Black Kat (18 page)

Chapter Twenty Four

A rustling sound from the hallway had Kat turning her head.  Luke’s eyes, however, remained riveted to his iPad.  When Kat saw a pretty brunette walk out of the hall and into the living room, she instantly recognized her from Alexander’s photos.  The girl didn’t have the same look of recognition on her face when she saw Kat.

In fac
t, her expression became downright icy as she looked from Kat to Luke, who was still studiously ignoring everyone.  Kat wasn’t exactly the friendliest person, but she took the lead here, because there was obviously some serious tension in the air.

“You must be Natasha.  I’m Kat.  I’m a…friend of your brothers.”

Natasha’s eyes widened in surprise.  “Really?  A friend of Alexander’s?” she asked doubtfully.

Kat tilted her head toward the hallway opposite where Natasha had come from.  “Yeah, I’m staying here for a few days.  I hope that’s okay.”

Natasha walked into the kitchen and shrugged.  “It’s his place.  Apparently anyone can come in here these days,” she said with another glare in Luke’s direction.

Kat saw him wince, but otherwise he had no reaction to Natasha’s response.  Finishing his coffee in one gulp, Luke put his mug down and slid off the bar stool.  Looking only at Kat, he said, “Listen, Kat.  I’m going to go check on some stuff in Alexander’s office.  Come find me when you’re ready to go out.”

Kat had never seen the man move so fast, and that was saying something, as he punched in the code for the door off the kitchen and disappeared down the long hallway.

When the sound of his quick footsteps faded, Natasha sighed and slumped back against the counter.

“I’m sorry for being so rude.  It is really nice to meet you, Kat.  Alexander never brings
friends
here.  So it was just a surprise to find you here,” Natasha said in a much nicer tone than she had used previously.

Kat brushed off her ap
ology.  “Don’t worry about it.”

Natasha hopped up on the bar stool that Luke had vacated and
pushed his mug aside with a little more force than was necessary.  She shoved a spoonful of cereal in her mouth and asked, “Are you sleeping with my brother?”

Kat took her time swallowing the sip of orange juice she almost choked on while she thought of how to respond. 
“Um…not really.  It’s complicated.”

Natasha laughed.  “What’s not complicated with Alexander?  Well, whatever
not really
means, I’m glad he’s happy.”

“He’s not happy.  I mean, we’re not…in a relationship,” Kat stammered.

Natasha rolled her eyes.  “Well, whatever you guys are doing, you wouldn’t be here in the penthouse if he wasn’t really into you.”

Kat was suddenly feeling the familiar uncomfortable feeling that came when things got too real with another person.  That is, anyone other than Alexander.

“It’s just that my apartment was broken into last night, and Alexander thought it was safer for me to stay here until everything gets sorted out,” Kat explained.  No need to add that sorting it out meant finding and then killing the man who had tortured her years ago.  Even though Natasha was close to her in age, Kat could tell she was light years away in life experience.  And that wasn’t a bad thing considering just what Kat’s life experiences were.

“Is that why Luke is here? 
As your bodyguard?” Natasha asked with feigned disinterest.

“Yes,” Kat replied.  Clearly there was something going on between those two.  As if the
obvious tension from earlier hadn’t been a clue.

“So what are you doing today?” Natasha asked.

Kat thought that she and Larissa would get along really well.  Both were bubbly and chatty.  The exact opposite of herself.

“Uh…I was going to hit the gym for a while.  And then I don’t know.”

“Oooh, I could really use a workout.  Can you bring a guest?”

It was a stretch taking Larissa to Dane’s.  But if she walked in with Natasha, who was sorority girl epitomized?  Dane might revoke her membership.  Then again, she was Alexander’s sister.

“Um, sure.  But I have to warn you, it’s not the kind of gym you’re probably used to.”

Natasha shrugged.  “That’s okay.  I don’t want to be rude and invite myself, but if you’re dating my brother, we really should get to know each other.”

Natasha bumped Kat’s shoulder with her own and hopped down.  “I’m going to go get ready!”

Kat opened her mouth
, but Natasha had already bopped off down the hallway in a flash of dark hair and pink pajamas.

Okay, then.

While she waited for Natasha, Kat changed into her own workout clothes and pulled out her cell phone.  Sitting on the edge of Alexander’s bed, she checked her messages.  There were three messages from Colin.  Kat knew without even listening that he had heard about the break-in at her apartment.  He was probably frantic with worry.

Putting the phone to her ear, Kat rose to pace around the room as she waited for Colin’s phone to ring.
  He answered on the first ring, as he always did when she called.

“Kat!
  Where are you?  Are you okay?” Colin demanded, his voice booming through the line.

“I’m fine.  I’m fine, Colin.”

“I saw the report come through on your apartment.  Where are you?  Kat, what the fuck is going on?”

“Calm down, Colin.  I’m okay.  Maybe we should meet and talk.”

“I’ll come to you.  Where are you?”

“That’s probably not a good idea.  I’ll meet you…”

“Why not?” Colin interrupted.  “Kat.  Where are you?”

Kat sighed, knowing there was no way he was going to let this go.  “I’m at The Onyx.”

Kat heard Colin curse and she could imagine him shoving his hand through his thick hair.

“I am too.  I’m outside the fucking Onyx.”

“Oh, okay.  Well, I’ll meet you at the Starbucks across the street in ten minutes,” Kat said and then hung up to avoid any further inquiries into exactly where she was in The Onyx.

This was not going to be easy.  She felt like she was choosing sides, and in a way she was.  Colin and Alexander were on opposite sides of the law, and she had been straddling that line for far too long.  Kat texted Larissa to be downstairs in the lobby dressed for the gym in half an hour.  And bring Blade.  She also stopped by Natasha’s room to tell her the same thing.

In the kitchen she found Luke waiting for her.  Setting her bag on the counter she reached in and pulled out her gun to check that it was loaded.  Luke immediately pushed her hand back down and glanced nervously toward Natasha’s room.

Kat left her gun where it was
inside the bag and said, “I take it Natasha doesn’t know what kind of business her brother is really in?”

“She knows her brother owns The Onyx.”

“Ah.  Okay, I’ll keep the secret,” Kat said.  “I told Larissa and Natasha to meet us in the lobby in half an hour.  I’m meeting Colin at the Starbucks across the street now.”

“Natasha?  Why is she meeting us?” Luke
asked, his brow furrowing.

“She wants to go to the gym.”

Luke looked utterly confused, not to mention worried, but Kat didn’t have time to play matchmaker.  She zipped up her black jacket and swung her bag over her shoulder.  She didn’t have to turn around to know Luke was following her.

Five minutes later Kat walked into Starbucks and found Colin already waiting with two coffees at a small table by the back exit.  His eyes narrowed and glinted with anger when he saw who was with her.  Turning around, Kat held up her hand to Luke.

“Privacy, please.
  You know he is not going to hurt me.”

“Fine,” Luke huffed, lowering himself into a chair by the door that gave him a clear sight line to where Colin was sitting.

Kat walked to Colin, who stood when she was near and pulled her into a tight hug.  She was new to the whole hugging thing, and it still made her want to bring her knee up to his groin.  Instead she reminded herself this was Colin, and she wrapped her arms loosely around his shoulders.

“
Shhh, it’s okay,” she murmured, for once being the one to do the comforting.

Colin eventually released her and they sat down.  His eyes periodically darted over to Luke sitting by the door.

“Kat, you’re killing me.  What is going on?  I heard about the break-in, so I went to your apartment.  I saw the photos, Kat.  God…”  He put his head down into his hands for a second.  “I called you.  I went by your work, but the day guy said you don’t work there anymore.  You’re staying at The Onyx?  Kat, you’ve got to tell me what’s going on.”

The anguish in his eyes and voice hit Kat hard in the center of her chest.  She wanted to be able to tell him everything, but like she did with Natasha, she knew a watered down version of the truth was better.

“Alexander took me home last night after dinner, and we found the break-in and the…photos.  I packed a bag and stayed in a room at The Onyx.”  Kat left out the part about whose room she stayed in.  “I didn’t call you last night, because I didn’t want to worry you.”  And because she wanted to give Alexander’s men a chance to do their own investigation.

Colin was shaking his head like he didn’t understand.  “What about your job?  Not that I’m sorry you’re not working in that shit hole anymore, but…”

Kat reached across the table and covered Colin’s hand with her own.  “There was this thing with Larissa, and I got fired for helping her out.”

“Are you working now?”

Kat shrugged.  “Not at the moment, but I have a couple of job prospects lined up.”

“What about
Petrovsky?  How does he figure into all this?”  The hard edge returned to Colin’s voice when he talked about his enemy.

Kat shook her head.  “He doesn’t.  Our relationship remains strictly
business.  I’ll stay there only as long as it takes to find a new place.”  She hated outright lying, but she couldn’t very well tell an FBI agent she was close to finding and killing her own enemy.  It would put Colin in a terrible position.  And there was no way in hell she was going to tell Colin just how close she and Alexander were last night.

Colin’s expression was pained as he looked at her.  “I feel like I’m losing you, Kat.”  His voice broke. 
“To him.”

“No, Colin.  You’re not losing me.  Everything’s going to be fine.”  Kat caught Luke’s eye across the room.  “I have to go to the gym now, but I promise to call you later.  Okay?”

Colin looked utterly defeated as she stood up.  Holding out her arms she offered him a hug.  He held her just as tightly as he had when she came in until she pulled back and waved goodbye as she walked away.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I feel sorry for him,” Luke said, holding the door for Kat
to leave ahead of him.

“Why?” Kat asked, slipping her sunglasses on to block out the late morning Las Vegas sun.

“The poor guy looked like hell.  You really did a number on him.”

Kat looked at Luke like he was crazy.  “I didn’t do anything to him.  He’s just worried.”

Luke scoffed.  “Yeah, worried like a man in love.”

“Shut up, Luke,” Kat muttered.  She didn’t need to hea
r what she had always suspected.

“Put on your happy face for the girls, Luke,” Kat said as they crossed the street to meet a smiling Larissa and Natasha.

“I don’t have a happy face.”

“Yeah, me neither.”

Chapter Twenty Five

Luke felt a certain kinship with Kat as they crossed the street.  He knew what she had been through, and he could relate to the tough exterior she put up.  But any warm and
fuzzies he was feeling over his newfound friendship were doused by the sight of Natasha coming out of the front entrance of The Onyx.  What the fuck was she doing?  Trying to kill him?

Kat dropped to her knees as Blade bounded toward her when Larissa dropped his leash.  The powerful dog lavished sloppy kisses on Kat’s face and rolled over on his back for a belly rub.  Luke imagined himself doing the same thing if Natasha held out her arms for him.

There were awkward greetings all around and they all piled into Luke’s black Suburban that was parked in front of the hotel.  Thankfully, Kat joined him in the front.  Natasha was wearing tiny black shorts and a fitted pink tank top.  He didn’t think he could drive straight with her legs in his peripheral vision.  Not that Kat wasn’t something to look at, but he didn’t have feelings for her.  And she was Alexander’s.  Whether she knew it yet or not.

Luke also appreciated Kat’s silence on the way to the gym.  
Though it allowed him to hear Natasha’s lilting voice as she chatted with Larissa in the back seat.

“That’s a nasty bruise on your arm,” Natasha commented.

Luke glanced in the rearview mirror to see Larissa self-consciously crossing her arms over her chest.

“Yeah, I was in a pretty bad car accident a couple weeks ago,” Larissa said.

“Oh, you poor thing,” Natasha gushed.

Luke and Kat glanced at each other across t
he front seat console.  It seemed Larissa didn’t need any warnings on keeping Natasha in the dark.  Although admitting her boyfriend beat her probably wasn’t something Larissa wanted to do.  As far as Luke knew she hadn’t asked what had happened to Zeus.  Not that she would have gotten more than
he’s been taken care of. 
She didn’t need to know the details, and apparently she didn’t want to.

As they drove from the Strip to the rough neighborhood where Kat had lived and where Dane’s gym was located, Luke wondered what the hell Dane was going to say.  He didn’t have to wait long to find out.  As soon as the foursome entered the gym, Dane did a double take.

Luke could understand why Kat wanted to bring Larissa here, but he had no clue why she had agreed to let Natasha tag along.  It wasn’t like Dane offered Zumba or step classes.  Natasha was uncharacteristically quiet as she looked around the open space.  When the two men boxing in the ring to the right veered too close, she stumbled back into Kat.

Kat put up her hands to steady Natasha and then took a step back.  Although he’d seen Alexander touch her on several occasions, it was obvious she wasn’t a touchy feely sort of person.  Even when she had embraced Lewis in Starbucks, he could see the rigidity of her spine from across the room.

“What the fuck, dude?” Dane swore as he walked over and planted himself in front of them, hands fisted on his hips.

Luke shrugged and held up his hands.  “Hey, don’t look at me.  I’m on guard duty,” he said, nodding in Kat’s direction.  “The tagalongs were her idea.”

Kat rolled her eyes as she slipped a hair band off her wrist and pulled her long hair back into a ponytail.  “Dane, this is Larissa and Natasha.  I’m going to teach Larissa some basic self defense moves.”

Dane looked Larissa up and down, his eyes lingering on the
bruises on her arm and the barely faded black eye.  He nodded his okay.  Apparently the guy had a soft spot for abused women, Luke thought.  Alexander had shared with him the deeply discounted price Kat paid to work out there.

“And this is Alexander
Petrovsky’s little sister, Natasha,” Kat continued, gesturing toward Natasha.

Dane took in Natasha’s perky ponytail, tiny black shorts and hot pink workout tank and shook his head.  Then he nailed Luke with
a
what the fuck
look.

“Great,” Dane grumbled.  “You ladies can take the blue mat in the corner.  Kat, take them through some warm up exercises and I’ll be over to run some scenarios.”

When the women were out of earshot, Dane got right up in Luke’s grill.  “I told him to stay away from her.  Now she shows up here with you on her tail and Petrovsky’s sister as her new best friend?”

Luke gave a shake of his head.  “That’s out of my control, man.  If you’ve got an issue, you can take it up with Alexander.”

Dane scoffed, “I worry about her, but I don’t have a death wish.”

Luke pulled his hooded sweatshirt
off over his head.  He might as well get in a workout while they were here.  Because sitting around and watching Natasha stretch and jump around wasn’t beneficial for anyone.

“You of all people should know that Kat can take care of herself.”

Dane shot him another look.  “It’s not her physical safety I’m worried about with Petrovsky.”

Luke knew what the guy was getting at.  However, from his perspective it was the other way around.  It seemed to him that Kat held all the power with the way Alexander acted around her.
  His boss was the one who needed to be on guard from heartbreak.

The gym wasn’t crowded at this time of day, and Luke took up residence at the punching bag directly opposite from where the girls were working out.  Kat was far and above in the best shape of the three.  And she should be with the way she had been training for the past few years. 
Larissa had curves in all the right places, but looked like she was more comfortable in the salon than the gym.  And Natasha…

Luke caught the bag at the last second before it swung back and smacked him in the face.  That’s what he got for staring.  Natasha was shorter than the other two, and absolutely perfect.  She didn’t have the strength that Kat had, but she was lean and toned.  And when she stretched her arms over her head, causing her top to ride up, baring an expanse of her taut stomach, Luke had to turn around and face the wall.  His loose gym shorts wouldn’t provide any coverage for an inopportune hard on, which was exactly what would happen if he kept ogling Natasha.
  And remembering how her smooth skin felt under his hands…

Ramping up his punches, Luke focused on his workout.  And he kept an image of Alexander putting a gun to his head if he ever found out the thoughts Luke was having about his sister. 
Or the fact that his hands had been all over her.

Jesus Christ.

Luke grabbed his towel and rubbed it over his face and the back of his neck.  They’d only been there half an hour, and Dane had just started running through some moves with Kat.  Catching Dane’s eye, he nodded to the door.  Dane lifted his chin in response.  As he was on official guard duty for Kat, he should keep her in his sight, but he needed some air.  And she was safe with Dane.  Next to Alexander, there wasn’t anyone Luke trusted more.

Outside the warehouse, Luke breathed in the cool refreshing air and checked in with Alexander.

“Luke,” Alexander answered right away.  “Is everything alright?”

“Yup.
  It’s all good.  We’re at Dane’s right now.  Kat brought along Larissa and Natasha.”  Luke left out the part about Kat having a little chit chat with their favorite FBI agent.

Alexander chuckled.  “I would have paid money to see the look on Dane’s face when they walked in.”

“Yeah, it was priceless.”

“I’m glad Natasha and
Katya have met,” Alexander said and then paused for a moment.  Luke waited, because he knew his friend.  And there was something on his mind.  “How is Katya today, Luke?  Does she seem alright?”

“Uh, yeah.
  No different than usual.”

“Good.  Stay with her and see to it that she stays in the penthouse tonight.”

“Sure thing.  How are things on the East Coast?”

“Cold,” Alexander grumbled.  He never had been much of a cold weather person.  “But the construction plans are coming along nicely for the new casino.  We should be able to break ground as soon as the snow melts.”

“That’s good,” Luke replied.

When all the basics had been covered, they hung up.  Luke lingered outside a few more m
inutes.  Just when he decided to go back inside, the door swung open and Natasha walked out.  She was delicately wiping off her face with a towel, and there was a faint line of sweat on the deep V neck of her tank top.

“Hi,” she said, stopping in front of Luke.

“Hi.”

They looked at each other for a moment. 
Her studying him thoughtfully.  Him frozen in place, almost in fear.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked.

Luke help up his phone.  “Checking in with your brother.”

“Hmmm,” she murmured.

“About last night--“

“We should probably go--“

They spoke at the same time.  Luke frowned.  “What about last night?”  He had woken up with a hangover and memories of groveling on his knees that he desperately hoped was a dream.

“Did you mean what you said?” she asked, gazing at him with wide eyes.

“Uh,” he stalled, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.  “What exactly are you talking about?”

“You said…that you don’t deserve me.”

Luke blew out a breath.  It hadn’t been a dream.  “Oh, that.  Well…yeah, I meant it.”

He made the mistake of looking in her eyes and couldn’t look away.

“Why would you say that?  And does that mean…do you…”

Luke wrenched his eyes away and paced the stretch of asphalt in front of where Natasha stood. 
“Because it’s the truth, Natasha.  You’re…perfect.  And I’m nothing.  Just…nothing.”

The sharpness of her voice brought his head around.  “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard, Luke Wells.  You are so much more than…nothing.  You’re everything.”

Oh, fuck.

She was looking at him like she absolutely believed that. 
Like he was everything to her.  And wasn’t that just fucked up.  He wanted so much better for her.  But he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her.  Especially when turning her down was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.

He was at a loss for words.  And he couldn’t make his feet move for the life of him as she stepped closer and placed her hands on his chest.
  Tilting her head back so she could meet his eyes, she asked the one question he had hoped he would never have to answer.

“Luke, do you have feelings for me?”

Feelings?  Uh, yeah.  How about he was head over heels, take a bullet for her, in love with this woman.  But how could he tell her that?

“
Yo, sorry to interrupt.  But I need someone else to run these scenarios with,” Dane said.

Luke had been so completely wrapped up in Natasha that he hadn’t even heard the door open.  Natasha didn’t look away from him as Dane spoke, and her eyes pleaded with him to answer her.

Luke closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  Gently grasping Natasha’s wrists, he stepped back.  “Yeah, sure,” he said to Dane.

Natasha looked at him for another long moment and then sighed and walked inside.

Dane shot him a look.  “Dude.  That’s Petrovsky’s little sister.  You sure
you
don’t have a death wish?”

“I’m not sure of anything anymore,” Luke grumbled as he stalked back into the gym.

The rest of the session was filled with Luke and Dane running self defense scenarios with Kat and Larissa while Natasha sat with her back against the wall.  Luke could feel her eyes on him every second.  He might be able to put her off now and maybe for the rest of the day.  But she wasn’t going to let this go.  That was one thing she had in common with her brother.  Tenacious to the core.