28. Katarina
Katarina
Now
Emily pauses her pacing to stop at a window and glare at the approaching storm.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the housekeeper’s will alone forces it into retreat, but my will must be stronger because those dark clouds draw nearer, promising a premature end to what’s left of the day’s light.
And possibly my life too, or what’s left of the parts that weren’t buried with Killian.
“We need to go,” Emily complains. “We’re already ten minutes late.” She chews her lip as she watches Vivienne’s frantic attempts to fasten the meringue skirt to the crystal-encrusted bodice. “That’s enough. It looks fine.”
The comment is directed at me since I’m the one who made Vivienne alter the fastenings. Again.
“And do you think Eric will be satisfied with his bride being just fine?” I demand. “It seems to me he’s very particular about my appearance. If my dress isn’t to his liking, will he take it out on you? Or me?”
“He can be a bit of a perfectionist,” Emily reluctantly agrees, “but you’ll see how generous and considerate he can be once you understand how to fulfill his needs. He really does want this marriage to work. And I’ll do all I can to help you settle into your duties.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Are you offering to fuck him for me?”
Sasha laughs from the chaise long where she’s sipping a mimosa. My maid of honor’s off-the-shoulder dress is ivory satin, with beading to accentuate her curves and an elegant fishtail hem. Understated and stunning. I’ve almost made it too easy for her to outshine the bride.
“She already does fuck him, don’t you, Emily?” Sasha sniggers.
Emily’s face turns crimson. “We should… should go. Please, Katarina.”
“Why don’t you scurry off to calm Eric down?
” I suggest. “Tell him I’ll be no more than five minutes.
” When Emily goes to object, I turn to Alexei who looks like he could do with some excitement.
“Either you make her leave or I’m going to tear this dress to shreds and we won’t have a wedding until after midnight.
At which point all the contracts my uncle and Eric have been poring over will have to be redrafted with a new date. ”
Emily holds up her hands as my bodyguard takes a step towards her. “I’ll go and speak to him. But I’m coming straight back.”
The housekeeper practically breaks into a run.
It’ll take her four minutes to reach the floral arches where the groom and assembled guests are waiting in front of the main villa. And she’ll need another four to hurry back after Eric screams at her to go fetch the bride. Time’s ticking.
I slap Vivienne’s hand away. “Stop fussing and leave. Your job here is done,” I say. “I need to use the bathroom and I’ll refit the skirt myself.”
Vivienne looks relieved by her dismissal and doesn’t argue when I start unfastening the ties she’s sewn and adjusted multiple times.
As I head for the bathroom, I pause near Sasha. “I don’t suppose I can persuade you to fuck off too?”
“Not a chance,” she says, draining her glass.
“It’s my duty to make sure the goods arrive in one piece.
” She drags her gaze over my body with a barely disguised sneer.
“I hope you’re not going to disappoint us.
” Before I can reply, she adds, “Now get your ass moving. In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a storm coming. ”
Once I’m alone in the bathroom, I let the heavy-as-fuck skirt drop to the floor. I swap the lacy thong Eric had chosen for my wedding day for simple, black panties before pulling on my black cycle shorts. I fix a black sports bra around my waist to pull up later. If there is a later.
Before I reattach the skirt, I open the drawer where I’ve been keeping the toys Sasha brought with her to Blackwater Rock.
I just know Grace crocheted the eggplant pouch, and I’d love to know what conversations had to happen to get her creation and its contents into Sasha’s hands.
Despite the pain of seeing Killian’s gifts again, I’m grateful to have them back and I won’t leave them behind this time.
“I hope you’re wearing your toy,” Sasha shouts from the dressing room.
I shake my head. A bitch to the end.
When I reappear, Sasha gives me the once over. Unlike the other harpies who’d been bustling around me, she doesn’t care that I’m wearing white sneakers instead of those stupid kitten heels.
“I preferred the dress that was smeared with blood,” she remarks.
“Jealous?” I say, smiling at her.
Any life is better than the one she willingly signed up for with Grigor, and my words must hit home because she flinches.
“Of you? Never,” she lies, before turning her back to pick up the veil and tiara I’m supposed to wear.
She marches over to Alexei and thrusts them into his arms. “Shove these in the golf cart somewhere. Unfortunately, we can’t cover her face until we reach the ceremony.
The veil might wrap around a wheel and strangle her. On second thoughts…”
“Let’s go,” I say, heading out the door and leaving my entourage to follow.
Sasha and I squeeze into the back of the golf cart and my multi-layered skirt fills every spare inch of space between us. Alexei takes the wheel directly in front of me and we set off.
Eric’s little island is framed against a dark pewter sky, streaked with the promised deluge heading our way. The sight makes Alexei speed up and as we jolt forward, I knock against my sestra.
“Watch what you’re doing!” she snaps, hitting me with her small satin purse.
I roll my eyes but don’t retaliate and she rests her purse on her lap.
There’s a brief moment of peace until Alexei veers left to circle the main villa and my body thumps into Sasha again.
As she’s nudging me away with her elbow, her purse slips.
She’s too busy cursing to notice me burying it in layers of lace and chiffon. I’m the one holding her purse now.
I knew Sasha would carry a weapon of some sort, and the knife I find is perfect. No gun shots to alert the groom or my uncle. I tense, about to make my move when a golf cart speeds around the corner of the house so fast it tilts on two wheels for a second or two. Emily’s on her way back to us.
If I make a run for it now, she’ll either give chase or raise the alarm, reducing my head start. I wait until her cart comes alongside me and order Alexei to stop.
“No, no, keep going,” Emily bleats, her cheeks burning crimson and her eyes flooded with tears. Kind and caring Eric must be having a hissy fit.
“We’ve got time,” I insist, quickly undoing the ties of my skirt before leaning forward as if to whisper in Alexei’s ear.
“Please, Kat–” Emily’s words turn into a gurgled gasp as she’s sprayed with blood.
The cut to Alexei’s carotid artery is clean and clinical, and as the deceased guard’s body slumps against the steering wheel, I leap out the cart. I leave behind the bridal skirt, but keep hold of the knife as well as a cell phone, also from Sasha’s purse.
Emily stares wide-eyed at Alexei’s corpse, blood dripping from her face. She starts mumbling incoherently and her voice rises with each ragged breath.
I point the tip of my blade to her neck. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll silence you permanently. Now, give me your cell.”
Her trembling lips are pressed together as she fumbles to hand it over. I turn to Sasha, who watches with interest as I wipe my blade against my bodice to clean off Alexei’s blood.
“The blood’s an improvement,” she says dryly.
“Shame it’s not Vasili’s. Or your husband’s.”
Sasha swallows a laugh. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“We’ll soon find out.”
“Please,” Emily begs, her throat constricting. “You can’t… He won’t… There’s no escape. You must see that.”
“Oh, the escaping part is easy. Surviving might be an issue, but I’d rather die than become a glorified sex doll,” I counter. “Wouldn’t you agree, Sasha?”
“If you’re going to fuck off, go,” she replies, giving away none of her thoughts as usual, but I hear the inflection. Sasha is telling me to move my ass.
Why the push?
Because Sasha is my last surviving sestra and despite appearances, she’s always had my back. We’ve protected each other the best way we could. We weren’t allowed to ally ourselves with each other, but we found creative ways to stack the odds in each other’s favor.
A guard at our training camp had thought I’d share the joke when he told me she was about to be auctioned off.
So I broke Sasha’s nose in a fight to damage the goods.
And on the night Kira was gunned down, her laughter had been a warning for me not to break cover and follow our friend who was already in a sniper’s sights.
When we fought over Grigor, we were playing to his ego and ensuring one of us would be chosen as his wife.
It was always going to be Sasha because Vasili had bigger plans for me, and her position as Grigor’s spouse has given us access to top level information.
Sasha’s technical know-how was the reason I could do certain things under the radar, like syphoning off Ilya’s money. And sneaking Killian into my apartment.
Sasha is the closest thing I have to family and if this goes wrong, it could be my last chance to tell her how much she means to me. There’s so much I could say. I’d settle for a hug, but to do so would expose Sasha’s duplicity in front of Emily.
My friend’s eyes harden just a fraction. “Go,” she sneers.
I snarl at her as I slice the knife through the front of my bodice so it falls way, revealing my perfectly rounded breasts that one man worshipped and another found fault with. Once I’ve hiked up my sports bra, I slash the wheels on both golf carts.
“Don’t try too hard to raise the alarm,” I say, winking at Emily.
Sasha gets no more than a nod before I set off at a sprint towards the cliff.
“Enjoy the ride!” she shouts after me.
I immediately break into a run and when I’m a safe distance away, I drop the confiscated cell phones and clench my hands into fists.
My arms pump at my sides and my sneakers bounce off grass that’s still damp from this morning’s downpour.
That, coupled with the unrelenting heat and oppressive humidity, means I’m already breathless by the time I come level with the house.
The figures gathering outside are tiny dots, but I still have a lot of ground to cover.
I’m less than a third of the way to the cliff’s edge when the sound of Emily’s hollering carries across the island.
I dig my toes into the ground and push myself harder.
The very large replica of Killian’s cock presses into my back where I shoved it into my cycle shorts.
The sensation brings back happy memories and that spurs me on.
If I don’t clear the rocks when I jump, I’ll be seeing Shorty very soon.
And if I do clear them? Every man who’s ever wronged me or my sestras is going to pay for their sins.
If I have any regrets, it’s wearing the goddamn egg vibrator. It’s not something that was designed to go running in and it’s distracting. All this moving about has switched it on. Now isn’t the time to have an orgasm, but my clit is already throbbing.
Above my labored breaths, I hear shouts and gunfire. Some of Eric’s guards will have long-range rifles. Would he give the order to shoot to kill? Or just maim? Would Vasili stop him or encourage him?
My heart leaps into my throat when I hear the roar of an engine revving. It’s not the rumble of a car. It’s a motorcycle. Fuck, I wasn’t expecting that so soon. The edge of the cliff is still too far away. I can’t outrun a Ducati.
Fat raindrops hit my face and the storm comes in fast and thunderous, drowning out everything except the ominous buzzing of the motorcycle closing in on me.
I barely hear Eric call my name, but it sends a chill down my spine. I’ve wanted to strangle him every time he’s called me Kitty Kat and I don’t want to hear it now.
My next exhale is a howl of determination as I draw on every ounce of strength I have left. I can smell the sea air, but the roar of the engine is close and I can feel the ground shake. As I prepare to be grabbed or run down, Sasha’s words come back to haunt me. Enjoy the ride.