Another flash of guilt but I ignore it. Especially when Ilya slowly gets to his feet, like he’s going for some stupid dramatic effect. “How do you know the Chameleon?” he finally demands once he’s straightened to his full height, his clenched fists braced on his desk.
Shit. Is this another fucking test? Rori’s warning blares loudly in my head.
Do not even dare to utter their fucking name or gender. This entire place is lined with cameras and bugs. Possibly some of theirs.
Something tells me that I need to tread very carefully.
“I already told you. I was kidnapped, given instructions, and I came here. I’m here for Rori, not whatever bullshit you’re planning to do.”
“The Chameleon never shows their face and never leaves anyone alive, so you really expect me to believe you?”
“I don’t care what you believe. I already told you that I never saw their face. I was in a fucking shipping container in the fucking dark. I couldn’t even tell from their voice if it was a man or a woman, so I assumed they had on a mask and voice modifier. They told me I was to come here, gave me that note and the information I already told you, and left after they knocked me out again.”
Ilya pounces. “And how did they knock you out if they didn’t get near you?”
I give him my bestyou’re an idiotlook. “They had someone else knock me out. The blow came from behind me, so I have to assume they had someone there to make sure that I didn’t cause any trouble.”
“And let me guess, you didn’t see them either?”
“It was fucking pitch black in there. I couldn’t see my own fucking hands in front of my face. The only light was a crack in the container door, and these people stayed in the shadows.”
I hope to God I’m selling this shit, or I’m going to really be in trouble. I’m already treading a little closer to the line than comfortable. Especially if Tatiana has a way of watching me or another tracker or something on me that no one knows about.
“The Chameleon works alone. No fucking way they would allow another person to get that close to them.”
“How do you know they didn’t kill them?” His lips purse slightly. I glare at him. “You already thought of that, and you’re sitting here busting my balls about it? Wasting time is pointless, Romanov. Whatever bullshit you’re getting all pissy about is in your own head. Getting paranoid is what is going to get you killed.”
Zakhar snorts out a laugh, ignoring his brother’s furious glare. “What, he’s right. Besides, you tried to trap him and it didn’t work. He didn’t see the guy or his helper.” Zakhar looks atme thoughtfully. “Were you sitting in a chair when you woke up or on the floor?”
What the hell kind of question is that? “I was sprawled on the floor. I got the feeling they weren’t interested in giving me a five-star experience.”
Zakhar shrugs. “Maybe, or they couldn’t get your giant ass in a chair so they didn’t bother trying.”
“What I don’t understand is how they got you there in the first place. You just let someone get the drop on you like that?” Ilya sneers.
“I was drugged, not hit over the fucking head,” I snap. This asshole is trying my patience. Massimo was always the one to handle this bullshit.
“Probably couldn’t fucking reach that either.” Zakhar laughs. “Dude, you’re taller than me and people have a hard time doing that shit when they attempt it on me.”
“Still, if you were drugged, then someone had to get close to you to make sure that they got enough into you to take your ass down,” Ilya points out, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Before I can answer that, the door slams open, all of us rounding toward it, but I relax when I see it’s Rori and Hades. Well, until I see the expression on her face and the pillow case in her hand. Oleg comes running in behind her, a furious look on her face.
Rori doesn’t stop moving as she sends the pillowcase flying toward Ilya. He dodges it, but it lands with a loud, and wet, splat on his desk. Ilya makes a sound that’s a mixture of distress and anger, grabbing the pillowcase and tossing it off his now sopping wet desk.
I cover my mouth to keep from laughing aloud. Effective, if not a good way to piss the man off.
Oleg moves to grab Rori, but Hades lets out a vicious snarl, jaws snapping inches from the man’s arm. I’m already moving,but Rori simply turns around, brings up her booted foot, and rams it into Oleg’s gut, sending him sprawling back. She calls Hades off before Hades can launch himself after the man, and she turns back to face Ilya. “Thought you might want your equipment back after it took a nice, blistering bubble bath. And your guards are shit. I was already halfway here before your guard dog came running to try and intercept me. And from the look on your face, they also didn’t let you know I destroyed all your devices. Might want to look into that. Oh, and you’re going to want to have someone fix that light over the bed. Nice touch, hiding one in there, but you need to work on your disguising ability. It was a little too obvious.”
Ilya’s jaw clenches, even as Zakhar gapes at her.
I don’t bother stopping my short bark of laughter this time. Fuck, she just called him an idiot and his men incompetent in a short breath.
There’s a quick barking order to Oleg in Russian by Ilya, and when I turn to look at him, Oleg’s lips are pinched with fury. Uh oh, someone got himself in trouble?
“Oh, well, you’re welcome then,” Rori says sweetly, a toothy smile stretching her lips wide. “Sounds like your regular sweeps aren’t up to par either if I managed to find one that one of your enemy’s spies got in without anyone knowing. Should work on that too, don’t you think?”
Ilya’s face flushes an angry red, while Zakhar looks like he’s not sure if he wants to laugh or curse her. I move behind her, glaring at them both, daring them to try and touch her. Rori doesn’t even glance at me, but her elbow to my gut with enough force to send the breath whooshing out of me tells me she isn’t pleased with my gesture.
