I have a bad feeling today.
There’s nothing out of the ordinary in my routine, but something isn’t clicking. I’m not sure if it’s people, food, or even my fucking men.
Everything is wrong in some way—a bit crooked, twisted, and completely…out of reach.
The last time I felt this way was when I was on the top of that hill in the middle of nowhere and saw the mercenaries behind Aleksandra.
I haven’t started to deal with that, and now, we have this. Whatever this is.
“Is everything in order?” I ask Viktor on my way to the car.
“As usual.”
That still doesn’t erase the uncomfortable feeling.
I stop in front of the house and cast a glance at my surroundings, which are shrouded in the night’s darkness. Three vans, all full of my men, who I might as well be leading to their deaths.
Like I did to Rulan and the others.
“Maksim,” I call.
He lifts his head from checking his weapon. My focus shifts briefly to Aleksandra who’s standing next to him. At my appearance, she straightens until her shoulders nearly snap.
For over three months, I’ve been attempting to erase her from my reality and have only managed to fail miserably.
On one hand, I want to tie her up and torture her for answers, using unorthodox methods that are more sexual than physical. But that thought soon fades.
If I go down that road, I’ll be the one with a problem that’s been manifesting itself every day in the form of my cock’s hate speech. He’s been my enemy for months after failing to put him to use.
Last week, when she came up with that idiotic idea about spying on Adrian, it took all my self-control not to indulge in my cock’s sadistic plans.
Do I have contempt for that woman? Absolutely. That doesn’t stop me from seeing her as the subject of my fucked-up desire.
I should probably put more effort into actually searching for another woman to fuck. One problem, though. My cock is a dick—literally—because he’s been excruciatingly not interested in any other pussy.
The only time he jumps to life is when she’s in sight. He doesn’t care that she’s a deathtrap waiting to happen. Even right now, when she’s looking more nervous than Karina when she’s outside, my cock strains against my pants, demanding to be fed.
I’m supposed to be attending to something important, but I find myself watching her instead. Her posture is erect, translating the clear discipline she’s been maintaining for years. While she’ll never be as muscular as the other men, she has been following a strict routine that Yuri specifically made for her, and she’s easily the best sniper we have.
Which could be bad news because she colluded with other people against me.
By other people, I mean her fucking lover that I still can’t find. Viktor has come up empty regarding the whole Belsky Organization that could offer us some insight into the situation.
Apparently, his friend in the KGB has the same level of information we do. He did promise Viktor that if anything comes up in Russia on this matter, we’ll be the first to know.
What the fuck are you hiding?
I know Aleksandra wants my approval. She’s been working tirelessly for months, even when I gave her the cold shoulder and excluded her from important meetings to make her feel less important.
What? She got me shot, or her lover did and she’s still helping him.
Call me Petty Fucking Betty because I won’t stop acting this way until she finally confesses the bastard’s name.
She tightens her fingers as if she’s suppressing something and subtly lowers her head. It’s then I realize I might have been staring at her longer than socially acceptable.
“Yes, Boss?” Maksim stands before me, oblivious to the tension he cut through.
“I’m going to need you and your team to stay back.”
His brow furrows. “Why? We’re always at these shipments.”
“We have no use for too many men. Guard the mansion instead.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Aleksandra starts toward the main car, but I face her. “You stay back, too, Lipovsky.”
“But I have my position as the lead sniper—”
“Someone else will take it.”
“But—”
“That’s an order. You’ll stay behind with Maksim’s team.”
Her lips purse, and an unnatural shine covers her eyes, but she does everyone a favor and remains silent. She doesn’t move, though, until Maksim grabs her by the shoulder and drags her to his side.
I narrow my eyes for the slightest bit before I catch myself and swiftly slide into the back of the car.
The feeling of doom I’ve had since this morning lessens, but it doesn’t completely disappear.
As Yuri drives out, I catch a glimpse of Aleksandra balling her hands into fists. Her lips push forward in what looks like a pout.
I have no fucking clue why that draws a smile on my face.
When we arrive at the port, it’s about eleven-thirty. This month’s shipment will hit the dock around thirty minutes from now. The mayor is cooperating. The police won’t stick their noses in our business, and some of the feds eat our money like pigs.
So they’re out.
What else could disrupt this shipment aside from Juan’s betrayal, which is highly unlikely. I offer him the best rate around, and he even suggested expanding our ventures at the last meeting we had.
I step out of the car and stare into the distance at the hidden part of the dock and the containers stacked everywhere, forming a maze. The chilly breeze freezes my face and I slide a hand into my pocket.
Viktor joins me after doing the rounds. “Everything’s in order.”
“Go with two of our best men to the other side of the marina. If you sense a hint of danger, drive a boat out and warn Juan’s men.”
“I can send the men, but why should I go? If there’s danger, as you said, who will protect you?”
“I’m no dainty princess, Viktor. I can protect myself.”
He narrows his eyes. “Like back in Russia, you mean.”
Touché. “Those were different circumstances.” There’s no Aleksandra to distract me now. “Besides, Yuri and the others are here. Go.”
He hesitates for a beat, then he barks at two men to follow him.
“Yuri.” I tap on the window of the driver’s side. “Keep the car running.”
He nods, brings out his gun, and checks his bullets. I don’t have to tell him that the situation is dire. He already understands.
I must say, though his accident was unfortunate, I prefer him post-accident than before it. He was a nice guy who kept to himself and had trouble keeping up with the others. Now, he’s an important weapon in my arsenal.
Not a fighter, per se. I wouldn’t send him on an on-ground mission like I would Viktor or Maksim. He’s more of a strategist.
I walk to the other men who are positioned down the length of the dock and tell them to keep their cars running, too, and to take cover.
I’m about to get to the third group when there’s movement behind me. I spin around fast, pulling my gun at the same time.
No one’s there.
No. That’s not it. There’s no one there now, but there was definitely an intruder a few seconds ago.
I click the interphone in my ear. “Viktor, take that boat and intercept Juan’s men.”
“Yes, Boss.”
I’m thinking it could be Juan or some of his rogue men who decided to cause trouble, but it seems that the shipment has been used as an excuse to get close to me.
The sound of screeching tires echoes in the distance, and my men go on high alert.
“Take cover!” I’m not even finished with shouting the words when a stream of bullets fire in our direction as if they’re being shot from a machine gun.
Thankfully, my men hide behind the cars in time and start firing their own weapons. I jump behind a large red container to get a better read on the situation.
The intruders have vans like ours and are in ski masks to hide their identity.
But that’s not the part that gets my attention.
It’s the weapons.
I’ve seen those specific sniper rifles that can’t be found in the US somewhere, but where?
One of my men gets hit in the arm, but before the masked man finishes him, I shoot him in the head. That easily gives away my location, so I use the cover of the container to run to another one before I shoot two more men.
But I also miss a few times, mainly because my men come into view, and I’d hit them if I took the shot.
Ten minutes later, I’m low on ammunition. As in, I only have two shots left. I can only use one and leave the other until I get to Yuri. The problem is, due to the constant running between the containers, I lost him, so he’ll have to be the one to find me with the GPS.
That is, if he wasn’t hit himself since he’s really shit on the ground.
Fuck.
I should’ve canceled or postponed this operation the moment I felt there was something fucking wrong with this whole day.
A car revs in my direction, and I shoot the tire. It swerves to the side, but it continues approaching me at a maddening speed, so I use my safety net bullet and hit the other tire. It’s pointless to aim at the glass since it’s likely bulletproof. Besides, it’s tinted, so I can’t gamble and try to shoot the driver.
The van tilts and hits one of the containers, then rolls over. I grab onto a metal rod on the nearest container then push my weight over to the other side and then on top. I barely miss being shot at by the men in the van.
The moment I rise to my full height, the hammer of a gun clicks at the back of my head.
I let my weapon turn upside down and hang off my forefinger.
So I was the target of this whole operation. Interesting.
“Are you from the Belsky Organization?” I start to turn around.
He hits me across the head with his gun and then kicks me in the back of my knees. I fall to the top of the metal container with a resounding thud.
Red blurs my vision, but I smile. “I’ll take that as a yes. I must say, using the shipment day to get me is smart. I bet you meant to ruin the relationship between me and Juan, and that way, when you kill me, it’ll be marked down as a dishonorable death. But what to do? I might be one step ahead on this one. You don’t get to fuck with me and get out unscathed. That’s not how I operate.”
He hits me again, and this time, I wince, but I use the small moment to turn around. I get a glimpse of his masked face, but that’s the only thing I see before the barrel of the gun is shoved at my face.
“Kirill!” The shout comes first, then the shot follows.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
I would recognize that voice even if I were sleeping. But what the hell is she doing here?
The masked man runs backward, and Sasha’s shot hits his chest, but he must be wearing a vest, because no blood comes out and he jumps off the container like a ninja.
For a moment, I consider going after him, but I remember that I don’t have any bullets, and he’ll probably shoot me on sight.
The fact that he didn’t engage with Sasha is weird, though.
Unless he thought she brought backup.
Quiet but fast footsteps stomp across the top of the container before she drops to her knees in front of me, the bottom of her rifle making a loud sound on the metal.
Her hands cradle my face, fingers shaking, and tears shining in her eyes. “Are you okay? Oh my God, is this a gunshot wound…? Did you…”
“Would I be alive if I were shot in the head, genius?”
“No, I guess not…” She’s talking to me, but she’s barely seeing me as she wipes my forehead and my cheeks with the back of her jacket sleeves.
The tears cling to her lashes before they drop and stain her cheeks. And these tears do unpleasant shit to me.
I reach a hand to her cheek and wipe one away. She pauses and shivers beneath my palm.
Fuck.
It’s been a long time since I’ve touched her, and now that I am, I feel like an addict who’s been thrown back into bad fucking habits.
I resist the urge to close my eyes and breathe her in, maybe even try to devour her in the process.
“Why the fuck are you crying?”
She continues wiping the blood diligently, like it’s her life’s mission. “I thought…I thought you would be hurt like…the other time and…that nearly made me go insane…”
“I’m fine.” I stroke my thumb underneath her eyes, but the more I do, the harder she cries. “We need to get out of here.”
“No, wait. Hold on…just one moment…let me get rid of all the blood and then…then—”
Her words come to an abrupt halt when I seal my forehead to hers. “I’m fine. This much won’t hurt me. Got it?”
Her chin trembles, but she doesn’t say anything.
“I’m going to need your reflexes, Sasha. I don’t have ammunition, and you’re the only one who can get us to safety. Can I count on you?”
Her hand sinks into the side of my jacket as if she’s a child who’s holding on to someone older, but her expression sobers up.
She offers a sharp nod and then brushes her lips against my cheek. The motion is fast enough that I only realize it after she breaks away. “Thank you.”
Fuck me.
I have to internally shake myself to be aware of the current situation and that I can’t actually fuck her on the top of this container.
“What for?” I definitely sound more casual than I feel.
“For staying alive.” She grins. “And for calling me Sasha again.”
I did?
Before I can reply, she clutches me by the arm. “Let’s go. I’ll get us safely to Yuri.”
And this fucking woman does exactly that.
