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Defeated, I head to my office, a bit disturbed by how empty this place is. There are no signs of life. It’s so eerie that I shut my office door, hoping it will push this unsettling feeling out of my mind. I can’t deal with this nonsense right now.
As I sit on my chair, I think of Lucien. I don’t have the time or the energy to explain to him everything that has recently happened, but knowing him, I might not even have to. Lucien has a way of knowing all about everyone and everything without ever being told anything. It makes him the perfect choice for where to start my search. If anyone can help me, it’s him. I grab my phone and search for his number, praying he’ll pick up immediately. But before I can call him, my office door is kicked open.
Startled, I look up.
And just like that, I can’t breathe. My heart must be still beating, or I would’ve dropped dead, but I could swear it came to a screeching halt.
Kat stands in the open doorway, haloed by the bleak darkness outside the room.
I stand up at once, gracelessly bumping into my desk as my chair rolls away. My legs turn to rubber, and I have to support my weight with my hands on the desk’s warm mahogany surface. I exhale with relief. “Kat…” That one word a prayer, a benediction and a thanks—all rolled into one.
“You,” she says through gritted teeth. Her blue eyes burn hotter and brighter than I’ve ever seen before.
I want to run to her, wrap my arms around her body, and never, ever let her go. I want to drop to my knees and beg her for forgiveness while promising I’ll spend the rest of my days making up for my stupid mistake—as long as she stays forever.
But the adrenaline that’s been keeping me upright since I heard the devastating news of her disappearance has abandoned me. I don’t trust my legs to carry me over to her. As relief floods my veins, I don’t even trust myself not to pass out at any moment now. I can feel myself growing lightheaded like a fucking idiot as Kat glowers at me from across the room.
“You,” she repeats.
She looks so different. I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly has changed in her appearance, but I’ve never seen her more beautiful. Somehow, Kat’s both fire and ice as she glares at me. Her flushed skin glows, which I take as an indicator of a recent physical exertion episode. Her long dark hair—usually so smooth and meticulously in order—now frames her face in a breathtaking explosion of waves.
Kat has never looked more alive. It’s an awe-inspiring sight, even though I’ve never seen her look less put-together. Or more stunning. I feel positively thunderstruck by her presence. She looks so heartbreakingly amazing as she scowls at me, radiating pure life, power, and chaotic energy.
Amidst my wonder, my heart aches because it dawns on me the severity of what I’ve done. Even if I live to a hundred, I’ll never stop regretting my mistake. Kat offered me all of herself, all her beauty and wildness, and I tried to tame her. I tried to lock her in a gilded cage and clip her wings.
Kat’s blue eyes are as dark as the duskiest depths of the ocean, and they never leave my face as she approaches me intently.
All words escape me as I watch her in awe. I can’t move, I can’t breathe. All I can do is admire her and drink in the sight of her all in one piece, back home with me. In some obscure part of my mind, alarm bells sound as my brain faintly registers that she’s livid. But I pay them no mind.
Kat halts mere inches away from me. After squaring her shoulders, she searches for something deep within her pockets. Her slender fingers wrap around it, and with one graceful flick of her wrist, she launches it at me.
A small, solid object bounces off my chest. Reflexively, I catch it with my left hand. Dumbstruck, I glance down, and, as it frequently happens whenever Kat’s around, my world comes to a stop again. Somehow, in the palm of my hand lies the Flame of Mir.
A thousand thoughts cross my mind. I don’t understand how this came to be. I have so many questions and so many things I need to say. But, once more in a daze, I can only stare at Kat, unable to even begin figuring out what to tell her.
“There,” she says coldly. “We’re even now.”
Kat turns on her heels, heading towards the door again. There, she pauses before glancing at me over her shoulder.
Impassively, she says, “A few months ago, A.J. saw an opportunity to make good money by running game on Giuseppe Salvatore. I trust I don’t have to tell you, of all people, who he is. Predictably, it didn’t end well for her. He caught her red-handed. He had her right where he wanted her, which meant he had me at his beck and call. Long story short, he blackmailed me into doing all sorts of things, including infiltrating a certain museum gala and stealing the world’s largest red diamond. He was very particular about the specifics of the whole thing. The details of this heist were nonnegotiable. It had to be done on that specific night, under his specific terms. I did what he wanted and gave him what he wanted, hoping it’d be the end of my involvement with the mafia. But little did I know what ironic little twist fate had in store for me.”
With a humorless laugh, Kat smirks at me sardonically.
I stare at her, speechless and shocked, as fury like I’ve never felt before floods me. It burns as scorchingly hot as lava, irradiating through my body, inch by inch.
“Giuseppe Salvatore will die a horrible, painful death,” I say through gritted teeth. “Even if it’s the last thing I do. McGuire can wait. I will find Salvatore tonight, and I will kill him myself.”
Kat scoffs, shaking her head as sadness clouds her eyes. “You’re missing my point entirely.”
“No, I’m not. Trust me. I’m disgusted with myself. I don’t deserve to even breathe the same air as you. I don’t deserve to be in the same room as you. I’m not much better than that wretched fuck. Not after what I’ve put you through when you’re innocent of any crime. But if you give me a chance, I’ll spend the rest of my life atoning for my sins. I can never truly earn your forgiveness, but, Kat, on my life, I promise you I’ll die trying.”
Kat stares at me in silence for a long, endless moment. To my surprise, her anger dissolves from her face in an instant. She blinks rapidly as her eyes fill with tears and a sob escapes her lips. “No.”
“No?” I ask, dumbly.
Kat shakes her head. “I warned you, Nik. I told you there was no coming back from what you did. But you went through with it, anyway. We are done. This is it for us.”
With a sharp intake of breath, I shake my head frantically. “No, Kat. Don’t say that. You can’t mean that. I can’t lose you. Hold on, just give me a chance to?—”
