“Because he wanted her to do so under his control. So she could be his spy,” I replied.
“All right. So that failed,” Saul said. “Wait. What happened when he realized she didn’t obey his order?”
“He was just coming home and was informed. Katerina ran off to avoid him punishing her for defying him and disobeying,” I explained.
“And now she’s here andnota spy.” Damon nodded once, as if he was fine with it.
“She’s not going to spy. She wants Anton dead. She killed Dmitri, one of Anton’s favorites, when he tried to rape her. She has helpedme, not any Kozlovs, since Anton took over. For fuck’s sake, she killed a guard to get me free. Then she took a bullet for me when we were ambushed again. This woman will risk herself for my safety. What other proof would you need, Brother?” I stared at Maxim, waiting for him to flinch at my cruel and stern tone. “What other fucking proof would you need to know that she choosesme? That she will be loyal tous?”
He didn’t say a word. Watching me closely, he seemed to search for a response.
“You can’t deny that they’ve always been close,” Saul said after a long moment of quiet. “When we were kids, teens, even adults. Hell, at that wedding, she was the only woman he danced with.”
I was surprised he’d paid that much attention to detail. He’d been drinking and living it up that night too. Saul often appeared to be the most laid-back of us all, but lurking beneath the surface of his personality, he was observant.
‘I’m not surprised at all,” he told me with a smile. Lifting his coffee, he hoisted it like a toast. “Cheers, Brother.”
“Thanks, Saul.”At least I’ve got one brother as a solid support.
“I’m not surprised either,” Damon admitted. “But I’m also biased to judge or have an opinion on Katerina coming here after the marriage arrangement since it impacted me. We thought LucywasKaterina at first, and after we realized she wasn’t, it took a while for her to get her footing here.”
I hung my head, exhaling a long breath. “I understand that you’ll have mixed feelings.” Facing him and letting out a harsh laugh, I said, “But fuck, am I glad Katerina didn’t come and marry one of you assholes while I was kidnapped.”
Damon smirked. “It really made me feel uncomfortable. Like he said” —Damon gestured at Saul— “we’ve all been aware of how close you and Katerina seemed over the years. If not close or interested in each other, some kind of bond. I struggled with the fact that I’d marry a woman youmighthave wanted yourself, but someone”—he shot Maxim a look—“asked me to go along with it for the sake of doing my duty. When we sent word that we’d take Katerina as a bride, we thought it really would be her and that she’d be coming here as a spy.”
“And I expected you to get intel from her,” Maxim said. “But it was Lucy, not Katerina.”
“Yet, Katerina is here now.” I set my hands on the edge of the table, looking at him dead in the eye and as serious as can be. “And if you have any questions about anything, she will be upfront. I’m not trying to sell this situation or persuade you. Try her. Ask her. She has zero loyalty to Anton. She has spent years wishing to defy him and she is glad to do so now.”
“She’s really helped you before?” he asked, still harboring too much skepticism for my liking.
“Yes. She is a skilled hacker. She can be an asset—” I held my hand up to cut off that thought. “No. She won’t be an asset. Not like that. She’s my wife. She’s carrying my child. Those are her roles and purposes. But if you ever do want her assistance later, after she’s settled and we can ascertain her pregnancy is going well, I guarantee she’ll be eager to help.”
“I’m not an invalid,” she said, surprising me as she came into the dining room. Dressed in clothes Sloane offered her, she looked relaxed and refreshed, minus the scrapes we’d earned from running for our lives. She came up to kiss my cheek then took a seat. “What do you need help with?” she asked them all, settling her gaze on Maxim.
“I need help believing that you’re not here to spy on us and report back to Anton,” Maxim said, not missing a beat.
I flipped him off as I moved to sit next to Katerina, but as I went, she shoved my arm down. “I owe him nothing but hatred, Maxim. Anton killed my father,” she stated. This was the first time she said it without tears threatening. “The only thing I ever want to offer Anton is his death sentence.”
Damon raised one brow. “You’d kill him? You’d kill him yourself?”
She huffed a wry laugh and shot me a sarcastic look. “As ifhewould let me now.”
I smiled. “Damn right,Wife.” I leaned over to kiss her. “Now that I’ve got you somewhere safe, I’m not taking any risks with your security.”
“So I can’t go after him?” she asked.
“No.” At her disappointed look, I added, “Not yet, and not without me.”
Resting her hand on her still-flat stomach, she almost smiled. “I understand. I want to think that now is the time for new beginnings. New life. New… families.” She once again looked at all my brothers. “But I understand it won’t be a simple process.” Facing Maxim again, she didn’t flinch or try to flatter him. Businesslike and serious, she nodded once. “Whatever I can do to help you trust me, I’ll do it. And whatever you’d like help with in regard to my field of expertise, you only have to ask. Even though my husband seems prone to wanting to hover and act like I need to lie around in a bed now, being on my laptop isn’t strenuous work. I’m no genius, but I can help however you’d like.”
Maxim chuckled. “Nik? Hovering? No. I don’t believe it.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You’re going to get along great with Sloane,” Saul said with a grin. “She’s been trying to get Maxim to relax and not act like she’s going to suddenly pop out a baby at any second all this time.”
“I’m not that bad,” Maxim growled, irritated to be the subject of humor.
