Page 17 of Odin

"Vestal Virgin, remember? Not very many people want to get close to someone with guards. That's even assuming I would let them." She was serious, but I could hear the slight pain behind those words. She'd never told me what had happened a few years ago, and I hadn't pushed. I'd just held her as she'd sobbed in my arms when it was over.

"That's not true. The right person won't care about your status. They'll love you for who you are, like I do." I wanted to hug her through the phone.

"So, where is Handsome?" she asked, signaling the end of that conversation.

"He just called and said he wouldn't be home. The kids in the local daycare came down sick, so he thinks he's going to be running calls all night."

"Saving the youth, one sickness at a time. I'll figure something out and be there soon."

I said goodbye and ran to the spare bedroom. Pulling out blankets and extra pillows, I threw them on the couch. Picking up my phone, I texted Odin, letting him hear it from me first.

Kat's coming over.

His response was immediate.

Don't burn down the place.

I rolled my eyes, but before I could respond, there was another incoming text.

Have fun, baby.

I sighed as I stood there with my phone in my hand and a goofy smile on my lips.

***

Half an hour had passed when my phone rang. It was one of my guards, asking if Ms. Petrakis could visit. I told him to give me a minute, and I would send the elevator for her. I was excited Kat was here.

When it opened, I couldn't hold back my bursts of laughter. Kat was standing in the middle of the elevator with a grocery bag in each hand, decked out in Hello Kitty. My guard, Garrison, was standing to her left, by the elevator floor buttons. On her right was Adrik Volkov, her brother-in-law's brother. There was a story brewing there.

She bounced into the foyer, dropped the bags, and hugged me.

“Hi, can Adrik search the place? I told him he couldn’t unless you said it was okay, but he’s being dumb and thinks we’re going to be kidnapped here.”

I looked at Adrik, but he was looking at her. I knew that look. She’d been running her mouth, and he was ready to get rid of her.

“Of course. Go ahead," I said. "I am by myself.”

He shot Kat another look and took off. “You can go with him,” I told my guard. When they finished, Adrik told Kat to stay in place and that he’d pick her up later. She just smiled widely at him and waved her fingers. My guard told me to call if we needed anything. They would be downstairs like normal. I thanked him and keyed the elevator to let them down.

As soon as the elevator was on the ground floor, I removed my keys and turned towards Kat.

“How did that happen?” I was dying to know.

“I brought ice cream. It’s going to melt.” She was avoiding the question. Picking up the grocery bags, she turned and high-tailed it into the kitchen. The penthouse was an open floor plan, so it wasn't hard to figure out where everything was.

I followed her into the kitchen, but I was persistent. “What happened, Kat?” I asked again.

"You know, I told you they pulled all the men who were supposed to be available to guard the family for other assignments. I am not sure what's going on, but there seems to be a massive shift coming. I don't like it. It makes me think they're building new bridges using arranged marriages, and I am the next one. Where are the bowls?"

I pulled two bowls out of the cabinet and handed them to her, nodding for her to continue.

"When I can't take it anymore, I call Adrik to come get me. My father doesn't have a problem with it because he's 'family.'"

“Adrik goes along with that?" I couldn't see him agreeing so easily. "He’s second in command to Ilya. Doesn’t he have anything better to be doing, as Sovietnik?”

“I don’t call him all the time. Just when I have to get out, and there’s no one to take me. If he doesn't answer, I just keep calling until he shows up. We’re,” she paused, “friends.”

“You’re not friends. It's more likely that he doesn't want Toula to catch wind of your plans.”

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