Page 96 of His Contract Queen

He studies me for a long moment, the ice-grey eyes unblinking, before nodding. He reaches for a slim folder on the desk and slides it across for me to take. I lift it into my lap without opening it.

“These are Kuznetsov’s contacts within the FSB. The ones who owe him favors. See to it they stick to the disgraced narrative for Borchin. We don’t need them coming up with a theory that will get the public riled up, even if that’s what Kuznetsov is aiming for.”

I nod. “Understood.”

I stand then, feeling the dismissal before he even needs to declare it out loud. The folder stays tucked under my arm as I find my way back to the door. When I reach it, my hand rests on the frame.

I pause.

Then I turn to look over my shoulder at him. “While I’m sure you already know this, Katerina and I have been legally married. While you may view her as a weakness, she is anything but. She’s proven that much by taking down her own father. Including being the one to end his life. Whatever grievances you have toward her, I’ll answer for them personally.”

He leans back into his chair, fingers interlacing loosely over his stomach. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment. The silence stretches over us long enough that I have to fight the urge to flex my fingers around the door frame and give myself away that it unnerves me whenever he does this.

“Sasha gave me the same speech months ago,” he finally says. “About Alina.”

I frown slightly.

A ghost of amusement touches his lips. Not quite a smile, but close enough to unsettle me all the same. “You two are more alike than either of you will ever admit.”

I don’t deny it.

I’ve always felt the same even if I hate admitting it out loud. The same reckless streak when it comes to the women who have managed to get under our skin. The same willingness to burn bridges we once swore we would never touch to save them. The same dangerous certainty that nearly toppling the Pact was worth the risk.

After another minute, he exhales. “I will not order her removal just yet, the same as I won’t with Alina. However, if emotions begin to cloud your judgment, and your decisions cost the Pact, I will have no choice but to remove one of you.” His gaze hardens. “Remember that.”

I hold his gaze without flinching. “If it comes to that, you’ll have to go through me to get to her.”

The ghost of a smile crosses his face again, small, almost approving. “Noted.”

I leave without another word.

The drive home is quiet. My mind turns over every angle that involves Kuznetsov. The problem is how patient he is. He doesn’t strike until the board is already tilted in his favor. If he’s moving now, he’s been planning on doing something for months.

I grip the wheel tighter. Whatever it is, it clearly has Nikolai concerned enough to bring it to the table to be dealt with.

When I arrive home, the gates open automatically. I park in the garage, kill the engine, and sit there for a minute letting the silence settle.

I’m tempted to involve Sasha in this. It wasn’t specified whether or not this little problem needed to stay contained within the confines of that study or not. It might be more valuable to get another angle to this. Namely, in the form of our other Pact member’s opinion.

But that is a problem to handle on a different day.

For now, I need to return to my wife.

I find her already waiting for me when I get inside. She stands at the top of the grand staircase barefoot, wearing one of my black sweaters that falls to mid-thigh. Her hair is loose, still damp from a shower. Happiness crashes through me so hard, my knees nearly give.

I take the stairs two at a time to get to her.

She meets me halfway.

I sweep her off her feet without breaking stride, her legs wrapping around my waist, arms looping around my neck. I carry her up the rest of the stairs and down the hallway to our room. I lay her on the bed gently, following her down, bracing myself on my forearms so I don’t crush her.

She pulls me into a kiss before I can speak, soft at first, then deeper, hungrier. Her fingers thread through my hair, tugging just enough to make me groan against her mouth.

When we break apart, she rests her forehead against mine. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“I’ll always come back to you. No matter what,” I murmur, pressing another kiss to her lips.

The world outside may be fracturing, but here in this bed with her warm breath tangling with mine and her fingers tracing idle patterns across my back, none of it matters.

I hold her in my arms and I make the only vow worth keeping.

I will protect this.

I will protect her.

No matter the cost.