Page 30 of Pretty Little Assassin

Viktor finally steps away from guarding the doorway.

He’s not the only one who notices things. Viktor watches Alley Cat for a second longer than necessary before looking away.

Even weirder is how he walks straight to the slouched couch to sit down when he’s had his choice of dilapidated seating since we got here.

“Move over.”

Alley Cat looks up at him with a corner of pizza crust sticking out of her mouth and scoots over to make room.

Watching Viktor sink into a couch that can barely bear his weight while Alley Cat’s tutu pokes against his thick thighs is definitely not the way I saw this playing out. She can barely remember her real name from one day to the next. She has no idea how old she was when Madam found her living in an alley, but Madam estimates twelve. Madam says a lot of things and is right about most of them. And he can barely walk into a room without first wanting to kill everything that moves.

Not exactly a match made in heaven, and yet here they sit as if they’ve automatically assumed bestie status.

We are truly living in the strangest fucked-up timeline.

“I tracked some of the omegas’ extracurriculars.” Alley Cat says once she’s finally finished chewing her crust. “Shopping, clubbing, oh—and one of them really likes drawing pictures of birds in the park.”

“Birds?” Viktor asks, looking ridiculously comfortable.

“Yeah, birds. If that step-hole dad of Valentina’s is coming after omegas, then I thought we should know where the girls on that list hang out. So yes, sketching birds in the park four blocks over is a useful thing to know.”

Viktor doesn’t argue. He has nothing to say for once.

“It’s a smart move.” Zero nods in support of Alley Cat, acting like a big sister, even when one of her siblings is a colour-bombed psychopath, and the other has just brought a big, scary stray onto the team.

“Alright, so let’s take inventory—Donnie has the digital eyes on things, I’ve got interrogation leads, Valentina, you have the inside knowledge as to how the deranged new Primacy Director thinks, and Alley Cat, you’re keeping tabs on the girls who still remain under threat despite all that we’ve already done to protect them.”

Zero stops and stares at Viktor.

“Remind me what his job is again?”

“I’m head security⁠—”

Viktor’s answer is interrupted by an alert on my phone.

Madam chooses by evidence of abuse. Not by ability to pay.

Unlike the Primacy, VEIL is free to the omegas who need it. Wealthy clients pay for the lights, with their own scores to settle.

We have never once taken a contract for the money. Not one.

That makes Madam not only someone we respect but also someone who has earned our loyalty.

“Encrypted message or voice-altered call this time?” Donnie asks.

“Message.”

VALENTINE’S DAY GALA.

HE WILL BE ATTENDING.

CLOCK STARTS NOW, ASSET 13.

“Just like the bastard to use the Valentine’s gala for his grand debut as the Primacy’s new Director.”

“That’s where we’ll corner him,” Viktor says.

“Who made you the boss around here?” Zero says.