“Are. We. Clear.”
“Aurora,” Alonzo finally tries.
“Shut the fuck up, Alonzo. I’ll deal with you in a second,” I snap. I don’t take my gaze from Ilya and Simeon. I keep the gun steady, and I let them see the unwavering determination. “You don’t want to kill me because I’m your only shot, but if you want to try, I’ll be taking some of you with me. How many will depend on the next few seconds. Make up your minds.”
Ilya and Simeon glare at me, but they share a gaze and I know I have them. “Everyone, lower their fucking guns,” Ilya orders sharply. No one moves. “Now!” he barks, and his men instantly comply. “That includes you too, Ms. Antonova.”
I lower the guns and tuck both guns into my lower back, ignoring both Ilya and Simeon when they give me pointed glares. I give them a slow smile. “If you were careless enough to let me take them in the first place, then like fuck am I giving them back to you. Clearly, you all are slacking on your training.”
“Your insolence is getting tiresome,” Ilya snaps, his temper making his face darken.
“You’re the one who wants my help, so you’re going to have to deal with it. Or we can deal with that issue after we figure out what the hell is going on.”
“I don’t have time for this shit,” Simeon snaps. “The longer I’m here the more chances that someone is going to figure it the fuck out.”
“They already fucking have, you idiot,” I snap, glaring at him. I really am pushing the lines right now, talking to both men the way I am, but my give-a-damn-meter is busted. “Didn’t you listen to a thing I said earlier? You being here longer isn’t going to change a thing. Timur won’t move on you until he’s got me where he wants me.”
His fists clench. “I’ve always prided myself on not hitting a woman, but you’re fucking testing me,” he seethes through gritted teeth.
“Touch her, and I’ll kill you myself,” Alonzo thunders.
For fucks sake.
The tension rises, orders are barked, and I can hear people starting to move while Hades’ low growl rumbles out, filling the space.
“Enough!” Ilya bellows. “Everyone just shut the fuck up before I start killing you all.” Zakhar snickers, but lets out a loud grunt when Ilya turns and socks him in the gut. Then he turns his gaze to Alonzo, eyes icy cold. “How did you find her here?”
Alonzo glances at me and then back at Ilya before holding up a white envelope. I frown. What the hell is that? “I was told to give this to the man in charge, and it will explain everything.”
“Who told you that?” Zakhar demands, tone no longer amused as he steps forward and blocks my view. Mostly. Alonzo still towers over everyone just enough that I can make out the top of his head.
“Couldn’t tell you. I woke up in a shipping container after being drugged and told to come here and give a note to whoeveris in charge. That whatever is in it will make sense to them. I never saw the person who gave it to me.”
I’m glad I can’t see his face because I know he’s lying. Sure, to anyone else he sounds sincere and completely believable, but spending as much time with him as I have, the man has a tell—the slightest inflection to his tone when he’s mixing the truth with a lie of some kind. I’d also bet that his fingers have flexed just ever so slightly on that envelope. The other tell I’ve picked up from him.
The only other person who knows I’m here is Tatiana, but why would she send him here? She threatened to kill him on the plane. Damn her. She’s playing mind games, and considering I’m the one on the receiving end of whatever the result is going to be, I’m not enjoying them.
Zakhar turns, the envelope now in his hands, and gives it to Ilya. Ilya opens it, pulling something out, his eyes narrowing as he reads it. He gives a low curse before handing it to Simeon. Simeon reads it, his own eyes widening. “He can’t be serious. He wants us to work with these assholes?” Simeon demands, glaring back at Alonzo and his men.
“I don’t understand why he’s sending all these people instead of coming himself,” Ilya remarks.
I barely manage not to roll my eyes. Again with assuming it’s a man. Misogynistic assholes.
Ilya’s quiet for a moment before he finally says, “Search them, then bring them into my office.” He looks at me. “Your dog going to cause problems?”
“Not unless I give him the order to. Or if your wolf attacks him.”
“Freya won’t attack anyone unless I give her the order,” Oleg interjects, turning to glare at me for insulting his pet.
“Then we shouldn’t have any problems.” I jerk my head to indicate for him to move out of my way. He steps back and callsFreya to his side. The wolf is slow to move but she does it. Any other time I’d be impressed at how well he has her trained, but not yet. Once I’m sure that she’s fine, I give Hades a quick heel command.
Hades rushes for me, slipping into place next to me, looking at me with such love and trust on his face that a lump forms in my throat. Damn it, I missed him so much. Even if I’m furious at Alonzo for bringing him and putting him in danger. The entire reason I left him with him.
I look at Alonzo who is watching me, uncaring that the men frisking him aren’t being gentle about it.
Again, the hurt and anger rush up, even as much as I long to run to him and hug him, glad that he’s not hurt. That Tatiana didn’t make good on her threat. At least not yet. I don’t trust that she didn’t send him here to have the same outcome as me. Right behind that, however, is the need to slam a hard lock on all the emotions he’s making me feel.
I need to focus. His being here is a distraction I can’t afford.
