Page 23 of Merciless Promise
She quickly cleared my confusion. “Everyone except my father calls me Kat. You should as well.”
“You’re right, Kat. There’s no use for formalities now that we’re married. In fact,” I said before stopping to smirk at her. “You can call me King from this point on.”
“How convenient,” she said before turning away from me.
I grinned, then grabbed the box from her hands, leaving her with just the leather bag. “We need to leave. Nolan is waiting on us, as is the plane.”
“I just can’t believe I’ll likely never return to this place again,” she said sullenly. “I suppose my father has ruined anything that was here, anyway. Let’s go.”
Iwas quieter than usual on the way to the airport, choosing to focus my time and attention on the passing scenery instead of making small talk. While I had come to love living in New York City, it had nothing on Saint Petersburg. And my home city was one I might never see again. It wasn’t safe here, even if I was married to Kingston.
King!The day I ever called him one of those would be the same day I needed to have my brain checked. The man was so infuriating and arrogant. It was so annoying because he was so damn hot, and he was one hell of a lover. It would’ve made things much easier on me if he had a small dick, or at least a pencil thin one. I didn’t need to actually enjoy a single second of time with him, but somehow, some way, I did.
That left a sour taste in my mouth that I kept the entire way to the airport. There was a private plane waiting for us, so at least I didn’t have to fly commercial. There would be some distance between us that I desperately needed. I got out of the vehicle and stood in front of the plane. Leaving Russia almost brought a tear to my eye, as I had already done this part before.It was only seven months ago when I left this place and thought I would never be back.
“You’re looking like a lost little puisín,” Kingston said as he came up behind me.
“A what?” I asked him as I turned in his arms.
“Puisín?” he asked, to which I nodded. “Kitten.”
“I said to call me Kat?—”
In a flash, his hand shot to my neck, and he gripped my throat with his hand, but did not squeeze. “I much prefer kitten. You’re a lot tamer like one.”
“Or so you think,” I replied, and he shrugged it off. “And I don’t care what you pre?—”
“Shh,” he said before leaning in. “I don’t want to spend the next several hours arguing when we could be doing something much more pleasurable. Keep that sexy little mouth of yours closed until I give you a reason to open it.” My mouth shot open, and he placed one of his palms in front of it until I closed it. “Much better. Now, we need to get ready to leave if we expect to get back to NYC on time.”
“You’re right. We should leave. The sooner I get away from you, the better.”
Going back to the city was for the best, although I knew what it would include. Kingston had already told me that I needed to let my studio go. That wasn’t a big deal, but moving in with him would be. Outside of my father, I’d never lived with another man before. I also had never been married, and separate living quarters would surely send tongues wagging. The least amount of attention we could draw to one another, the better it would.
“Are you coming?” he asked, and it was then that I realized he had already started toward the plane without me.
I fell into step with him, and soon Kingston helped me onto the private jet. It wasn’t the largest one I had ever been on, but it was plenty big enough for us and Nolan. The other man pushedpast us, and I watched as he inspected the last seat before turning toward Kingston.
“All clear!”
“Do you often have to worry about sabotage or?—”
“Very powerful men are after you. I’m taking no chances.”
I shook my head, but stayed quiet even though I knew this wasn’t about me. Well, maybe he was a bit concerned about Aram Grigoryan, but even so, I doubt he would follow me around the globe to sabotage a plane. If he planned to take anyone out, it would be Kingston and not me because Aram still wanted me to be his wife. But I was Ekaterina Brannington. It still didn’t slip so easily off the tongue, but I suspected that would change with time.
I quickly sat in one of the seats and made sure to choose the one with the small table in front of it. I dropped my cell phone and purse down, then kicked off my heels as I watched Kingston take his seat in the one right across the aisle from me.
There was a wall directly behind our seats, and behind it was an area separated from us by a thick curtain, which went from the roof of the plane to the floor. Nolan disappeared behind it, and I picked up my cell phone. The pilot, Lane, introduced himself to us, and the solo flight attendant quickly went through the safety spiel before Kingston banished her with a wave of his hand.
She disappeared behind the curtain with Nolan, and I leaned back farther in my seat as the plane began to move. Several minutes later, it ascended, and once the altitude evened out, I unclenched my fingers from the table.
“What’s wrong?” he asked me, and I turned to my left to look at him.
“Leaving my homeland for what could be the last time, I feel as if I should cry, yet I feel numb. There shouldbe sadness...anger...or even denial, but instead there’s a nothingness there.”
“I know this had to be difficult for you, but I’m sure we’ll return at some point.”
“Maybe?” I said with a nonchalant shrug. “The best thing I can do is go to sleep.”
