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Kat is still sound asleep when I slip carefully out of bed so as not to wake her. She has been sleeping soundly at night, and I am glad about that because, with the baby still strongly on the way, she needs her rest. I, on the other hand, am finding it hard to drift off most nights. And even if I do fall asleep, I do not stay that way for long. My mind is working overtime trying to figure out the best way to prevent what we have heard is being planned come to fruit.
I have been failing miserably.
With Kat and the baby now a big part of my life, I find it increasingly more difficult to make the hard decisions. Every day when we sit down to have dinner, Kat is there, her scent filling my lungs and her presence calming me.
When we sit on the sofa in the living room chatting about what happened throughout the day or what new developments have arisen, Kat lends me her ear. She listens, nodding until I have finished laying it all out before she offers any advice. And she gives good advice.
She is the feminine touch I have been missing, although my brothers would argue that there is no place for it in our world. They have said as much to me. For the most part, they are right. Our world is cutthroat and there is no place for any form of hesitation.
But I can’t bring myself to disappoint Kat. No matter how hard things get, she always has a resolution that would mean the least bloodshed. She continues to tell me that she sees good things in me, and after everything I have done in my lifetime, I want very much to be the man she thinks I am.
But that puts me on the outs with my brothers. Both Paval and Kiril have accused me of going soft. Paval has said I can no longer be trusted to make difficult decisions, and maybe there is some truth to that. Because even though the organization should come first, these days I find myself basing my decisions on what would be best for Kat and the baby. The organization, and even my brothers, come second in my thoughts.
I am shirtless as I pad down to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water, but in the early hours of the morning, most people in the house are still sleeping. After throwing on a shirt, I head into my office to see if I can find something we would be able to use to put the rising rebellion to rest.
It is only when Kat comes in dressed in a royal blue knee-high dress and her hair and makeup done that I realize the afternoon light is streaming through the window behind me.
“Hey, are we still going out tonight?” she asks.
I nod. “Yes. Sorry, I didn’t realize how late it was.”
Kat’s face softens and she walks over to me, wrapping her arm around my waist and pulling me in for a hug. “Everything will be okay.”
I huff a laugh as I give her a squeeze before releasing her.
She looks up at me from under her lashes. “We don’t have to go out tonight if you don’t feel up to it.”
“It’s fine, really.” I brush a stray hair off her forehead. “We deserve a night for ourselves.”
After our discussion about safety, Kat stayed true to her word, not going out without me for any reason. But that also means she hardly ever goes out.
So, we decided to have a date night of sorts. Dinner at an upscale restaurant, some time to relax and talk about something other than the brewing war, and hopefully end the night with some headboard-banging bedroom time.
I hop in the shower for a quick scrub down and put on my navy suit that Kat loves so much. We head out to the restaurant and are seated at a small table in a private corner. They bring us a bucket of ice with a bottle of sparkling grape juice for Kat and a whisky on the rocks for me.
We order our food and once the server leaves, I turn my attention to Kat.
“You look lovely tonight, Mrs. Dubrov.”
Kat gives me a sultry smile, and her eyes run down my frame. “You clean up pretty well too, Mr. Dubrov.”
I like the way that sounds rolling off her tongue.
A while later, our next round of drinks is brought to us by a different server, a guy this time. He looks to be in his early twenties and does not seem very good at his job. But that is not what gets my attention. His hands are shaking slightly, and his temple is covered by a thin layer of sweat. His eyes dart to me when he hands me my drink, as well as when he hands Kat hers. I watch him when he leaves, noticing how he looks back over his shoulder when he is about halfway across the room. When he sees me watching him, he quickly ducks his head and scurries away.
Something niggles at the back of my mind, and an uneasy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. I wave Gavriil over.
When he stops in front of me, I stand and turn my back towards Kat so I can talk to him without fear of her overhearing. “Have the men do a perimeter check.”
Gavriil’s brows draw together. “Is something wrong?”
“It might be nothing.” I shake my head, my shoulders stiff. “But better safe than sorry.”
“You got it, boss.” Gavriil nods, talking into his earpiece as he walks off.
“What’s going on?” Kat asks when I sit back down.
“Nothing,” I say.
