lie to my face to protect their leader. I'm not dumb…" Kate let a single tear fall free to roam over her perfect makeup covered skin.
Why Mrs. Petrovic's words cut so deeply was beyond her. She was already struggling with thoughts of Derrick possibly knowing his killer. And her mind was overworking itself into a frenzy of negative thoughts. To her- Niko was beyond her reach. He had accepted the title.
He wasn't stepping down.
All this power and control he wielded. He would be unstoppable in any desire he felt. The lack of strength in her safety net was deteriorating her walls. Could he turn into Kenny? The cold, unfeeling, uncaring, power-hungry fool. With no one to check him. Was it possible in her Niko?
The denial of an answer shoved the knife into her chest.
Her lip trembled before she bit down on it.
"Kate… Niko is a loyal man. He doesn't like betrayal. Why would he do the one thing that has wounded him greatly? A mistake is an accident; cheating and lying are not mistakes. They are intentional decisions, choices you make knowingly. And Niko would never knowingly hurt you. You have to know that by now." Ron was shaken by her line of thinking. He wasn't expecting to see her raw emotions.
"I do. I really do. I just… I don't know. Things have been so bleak," Kate shifted in her seat, the volume dial twisted when the metal frame of the holster rubbed it with the movement of the coat. The longing to just blurt out all her problems at once was enticing. Ron could handle some of her turmoil… "And I could use your help on something that I am scared to death to say aloud."
"Kate as far as I know, Niko has never cheated or will ever cheat.-"
"No. Not that. Thank you for your reminder about Niko's loyalty. I needed that. But my largest wound that has yet to heal is Derrick's death. He was taken away from us so suddenly. There was no time to breathe. Ma rushed the funeral planning. He was in the ground so fast. And without any real closure. Then Ma was killed, and I was attacked. I was suffering below the surface the whole time.
My therapist struck a chord or two. And I've been spiraling ever since. Part of me regretfully feels that I could close the chapter on Derrick when I know who killed him. And that they are either killed or brought to justice. It is so stupid to feel this way. I hate the sickly longing to bring peace to Derrick. He has been laid to rest. I should be moving forward. Not backwards."
"His case is still open… I could take a look over it again and see if something was missed. I did not know it was bothering you this much. Francis had declared the trail cold on who killed Derrick. Francis was right there and saw nothing. There was no real lead or evidence to go off of. But if it brings you peace of mind to have the case indefinitely unsolved or closed with a conviction, I will do what you ask of me." Ron leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee in silent support. He had no clue she was suffering this much over her brother's death.
Which shame on him- Kate loved all her brothers. Of course, it would be affecting her more than it did Francis or Patrick.
And would then fester all these other worries and fears.
Ron instantly felt guilty over his assumption that Kate would be on the same wavelength as Francis. His boss had been down for a couple of weeks, but eventually went back to his normal behavior. Kate had barely put soil on Derrick's coffin before she lost her mother and was assaulted. It had been nothing but blow after blow- till Niko stepped in. He was convinced Kate was better off with Niko in her life.
"It breaks my heart to want to ask you to look…" Kate was so conflicted. She had been adamant about Niko NOT hunting down Derrick's killer. Had begged him to stay and to let it go. She would handle Gerry's request to get his blessing- which now was a moot point.
So why was her heart crying out for Ron to look into the case again?
'It was Gerry's final wish… You should want to avenge him…'
"Don't… I will reopen it and quietly start looking for leads. No one else needs to be made aware of it-"
A knock came at the door before it was opened wide and a small petite doctor stood in the doorway, a bright excited smile on her face, "When I mentioned you two would be by sooner rather than later to the gentleman, I was not expecting a day or two. When you're ready we can meet in my office before you leave." Doctor Sparkman warmly waved Kate on, happiness clear to see. Witney had been worried about her patient and was beyond ecstatic to see her up and moving around.
"Thank you, Doctor, for agreeing to see me so soon." Kate could make out Georgi's form beyond the doc's and missed seeing the pale complexion. With Ron's outstretched hand, she lifted from the chair and didn't hesitate to throw her arms around her favorite detective as he stood with her, now sporting the title of Deputy Commish. She turned her face to be able to reach his ear, "Tell me what you find or don't find. That will be closure enough."
Kate lowered down from her tiptoes and locked her eyes on Ron. She was entrusting him with putting an end to Derrick's chapter in her life. It was a double-edged sword. A swift, unrelenting justice, and inflicted self-harm for wanting it in the first place. Her soul howled as she placed her hand gingerly over Ron's stiches over his shirt.
Ron studied her. Took in every crease of her eyes as she pleadingly implored him to do as he offered. Even he felt apprehensive about digging up Derrick's cold case. Something strong and urgent flowed over him the longer her eyes welled with tears. To the rapid beat of his heart, he lifted his hand to clasp hers, lifting it to his lips to kiss her knuckles, before placing them against his forehead.
"I will bring you closure. I swear it." Ron released her hand and caught the tear that broke free from the dam.
Kate mouthed the words thank you as she shrugged her coat closer around herself. Her visit with Avia hadn't exactly gone the way she wanted, but a small piece of her was thankful to have Ron working on Derrick's case. This would be her way of honoring Gerry's wish, bringing peace to Derrick, and letting go of the oppressive grief that loomed overhead eerily.
"I am just relieved to see you awake and upright! Now follow me down the hall and we can sit down and chat." Doctor Sparkman ushered her new patient out into the hall and led her down through several different automatic doors to reach a quieter section of the hospital. Office doors lined the walls of the hallway, while signage from up above declared this zone as maternity.
Georgi kept a good space between himself and Kate. He had told Aleksei to secure the perimeter with Sergei and Ivo. It would give him time to ponder what to do about Kate's request of Ron. Niko had tasked him with finding a fall guy. And now he was going to have to erase every little crumb that would lead back to his cheating boss. A deep scowl formed over his lips. Niko had wronged Kate in several ways it seemed.
He instantly schooled his features and looked up as Kate and the doctor entered into a small office. Kate had been midsentence when she left his line of sight. She was preoccupied and unobservant of the people around her. Just another thing he would need to coach her on. She needed to spot her support before being enclosed in an unsecure space. Just as he had done hundreds of times before, he assumed post in front of the door and waited for his boss' return. He would take this to formulate a plan.
"Do you mind if I speak informally?" Witney asked as she sat down in her large office chair and gestured to the cushioned seat across the desk from her. Sometimes it was easier to just speak the mind than suppress something of importance and end up missing the help needed.
"Yes please. I'm already uncomfortable with where this conversation needs to go." Kate stiffly lowered down into the plush chair and immediately relaxed into the soft cushions. The stress of the conversation vanished. It was just her and the bubbly looking doctor. She could speak candidly about her condition and if she was able to… you know. Get back into the sheets, as the saying goes.
The blush creeped up her cheeks as she glanced to the door knowing Georgi was standing right there. Absently her fingers found the dial of the earpieces and frowned feeling it on and turned up a little bit. The color quickly drained away.
'How much did they hear?! All of it? Just a piece of it?! Fuck!'
"So, what brings you to my office today?"
aaaaaa
"If you are here, where is Kate?!" Niko fumed from his place in front of the three mirrored stand. A finely dressed tailor paused in measuring Niko's shoulder as the door opened to let in a few more guests.
"She is with Georgi and the guys. She had another stop, and I elected to come back here to make sure your suit matches her dress. Calm yourself." Bernie beamed as he slowly made his way into the apartment to carefully lower down into the couch. Roman snickered as he followed Bernie into the apartment and stood behind the couch. He'd wait to see Niko's reaction before going in search of a stiff drink.
"How did everything go?" Niko nodded to the tailor to resume his handiwork, "And I will know if you withhold something. Georgi will tell me everything as his title demands him to." He added in Serbian as he glanced through the mirror to where Bernie was casually perched.
"Oh the stab to the gut with your lack of faith in me! Of course I will tell you everything. But my first question is more pressing. Did you two get married without me being present?! Did you have some Judge come down to the compound and wed you two and somehow strip me of the honor of planning your wedding?!"
"Easy Bernie. Don't tear a stich. I'll get him for you if he left his cousin out of the marriage plans!" Roman loudly proclaimed from his place in the kitchen as he searched the cabinets for the good vodka.
"Well, Niks!" Bernie snapped his fingers to get Niko to focus back on him and not the ruckus coming from the kitchen. Could Roman maybe search for his drink quietly? It was breaking his concentration.
"It was only meant to be between me and Kate. But I guess that secret is out of the bag!" Niko smacked a hand to his face and let out an annoyed groan. Had she let it slip? Or had Georgi let it be known they were calling the other married titles?
"I don't care what you call each other- did you really get married? I had plans Niks! Kate was going to be the bride of the season! Your two nuptials were going to be the talk of the city!" Bernie narrowed his eyes at his friend. 'He better not have taken my title of wedding planner away!'
"No, we aren't actually married. I haven't even properly asked her. I even cringe internally calling her my wife. Bernie, I don't deserve to call her wife. You know that my secret will crush her-"
"Nonsense. What she doesn't know can't hurt her. You are not the man who…" Bernie paused as he realized they weren't securely in a place to talk freely. It was why Niko was speaking Serbian to him. As the realization dawned on him, he looked up to meet Niko's eyes in the reflection.
"Pardon. We can talk later when it is just us. Right now, you need to focus on getting measured for your matching suit. I have color swatches with me to give the tailor. Can't have you to clashing." Bernie's voice softened with his thoughts. He might be able to forgive Niko for killing Derrick, but he wasn't connected to Derrick in any form till after his assassination. He admitted he had a bias view on the events surrounding Niko shooting Derrick.
Kate certainly would think differently than him.
"NB you won't know what hits you when you see Kate in this insane dress Clara has designed. She's making it as we speak. We have made it cousin. My wife is going to shine on my arm. You have the final word. And a lovely woman to show off. This party is going to shoot you through the roof in popularity. We can finally get into whatever club we want cousin!" Roman carried over the crystal decanter of vodka and three matching glasses, setting them down on the coffee table. Without missing a beat, he went about pouring three healthy shots.
"No more looking over our shoulders. Loyal friends and partners to help watch over us." Roman handed a semi full glass to Bernie.
"Family to love and grow." Roman handed a glass to Niko and smiled genuinely to his cousin, "And what a joy it is going to be when you two do officially get married. An oath is still an oath so long as there is air in my lungs, I will still be the one who never tires in the cause and will do what he can to provide and protect those who need it."
"Shield and sword. Now when it does come time for you to get married, you will have a wedding planner ready to go!" Bernie shot Niko a mischievous smile. He had dreamed up their ceremony one afternoon as he healed in the hospital after the attack on the church. His friends deserved the best. And he swore on his life he would make their day one of a kind.
"I know Kate will love the extra help and guidance." Niko wanted to clip his words. He was working off steam from his confrontation with Vasil. But his friends didn't deserve to be snapped at. They were both under the impression that it was all rainbows and sunshine between him and Kate.
And technically it was. Kate was unaware of his crime.
That didn't stop his nosedive every time he tried to imagine them being wed.
"Care to share what is bothering you?" Roman held his glass up to cheers both of them but paused when Niko looked almost ashen.
"I'm still reeling over Kate's miscarriage. There is so much going on that I find myself without the time of day to sit down and think about it. I've been shoving it away best I can. My thoughts mock me." 'Yeah, for cheating on Kate. I only have myself to blame for what happened…' Niko dropped his eyes to the liquid in his glass and lifted it some to salute his friends.
"To healing together; not alone." Roman tapped his glass to both Niko's and Bernie's before downing the whole thing. Niko's mention of Kate's condition destroyed his upbeat mood. He had spoken his words to Kate while she rested and wasn't gutted being around her now. The healing process had already begun for him.
For Niko, however?
Roman gulped and reached out to place a hand to Niko's shoulder. He had to take a second glance at his cousin when sheer pain crossed his features before hiding once more against the stony expression that had been chiseled away into his muscles. 'I'm here for you cousin… Don't do this alone. You are not alone anymore…'
"For supporting one another." Bernie cheered their glasses and waited for Niko to respond. Something in the way his demeanor changed had Bernie paying closer attention to his friend. There was something there, he could feel it in the charged air. A cry for help that struggled to leave Niko's personal space.
"To new alliances, prosperous endeavors, and upholding the oath." Niko gave a vague reason for taking the shot. He couldn't find it in himself to get excited like they did. So much weighed down on him and he was sure he was going to crumble the longer he was meant to endure it all.
Together they all took the shot.
"Forgive me Pakhan. We have reestablished communications with the yacht." Anatoly knocked on the open door, head bowed and eyes downcast in respect. He had dashed as quickly as he could from the dining hall up the stairs and down to where Pakhan's apartment resided, "Georgi is enroute with Высочество (Vysochestvo). Shall I have them meet you in the comm room?"
"Alert me when they get into the compound parking lot. I will meet them at the entrance. Thank you, Kapitan." Niko's voice rose slightly to be clear and to work off the wince the alcohol produced as it slid down his throat. It rolled his stomach for a minute as memories of guzzling copious amounts of alcohol in LS fueled his brain. He wanted to gag some with the aftertaste that was left behind in his mouth.
"I have your measurements. Your suit will be ready tomorrow morning, along with your adornments, shoes, and finery. Where will you be getting ready?" The tailor jotted down the last measurement he took and closed his notebook, satisfied he had what he needed to create an indulgent suit. It not only had to look sharp but be sharp in its protection and concealment of defenses and weapons. It needed to look seamless and effortless as it rested upon their boss.
"In Roman's apartment here. The girls will get this place to get ready in." Niko rolled his shoulders and neck to loosen it up some. He found himself tense and at the ready to fight or flee. He knew the other shoe was bound to drop at some point. Surely by now Georgi had filled Kate's head with imagery of him cheating and breaking their bond. Given her plenty of heads up and warning to Niko's mistake.
"Very well Pakhan. I will see you tomorrow morning for a fitting before any final adjustments need to be made. If there is nothing else you require, I will make my leave to get started on my task." The tailor bowed his head and collected his things to make his exit.
The silence descended upon them as the older gentleman made his way out the door, pulling it closed behind him.
"Niko? What's going on? And don't deflect. I know something is wrong." Roman spoke as he sat down in an armchair in front of the coffee table. Silently he poured another shot and offered to fill their glasses. Bernie slid his glass over to get another large gulp of mind-numbing alcohol.
Niko breathed out silently as he lowered into the couch opposite of Roman but next to Bernie in the armchair, "Can I trust you two to not jump me? You both have a better insight to all this. I'm still new to relationships and I think I've messed up royally."
"You mean to say that Roman and I have more experience with different scenarios in a relationship? Don't get cold feet Niks." Bernie grew concerned seeing how small Niko looked in his chair. He was hunched in slightly, slumped down, face blank as ever. He knew this look. It was in the final moments before Niko lost it over his aunt's death. They were in for it now…
"No. No! I don't have cold feet. In my low point I failed to see the signs. They were there all along. Karen shouldn't have been interrogating Paul the handler. I dropped my guard effortlessly around her. She took advantage. I was too weak to stop myself from making out with her. To stop from feeling her up and giving in to my own physical needs. I did manage to finally stop. But it was so close to being too far gone." Niko lamented his decisions he didn't make when he first woke to find her pressed up against him. That should have been it.
"Oh my god. Niko. You- You cheated?!" Bernie could barely breathe right. His vision swam before him, and he shook his head to regain control.
"How could you NB?!" Roman's rage consumed him instantly and he shoved upright to start yelling his head off at his cousin-
"Sit down Roman. You are one to talk. How many one-night stands did you have while you were supposedly dating Mal?" Florian pointed a finger at Roman and met his irate glare. Now was not the time to throw blame around and one up the other, "How close Niko. Are we talking right to the line?"
"To the line. I stopped seconds before we started having sex. I am ashamed of it. I'm not that person anymore. I have people to fight for. There are consequences to my actions. I know this. But for whatever reason I caved. It was like the fight was over before it began." Niko sat up and poured himself a shot, taking it with one go.
"People respond to trauma differently. You disconnected from your life for a moment to just live and not deal with everything going on. That sound close to what happened?" Florian prayed there was a reason for Niko messing up so poorly. That it was his way of dealing, or not dealing, with his problems. He could agree with that line of thinking. It was how he ended up meeting and agreeing to being with Bryce. At his low he had found someone who looked at him with awe. It was as easy as breathing to fall into his arms.
Now that relationship was ruined and over with. Bryce had ignored all his calls. Then his phone was disconnected, and he truly was gone from Bernie's life. He supposed he could ask Brianna in class one day what happened. At least then he would know the lie Bryce had given to his family. Anger grew in concentration as his thoughts turned on Bryce.
"I think so. I was depressed about losing the… when Kate lost- um." Niko sucked in air and steeled his spine, "I began to heavily drink. At some point I blacked out because I remember being in a high-class bar and the next, I'm lying on an uncomfortable bed. I don't really even remember talking to Johnny that night. But when I passed back out- I."
"NB you don't have to do this. I know- I know the feeling. To be so down on yourself that you make the wrong choices in the moment. I was in debt. Heavy debt to the wrong people. I was ashamed of myself and didn't believe I deserved Mallorie. It was just easier to pretend none of it mattered to me. I know I hurt Mal and when I found out about Vlad I was just crushed. I saw the pain I put her through. Never again." Roman empathetically spoke. The vodka was calling his name, and he downed another swallow, "Now I am about to have a child with her…"
"I believed she was pregnant. Was pregnant when she was attacked. The doc explained it wasn't a viable pregnancy to begin with, but that doesn't make it any easier. What if the poison used caused it and then took her ability to have children away? And then after all that I did the unthinkable.
I look at her and split right down the middle. Part of me is ready to call it quits and set her free… My heart and soul long to marry her and start a family of our own. I want her. There is no denying that. I just have to find a way to either live with my secret or come clean. And I can't choose." Niko lightly trailed his fingers over the stiches on his scalp. He was truly lost in an endless sea of remorse and infinite self-deprecating.
"Niko you are too hard on yourself. You are hurting deeply. We can both see that. But I got to say- Kate will not recover if she finds out. Especially right now. Can you keep this on the down low for an extended amount of time?" Roman braced himself on his knees with his hands. Kate did not need life ending news. Or life ending to her. She was barely holding it together as it was.
"What is one more thing? Yes! I can keep it from her, but at what point does my secret start to be less about my needs and more about hers? I don't think it is fair to keep it from her forever. But you have a point. Now is not the time to bring it up." Niko scrubbed his hands over his face and leaned forward to rest upon his knees with his elbows. He was slightly surprised with their reactions. They weren't attacking him, merely trying to help him figure out what to do next.
"Let's get to a more stable place before we open up more problems. I'll run interference on my end and keep my ears open. There is no chance we are the only ones who know you killed her brother. We will need to be more vigilant in watching out for her." Florian switched to Serbian to only talk to Niko. He knew if he spoke fast enough Roman wouldn't understand what he was saying. He also wasn't sure if Roman knew Niko killed Derrick.
"Thank you. I planned, well had planned, on proposing to her." Niko sighed heavily and held his glass out when Bernie offered to fill his glass after he filled his own cup. All his wishful thinking shrank away with the daunting task of asking her to marry him. Did he even have the right to anymore?
"Why do you hesitate?" Bernie grew soft seeing the conflict on his friend's face. It wasn't like his friend to dwell too long on things.
"She would be saying yes to a lie. And I don't think I can stomach having her happiness over my question." That was about as close to the truth as he could muster. He knew things that would destroy her. Had done them himself. He would be the sole reason of her pain and that was a tough pill to swallow.
"She is madly in love with you cousin. This dress is beyond anything I could ever see her wearing. She is getting done up to perfection to stand by your side. When some of her strength returns maybe then you two can sit down and talk like adults. Kate strikes me as someone who likes to know the why in everything." Roman matched their pour in his own glass and lifted it up, clearing his voice, "To secrecy. And having a good Valentine's day. Now if you two will excuse me, I have a pregnant wife to attend to."
"Later on, Roman. I'll see you at dinner." Niko downed his shot and leaned back in his chair to relax. Roman and Bernie would leave and give him some time to think. And Lord knew he needed it. There was much to settle, and he let out another long breath. Anatoly would be by any second now and he'd be forced to put his mask back in place.
When he only heard one set of footsteps walking away, he opened his eyes to see who was staying behind with him.
"You know… There were times where I'd be so low about Bryce and I needing to be a secret. I'd go to the clubs to let off some pent-up frustrations. I would flirt, dance, get them and myself hooked on the way we were feeling in the moment. But I'd always leave the club alone and return home as the steadfast partner.
Did I ever sleep with anyone while dating Bryce? No.
Did I do questionable actions that could be perceived as cheating? Yes.
Bryce had to fake public appearances with his wife all the time. And each time it would hurt me. He'd swear it was for show. In a way I took his reasoning as justice for all my slipups.
You are rather chill about her being in other people's personal space. Gordon, Ron, Georgi, any of the guys. Her actions could be misconstrued as giving an opening for them to make a move. She is far too trusting and open with her feelings. I would not put it past someone to make a go at her. And she might not see the warning flags until it is too late, and she is caught up in something she wants no part of."
Florian grew alert as he let some of his secrets out. He had been close to inviting a male or two home with him after the club once or twice. And had any of Bryce's friends seen him from across the room they would be horrified to see the way he was acting toward someone other than Bryce. If they knew of their relationship anyway. 'Bad analogy.'
"It is possible that what occurred was mindless nonsense that won't ever happen again so long as you live." Florian locked his eyes on Niko's. While he adored and loved Kate to the end of the world, Niko was his friend and confidant first. And he firmly believed that this whole thing needed to be burned to ash and swept away with a broom. No one needed to know of this, and if they did, they had best keep their mouth shut. Or he would be stalking people at night to get his point across.
"I understand friend. Not now. Later." Niko nodded at Florian and felt some of himself settle. He had someone on his side to help navigate it all. And a plan of sorts to go off of. He sucked in a lungful of air and stood up from his chair, "Thank you for your loyalty."
"We have been through too much to break our trust now. I trust that what you say is true. That you stopped it from going all the way. If my transgressions can be seen as harmless flirting and dancing, then your fling with your ex is just that. Nothing to be taken seriously." Florian stood up slowly, doing his best to ignore the pain in his back and chest.
"I think we both need our own spa day." Niko groaned when he stretched his arms above his head. His body was begging him to go lay down on the memory foam mattress for an hour or so. He was still healing physically in his own right and was regretting the spar he held with Abram.
"You could say that again. I had an idea I wanted to run by you for what we could do once all this settles. An everyday job that we could be fulfilled by and earn a living wage. Something not involved with crime. I think after Valentine's Day we should sit down and discuss it. Kenny should be awake by then."
"I could go for something less exciting." Niko snorted when Florian laughed.
"Ah yes. Simpler times ahead my friend. Just got to weather this storm a little bit longer. Come on now. I'll be moral support when you get to see Kate." Bernie smiled knowingly with how done up Kate looked leaving the loft. She had been immaculate.
"Moral support?" Niko lifted an eyebrow at his friend as he passed him to the apartment door. He would find Anatoly and follow him down to the front foyer of the building. Just the mischievous glint in Bernie's eyes had him hesitating to move out into the hall. Just what was he getting at now?
"Kate does look out of this world. You will need someone to wipe the drool off your face. Duh."
aaaaaa
Kate had a rather pleasant aura about her. She had a great conversation with the doctor, and it seemed to satisfy her worry for the time being. She had smiled at the men providing cover for her to enter the vehicle at the hospital ambulance bay. Thankfully they hadn't held up any emergency vehicles trying to get to the emergency entrance.
The ride from City Hall Hospital over to the compound was filled with her favorite radio station. The guys let her be and didn't bother her when she started to hum along to a song or two. She wiggled in her seat when they came to a stop. A motorcycle pulled up next to them at the stop light. The feeling of being watched crept up her neck and she turned just enough to get a better look at the person on the motorcycle.
Their blacked-out visor was turned her way, unflinching as she locked into the space she assumed their eyes would be. The hand twisted on the controls and revved the engine a couple of times. It was like a warning.
There were short soft little rumblings of the engine, then three repeating revs at a louder volume.
"Высочество (Vysochestvo) your buckle and harness are fastened, yes?" Georgi watched the exchange and noticed a second motorcycle pull up along the driver side to pause at his window. His eyes darted down to the patches on their arm and froze.
"Angels of Death! Hold!" Ivo's voice spoke in their ears, "They don't seem to be on the offensive."
The man tapped the glass of Georgi's window with his knuckles and backed away to appear nonthreatening.
"What does he want?" Kate whispered as she moved seats to be as far away from the person as possible. The stress of the day surged to the surface and twisted her insides painfully.
"Alek do you have eyes on this?" Georgi spoke in Russian over their comms in hopes that they were still within Aleksei's sniper nest.
"Affirmative. On your command." Aleksei whispered back in response.
"Kate I am going to lower the window enough to be able to hear him, but if I feel like this is a trap, I am flooring it through the intersection. Eyes on Высочество (Vysochestvo)." Georgi shifted his gun in his lap and tapped the electronic button to lower the glass. He got it a couple of inches down before taking in a fortifying breath, "State your business."
"Heard there was new leadership. And I figured I'd tell the Mrs. good morning and ask a question of her." The gruff sounding man on a riding bike leaned back into his seat and kept his hands open to show he meant no harm.
"In the middle of the street?" Georgi deadpanned.
"Just a good of a time as any. May I?" He lowered down some and tried to get a glimpse of her in the back seat.
"Granted." Kate spoke up and undid her seatbelt to lean in the space between the front row chairs, "But I'm afraid the light will be changing soon."
"As they tend to do. Good morning m-my lady, President Arnie Lester, I wish to have a da-dance at the party Saturday. A show of goo-good faith that we wish to sit down with Pakhan." He scooted the bike up a hair to be able to see her better, and instantly paused. Innocent green-blue eyes looked back at him, and a rather cute smile started to curl her lips.
The light turned green, and she smiled wider, "We will just have to wait and see then, won't we. Have a good day!" Kate called as Georgi took off as traffic cleared. It had been amusing to see this hardened-looking gang member stumble over his words. And what was that all about anyway?
"Brilliantly handled Kate. He is trying to get ahead of his reputation. Kenny had us destroy his bike a while back. He and his gang are not in good graces with Kenny. And now Niko has the chance to reconsider their beef or follow the arrangements Kenny has kept in order." Georgi turned down a street to put some distance between the leader of the Angels of Death and them. He had not been expecting someone to flat out approach them like that.
Kate laughed out loud and settled back down in her seat, redoing the buckles. It truly was unexpected and rather humorous to her. It was like he was almost scared to ask her the question. And it probably threw him for a loop that she granted him his request. Her eyes glanced at the back of Georgi's head before tilting her face toward the passenger window and resuming her study of the buildings around her. A flash of something white caught her eye and she looked more fully out her window. A small piece of folded notebook paper was wedged into the rubber seam of her window.
Her eyes immediately snapped back to Georgi to see if he noticed it or not. As the silence ran on, she realized that Georgi had missed the person slipping the paper onto the car. Curiosity peaked, she shuffled back down in her seat and watched as the skyline gave way to the bridge into Hove. She would find a way to grab it when they got back to the compound.
"Almost there Kate. Is there any last thing you wish to do before we return home?" Georgi turned on his blinker as he came up to their side street.
"No. I could actually use your help. I'd like to visit Anton before going back to the apartment. I owe him a visit." Kate's fingers itched to undo her belt again and get out of the vehicle. The piece of paper was staring her down and her mind was wild with theories and ideas of what it could be. Was it a threat? A warning?
"You are too kind Kate. I'm sure Anton will be thrilled to see you again. Высочество (Vysochestvo)is secured. Head home Kapitans." Georgi parked in the stand-alone garage in the center of the courtyard and turned the vehicle off. His head nearly snapped off his body when he heard her door open and close rapidly. He threw his belt off and shoved the door open to be sure to check the outside before she just waltzed out into the open. "Kate wait!"
"Wait, what?" Kate shoved her hands into her pockets and blinked slowly in his direction. She hadn't done anything wrong in getting out of the vehicle. She wasn't about to wander off too far from Georgi when Niko wasn't around. Or Bernie.
"Sorry! It's for your safety. Let me get out of the vehicle first to make sure it is safe and secured. Even in our own compound we can be attacked." Georgi rounded the car to stand at her side. He shifted her open jacket to the side to show Darko's gun on her hip, "Just because you are armed doesn't mean you can act more invincible. You should always enter into a scenario in the mindset that you are unarmed. You will make different choices whether you are armed or not. Always on the side of caution."
"It's going to take me some time to adjust to these rules. I forget that I am a moving target." Kate rubbed her temples and sighed. It was going to be months before she would be molded into their ways. And did she really want to? Had she forgotten that this title was going to last more than a few weeks? Her eyes turned to the open garage door when two more SUVs pulled into the parking lot.
Sergei and Ivo hopped out with their teams and went about securing the main gate. Aleksei gingerly lowered down from his seat and braced against the door. He had definitely done more moving around than he had expected. Casually he waved at Georgi to let him know he was fine, and he'd be going inside in a minute.
"Kate go ahead and head inside with Aleksei. He needs to go back to the medical wing anyway. I think he overdid it today." Georgi rolled his eyes and smiled her way with her light laugh.
"Well, the Mrs. will do that to you." Kate barely got out before she started to laugh harder. Georgi felt his face crack and he gave in to her contagious laughter. Aleksei barked out a laugh before it turned into a pain filled moan. He had not been ready for her to throw out a quip like that. They were all going to need to learn to school their features in front of her by the looks of it. Ivo and Sergei both chuckled before removing their earpieces in order to boss their teams around.
"Come on miss troublemaker. I think I can hear Anton's annoyed groan from here." Aleksei hobbled up to her side and nodded his head in the direction of the back entrance.
"He isn't going to be annoyed at seeing me. Don't say such things." Kate smiled as they both slowly headed off to get inside the compound. She watched from the corner of her eye as he adjusted his sniper rifle on his back. The scope caught her eye, and she pursed her lips. Slowly she lifted her eyes back up to his face.
Aleksei turned his earpiece off and dug her receiver out of her side pocket and clicked it off too. He met her scared expression and simply turned her back to the entrance and reached out to stop her from reaching for the door first.
"What does the paper say Kate?" Aleksei grasped the doorhandle for the heavy metal doors and turned to look at her over his shoulder, "It's my job to see. Now we can keep this between us, or I can alert Georgi. You choose."
"Fine." Kate pulled the paper free and unfolded it. It was burning a hole in her jacket anyway.
Aleksei watched her face for her initial reaction. When it went blank he leaned forward some to look down at the paper in her hands. He squinted his eyes as he tried to read the poor English upside down.
"Meet in garden?" Kate read it aloud, puzzled by the words. She looked up to meet Aleksei's eyes. He looked as bewildered as she did.
"We have an inner courtyard that could be considered a garden. Who would go through the trouble to leave only you a hidden message to meet in the dead center of the compound? It would be suicide to infiltrate our home now. We are more secure than we were." Aleksei drummed his fingers over the rusted handles to the back entrance.
"No clue. Kenny's apartment has a balcony overlooking the small garden. If it was meant for me, then they have knowledge of the compound's layout." She turned the paper over a couple of times and ran her finger over the dried ink.
"Looks like I will be on night watch. Do you remember what your panic button is?" Aleksei pulled out his phone and texted Georgi that he was going to help out on night watch. Whoever their mystery person was, he was bound and determined to catch them in the act. He looked up when Kate thumbed over the small button sewn into the underside of her collar.
"I have this one in the dress, the one on my left thumb finger of my gloves, and the nightstand alarm clock is a decoy. All the buttons are panic buttons." Kate recited off her go to buttons when she felt threatened or in danger. They could easily be disguised into everyday movements.
"Correct. And as it stands only you and me know of this. I get the impression that some of us are not being as loyal as they claim. If this is their plan to get you alone while giving the impression of safety, it's not a bad one. Tell me. What would you have done?" He covered her hand with his and folded the paper down into her fist. He had caught Ivo looking their way and didn't like the lingering open stare he was sending Kate's way.
"If I'm being honest, I would probably keep looking out the balcony doors to see if I could spot anyone. Niko would find out since he'd catch me intensely glaring out the window. Georgi would be alerted soon after. And I assume you'd be alerted too once Georgi knew." Kate tucked her hands back into her jacket and ducked under his arm when he opened the door.
"That sounds about right. Okay. I'll keep watch and alert Georgi if something does go down. Not a word to anyone. Deal?" Aleksei paused as they neared another set of double doors and held his hand out to her.
"Deal. Now let's get you fixed up. I need to make sure for myself that you are taken care of. You stood up for me today. I know that couldn't have been easy." She easily shook his hand and jerked the door open. They would trust the other to uphold their end of the deal. She wouldn't get caught looking out the windows and he would watch over the courtyard for their mystery person.
"Hey Kate. Everything okay?" Niko smiled at seeing her walking through the double doors into the foyer of the compound. She held that look that spelled trouble for him and he wanted to roll his eyes with her behavior. She was truly going to turn everyone to her side should things become known to the general public.
"Yeah Niko. Just making a small bet with Aleksei." Kate smiled a knowing look with Aleksei before turning her eyes to her love and brightening when their eyes connected. She skipped a couple of steps ahead to fall into his arms and snuggled into his chest. All the stress of the day was zapped from her body as she relaxed into Niko's strong arms.
"Oh yeah? What bet?" He kissed the top of her head and lifted his eyes to his captain to see what she was going on about.
"That I can't beat both you and her at poker. She didn't say anything about beating one then the other, just that I couldn't take both of you on and win." Aleksei shrugged simply and nodded to his boss, "If you two will excuse me I am going to go to the hospital wing to get some pain relief. I will see you in there Kate?"
"Yes, in just a minute." Kate replied from within Niko's hold. She was content to just stand within his arms for a few more minutes.
"Mm. I don't know if I want you in there with how gorgeous you are." Niko whispered into the top of her head, "I might get jealous of Anton." He laughed when she tickled his side. It had caught him off guard and he jerked away from her body slightly to stop the assault on his sides.
"You know I am all yours silly." She took in a couple of deep breaths to steady her heartrate and couldn't help the smile that rose with getting to meet his eyes.
"You really are stunning." Niko cupped her face and leaned down to press a light kiss to her waiting lips. Her hair intrigued him, and he stood upright to get a better look at it. The tight braid that crested her head like a headband caught his attention and he trailed a finger over it.
"I told you our girl was going to leave you stunted for words." Bernie beamed from his place behind Niko and laughed when Kate squealed and threw herself at him in a huge bearhug.
"Oh you! Did you tell Niko everything about the dress?!" Kate planted her feet firmly on the ground and set the McReary glare at Bernie. She had been fine with Niko seeing her hair and makeup done but wanted the dress to be a complete surprise.
"He told me nothing. Promise. But there is something you need to be present for. You too Georgi." Niko forced himself to look away for her breathtaking face to see Georgi approaching them.
"Pakhan?" Georgi bowed his head and waited for Niko to explain where he was needed next.
"We have contact with the yacht. It's time to set in motion our response."
aaaaaa
One more down, with more to come!
Till next time! One Love.
