“Damn, girl.” The shock and admiration in her voice were palpable.
“I don’t have much right now, but I’ll keep you updated.”
“Can you maintain cover?”
I thought for a while. “For now…I think so.”
“Be careful, Blake. Remember, these people are monsters.”
I wasn’t so sure about that anymore. But by all means. “Copy that.”
“Stay focused. Gather proof. We’ll extract you when we have confirmation. And Blake….” She went silent before adding, “You’ve done well.”
The call ended with a soft click, leaving only the sound of my pulse in my ear. I rose from the toilet seat, exhaled sharply, and deleted the call history, then walked out of the stall.
I returned the phone to the exact spot I found it and then headed back to the table. They were laughing at a joke when I took my seat and blended into the atmosphere like I hadn’t just snitched on them a few seconds ago.
Nik’s eyes narrowed as he watched me intently with a blank expression. I had to be more cautious because the last thing I needed was for him to grow suspicious. The game was already becoming too risky, and I was walking a fine line.
Chapter 14 – Nik
“These bastards are encroaching on Bratva territory. We must act now!” Mikhail declared, his deep voice laced with disdain.
“The longer we let this problem slide, the more we look like idiots,” another Bratva elite seconded, his gaze sweeping across our faces.
“Sergei is right. I say we act now—remind those sons of bitches whose turf they’re on.”
The dimly lit room was filled with the voices of the organization’s inner circle members, arguing over the best course of action. They were divided—some thought acting now was the better call. Others were of the opinion that they try a different approach, one our enemies would never expect.
Their inability to find common ground was pretty pathetic, to be honest. I didn’t come here to waste my time arguing about how to handle a simple situation. This wasn’t the first time the Bratva was dealing with problems like this.
But for some reason, tonight, these old devils couldn’t agree on anything. I had better things to do with my time than sit here watching the organization’s brightest minds behave like idiots. Both sides had their valid points, but it was just a matter of perspective.
If they could all calm the fuck down and actually listen to one another, they’d come to a reasonable conclusion in no time. I could easily say the word, and their voices would fall silent in an instant. But I’d rather give in to the thoughts of myDikayathan school a bunch of arrogant old men.
They knew the right thing to do; let them do it.
I sat at the head of the table, absently tapping my fingers on the table’s surface. Leaned back in my chair, I let my mind drift off into wonderland with one image in my head. Hers.
She still hadn’t told me her name yet, and I was okay with it. Besides, I wasn’t sure her real identity would matter that much anyway. This strange young woman had slithered her way into my stone-cold heart. She’d occupied my thoughts to the point where I chose to think about her rather than calm my associates down.
This was a fuckin’ distraction, and in my world, distraction was as dangerous as any physical weapon. I should take control of my mind and thoughts; I really should. But the more I tried to stop myself from replaying the images of her face, the more they came flashing in my head.
Things were different between us now. She offered me her innocence, and I took it. Ever since then, something had cracked open inside me. I hadn’t been able to control my own mind or push her out of my head.
What made her so special?
I’d had tons of women before her—more experienced and more spontaneous. However, none of them had lingered on the fringes of my mind more than the second after my release.
MyDikayawas different.
Despite how much time had passed since that night—just a few days—I still hadn't gotten over her. The scent of her perfume clung to my sheets long after she left my room. The taste of her nectar lingered on my tongue through that fateful night. At this point, it's safe to say that she had carved her face into my mind.
The crazy part was that I hoped this feeling was mutual. I hoped I occupied her head as much as she occupied mine. If this were a one-sided thing, then I’d feel really stupid. In fact, Ialready did because no woman had ever left me so distracted and mesmerized.
MyDikayahad broken the record of the first woman to spend this much time living rent-free in my head. She should be proud of herself.
And I should be ashamed of myself.
