"We need to talk about the electronic pulse that hit your block last night," the Director said without preamble. "And about the boy O'Rourke's been hunting. The one currently in your kitchen."
My grip tightened on the phone, the plastic creaking in protest. They knew. Of course they knew. The question was how much and what they intended to do about it.
"I'm listening," I replied, watching as Mishka set down his coffee and turned to stare directly into the camera again, his expression now hardened with resolve.
Two worlds colliding, with Mishka at the center of the impending storm. And I, who had navigated a century of existence by keeping those worlds carefully separated, now found myself unable to maintain the division.
For the first time in decades, I wasn't certain of the path forward. The only certainty was the fierce protectiveness surging through my veins, a feeling so foreign yet so absolute that it overrode even my most ingrained caution.
Whatever came next, Mishka would not face it alone. The Agency, O'Rourke, even my own syndicate—none of them understood what they were truly dealing with. But I was beginning to, and that understanding had awakened something primal and uncompromising within me.
My bear had chosen. And I, after a century of careful calculation, had finally found something worth the risk.
Chapter Seven
~ Mishka ~
The coffee was strong enough to strip paint, just the way I needed it this morning. I cradled the oversized mug between my hands as I wandered through Nicolai's penthouse, mentally cataloging all the electronic devices I'd accidentally fried during last night's... activities.
Who knew mind-blowing sex could actually blow circuits? Well, I did. That was the whole problem.
"Nice going, Mishka. One good orgasm and you take down an entire security system." I muttered the words to myself, wincing as I passed the main control panel for the apartment's security system. The little light that should have been blinking green was decidedly not blinking at all.
Nicolai's place was ridiculous, even by crime boss standards. Five thousand square feet of luxury spread across the top floor of The Golden Bear's building.
Floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the city skyline, while the interior was all masculine elegance—dark woods, leather furniture, and state-of-the-art everything. Everything that was now state-of-the-art paperweights, thanks to me.
I took another sip of coffee and approached the first victim—a sleek tablet lying dead on the coffee table. Setting down my mug, I picked up the device and focused.
The familiar tingle started in my fingertips as I connected with the tablet's circuits. I could feel its pathways, its potential. The internal damage wasn't severe; just a small fried connection that had shut down the whole system.
With a gentle push of energy, I repaired the connection. Then, because I was feeling a little guilty, and showing off, if I'm honest, I tweaked the processor speed and optimized the batterylife. The screen flickered to life, briefly displaying lines of code before returning to Nicolai's home screen.
"There you go. Better than new."
I moved to the entertainment system next. The massive flat-screen TV and its accompanying components had taken a bigger hit. Probably because we'd been right next to it when Nicolai had pushed me against the wall and—Focus, Mishka.
I set my coffee mug down and ran my hands along the edge of the television, feeling for the right connection points. The electricity flowed through me and into the device, repairing fried circuits and improving performance specs. The screen flashed briefly, showing a string of binary before settling into a perfect high-definition picture.
It was strange being here, fixing things I'd broken. Stranger still that I wasn't running for my life. Twenty-four hours ago, I'd stumbled into The Golden Bear restaurant desperate and hunted, with Patty O'Rourke's goons on my tail. Now I was waking up in the owner's bed, drinking his expensive coffee, and upgrading his electronics.
Life takes weird turns.
I wandered into Nicolai's home office, where the damage had been particularly bad. Probably because that's where we'd ended up after the living room, before finally making it to the master bedroom.
The memory sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.
The main computer system was completely dead. I placed both hands on the sleek desktop and closed my eyes, diving deeper into the intricate web of circuits and connections.
This would take more concentration. As I worked, I could feel the cameras in the corners of the room following my movements. Yuri was undoubtedly watching, suspicious as always.
Let him watch. Maybe he'd learn something.
I pushed a little extra energy into the system, not just repairing but enhancing. Faster processing, better security features, and a little surprise—a custom background image of a golden bear that would appear randomly every few days.
Just a small inside joke between Nicolai and me.
The computer hummed to life, screens lighting up one by one. Lines of code raced across them before settling into the normal desktop view. I smiled, satisfied with my work.
