This little game was pissing me off, but it was hard to stay focused while she stood there in her little silky pajamas, nipples pebbled and staring at me through the thin top.
“Goddamit, Kat. How do you expect me to talk to you when you’re pointing a knife at me? I’d never threaten you and I don’t appreciate this fucking disrespect in my own fucking house!”
“There!” she said, holding the knife higher but brandishing it like it was her pointer finger.
“Therewhat?” I yelled as I stepped closer. “Will you calm the fuck down?”
Her eyes went wide. “Even though you don’t see me asmuch more than them, I’m not one of your bunnies, and you will not tell me to calm the fuck down.” She was shaking, but again, I didn’t think she was scared; she was just so angry it was vibrating through her. “And howdareyou talk to me about disrespect.” Her whole face was red now, her eyes slits.
“Look, fuck Jeannie. Alright? I don’t know what her problem is but I’ll banish her from here if it makes you feel better.”
She cackled, and now I was a little scared. She’d already proved she could outmaneuver me and was waving that knife around. “Iwill banish her if I want to,” she said between her maniacal laughter. “I don’t even care about her. And I can’t tell if you’re really that obtuse or you’re just really bad at accepting responsibility.”
Wiping my hand down my face, I asked, “Then what the fuck is your problem? Why the fuck was the door locked?”
“What the fuck is my problem?” she asked, the Russian coming out. “What the fuck ismyyyproblem?”
She shook her head and seemed to be relaxing her muscles, so I took a step closer. That only tensed her up again.
“I told you before, Hawk. I didn’t sign up to be your little plaything. I am the daughter of Nikolai Petrov, Sr. and I will not be treated like your whore and laughed at.”
“My whore? What the fuck are you talking about, Katarina? You’re my wife!” I shouted. “Everyone knows it! I don’t have you locked away here waiting on me. Shit!”
“So you’re not stupid, you’re just not used to takingresponsibility. I understand not giving in to me out there,” she yelled, pointing the knife in the direction of the clubhouse. “But in here? You can’t even speak honestly to me here? Inyourhouse.”
“Sorry, but itismy house,” I said, tapping my chest with both hands. “Maybe yoursandmine, but mine all the same! And how can I talk to you when you’re waving a knife around in my face?” I shouted.
“If I wanted to hurt you, I would have already done it!” she yelled, flinging the knife across the room.
I instinctively ducked, but it wasn’t close enough to hit me. Turning back, the knife was sticking out of the wall, clear on the other side of the room.
I slowly righted myself, my hands up in surrender. “Thanks for not aiming that at my heart.”
“You make jokes? Now?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and covering the distractions poking through her top. Her blonde hair was slightly messy, reminding me of how she looked first thing in the morning.
Sighing, I put my hands on my hips and rolled my head back. “Pops, give me strength.”
“You humiliated me,” she said, the fight leaving her voice. “And you let that woman humiliate me.”
Stepping closer, needing to touch her, I tried to grab her shoulders but she moved from my grasp. “No, Hawk. You can’t just sweet talk your way out of this.”
“Believe me, nothing about me is feeling sweet rightnow.” The fire in her created a mix of heat and desire – and something unnerving and unsteady– within me. “Kat, please.”
She shook her head. “If you won’t leave, then I will.”
“And go where?” I ran my hand through my hair. “What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing you don’t want to say to me, Hawk.” She stared at me for a moment, her scowl melting away, the edges of her mouth turning down. “I’ll be on the couch.”
She moved past me and I reached out, but when she pulled away, I let her go.
I stood there as she padded down the hall, then the blanket rustled. After a few seconds, everything was quiet again.
I must have stood in the same place for at least ten minutes. Not sure if I was waiting for her to come back, or just stuck. Clearly I didn’t know what to say to put her at ease. She didn’t want me to touch her. Even if I had something reasonable to say, I didn’t think she’d listen.
Looking over my shoulder, my eyes scanned the bed. One of my pillows was missing, the one on the couch. My spot was all still made up and hers was barely messy, just enough to know she had been there.
Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed her pillow then walked down the hall to the living room. Stepping between the couch and the coffee table, I scooted it away.
