Chapter 43
Kinsley
A Sitting Duck
“Look, I’m sorry about game night. I made a complete ass of myself, and it was childish. I never should have stayed in the first place. I overreacted and felt like a fool, so I came here to regroup.”
“What happened between you and Alek?”
Ivan asked. His voice pierced through the air, hanging heavy with unspoken concern.
My jaw clenched, and a surge of irritation had me attacking the dishes like they were at fault. “Nothing I care to talk about or revisit.”
I added the dishes to the dishwasher, trying to keep myself busy.
Nik couldn’t let it go, his voice portraying genuine worry. “So something did—”
“Look,”
I interjected sharply, cutting him off. “I’ve answered your question sufficiently enough. I’ve told your brother and Dr. Marcel, so I’ll tell you the same. I don’t owe you an explanation.”
Minutes ticked by, the silence punctuated only by the clanging of a dish every now and again as I finished up. Eventually, I had to face them, so I turned around. They sat casually at my table as if they belonged, which had my anger surging once more.
“I know Pavel Lenkov hired you,”
I began, my voice steady, defiance fueling me. “I also know that I’m not the girl he used to know. You’re wasting your time and energy if you are still trying to investigate the claim,”
I asserted, lifting my head and challenging them both to say otherwise.
If they had anything on me at all, they could either present it or move along. Either way, they weren’t getting anything from me. They may have every good intention in the book, but I had built walls around my heart for a reason, and those walls would not crumble easily.
“I wish it were that easy,”
Nik murmured, his voice resigned and still holding a note of determination. He held out a computer-generated image. I reluctantly took it from his outstretched hand, my eyes transfixed on his and not the paper. I didn’t want to look at it.
“You see,”
he continued, stepping closer. The smell of him and having his body this close to mine had me thinking about game night. But the flames of desire were quickly doused the minute the next words left his mouth.
“I gave my buddy the picture of Pavel Lenkov and Mischa Natalya and asked him to age progress them. That’s what he came up with. Want to explain that?”
Nik’s eyes never left mine; they pinned me down, demanding answers.
That stupid name. I needed to play this cool. He’d already let slip what the image was by using the name in conjunction with Pasha’s. I prepared myself for the inevitable because with him studying me so intently, there was no way I couldn’t look. If I refused, it would be the answer he needed.
I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, so steeling myself, I looked at the rendition of me and Pasha, feigning interest. A knife piercing my heart would have been kinder. In my hands was a stark reminder of the past. It was us, but it wasn’t. He’d used a photo of us at a competition when I was maybe seven, making Pasha twelve.
Except now, I was staring at adult versions of us, my hand clasping his. I could almost feel it, and willing myself not to crumble, I focused on the imperfections. Many details were off, such as my height. If only I was as tall as the ballerina in the photo. Pasha had much more defined muscles in real life, but it was the faces that held me transfixed.
Every part of me wanted to retreat, to push them out the door despite the storm and guard the fragile fragments of my shattered life. Nik moved back to the table and gave me some space.
“You’re cute. I could have had this done with Photoshop.”
I held up the photo, facing it away from me. “The faces are the only thing even somewhat similar, and they still aren’t right. Nice try, though. A for effort.”
I notched my head at Nik, then turned. “Ivan, if you follow me, I’ll show you the room you can use,” I declared.
Nikolai chuckled, and in an instant, he closed the distance between us, commanding my attention. He grabbed my chin in his firm grip, sending a jolt of electricity through me. My breath caught, and I whimpered as he leaned closer.
Gently turning my face, he leaned over, his warm breath brushing my ear before he said, “So that’s how it’s going to be, baby girl?”
His words were whispered like a delicate caress. I put my hand on his chest, feeling his heart race under my fingers.
“Crow,”
Ivan’s voice bellowed out. Memories of an unhinged Nik came back to me, and I lowered my gaze, giving up the fight.
Nik’s full lips hovered near my ear, causing me to shiver. “While you’re showing Ivan his room, maybe he can tell you exactly how tenacious I am when I’ve sunk my teeth into a case.”
My eyes flicked to his mouth, and he had to pry the paper from my hands.
“I’ll take the couch,”
he announced, his tone challenging me to say something as he sauntered out of my kitchen.
I lowered my eyes and tried to still my racing heart. The lingering closeness of his body and the words he’d used stirred a rush of emotions in me to the point where I’d almost forgotten what I was supposed to be doing.
“Thanks for dinner, little love. I’d love to see that room now.”
Ivan’s deep but gentle voice snapped me out of the haze.
After three unsuccessful attempts at trying to get Nikolai to take my bed, I gave up. His off-the-wall comment about Bro Code and being the first one to sleep in my bed was the final straw. If he wanted to have a crick in his neck tomorrow, oh well.
I found it impossible to settle into the comfort of my own bed. The storm raging outside my window echoed my feelings. Despite the exhaustion their presence had on me, sleep remained elusive.
A small part of me had to admit I was grateful they cared enough to come and check on me, but still, it was intrusive too. My mind kept drifting to Nik on the couch.
I got up one final time and found him quietly sleeping. The sound of his even breathing only stirred my emotions once more. I shivered and went back to my room, pausing at the door that used to be Owen’s. Touching the wood, I felt the ache in my heart once more. I hurried to the sanctuary of my bed, where I buried myself under the covers.
Only when I felt it was safe did I let the tears fall. I thought for sure once they stopped, sleep would come for me, but it didn’t. Not even the warmth of my blankets could chase away the coldness that had seeped into my bones. I tossed and turned all night, the events from game night playing out in a continuous loop behind my eyelids.
At one point, I thought I heard the creak of a floorboard but realized it was just the house settling. The night wore on, and I worried about what tomorrow would bring. What challenges and revelations were the King brothers going to try to throw my way? Dawn came as it always did, but I was ready for it.
With the first light of the morning sun painting the sky in soft pink and gold, I silently slipped out of the cabin, making sure to not disturb Nik. I’d left them a note which read:
I hope you slept well. I’ve checked, and the roads are clear. I’m going fishing. Don’t be here when I get back, please.
And with that, I went about my day. My heart raced with excitement as I made my way to the riverbank where my small boat waited. I climbed into it and cast off, the gentle lapping of the water against the hull the only sound to break the still morning.
I dipped the oars into the water and glided the boat downstream. The currents helped carry me farther and farther away. I navigated the winding waterway to me and Owen’s favorite spot. No prying eyes would find me here.
The day wore on, and I caught quite a few fish and secured them in the cooler. The warmth of the sun kissed my skin, and I found myself yawning. With a contented sigh, I closed my eyes and surrendered to a quick nap where I dreamed of Nikolai King, of all people.
Upon waking, I checked my watch. It was time to head back. I once more rowed back and secured the boat and then carried the weight of one of my largest catches in the cooler.
Humming happily, I rounded the corner and groaned. All my joy dissipated in an instant. The Kings’ car was still parked outside. I frowned, and then my eyes drifted down to the cooler at my feet. With a mischievous chuckle, I abandoned my original plan of telling them to get the hell out and instead opted for something even less classy.
I crept up the porch, setting the cooler by my feet and eased it open. Approaching the door, I listened to the muffled sounds of conversation coming from within. With a silent prayer to the gods of ballet and stealth, I tiptoed closer. My heart pounded in my chest with anticipation.
And then I pounced. Bursting through the door with all the dramatic flair of a theatrical performer, and began flinging fish. The first slimy, slippery creature sailed through the air, catching Nik completely off guard.
He instinctively ducked and let out a startled yelp, narrowly avoiding being hit. His eyes widened in a mix of astonishment and amusement, that gorgeous smile of his flaunting his white teeth. Clearly, he had underestimated me and my desire for them to leave.
Ivan, on the other hand, froze on the couch, his eyes fixed on the flying fish as I chucked another at Nik. Hearing him laugh, I turned and launched one in his direction. The asshole caught it in his hand like he did my knife last night, damn him.
“Is this your way of asking for help gutting them? Fair warning, Nik sucks at it. And we should probably clean them first,”
Ivan said, launching it back in my direction. I dodged it and narrowed my eyes.
“Do you not know how to read?”
I exclaimed, planting my hands on my hips. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry, and now I’d have to clean because I was being childish.
Nik bent down and collected the four fish I’d managed to chuck at him, dropping them into the cooler. “We just wanted to ask you a few things before we headed out.”
If I didn’t look at him, I’d be okay. I gulped, thinking about the dream I’d had of him on the boat a little bit ago. I’d dreamed I went out to ask him one final time to take the bed. He pulled me onto his lap and removed my nightgown before we’d picked up where game night left off.
I shook my head to stop that train of thought. The weight of everything exhausted me, and I sighed. “Well, ask, please, so you can be on your way.”
“How long do you plan to stay?”
Ivan asked, double-teaming me.
“Next question,”
I replied curtly, my irritation growing more intense.
“Do you have any idea how vulnerable you are here? You’re like a sitting duck.”
Nik’s genuine worry struck a chord deep within me. He didn’t have the right to do that. That level of worry was reserved for family, and, while I didn’t have any standing in that room with me right then, that didn’t mean I had to accept it coming from him. That quiet strength he always exuded was what got me.
Matching his quietness, I knew I could dignify it with an answer and show proof of how wrong he was. I stalked over to the locked cabinet, placing my thumb on the scanner while I locked eyes with Nik.
The door popped open, and I gestured inside. An array of guns were neatly arranged, everything from shotguns and handguns to ammo. There were even several hunting knives.
“You’d be surprised at how resilient a duck can be.”
Their expressions shifted, caught between bewilderment and acknowledgment. “I’m covered. I have a gun in my room as well. And yes, I know how to use each of them. If there’s anything else you want to ask, you should go ahead and apply ‘none of your business’ as the answer. Lock up on your way out, please,”
I said flatly.
My heart was heavy. I didn’t understand why Alek hadn’t come with them, but the realization hurt more than I wanted to admit to either of them. I came up here to get away from everything, not to be reminded that I was nothing more than a blip on Aleksandr King’s radar.
I went into my room and took my clothes off. Jumping into the shower, I let the tears fall.