by K. J. Dahlen
Chapter Nine
Kevy looked away from Andrey. Ever since they announced that she would be luring the killer to her, he had a look in his eyes that she somehow couldn’t meet. Crap, what was wrong with her? She had never looked down or away from anyone.
“We’ll need another day to get our bearings and then we will begin our mission,” Viktor announced to the group. He was looking at Sergi but everyone could hear him.
“You have your men chosen for this, then?” Sergi asked.
“Da.” Viktor nodded. “We may have to take over a shopfront and a nearby warehouse but from what I understand, those places won’t be missed by anyone important.”
Sergi frowned. “Anyone I might know?”
Viktor glared at him. “I certainly hope not. They aren’t that curious to even know why we cleared them out. These people have been approached already and paid to leave for 3 days. We then had to have them sequestered so they couldn’t tell anyone we have taken over their businesses. My men will take their places there so we have a place to watch…” He looked over at Kevy. “Our decoy.”
Kevy peeked over at Andrey.
He looked incensed. Why would he be so angry though? Hadn’t he known when he saw the blonde hair and her blue contacts and the makeup? He must have guessed she was going in undercover then.
“What’s the name of the street?” Yuri asked.
“Balistar.” Viktor hesitated then asked, “Do you know of this area?”
Yuri nodded. “This is the exact area that we used to be if you will remember Sergi.”
Sergi nodded. “I have never forgotten it.”
Kevy was confused. “I thought you lived in America? Is this your area or something?”
Yuri stared at her as he answered without hesitation, “Nyet…Not at all.”
Mikial shrugged. “It hasn’t been for a long time, but it is odd that this is where… this all might end.”
Andrey listened but did not take part in the ongoing discussion. He was still furious and out of sorts. He didn’t trust his own mouth at this moment.
Viktor glanced back over at Sergi. “This is not going to be bloodless on our part. You know what we can and will do to achieve our goal. We will try to bring him in for trial but we cannot promise that. I have to ask this one time and I will only ask one time, is this what you want?”
Sergi stared at the man for along moment then he swung his gaze to Mikial then to Andrey. He looked back at Viktor. “I believe this man needs to be stopped in any way you can stop him.” He now looked over at Kevy. “Young lady, you need understand something here, he will know you are hunting him. He may not realize it at first but eventually, he is going to know and it may be that he will just opt to kill you and take the consequences rather than be caught... Are you prepared for that?”
Kevy stared back at him and replied without hesitation, “I am. He needs to be stopped. I have spent an entire year hunting him, seeing his handiwork up close every damn month. This has to happen.”
Viktor looked over at her then back up at Sergi. He smiled but his smile held no joy. His eyes were cold and hard. “I love a good fight, don’t you? And if ever there was a man who needed killing he is that man.”
“Very well, I will leave you and your team to it.” Sergi stood. “I hope you are all okay with having Yuri and Mikial to be present when this operation goes down?” He stared at Viktor.
Viktor already knew this as he nodded.
Andrey had already figured this as well. Mikial had a right to be there if any of them did.
Sergi then spoke again, “Are there any questions?” He now swiveled his gaze to Andrey.
Andrey looked up. “I don’t like it.”
Mikal stood and glared at him. “You don’t like it?”
Andrey clasped his hands together. “He could slit her throat faster than we could move.”
Kevy stood and faced him. “As you already know, I am fast enough.”
Andrey was troubled by all this logic that he himself usually thrived on. All he did was nod. The very reason they were all here in these chambers in the first place was to stop this bastard. What could he say? That he wanted this woman for himself, so they could not use her to trap this killer? He wanted so badly to say just that, but he could not.
Sergi looked around. “Very well. I will leave it with your team. I am heading out to the hospital to see about Anosk. Good luck and God Bless.”
Andrey almost growled upon hearing his name. He hoped the man was in hell where he belonged.
They all stood.
Kevy could feel Andrey’s eyes on her. It was an uneasy feeling. All of the sudden, he was angry with her. She had heard concern but at the same time, she was a little miffed too. He acted as though she couldn’t pull this off and no one could make her stand down on a case once she set her mind to solving it. This was the only way.
When they all went out, Kevy headed for the elevator. She noted all the men headed down the stairs. How odd. She wondered why they chose that instead of the w quick way. As she stopped at the elevator, an arm leaned over her and pushed the down button.
Kevy knew his scent already, it was a light cologne and something else that was all Andrey.
The door dinged and they both went in.
Kevy wondered what he would say. Especially with all that had transpired this afternoon. He had been too quiet in that room.
The doors shut and Andrey pressed the button on the panel. He then turned to look straight at her. He hadn’t said a word.
Kevy stared at his face for a long moment. Sudden feeling rose in her. What if what he’d argued in there came true? What if tomorrow night, she was killed? What if? Her thoughts whirled about kismet, fate and all those beliefs. That this man was perhaps, put into her path for more than just a case. In an instant, she decided that she didn’t want to go out without ever having passion. Fire. She knew this man, Andrey the Enforcr was the one that could move her. She leaned over to see him staring at her and brushed her lips on his. His lips were so soft and she felt a spark when she touched him.
She lifted her lips from his mouth and when she looked at his face again, she saw the heat in his eyes. She gasped at the look. She thought to break away from him but Andrey placed either hand on the side of her face and brought her closer to his lips.
This time, he initiated the kiss and took her mouth. She gasped and he pushed his tongue inside. She groaned and he echoed the sound as he crushed her mouth with his own. Pure pleasure burst within her and when she closed her eyes, she saw bursts of color behind her eyelids.
When the kiss broke, they were both panting for air. Kevy kept her eyes closed and she placed her forehead in the crock of his neck. Breathing deeply, she took in his scent and it gave her comfort as it surrounded her, bathing her in excitement. An excitement she’d never felt before really. Damn right, he could burn her up. And that had been just a kiss. “Lets’ go and have a drink,” she blurted out.
He blinked at her.
“I mean go out and down some shots. Talk to each other.”
“Talk?” he asked.
Nodding, she slid her finger along his cheek, feeling the day old scruff there. She wondered if it would burn her skin as he… She straightened up and stepped to his side. “If you would rather not. I get it.”
He chuckled but it sounded sarcastic somehow. “I don’t think you get it at all.”
She looked over at him.
“I warn you, Kevy. If you want a taste of what I can and want to give you…” He grasped her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. “I won’t stop with just a sample. I will want all of you.”
Kevy stared at him. “Damn…”
He smiled.
“You just lay it all out there.”
He nodded and let go of her “I do that I suppose.”
Kevy knew before that this was a man unlike any she’d met and this proved it for sure. He was leaving it up to her and he had been clear about what he intended.
She respected this and she also found that she wanted more of him too.
They went to a nearby pub. There was American music playing when they walked in.
Andrey couldn’t believe he just up and said he would have drinks with her before a mission. But who was he to wonder what would happen next on this day? He did make it clear what he intended and she had still agreed.
They both downed shots and he got her to talk about why she wanted to be a cop. She told him things he could have never found on the internet. Her penchant for solving puzzles and reading detective books as a child had turned into being an FSS graduate.
Andrey did not want to talk about himself and Kevy seemed to know this. She should, as his childhood was far different and he assumed she knew this.
After their sixth shot, he realized that they were both inebriated. He wasn’t so bad off, as he was more than used to vodka shots.
However, she was tipsy to say the least. He got her up, tossed money on the table and they took a taxi to the mansion. He figured that perhaps this wasn’t the night. He would get her up to her room and make sure she got in the door and he would go to his own room. Andrey had never intended to get her drunk.
They got out, he paid the driver, and she sauntered up the steps.
He jogged to catch up.
Kevy suddenly turned toward him.
He slowed down and stood on the lower step to gaze up at this beautiful woman. Though he missed the jet black hair and those fiery emerald eyes, she would be a beauty no matter what her coloring was.
“I want to get rid of this alcohol, so I propose…” She moved to the door. “That we race to my room.” She then slipped in through the door and took off.
Andrey blinked. What? Race to…He shook his head, now more worried about her falling down those damn spiral stairs. He rushed in and looked up to see her already halfway up.
She made it the rest of the way, turned at the top and grinned at him.
He saw the challenge in her eyes and he took the stairs two at a time.
Seeing this, her eyes widened, as she seemed to realize he could win if she didn’t get moving. Then she disappeared down the hallway as he made it to the top step. He saw where she headed.
She stopped at her door, then curled her finger at him. She slipped inside.
Andrey shook his head. This was flirtatious, and adorable, but she was still feeling the vodka he thought as he now strolled toward her door. He wondered if he should even be doing this. He wanted her clear headed when they got together. For her to know it was just them, not anything else directing it.
He decided that he would tell her goodnight. He slipped inside and found the room darkened.
The room was semi dark and somehow she was behind him as she shut the door.
Suddenly, her body was pressed up against his. Her bare body. He took in that sweet scent again. Dammit, he got hard. “Kevy?” He pulled back a little.
She didn’t seem to hear him as she moaned aloud and moved her hands down to his crotch. “Oh yes, just as I thought,” she cooed with need in her voice while rubbing her hand over his hard patch of jeans there, as her breathing picked up.