“What!” Jessie barked.
“You took something from him, and that’s why he came here! So what the fuck did you take from him, huh? And why are you involving me in it? My child! Is your mother in on it? Is my child complicit in this too?”
“Whoa,” Nik exhaled, slipping up beside her only to have a hand put to his chest. Katarina shoved him back a step.
“Don’t fucking try and sweep this under the rug! Both of you! I swear to the dragons above if either of you have put my baby in danger, I’ll kill you both. Right here and now!” She jabbed a finger in both their faces.
Welp. Time to pump the breaks.Little Momma’s claws were out. She was heated. Jessie was irate. And Nik was the only sensible one at the time, which was usual, but not good for their cause. Jessie put up his hands like white flags. “Let’s just take a breath. My bad, Katarina. I didn’t mean to come out the gate that hot. Isabella is fine.”
“She had better be or so help you, Jessie Bonesaw—if that even is your real name!” Katarina took a step toward him.
“It’s Edwin,” Nik snickered under his breath.
“Et tu, brutus?” Jessie spat at Nik.
“What? Aravis said your government name first!” Nik tucked his big hands in the deep pockets of his overalls, stepping away from both of them. Jessie narrowed his gaze on the retreating back of his best friend for a long moment before taking a breath. Katarina and he had the same idea, as they both sucked in a sharp breath through their noses.It’s not her fault. She didn’t know. She’s not been raised like I have.
Jessie reminded himself that the Enforcers were the reason Katarina got away from her husband. That because some concerned citizen called in a tip, Aravis dragged Gill away before he could lay hands on her one more time. Katarina’s first instinct was always to protect her kid, and that likely she was trying to protect him by letting the Enforcers take Pierre. Plus, he wasn’t even all that angry. If Pierre came to hassle him, there were bound to be breadcrumbs somewhere he could follow.Might just be time to go find Bobby again and ask what gives!
Jessie exhaled heavily and spoke first, “I’m sorry for snapping, baby girl.”
Katarina’s face fell, her arms sliding down to her sides. “I’m…I’m still baby girl?”
Jessie snorted, “Of course you are. Unless you don’t want to be?”
Katarina opened her mouth, only to close it. Like a creaky hinge, a squeak escaped her, but no words were spoken for a long time. Finally, she hugged herself, glancing away. “I won’t lie, I kind of liked when you told that fuck-wad that I was your girl.”
Jessie’s eyes crinkled as his lips curled up high on his face.Oh, did you now?He took a test step toward her. Those flashing rubies of hers darted up to his face, but she didn’t stop him. Jessie sauntered tentatively closer, then walked her back into the side of a stack of crushed metal. One hand to her hip, the other taking one of hers and bringing it to his lips, he kissed her palm affectionately. “Youaremy girl.”
Katarina let out a wheezy breath, pink coating her cheeks. Her gaze darted away from him and Jessie chuckled, “His too, but he’s in time out because he used my government name against me.”
“Hey!” Nik huffed from over his shoulder.
Katarina returned her attention to him and Jessie rewarded her with another kiss to her hand. He nuzzled his nose against her soft skin. Her dreamy sigh filled his lungs with air, “Jessie, we need to talk about this. About your business.”
He tensed, eyes falling to the ground.Ah, so this is where the fork in the road is for us.He was a fool for not seeing it sooner. Things were always headed to this crossroads. When he finally looked up at her, he knew what he had to do.I really, really like you Katarina…and I want to keep you.But he didn’t want to force her while she still had a choice. If she left, everyone would eventually forget about her and she’d be safe.
I want to keep you and make you forget that scumbag ex of yours and invite you to dinner where you’re happy. I want to provide for you. I want to hear Bella running through the house with Barnibus…but…
“Wecan talk,” he sighed. “But you gotta decide now if you’re in this or not.”
“What does that mean?” Katarina croaked.
Nik finally stepped up beside Jessie, his warmth radiating off him. The feel of Nik’s arm pressed against his own was the grounding sensation he needed.Please stay, baby girl.His enforcer took up her other hand and cupped it in his. “It’ll be safer if you don’t know.”
Jessie nodded with a soft hum. “Baby girl, if you want this, we’ll take care of you. You and Isabella will be a part of the family. But, if you want out, now’s the time to say that. I can get you an apartment not near here, and you’ll be back on your feet…but you can’t come back. Pierre made it obvious that people think of you as mine, and after that little stunt of mine, it’ll be dangerous for you not to be if we don’t cut the cord now.”
“Wait, I have to choose what? If I’m going to stay with you both? Right now?”
“Yeah,” Nik grumbled.
Katarina ripped her hand back and Jessie lurched. Nik had him by the back of the overalls, stopping him from moving as she stormed away from them. He felt like his heart was throwing itself against his chest.Shoulda seen that coming.Jessie lived his life with the understanding that things don’t last. Empires fall, businesses crumble, friendships end, so he tried not to regret a single day of it. Yet, watching her stomp off into the graveyard? That shook him to the core.
The only person that he thought could rip his heart from his chest like that…well…was rubbing a gentle hand to the center of his back. Nik murmured, “I’ll walk her back to get the kid—”
Katarina came stomping back up to them, red in the face. Hands flapping about, fury in her eyes, she nearly shook the ground with each step. Her tail whipped back and forth behind her like an angry cat. “Alright! First off, we’re going to clear the air right now or this isn’t going to work for me. I am not stuff, I am not property, I am not arm candy, got it? I’m not putting upwith macho anything, so don’t think you can push me around just cause I’m signing on. Got it? And Isabella is top priority. I don’t care what it is, if she’s put in danger for even a moment, it ends. We clear?”
Jessie’s face softened as he heard Nik involuntarily suck a breath in. Smiling, Jessie struck a hand out to her, “Little Momma, our kiddo’s gonna be just fine.”
