Black Kat

by DeMuzio, Kirsten

  “Stop it! Colin. Go,” she ordered. He wasn’t looking at her. His fiery blue eyes were locked on Alexander, and they stayed that way even as he let his partner drag him away.

  “This isn’t over Petrovsky. If you touch her, I will kill you,” Colin growled. Alexander held his stare, unflinching, until Colin was out the door.

  Kat wrapped her arms around herself, unsettled by the sheer fury in Colin’s eyes. She hated that she was the cause of this. Colin didn’t deserve to be so upset over her.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  Alexander resumed holding her chair out as she sat down. Taking the seat across from her, he said, “If I had any doubt before as to the depths of his feelings for you, that doubt has now been put to rest.”

  Kat shook her head and fiddled with the salad fork in front of her. “I don’t know why he’s acting so crazy.”

  Alexander reached across the table to take her hand. Running his thumb over her knuckles, he said, “I would react the same way if I saw another man put his hands on you.”

  Kat frowned and pulled her hand away, tucking it into her lap. Looking around the restaurant, she took in the dark wood and rich leather, the dim lighting and elegant place settings. When she looked back, Alexander was still watching her in that way he had. Watching and waiting.

  Kat was grateful when the waiter appeared with a bottle of champagne, which he presented to Alexander for inspection. Alexander nodded his head, and the waiter proceeded to uncork the bottle and pour two glasses. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but Kat was grateful for something to do.

  “I took the liberty of placing our orders ahead of time,” Alexander explained when Kat looked around for a menu.

  “I’m sure you did,” Kat grumbled, taking another gulp of the champagne.

  The corner of Alexander’s mouth quirked up in amusement, but he didn’t apologize for being presumptuous. That wasn’t in his nature.

  Alexander caught Drake’s eye over Kat’s shoulder. The man nodded once, signaling that Agents Lewis and Bass were no longer on the premises. Though they were undoubtedly sitting in a black sedan across the street as they always were. It wasn’t the FBI investigation Alexander worried about. It was the woman seated across from him, who was uncharacteristically flustered by the encounter with Agent Lewis only minutes earlier.

  It didn’t seem as though she returned Lewis’ romantic feelings, but it was clear they did have a connection. Would that keep her from exploring anything with Alexander beyond their business dealings? Alexander certainly hoped not. Because the more time he spent with Kat, the more attached he became. And he hadn’t even so much as kissed her yet.

  Across the table, Kat arranged her long hair around her shoulders and crossed her legs under the table. Alexander wished the table was made of glass instead of heavy wood. That way he would be able to see her long slender legs and those shoes that he would be fantasizing about for a long time to come.

  For such a beautiful woman, Kat seemed not to worry much about her appearance. Which made her all the more beautiful to him. She could be dressed to kill as she was tonight or wearing her worn jeans and riding boots, and she was equally appealing. Alexander was beginning to suspect there was nothing about her he wouldn’t find appealing.

  After the waiter delivered two salads to their table and Alexander had refilled their champagne glasses, Kat finally spoke. “Tell me what’s going to happen tonight,” she said stiffly as though she were bracing herself for what she was about to hear.

  “I don’t know exactly what to expect as I have never attended such an event before. Nor will I ever again. Though I can guess from what Gil told me that there will be all manner of sexual depravity there.”

  A shudder visibly ran through Kat’s body, and Alexander again reached for her hand. This time she didn’t pull away.

  “You never need to worry for your safety when you are with me, Katya. And at any time, we can leave if it becomes too much for you.”

  She closed her eyes briefly. “No. I have to do this. You said yourself it’s our best shot at finding this asshole.”

  “Yes. Gil feels confident that our host this evening is acquainted with the man we are seeking. All we need is a name.”

  The rest of the dinner passed without much conversation, though the silence was not uncomfortable. Kat was deep inside her own head, and Alexander gave her the time she needed to process what they would be facing later in the evening. When the meal was over and they stood to leave, Kat slipped her hand into Alexander’s.

  If he didn’t have such a good poker face, Alexander would have been grinning from ear to ear. As it was, he laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. If the stares of the staff as they exited bothered her, she didn’t show it. Alexander couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t everyday he strolled through his hotel holding the hand of a beautiful young woman. In fact it wasn’t ever that it happened.

  When they walked out the front entrance, the valet handed Alexander the keys and opened the passenger door of a black Range Rover for Kat. She looked at the car and back at Alexander.

  “No limo tonight?”

  He shook his head as he shut her door. Walking around to the driver’s side, Alexander slid behind the wheel. “You didn’t think I could drive?”

  Kat rolled her eyes. “I have no doubt you can drive. I just didn’t think you would deign to drive yourself anywhere.”

  Glancing over at her as he pulled into traffic, Alexander said, “I don’t think we need any witnesses to what we’re about to do.”

  Kat dropped her head back against the head rest and sighed. “No. Probably not.”

  Alexander programmed the address Gil had given him into the GPS and followed the directions out of the city to the north. Pulling into a long driveway, Alexander stopped at a tall black gate and gave his name to the voice on the intercom. Immediately the gates swung open and they drove on.

  After a long drive, the winding driveway opened up and the trees cleared to reveal an enormous stone house.

  “The sexually depraved sure live in style,” Kat commented drily.

  Alexander parked near the front door and got out of the car. Kat stayed right where she was. He came around and opened up her door.

  Leaning in he ran the back of his hand down the side of her face. “We don’t have to go in. We can leave right now, and I can have Gil send someone else.”

  Kat’s eyes took on a faraway look, and Alexander could only assume she was back in that dirty basement. She closed her eyes, and when they opened again, she was fully in the present. Swinging her legs out, she stood up and lifted her chin. “Let’s do this.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The moment Alexander and Kat stepped onto the wide stone porch, one side of the massive wood doors swung open. Kat’s hand tightened on Alexander’s arm as her spine stiffened. The elderly man who opened the door bowed at the waist. He was dressed formally in a tuxedo and had to have been at least eighty years old. Hardly the intimidating presence Kat was expecting. But looks could be deceiving.

  “Mr. Petrovsky. Welcome.”

  “Thank you,” Alexander said.

  “Please come in,” the man said, stepping back and gesturing for them to enter the grand foyer.

  The front part of the house was empty, but Kat didn’t let the friendly butler or lack of guests put her at ease. Her mind was racing with the possibilities of what they would encounter here. As if he could read her mind, Alexander looped his arm around her waist and drew her snugly against his body.

  Off the foyer there was a parlor with a baby grand piano on the right and a huge dining room with a table that seated at least twenty people on the left. The butler began walking down the hallway past the large winding staircase. Alexander and Kat followed at somewhat of a distance until the butler stopped at what appeared to be a blank wall on the side of the staircase. There was a small panel hanging on the wall, and when the butler pressed his hand to the screen, a portion
of the wall moved to the side, revealing a set of stairs descending into the basement.

  There was a reason that Kat lived in a second floor apartment. She hated basements. Even though, from what she could see, this basement was a far cry from the dingy concrete box she had been held in, it was still a basement.

  “The master of the house is expecting you, sir,” the butler said as Alexander and Kat stepped inside the wall.

  Before they could respond the wall moved back into place, shutting them inside at the top of the stairs. Alexander narrowed his eyes as he pulled out his cell phone.

  “Do you think he knows what goes on down here?” Kat asked.

  Alexander didn’t glance up from the text he was typing into his phone. “I’m sure he is paid very well to keep his opinions to himself.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m alerting Drake as to our whereabouts. I don’t like being here with you unarmed. He will be here in a matter of minutes and will wait outside should we require his assistance.”

  “How will he get in the gate?”

  Alexander’s mouth quirked up on one side. “He is paid very well to be resourceful.”

  “I’m sure he is,” Kat murmured, turning her attention back to the staircase stretched out below them. The walls were painted a deep purple, and there were sconces along the walls casting a dim glow of light. Just enough to see the steps in front of them.

  From his pocket, Alexander withdrew a band of elastic black fabric with a small pocket on the side. Slipping his phone inside the pocket, he knelt in front of Kat.

  “What are you doing?” she asked again.

  “They will very likely confiscate our cell phones before we are allowed to enter the party. There is no way in hell I’m going in there blind.”

  Kat lifted her foot and watched as Alexander slid the band up her leg until it was secure around her upper thigh. His hands didn’t linger as he pulled her dress back into place.

  Alexander took Kat’s hand and drew her behind him, so that he descended first. Kat hated feeling defenseless. And that’s exactly how she felt without Blade and without her gun. She still had her physical training, but it wasn’t enough to keep her fears at bay.

  But she had Alexander. Who she was all but clinging to as they reached the bottom of the stairs and the muted sounds of voices drifted out to greet them. Again they were in another foyer with several doors to the left and right. Straight ahead a set of double doors stood open to reveal what, at first glance, resembled a cocktail party in full swing.

  The room was dark, but the wall sconces continued on into the room giving just enough illumination to see what was in front of you. Men in suits and very young women in various stages of undress milled around the bar and the several black leather sofas spread throughout the room. The corners of the room were shrouded in darkness, and Kat gritted her teeth against the memories threatening to overwhelm her. Not any actual images, just the emotions of desperation and fear she associated with her captivity.

  A tall handsome man in a gray suit strode out to greet them. He held his hand out to Alexander and said, “It is an honor to have you here, Mr. Petrovsky.” After a brief handshake, the man’s eyes lingered appreciatively on Kat. “I see you have brought your own toy.”

  “Yes,” Alexander murmured.

  “You may call me Adrian, which is not my real name, of course. Rest assured I am the only person here who knows your identity, though I can’t guarantee you won’t be recognized.”

  Alexander waved his hand dismissively as if he didn’t care if the world knew he was a sexual deviant. As Adrian motioned to a large man dressed in a black suit, Alexander leaned down to whisper in Kat’s ear, “You might want to look a little less hostile.”

  It was difficult, but Kat schooled her features into a blank expression though she couldn’t do anything about the gleam of hatred in her eyes as she stared at Adrian.

  “You understand we must ensure the privacy and security of our guests,” Adrian said.

  “Of course,” Alexander said as he unbuttoned his jacket and held his arms up so the security man could search him. When the man finished with Alexander and took a step toward Kat, Alexander put a hand on his chest.

  “If you lay a finger on her, I will kill you,” he growled. Kat knew it was so they didn’t find the phone, but it did settle her nerves a bit to have Alexander’s aggressive side show itself.

  The man frowned, but Adrian just laughed. “I respect a man who protects his investments.” He waved off the security guard. “Let me show you to the bar, and then you can follow your desires wherever they may lead you.”

  Kat allowed Alexander to take her hand and lead her through the vast space to the gleaming polished wood bar along the far wall. Her eyes darted around the room, meeting the interested glances of the other partygoers. There was an unsettling mix of well dressed men and scantily clad women with glassy eyes. They were the ones Kat’s eyes lingered upon. She recognized the look.

  Adrian excused himself while Alexander ordered a drink at the bar. On the pretense of nuzzling Kat’s neck, he whispered, “Are you alright?”

  Not trusting her voice to work, she nodded.

  “I recognize the man by the fireplace as one who came up in Gil’s investigation. That’s where we should start.”

  Again Kat nodded.

  Alexander brushed her hair behind her bare shoulder. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Katya. Ever.”

  Kat closed her eyes and wondered where Alexander had been eight years ago when she needed that promise.

  With a glass of vodka in his left hand and Kat’s hand in his right, Alexander led the way to a loveseat that had just been vacated directly across from the man Alexander recognized. Setting his glass down on a table, Alexander slipped off his jacket and sat down. Grabbing Kat’s hand, he pulled her onto his lap. When she wriggled and tried to keep her dress from riding up too far and revealing the hidden cell phone, Alexander draped his jacket across her lap.

  “Cold?” he asked her for the benefit of the man seated across from them.

  “Mmm hmm,” Kat murmured. She caught on quickly by looking around that she’d better act the part of a submissive pet if she didn’t want to blow their cover.

  The man across from them took a drink from his wine glass and let his eyes wander over Kat. “She yours?” he asked Alexander.

  Kat bristled at being objectified, and she had to resist the urge to lunge across the coffee table and gouge out his eyeballs. Alexander ran his hand up the back of her neck and urged her to lean against him. No doubt he could feel the rage coming out of her pores.

  “I’d be happy to keep an eye on her while you explore,” the man offered.

  Alexander’s fingers flexed against Kat’s back, and she had an up close and personal view of his jaw clenching. “I don’t share.”

  The man raised his glass and nodded. “I can see why not, though I had to ask. We don’t get many outside girls at these parties.”

  “I have not been here before. I wasn’t sure what the selection would be, and I didn’t want to leave disappointed.”

  The man laughed, “I’m Michael, and I can assure you that wouldn’t be a problem. As co-host of this soiree I am in charge of the entertainment. My supplier chooses only the best girls.”

  Alexander glanced around the room. “Yes, I can see that.”

  Kat wrapped her arms loosely around Alexander’s shoulders and leaned into him, looking over his shoulder. With the dim lighting it was hard to get a good look at any of the girls.

  “I’m in the entertainment business myself,” Alexander said.

  “Yeah, I know who you are. I recognized you the second you walked in.”

  Alexander tossed back the rest of his vodka. “I have clients who might enjoy this particular brand of companionship. Perhaps you could put me in touch with your supplier.”

  Kat held her breath as she waited for Michael to respond. Alexander’s thumb brushed across the ba
ck of her neck, and she didn’t dare look at Michael. Her face would have given her away. So she buried her face against Alexander’s neck.

  Before Michael replied, a door opened to the right of the fireplace and a middle age man with his dress shirt untucked walked out of the dark room with a blonde under his arm. He plopped his large body down on the opposite end of the sofa from Michael and pulled the girl down next to him. Kat peeked out from her hiding place and got her first good look at the entertainment.

  The girl was naturally blonde and average height. She was extremely thin, and she was wearing a pale blue baby doll nightgown that barely covered her ass. Kat inhaled sharply, and Alexander’s fingers tightened around the back of her neck in warning. He could see the girl too.

  She was young. Very young. And her eyes were dead.

  “Yeah, I can hook you up,” Michael said. He pulled a business card out of his wallet and scribbled something on the back of it. Leaning across the coffee table he slapped the card into Alexander’s hand. “But you have to promise to invite me.”

  “Of course,” Alexander said smoothly as if bartering in underage girls was an everyday occurrence for him.

  Kat, on the other hand, was having a very hard time biting her tongue and keeping her stilettos on her feet and not through the hearts of the other men. Alexander slipped the card into his jacket pocket and then slid his hand underneath the jacket.

  Kat flinched when his hand ran up her leg and under her dress - until she realized he was getting his phone. She only felt him push a couple of buttons, so he must have had Drake on speed dial. A second later he slid the phone back in place and removed his hand, placing it casually over her legs on top of the jacket.

  He turned his head to whisper for her ears only, “On Drake’s cue, we leave.”

  Kat was about to ask what Drake’s cue would be when she heard a loud crash from the direction of the staircase. Alexander immediately stood them up, placing Kat on her feet.