Black Kat

by DeMuzio, Kirsten

  If she pulled that trigger, she would be doing something that could never be undone. The fact that the man deserved it wasn’t the issue. What Alexander struggled with was allowing Kat to become a killer. He didn’t want that life for her. And didn’t that drive a stake through his heart. Because that was all he had to offer her. He was who he was. And no amount of repentance could make him a different man.

  Alexander’s eyes swept over Kat. The fine details of her features, the strength in her slender form. The heart that beat within. The trust she had given him was the most precious gift.

  As Kat drew in another deep breath, Alexander saw the minute changes in her stance. The squaring of her shoulders, the upward tilt of her chin. She had made her choice, and he knew what it was.

  Just then, Luke’s voice came through the earpiece. “Feds are here.”

  Alexander didn’t bother to reply. There wasn’t time. Because Kat had opened her eyes, and the promise of revenge gleamed brightly in those aqua depths.

  Covering the distance between them in three long strides, Alexander simultaneously disarmed Kat and pushed her behind him.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Kat shouted.

  But her voice was drowned out by the sound of a gunshot echoing off the concrete walls. The man fell to the side with a bullet hole between his eyes. Alexander lowered the gun to his side and turned his head to look at Kat.

  Her hands were clasped over her mouth, and her eyes were wide as she stared at the blood pooling on the floor.

  “Why?” she whispered, meeting Alexander’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let you do it,” he whispered back, even though there was no one left in the room to overhear.

  He raised his hand to touch her face, but Kat jerked back. Anger replaced the confusion simmering in her eyes. Directed at him, her anger was another dagger through his heart.

  Raised voices outside the door were the only warning before the door was kicked open and heavily armed FBI agents streamed inside.

  Chapter Thirty

  Kat watched in horror as no less than ten FBI agents swarmed around her. Alexander’s eyes never left hers as he dropped the gun on the floor and put his hands on the back of his head. He didn’t look away even as he was forced to his knees and put in handcuffs. The sight of Alexander in the same position as the man she was going to kill was more than Kat could take.

  Wrapping her arms around her waist, Kat bent over and began to cry. Strong arms held her up. But they weren’t the arms of the man she cried for.

  “Kat! Are you hurt?” Colin’s voice barely broke through the fog in her head as a million thoughts clouded her mind.

  Why? Why did Alexander take this from her?

  “Kat! I need a medic over here!” Colin shouted.

  “No. No. No.” That was all Kat could seem to get out. She wrestled away from Colin and backed up until she ran into the wall.

  Alexander was wrenched to his feet and pushed toward the door by two FBI agents. And still he was looking at her.

  Oh, God. Seeing him in handcuffs tore her apart. She wanted to reach out to him. But she couldn’t do it. The image of him taking the gun from her and taking her revenge from her flickered in the forefront of her mind.

  How could he do that to her?

  Colin was in front of her, leaning down to her eye level. And he was talking. At least his mouth was moving. But Kat couldn’t hear anything over the rushing sound in her ears. She turned her head to follow Alexander as he was led outside. The second he was gone, a chill ran down Kat’s spine. She was utterly frozen.

  “Kat! You’re shaking,” Colin said, his voice thick with worry as he rubbed his hands gently up and down her arms.

  “I’m not…No…I’m okay,” she stuttered, brushing off his touch. She didn’t want anyone touching her.

  “Let’s go outside, Kat.”

  That was the only thing that made sense to Kat. The barren room suddenly felt too small, and the smell of death was threatening to make her sick. She hadn’t felt this out of control since she was first rescued, and she was desperate to regain her footing.

  Pushing past Colin she ran from the room, only to stop in her tracks when she got outside. Alexander, Luke and Drake were being loaded into black SUVs. All were in handcuffs.

  Colin’s partner appeared by her side. “We’ve got to take her in too, Lewis.”

  Kat watched the taillights of the SUVs disappear down the road as she listened to Colin argue with his partner.

  “Back off, Bass. She’s not part of this.”

  “It sure as hell looks like she’s part of this. She’s a known associate of Petrovsky and we find her standing over a dead body.” Bass rubbed his hand over his beard. He lowered his voice as if she weren’t standing right there. Maybe she looked as out of it as she felt. “I know this is personal for you, Lewis. But if we want any chance of sticking this to Petrovsky, we have to do this by the book.”

  That got Kat’s attention.

  “What?” she looked frantically at Colin.

  “Listen, Kat. I’ve got to take you downtown. We’ll go over what happened and take your formal statement. Don’t worry. I’ll be with you every step.”

  Kat frowned. She wasn’t worried about herself. That’s not what she meant. She didn’t want Alexander going down for this. It should have been her in there firing the gun. Even if he betrayed her, she wasn’t going to let him go to prison.

  “Yes, I want to make a statement,” she said.

  “Okay.” Colin exchanged a glance with Bass, who still didn’t look satisfied. He probably wanted her in cuffs, too.

  “Come on, Kat. Let’s go.”

  Kat followed Colin to his car and slid into the passenger seat when he opened the door for her. Colin got in the driver seat, but he didn’t start the car. When he just sat there, Kat looked over at him. His head was back and he had both hands covering his face.

  “Colin?”

  He dragged his hands down his face, and when he turned his head his eyes were shimmering with tears.

  “Colin…”

  “Jesus Christ, Kat. Do you know what went through my head when I heard that gunshot?”

  Kat turned her head away to look at the warehouse that was surrounded by flashing lights. “I’m sorry, Colin.” She was genuinely sorry that he had been dragged into this mess. But right then, she couldn’t handle the emotions that were written all over his face. Not when the man she both loved and hated had been arrested for a crime she should have been the one to commit.

  Kat could feel Colin’s eyes on her, and finally he sighed and started the car. The drive downtown was long and quiet. The unspoken questions he had hovered in the air between them. Kat offered nothing and stared out the window until they pulled into the underground parking garage beneath the FBI’s office building. As much as she considered Colin a friend, he was first and foremost an FBI agent in this situation. And it was no secret he was after Alexander with a vengeance. She had to be careful what she said.

  When Colin parked the car near the elevator, he once again just sat there. Kat reached for the door handle, but Colin’s hand on her arm stopped her. She immediately stiffened, and he dropped his hand.

  “Kat…”

  “Let’s just get this over with, Colin,” Kat said, pushing her door open.

  Again with the silence as they rode the elevator to the sixth floor. The second the elevator doors slid open, Colin took hold of Kat’s upper arm - gently but firmly. Kat didn’t protest. He hadn’t put her in cuffs, but she was sure it couldn’t look like he was letting her roam freely.

  Before they made it ten feet down the hall, their path was blocked by a man whose expensive suit, expertly styled blond hair and leather briefcase screamed lawyer.

  “Miss Rossi?” he asked in a deep voice.

  Kat opened her mouth to reply, but Colin beat her to it as his fingers flexed against her arm.

  “Who are you?” Colin demanded.

  “
I am Nathan Billingsley, Miss Rossi’s attorney. It is my understanding she is not under arrest. Is that correct?”

  Kat glanced from her attorney to Colin. Colin’s eyes narrowed and his mouth pressed into a flat line.

  “Shouldn’t you be with Alexander?” Kat asked and ignored the incredulous look Colin shot her way.

  “My partner is representing Mr. Petrovsky. I am here as your representation, Miss Rossi.”

  Colin looked like he was about to start spitting fire. “Kat, can I have a word, please?” he asked through gritted teeth. He clearly wasn’t too happy about Kat having a lawyer who was hired by Alexander.

  “That won’t be possible, Agent Lewis,” Nathan cut in. “Miss Rossi is not to be questioned without me being present.”

  Colin took a deep breath and bit out, “Fine. Follow me.”

  He released his grip on Kat’s arm and strode off down the hallway, muttering to himself.

  Kat glanced at Nathan as they followed Colin. “How did you get here so fast?”

  He smiled. “Mr. Petrovsky is a very important client.”

  Near the end of the long hallway, Colin opened the door to an interrogation room. He kept his eyes on the floor as Kat walked past him and sat down at the metal table. Colin left the room and shut the door without another word.

  Nathan settled in the chair across from Kat and began to pull files from his briefcase. Kat watched him.

  “Is he okay?” she asked.

  Glancing up, Nathan didn’t have to ask who Kat was referring to. “Mr. Petrovsky is in good hands. We will have this situation cleared up before dawn.”

  Kat’s knee bounced under the table, and she drummed her fingernails on the metal surface. “Who’s the better lawyer - you or your partner?”

  Nathan smirked as he continued reading over the file in front of him. “I am,” he replied without hesitation.

  Kat frowned. “Then why aren’t you with Alexander?”

  He set his pen down and looked Kat in the eye. “As I said before, Mr. Petrovsky is a very important client. And you, Miss Rossi, are very important to him. When he alerted us to possible legal complications arising from your business arrangement, it was always the plan for me to represent you.”

  Kat sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. The minutes ticked by. She wanted to get this over with. She wanted to see Alexander. To hug him or to slap him, she wasn’t sure.

  After what seemed like forever, but in reality had only been ten minutes, Colin came into the room with another agent, who introduced himself as Agent Kerrigan.

  “I am requesting that Agent Lewis be removed from this case,” Nathan said before Colin and Kerrigan had a chance to sit down.

  “Why?” Kerrigan asked.

  “He has a personal relationship with my client that I believe will cloud his judgment.”

  Kerrigan glanced at Colin, who was busy glaring at Nathan. “Lewis?”

  Colin looked at Kat, his gaze so intense she had to look away. Not for the first time, she felt guilty. Not for what she had done, but because Colin made her feel like she was betraying him in some way.

  Without a word, Colin stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. His partner, Agent Bass, entered the room a moment later and stood against the far wall.

  Nathan spoke first, taking control of the situation immediately. “My client is prepared to make a statement.”

  Kat looked up. They hadn’t even talked about what she was supposed to say. Then she realized that Alexander was giving her another choice. It was up to her to decide what to say. His fate was in her hands.

  Kerrigan nodded. “Very well. Miss Rossi can make her statement, and then we will have a few questions for her. Miss Rossi, please tell us in your own words what transpired at the warehouse tonight.”

  Nathan nodded at her, prompting her to begin.

  Kat met Kerrigan’s eyes, unflinching as she began to speak. “Alexander shot him.”

  Chapter Thirty One

  Colin exhaled a breath as he watched through the two way mirror as Kat admitted that Alexander had been the one to pull the trigger. Not that it hadn’t been obvious at the scene or the gunshot residue test on Alexander’s hand had confirmed it. But it was a tremendous relief to hear Kat say the words. Maybe he could finally get her away from Petrovsky. Now that she had seen firsthand what the man was capable of.

  Inside the interrogation room, Kerrigan’s eyebrows rose as if he was surprised that she had come right out with that.

  “He was protecting me,” she continued.

  Colin shut his eyes and prayed he was not hearing her correctly. When he opened his eyes, he saw Bass looking through the glass. The guy raised an eyebrow, and Colin wanted to reach through the glass and strangle him. He didn’t need any of Bass’ I told you so bullshit right now.

  When she didn’t say any more, Kerrigan looked at her doubtfully. “That’s it? That’s your statement.”

  Kat shrugged. “What else is there to say?”

  Kerrigan sighed, already annoyed with her flippant attitude. “So, let me get this straight. Alexander Petrovsky shot a man who was unarmed and had his hands tied behind his back to protect you?”

  Kat’s chin tilted up in the defiant gesture Colin knew so well. “That’s right,” she said.

  Her attorney was diligently taking notes, but Colin saw the corner of his mouth quirk up. Add him to the list of people in that room Colin wanted to knock senseless.

  “How exactly was this incapacitated man a threat to you?” Kerrigan asked.

  “He lunged at me. I had my gun, but…I was too afraid to shoot. Alexander took the gun from me.”

  “Why were you afraid?”

  Colin watched Kat intently. Her eyes took on a faraway look and when she spoke he had to reach over and turn up the volume on the speakers to hear what she said.

  “Because he was the man who kidnapped and raped me eight years ago,” Kat whispered.

  That got everybody’s attention - especially Colin’s.

  Kerrigan frowned at Kat across the table. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but Nathan interrupted him.

  “That is all my client has to say at the moment. If you do your research, you will find Miss Rossi’s case from 2005. This evidence coupled with the fact that your agents conducted an unlawful search of Mr. Petrovsky’s property should be enough to discredit your case.”

  A sharp knock on the two way glass had Kerrigan and Bass exchanging frustrated glances. Then both men exited the room. Nathan began to gather his files and put them back in his briefcase. A couple of minutes later, Kerrigan opened the door.

  With frustration clear in his voice, he said, “Miss Rossi, you are free to go.”

  Kat glanced at her attorney, who stood up and nodded at her. “Let’s go, Miss Rossi.”

  When they were in the hallway, Kat whispered, “What about Alexander?”

  “He will be released within the hour as well. They don’t have enough to hold him, let alone charge him with anything. Agent Lewis jumped the gun by entering the property without a warrant. Everything that transpired after that is a moot point. Especially considering your statement that Alexander was protecting you.”

  Kat’s shoulders slumped with relief.

  “There may be some follow up questioning, but they won’t get anything to stick.”

  As they neared the bank of elevators, Kat saw Luke and Drake waiting for them. They were both solemn as they nodded at her in greeting.

  “These gentlemen will see you home, Miss Rossi.”

  Kat turned to Nathan. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Kat stepped into the elevator with Luke and Drake. Neither of them spoke, and Kat felt an incredible sense of guilt. They were all in this because of her. Granted it seemed as if it would turn out okay.

  “I’m sorry,” she said to no one in particular.

  “It’s all good,” Drake said from behind her. “Not the first time I’
ve been in handcuffs.”

  “Occupational hazard,” Luke added beside her.

  Kat was grateful that they didn’t seem to blame her for their shitty night. “Shouldn’t we wait for Alexander? How will he get home?”

  Luke held the elevator door for her when they reached the lower level of the parking garage. George was standing beside the limo just outside the elevator.

  “Nah. George will come back for him.”

  Kat gave him a look. “He instructed you to take me home, didn’t he?”

  Luke said nothing, which gave Kat her answer.

  Another car ride in silence back to The Onyx. Kat realized she had called it home. A pervasive sense of sadness settled over her as they arrived at the service elevator and rode it all the way to the top floor. This very well might be the last time she was in the penthouse. She just didn’t know if she could get past what Alexander did. It was everything she had lived for - to find the man who had ruined her and end his life.

  The fact that he was dead was of little comfort to Kat. She hadn’t been the one to do it. She hadn’t felt firsthand the relief she had hoped to find. Alexander had taken that from her and that wasn’t something she could get past. Of all the choices he had given her - the most important one, he had taken from her.

  Luke was tired. Bone deep exhausted. Drake got off the elevator on the employee floor, but Luke was under strict orders to accompany Kat to the penthouse and make sure she stayed there until Alexander returned. Glancing over at Kat, he could see that she was somewhere else. Lost in her thoughts. Hopefully Alexander would be released by the time George got back to the FBI office, and Luke could go to his room and fall into bed.

  The elevator doors slid open into the foyer of the penthouse, and Luke and Kat were greeted by Natasha - hands on hips, eyes shooting daggers - at him.

  “Where’s my brother?” she demanded in a voice just one notch down from a scream.

  Kat slipped around Natasha and headed in the direction of Alexander’s room, absently patting Blade’s head as he trotted next to her. Luke wasn’t so lucky. He made it one step off the elevator before Natasha was in his face.