Her reaction to this next part would be even more enjoyable than Igor’s screams had been when I’d sawed into his flesh at my warehouse. My fingers twitched as I remembered the way he’d grabbed her.
Only I was allowed to clench my fingers around her throat, and listen to those soft whimpers escape her lips.
“I will be pairing everyone with a partner for some upcoming assignments,” the Pakhan announced, and my attention snapped back to the present.
Alisa held her breath as the Pakhan read off a list.
“Alisa Solovyova,” the Pakhan said. Her body was like a live wire, ready to snap. “You will be paired with Dmitri Novikov.”
Her jaw slackened, and not for the first time I wished I could see into that mind of hers. But for now I’d settle for the shock flashing through her eyes and morphing into anger.
I leaned back into my seat, savoring her reaction.
“B-but,” she said, and the Pakhan’s gaze narrowed on her.
“Is that a problem?” The Pakhan’s tone was a whip.
Her entire body tensed as everyone turned towards her. I glanced at one of the Pakhan’s men, casually moving his hand towards the AK strapped to his chest.
She hated me, but she wasn’t stupid enough to defy the Pakhan right in front of everyone. She wouldn’t risk her life like that.
Alisa’s jaw worked open and closed like a fish.
Fuck, I shouldn’t take that chance. After all, she’d literally aimed a knife at me all those years ago.
“She’s just so delighted to spend time with me that she's speechless,” I drawled. “I tend to have that effect on women.”
Her head snapped towards me, and she shot daggers at me. I just smiled back. She could draw her claws with me anytime. It just made me hard.
“Right?” I prompted, nodding my chin at the Pakhan who was still focused on Alisa.
She swallowed jerkily, and said, “Not a problem at all, Pakhan. I’m your loyal servant.”
Chapter twelve
Alisa
The Pakhan seemed to accept my statement. He peeled his attention away from me and continued down his list.
But I could still feel the eyes of half the room focused on me. They already thought that I slept my way to my ranking, what would they think now?
And how the fuck was I going to survive working with Dmitri?
Natalya nudged me when the meeting blessedly came to a close.
“What the hell was that?” she muttered.
She wasn’t wrong. I’d wanted to snatch back my words the moment my accidental protest left my lips.
Before I could answer, Dmitri gripped my arm and yanked me to a standing position. His eyes narrowed on mine before he leaned towards me.
I was intimately aware that only a plastic chair separated our bodies from each other. A shiver ran down my spine when his cold breath hit the shell of my ear.
“Don’t get yourself killed before our first assignment.”
Before I could even come up with a response, he strode away without even a backwards glance.
Natalya was looking at me like I’d lost my mind, and maybe she was right.
