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He shoots me a funny look, raising an eyebrow. “Well, I thought it was obvious—I’m here to visit a friend. People still do that, right? As for your second question, come on, Kat. Please.” He scoffs, rolling his eyes theatrically. “As if I didn’t know your address all along. Who do you think went snooping around your life when Nik wanted information on the woman who stole his diamond? And, dare I say it, his heart. Yours truly, of course. Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
I cross my arms, ignoring his question. “Didn’t you hear? The Flame of Mir has been returned to its rightful owner. My debt to your boss has been paid. We have no business with each other, Dmitri. Not any longer.”
“Right,” he says, scowling. “Whatever you say, Kat. We’ll go with that for the time being. Now, can I come in?”
“Why? Did Nik send you here? You’re not here to kidnap me, are you, Dmitri? Because I swear, I’m not going down without a fight this time. No, sir.”
His pale blues charmingly wrinkle at the corners as he laughs. “I’ll keep that in mind. But no, I’m not here to kidnap you. Honestly, Kat, I’m a little insulted that you even have to ask. I thought we were friends. I feel like you should trust me more than that by now. For your information, Nik doesn’t have the slightest idea I’m here. He’d probably have my head if he even suspected I came to see you.”
I scoff. “Yeah, right. Nik lets you get away with virtually anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if he let you get away with murder. Knowing the two of you, he probably has, actually.”
“I can neither confirm nor deny your accusations.”
I roll my eyes, but I step aside to allow him inside my apartment. “Fine, come in. But I won’t go easy on you if you try anything funny. You’ve been warned.”
Dmitri strolls inside my apartment with his hands raised in mock surrender. “I’ll be on my best behavior. As usual.”
He pauses inside my living room, glancing around the place with an indecipherable expression on his chiseled face. “So this is where the infamous Katherine Devereaux lives.”
With a sigh, I drop my weight back on the couch. “Take a seat.” I wave my hand in the general direction of every surface in the room. “Or don’t. I don’t really care.”
Dmitri shoots me a funny look, but he sits on the other side of my couch, directly opposite of where I’m sitting.
“I like your place. It’s cozy,” he says.
“Yeah. Well, it’s no luxuriously designed penthouse, but what can I say? It’s home. At least it’s mine. I bought it with the labors of my own dishonest work.”
Dmitri chuckles. “Won’t you offer me something to drink, Kat? Not much of a host, are you?”
With a shrug, I point him to the fridge in the kitchen, visible from where we’re sitting down.
“Knock yourself out. Make yourself at home.”
“Famous last words,” he says under his breath before getting up to fetch his beverage.
A moment later, Dmitri returns, a beer in hand. “Kat…” he says with a sigh, sitting down again. “We need to talk.”
“No, Dmitri. We really don’t.”
“I’m afraid we do, Kat.”
“Dmitri—” I say through gritted teeth, infusing my tone with every bit of warning I can muster.
He laughs. “That won’t work with me, Kat. It doesn’t work even when Nik does it, and he’s much scarier than you. Especially now. And yet, here I am, right? So, save your energy. We need to talk. There’s no point in trying to avoid the unavoidable.”
“What do you mean by ‘especially now’? What are you talking about?”
Dmitri’s eyebrows almost reach his hairline. “Oh, right. You wouldn’t know. Nik has been…particularly challenging since you left, which is why I’m here. It’s time to come home, Kat. I’ll have to insist.”
I throw a pillow at him. “I am home, dumbass. And I warned you, Dmitri. I will not be kidnapped again. Ever. Are we clear?”
Dmitri sighs in exasperation. “Calm down, Kat. Nobody’s kidnapping anybody. I’m merely here to persuade you to change your mind about this whole breaking up thing.”
“Well, that’s never going to happen. Ever. And no offense, Dmitri, but it’s also none of your business. At all.”
He rolls his eyes. “Come on. We’ve been over this so many times. It’s totally my business. I guess we can agree to disagree on this, but I’m not leaving until you stop acting like an idiot. You’re not getting rid of me until you promise to come back and give Nik another chance.”
“A chance to do what? Lock me away again, throwing the key away this time?”
