Antonov’s gaze slid back to the city lights, cruel satisfaction tightening his jaw.“I have one of their own.We will dangle him in front of them.They are sentimental fools, these Americans.They will come charging into the kill box, thinking to save him.And when they do, we close the jaws.”
“Risky,” the agent said.
“Effective,” Antonov corrected.He leaned close to the receiver, his words a hiss of venom.“Tell your men to be ready.Tell them to bring everything.Tomorrow night, we turn their victory into their grave.”
The line clicked off.Antonov returned to the window, vodka forgotten.His reflection grinned back at him, savage and certain.Let them celebrate tonight.Let them feel safe in each other’s arms.Tomorrow, he would dance on their corpses.Tomorrow, the streets would run red with their blood.
Chapter Twelve
The next day, theyarrived a little late, but from the slow way people were moving, they were all feeling the effects of yesterday’s battle.Kai noticed that the tension of battle had shifted into planning—the kind of planning that meant that they were done waiting for this DEA agent to fuck up, they were taking the fight to him.
Kai felt the weight of that heavy in his chest.They weren’t done.Not even close.If he had been able to find the fucker years ago, they wouldn’t be in this mess.
Hogan squeezed the hand he was holding, and Kai looked up at him.“It’s fucking bullshit thinking this is on you.”God save him from psychic military alphas.
“If I had managed to—”
“Fuck, no,” Hogan stopped, turned so that they were face to face, and reached up to cup his face in his hands.“Cut that shit out right now.You start thinking like that, you’ve already handed the bastard the win and you walk into the next round half-dead in your head, and we don’t fight half-dead.Not us.”
Kai sighed and leaned in to press his forehead against Hogan’s love.“You’re right.”
He felt Hogan smile against him.“Yes, I am.Always.We should probably just record you saying that and then play it every day just to save your voice.”
Kai barked a laugh.“Whatever.”They shared a quick kiss, then continued into the room.
A few minutes after they arrived, Tane walked in from the side room.The group went quiet.He looked as fresh as if he’d just had a nap, not like he’d been wringing every last scrap of intel out of a Bratya foot soldier.
He walked over to the kitchen counter and leaned against it, casual as hell.“Well, he wasn’t much for conversation, but he gave me enough before he ...lost interest.”
Dev arched a brow.“Translation?”
Tane’s grin was sharp.“He died.Happens when you don’t pace yourself.”
Hogan asked.“What did you get?”
Tane lifted a notepad he’d scrawled on.“One of the Bratya heads has been setting up shop in Newark, New Jersey.Name’s Viktor Sokolov.He’s running distribution.Drugs, weapons, anything that needs moving stateside.Port access makes it easy, and apparently he’s been buying loyalty along the docks for months.”
