KRAIT MC STORIES
MOSCOW 1995
Chapter 11
KITTY
Jora watched her sleep.
Kait was curled against him beneath the blankets, one arm across his stomach, her face buried against his chest.
He knew she trusted him.
That was the part that hurt.
Jora had never trusted easily.
Before her, he hadn’t needed to.
He had Barinov. The work. Money in his pocket and somewhere higher he intended to be. He knew what he wanted, who he needed and exactly how much of himself each person was allowed to have.
Then she’d walked into that club waving an old photograph around.
Speaking English.
Asking strangers about people she didn’t understand.
Not knowing enough to realize how much danger she was in.
He should have gotten her away from Oleg and left it there.
Instead, he’d taken her home.
Jora looked down at her.
Even that first night, she’d thrown him off.
One night should have been easy.
A beautiful girl. Drinks. Hot, wild sex.
This was something he did twice a week anyway.
But then she’d ended up in his arms asking if she should leave.
He remembered his reply.
We skip to the part where you stay.
He hadn’t even hesitated.
Maybe he’d known then.
Maybe it had been earlier, when she’d kissed him like she’d already decided she wanted him. Or later, when she’d fallen asleep listening to his heart and he’d pulled the blanket over them instead of waking her and sending her home.
Somewhere in that first night, Kitty had gotten in.
He just hadn’t understood yet how far.
After that, she’d gotten into everything.
His apartment.
His bed.
His car.
His work.
His plans.
Until Jora couldn’t remember what any of them had looked like without her.
And now Barinov wanted him to cut her out of all of it.
Jora ran his hand slowly down her back.
Her fingers moved against his chest, then curled again. She pressed closer, seeking warmth without waking, one leg still tangled between his.
Kait made a quiet sound and buried her face deeper against him.
His fingers moved into her hair.
He had been touching her for most of the morning.
Her shoulder.
Her back.
The curve of her arm.
Every time she moved, he found her again.
Eventually, Kait opened her eyes.
She didn’t lift her head.
“Hey… how long have you been awake?”
Jora kept running his fingers through her hair.
“Not too long.”
She tipped her face up.
He was already looking at her.
Kait smiled sleepily.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m alright. You sleep okay?”
Jora brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
She nodded and smiled softly at him.
She settled against him again.
For a few minutes, neither of them moved.
Kait traced one of the dark coils of the snake across his chest with her fingertip.
“You were really sweet last night.”
Jora’s hand slowed against her back.
She smiled.
“And soft.”
He looked down at her.
“Sorry it took me so long.”
Kait lifted her head.
There was something about the way he said it.
She studied him for a moment.
“No complaints here.”
Jora smiled faintly and pulled her closer.
Kait let him, resting her chin against his chest.
His thumb moved along her cheek.
“I’m glad you came to Moscow.”
Her brow furrowed.
“I had no choice.”
Jora almost smiled.
He looked at her for another moment.
“I’m glad you came into my life.”
That quieted her.
Kait’s expression softened.
She reached up and touched his face.
“So am I.”
Jora turned his head and kissed her palm.
Kait watched him.
Then she tucked herself beneath his chin and wrapped her arm around him.
“I hate fighting with you.”
His hand settled at the back of her head.
“I mean it. The last couple days were horrible.”
Jora stared toward the window.
Kait squeezed him tighter.
“I never want us to be like that again. I love you so much.”
Jora closed his eyes and pressed his lips into her hair.
“I love you too, Kitty.”
Eventually, hunger forced them out of bed.
Kait pulled on one of Jora’s shirts and disappeared into the kitchen while he took his time getting up.
He made it as far as the living room before she caught him pressing a hand against his ribs.
Eventually, hunger forced them out of bed.
Kait pulled on one of Jora’s shirts and went into the kitchen while he took his time getting up.
By the time she came back, he’d made it to the living room.
He lowered himself onto the couch carefully, one hand pressed against his ribs.
Kait noticed.
She didn’t say anything.
She set the coffee and eggs on the table, then sat beside him and pulled the blanket over both of them.
Jora reached for his coffee.
Kait leaned against his shoulder.
Nothing needed to be done.
Neither of them had anywhere to be.
For the first time in days, they simply existed beside each other.
That was where they stayed.
The television played quietly across the room. Kait understood enough to follow some of it and made up the rest when she didn’t.
Jora corrected her once.
After that, he let her translate it however she wanted.
By afternoon, the plates had been abandoned on the table and Kait was stretched along the couch with her head in his lap.
Jora ran his fingers through her hair.
She had been right that morning.
He had been different with her.
He was different now.
Every time she reached for him, he was there.
Every time she shifted away, his hand eventually found its way back to her.
Kait noticed.
She caught his fingers as they moved along her arm and held them.
“Is everything okay?”
Jora looked down.
“Yeah.”
She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed his knuckles.
“You got so quiet.”
His expression changed.
“Everything’s fine.”
Jora looked at their hands.
Then he bent and kissed her forehead.
Kait closed her eyes.
A while later, she fell asleep.
Jora didn’t.
He watched the light beyond the windows fade from gray to blue, then disappear completely.
The apartment grew darker around them.
He could have stayed there.
The thought came without warning.
Stay on the couch.
Let midnight pass.
Let Katya’s people wait for a call that never came.
Let Barinov wait for proof that never arrived.
By morning, there would be consequences.
Jora knew exactly what they would be.
His fingers continued moving through Kait’s hair.
She shifted in her sleep and turned her face against his stomach.
He could wake her.
Tell her everything.
Put her in the Mercedes and drive until Moscow was far behind them.
For one moment, Jora let himself imagine it.
Then he looked toward the clock.
There was no version of tonight that ended with all of this still belonging to him.
He had known that since Barinov’s office.
He also knew he had to be the one to do it.
Kait woke sometime later.
She stretched carefully beside him, then looked toward the windows.
“Jesus. Did we waste the whole day?”
Jora shook his head.
“No. Not at all.”
She smiled and tucked herself back against him.
“But we slept all afternoon.”
Jora wrapped his arm around her.
“It’s alright.”
Kait rested her hand against his chest.
“We should do this more.”
He looked down at her.
“Nothing?”
She laughed softly.
“Yup. Stay home. No clubs. No work. No people.”
Her fingers traced the edge of the snake beneath his shirt.
“Just us.”
Jora covered her hand with his.
Kait looked up.
“Nice, isn’t it?”
She kissed his chest and settled again.
Jora stared at the clock.
The minutes kept moving.
Eventually, Kait noticed.
“You waiting for something?”
His eyes came back to her.
“No.”
She accepted it.
No reason not to.
Jora leaned down and kissed her.
Kait reached up, holding his face as she kissed him back.
When they separated, she stayed close.
“Love you.”
Jora brushed his thumb across her cheek.
“I love you too, Kitty.”
He kissed her once more.
The time flew by after that. It almost seemed on purpose.
Then he looked at the clock.
It was time.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Jora’s hand moved slowly down her arm.
“Kitty.”
“Hmm?”
“Maybe we should get out of here for a few minutes. Go for a walk. Been in here a little too long.”
She frowned.
“But you’re hurt.”
Jora pushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“I should get a little exercise.”
Kait looked toward the dark windows.
“Now?”
Yeah, go change.”
She stared at him for a second, then pushed the blanket away.
“Okay.”
Jora watched her disappear into the bedroom.
He stayed where he was for a moment.
Then he got up.
His pistol went beneath his coat.
The Polaroid sat where Kait had left it weeks ago.
Jora picked it up.
When Kait came back, she was pulling on her coat.
He lifted the camera.
“We haven’t taken pictures in a while.”
Kait looked at him.
“You hate pictures.”
Jora raised the camera before she could do anything about it.
The flash filled the apartment.
“Jora, what the hell.”
The photograph slid from the camera.
He pulled it free and shook it once.
Kait came closer, trying to see.
“Let me see.”
“Later. Let’s go.”
Jora set the developing picture on the kitchen counter.
Kait shook her head and finished buttoning her coat.
Jora slipped the camera beneath his coat.
Then they left.
Outside, the cold hit immediately.
Kait shoved her hands into her pockets as they started toward downtown.
Jora kept her close.
They walked toward downtown.
Jora kept Kait close beside him, one hand finding hers whenever the sidewalks grew crowded.
Every few blocks, his eyes moved across the street. Storefronts. Corners. Hotel entrances.
Then he saw it.
A payphone stood beneath an awning across the street.
Jora slowed.
His eyes moved beyond it.
Half a block farther down, people crowded outside a club. Music pushed through the walls hard enough to be heard from the sidewalk.
Jora looked past them.
An alley ran between the club and the building beside it.
That was enough.
He kept walking.
Kait followed.
As they got closer, the bass grew heavier beneath their feet.
Then she recognized it.
The Prodigy.
Breathe.
The club door opened and the song spilled into the street, loud and distorted, before the door slammed shut again.
Kait glanced toward it.
“We going in?”
Jora looked at her.
For a second, he almost stopped.
“Not tonight.”
Then he kept walking.
They passed the payphone.
Jora looked at it once.
Close enough.
He turned at the next opening and led her into the alley beside the club.
The music followed them between the buildings.
Bass shook through the brick. Every time the door opened, another burst of noise tore through the alley.
Kait walked beside him for several yards.
Then she slowed.
Jora took another step before stopping too.
Behind them, the club door opened again.
The music flooded the alley.
Then the door shut.
Kait looked around.
There was nothing back here.
No restaurant.
No bar.
Nowhere they were going.
She looked at Jora.
“Is this where you want to take pictures?”
Jora didn’t answer.
He only kissed her.
Kait kissed him back, her hands sliding beneath his coat and around his waist.
Jora held her face between his hands.
He kissed her slowly.
Once.
Then again.
When he pulled away, Kait smiled at him.
“Baby, what’s—”
The gunshot tore through the alley.
Kait jerked against him.
For a second, she didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
Her eyes stayed on his.
Then her legs gave out.
Jora caught her before she hit the ground.
“Easy.”
Kait gasped as he lowered her carefully into the snow piled in the corner.
She stared at him.
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Then the pain hit.
She sucked in a broken breath and looked down.
Blood was spreading across her coat beneath her left breast.
Her eyes came back to him.
Blood was spreading across her coat beneath her left breast.
Her eyes came back to him.
“Jora, what…”
He knelt beside her.
“Relax, Kitty.”
She shook her head.
“Jora…”
“Close your eyes.”
Her hand caught the front of his coat.
He covered it with his.
“You’re going to be okay.”
Her fingers tightened around the fabric.
“Why? What did I… what did I do?”
Jora looked at her.
He couldn’t answer.
Kait’s face crumpled.
Tears slipped down her temples and disappeared into her hair.
Jora brushed it away from her face.
“Please don’t be scared, Kitty. You’ll be okay soon.”
She wouldn’t.
She kept looking at him.
Her grip on his coat weakened.
“I don’t work for them… I didn’t lie to you… Jora.”
He looked down.
Blood had reached the snow beneath her.
Red spread slowly through the white.
Her coat, the snow.
Jora closed his eyes tight.
It was getting harder and harder to breath the longer he stayed.
Then he opened them.
He took Kait’s hand from his coat and lowered it carefully against her stomach.
He stood.
Kait tried to reach for him again with a bloody hand.
“I didn’t…”
Her arm barely lifted.
Jora pulled the Polaroid from beneath his coat.
Her eyes moved to the side and closed slowly.
Jora raised the camera.
The flash filled the alley.
Kait flinched.
The photograph slid out.
Jora pulled it free.
For a moment, he looked down at her.
Then he turned and walked away.
Kait tried to move.
Nothing happened.
She tried again.
Her body wouldn’t listen.
“Jora…”
He didn’t come back.
The cold had started disappearing.
So had the pain.
Somewhere beyond the alley, a door opened.
Music exploded between the buildings.
Breathe was still pounding.
Kait stared toward the mouth of the alley, but she couldn’t see him anymore.
The door slammed shut.
The song became distant again.
Her eyes grew heavy.
She tried to keep them open but she was too weak to fight it.
