“You said she was stupid?” I cringed.
He sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. “Man. I’m an idiot. And I’m usually so good at talking to people.”
“Oh? You are?” This was something I was more interested in.
He looked up at me. “Yeah. I used to be someone. Maybe not a respectable someone, or anything, but I was good at what I did. When we got together, I figured I’d go straight as an arrow. It wasn’t as if we needed the money. I had savings. But now I spend all day drinking and getting yelled at by my wife.”
“What did you do before?” I wanted to steer the conversation away from the stuff about the marriage. That really wasn’t my angle.
“Well, like I said, it wasn’t respectable.” He looked me over. “Who the hell are you, anyway?”
“I’m putting together a team to do a job. A not-very-respectable job,” I said.
He nodded slowly. “I, uh, used to pull cons. Long cons on big corporations, mostly. Set up a big investment, get the cash, get out.”
It was my turn to nod. “Huh.” That could work. “And you were good?”
“I was the best.”
* * *
Kiera
“I never should have left the circus.” Cass was sobbing, lying in a fetal position on her unmade bed.
I sat down next to her and gingerly patted her back. Honestly, we weren’t really close like this. I had known Ambrose before I knew her. I’d taught him some hacker tricks, and I’d helped him set up a new identity when he wanted to go straight and start a new life with Cass. But Cass was nice, and I didn’t want her to cry.
“He’s not the same as he used to be,” she said, wiping at her eyes and sitting up.
“Well, he cares about you,” I said. “I know he does. And I can’t imagine him saying you were fat. You’re not, by the way.”
She hiccuped. “Well, maybe he didn’t exactly say that I was fat. But he said that I looked good with the extra weight I was carrying around.”
“Ooh,” I said. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“I know.” She looked at me in vindication. “And he kept saying, ‘But I said you looked good, baby. But I said you looked good.’ Jackass.”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean—”
“Oh, who cares what he meant. It was awful what he said.”
“It’s just you know how men are,” I said. “They have very primitive conversational skills.” I was pretty much convinced that there were about four layers to spoken language that most men didn’t even hear. They heard the words and the literal meaning, but they didn’t understand the other implied meanings.
She laughed a little. “But he didn’t used to be like that. He used to understand me so well.”
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t have a lot of experience in that department. I was planning on having an actual relationship with a guy at some point in my life. Just not now, when I was so focused on my work. I needed to establish myself, and then I’d be able to think about that sort of thing.
“He has nothing to do all day,” she said. “He just lies around and watches TV and drinks. He’s driving me crazy. I didn’t want to be married to a conman, but I’m not sure I like being married to a guy who’s unemployed either.”
“Well,” I said. “Actually, the reason I’m here is because I might have a job for you.”
“For me?” She furrowed her brow. “What?”
“For both of you.”
She made a face. “What kind of job?”
CHAPTER THREE
Demetrius
“Well, it’s basically a hit, but we’re also going to go in and kidnap this girl,” I said. I was standing with Kiera, facing Ambrose and Cass, who were seated on opposite sides of the couch.
“Rescue this girl,” said Kiera. “Rescue all of them.” She turned to Cass. “Can you imagine? These are normal girls. They didn’t choose to be prostitutes. They take them prisoner against their will, and they get them hooked on heroin so that they’ll do anything for another hit, and it’s disgusting.”
“I’ve heard about it,” said Cass, swallowing hard. “But I don’t see what you need me for.”
“Well, there may be some tough spaces we need to get into,” I said. “We don’t have full schematics on the security in this place yet, but sometimes there are various issues. Motion sensor floors, things like that. Someone with your capabilities could go in on ropes, right?”
Cass considered for a second, and then she nodded, her face lighting up. “I could definitely do that. Oh, wow, this sounds like fun, doesn’t it, honey?” She turned to Ambrose.
Ambrose had his hands clasped in his lap. “I didn’t think you wanted me to do work like this anymore.”
“This isn’t the same,” said Kiera. “This is a rescue mission. We’re not doing it for the money.”
“But you will get paid,” I said.
“Well, if she says it’s okay, I’m in,” said Ambrose.
“Of course it’s okay,” said Cass. “We’re both in.”
“Great,” I said.
“I’m so sorry about what I said,” Ambrose said to Cass.
“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have asked you a loaded question like that,” she said.
He scooted across the couch. “I really think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, you know?”
Cass sighed. “Oh, Ambrose.” She scooted across the couch too.
He reached out and brushed his knuckles over her temples.
She gazed into his eyes, transfixed.
I cleared my throat.
No response from them.
Cass shut her eyes, tilting back her head.
Ambrose kissed her.
“Um, well, I guess we’ll be leaving then?” I said.
Kiera shrugged, looking embarrassed.
They were really going at it now. Cass’s hands were roaming over Ambrose’s back.
I looked at the door, at Kiera, and then back at the two of them.
Ambrose pulled Cass into his lap. They were still lip-locked.
I headed for the door. “Bye, then.”
“We’ll be in touch,” Kiera called.
And then we left the apartment.
“Well,” I said. “That was… interesting.”
* * *
Demetrius
I gripped the steering wheel of the car as I drove us back to headquarters. Cass and Ambrose lived about an hour and a half away. It was a long drive, trapped in the car with Kiera, who kept fiddling with the radio every time an ad came on. She couldn’t handle hearing them or something. But that meant we spent half our time flipping through stations instead of actually listening to music.
“Look,” I said. “If they argue like that all the time, they’re out.”
She was flipping stations. “Oh, right. Because you and I never argue.”
“Well, we’re not a couple.”
“I never said we were.”
I glanced over at her.
She was flipping the radio stations with gusto.
I stopped her hand. “Just… let it be.”
“I’m trying to find—”
I flipped off the radio.
It was quiet except for the sound of the road.
She sat back in her seat. “I don’t see what their being a couple has to do with anything.”
“What if they break up on the job?” I said. “That could cause problems.”
“They won’t,” she said. “They’re really in love. You don’t know them.” She looked out the window. “I mean, I guess I never saw them fight like that before. I don’t know what that was all about.”
“Fighting isn’t necessarily a big deal,” I said. “Couples fight. I mean, you’ve had fights with your boyfriends, right?”
She was quiet. Then, “Sure.”
I glanced at her. “You’ve never had a fight?”
She didn’t answer.
“Well, if you didn’t fight, why’d you eve
r break up?” I said. I gripped the steering wheel. “Wait. You don’t have a boyfriend now, do you?” I would know if she was dating someone, wouldn’t I?
“No, I’m single.” Her voice was quiet.
“So? If you didn’t fight, then why aren’t you with him anymore?”
“You just said fighting wasn’t necessarily a big deal.”
“Answer the question.”
She smoothed out a twist in her seatbelt. “I’ve never had a boyfriend, per se.”
“What?!” This was insane. This girl. How could I possibly be letting her do this job?
“I just haven’t had time,” she said. “I take my work very seriously, and I work crazy hours. I’ll get around to the whole relationship thing eventually. It’s not that big a deal.”
“You can’t be doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“This job,” I said. “I have to find someone else. It’s too dangerous for you.”
“Why? Because I haven’t bothered with a bunch of starter relationships that would have just ended anyway?”
“Not because of that. Because… you’re very young and very inexperienced—”
“I assure you, not having a boyfriend has nothing to do with my ability to do this job, and you know it.”
“I just don’t think—”
“You’re just a fucking dick, that’s what.”
“I want to find another hacker.”
“You wouldn’t dare. I will ruin you if try to replace me.”
“You can’t ruin me.” I glared at the road.
“I can do more than ruin you. How often do you use an electronic device? Your phone? Your computer? You like the power being on in your apartment? You enjoy watching cable? I’ll take it all away from you, Danger, and don’t think I won’t.”
I licked my lips.
“Besides, I’m the best there is, and you know it.”
I shook my head. “I’ll give you this, Kiera. You’re determined.”
“Damned straight I am. And I’m going to prove to you that I’m the right person for this job. Just wait.”
* * *
Kiera
“Hi there,” I said into the phone at my office in headquarters. “My name is Vera, and I’m Mr. Boris Mikailhov’s secretary. I am trying to find the schematics for your building?”
I had spent all morning searching every way that I could to find this stuff online, but I couldn’t find anything. Even though it was required to file plans for new buildings, whatever had been filed for this building wasn’t remotely accurate. It had probably only been let through due to some kind of bribery on the part of the Mikailhovs.
In order to plan our attack, Demetrius needed these schematics of the building, and I was going to get them for him, even if it went outside of the strict purview of my job. He thought that I was too young and inexperienced to do this? I was going to show him that wasn’t true.
“Oh, well, I don’t know anything about that,” said the person on the phone.
“Okay,” I said. “It’s really important that I get them. My boss is breathing down my neck. Apparently, they were misfiled, and he needs to file them properly or there’s going to be some kind repercussions from the bureaucracy.” I was making this up as I went along. “I don’t know what happened, but he’s been grumbling about how he lost his guy inside, and now he’s got to cover his ass or something.” On second thought, maybe that was more information than I should give out. Did I sound like I was lying? “Is there someone there who you think might be able to help me?”
“I’m not sure. Can you hold a minute?”
“Okay.”
The line went silent.
I chewed on my fingernail. Man, I probably screwed that up. Danger was going to kill me. He was going to find out that I’d done this, which would tip off everyone in the building that something was up and ruin our element of surprise and basically destroy any chances we had of pulling this off. I was an idiot.
“Hello?” said a different voice.
“Hello,” I said. “I’m trying to find the schematics for your building.”
“They’ve been filed with the city. Public record. Look online.”
“No, no. Those aren’t accurate, and I need the accurate ones.” Should I explain why again? Maybe the explanation was bad. I’d wait and see if the person asked. “Are those online somewhere?”
“Who is this?”
“I’m Vera. Mr. Boris Mikailhov’s secretary.” At least her name was right. I had looked her up.
“Oh, hi, there. You sound a little different.”
“Yeah, I’ve got a cold,” I said, scrambling for an excuse. “How are you?”
“Doing just fine.” A long pause. “Okay, I’ll tell you what. I can have a copy made for you. Send it down to the main desk? Would that work?”
“That would be great.”
“Okay, just pick it up, then. I’ll have it there by this afternoon.”
“Thank you,” I said, grinning. I hadn’t messed things up after all. I was going to blow this out of the water. Demetrius would be impressed, and he would stop being such a dick.
Once I showed him what I was capable of, he would stop thinking of me as a little girl.
And then maybe he’d stop being obsessed with trying to keep me safe all the time, which was really annoying.
I wouldn’t have to see him every second of every day.
Which… would be better. Definitely better.
* * *
Kiera
I wandered up to the front desk in the building. “Hi? Ms. Belsky should have left some copies of the building schematics for me?”
“Let me look,” said a woman in a gray suit and got up.
I looked around the lobby. The place was understated, full of clean lines and big windows. It seemed like a legitimate business building. It was hard to believe that there were sex slaves imprisoned somewhere in here, women trapped against their will. But it was true. All of this was a front for the Bratva, the Russian mob.
Looking around at the building and all its luster, I was struck by exactly how much money it was that they were pulling in here. They were getting rich off of selling people.
Slavery.
In this day and age. It was disgusting.
“Here you go,” said the woman.
I turned back to her. “Oh, thanks, this is great.” I took the copies from her. My original plan had simply been to get the schematics and leave, but now that I was here, I realized that I didn’t want to go yet. I could get a lay of the land, help Demetrius out a little bit. I was sure that he’d be appreciative. When I presented all of this to him, he’d be super impressed.
I grinned.
Should I say anything to the woman at the desk about going further into the building, or should I just ask as if I knew what I was doing?
I figured being confident would be less suspicious.
So, I turned and strode to the elevator with squared shoulders, as if I owned the place.
I took the elevator down to the lowest level, only one lower than the level where I’d entered.
After emerging, I found the floor sort of boring. There was a big room with cubicles, which kind of reminded me of headquarters. Except for here, it was filled with workers, all of whom were staring at their computer screens.
The rest of the floor was just a hallway lined with offices.
I walked up the hall and then back down, feeling a little disappointed. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected to find, and I guessed it made sense that everything would be on the up and up down here, nothing untoward within view, but I still had hoped to find out something interesting.
I didn’t want to give up, so I didn’t go back up the elevator. Instead, I retraced my steps, walking all over the floor again, until I turned a corner and ended up someplace I hadn’t been before.
There was a swinging door, like in a hospital or something. I pushed it open and emerged into a small space. There was a bi
g, metal door at one end. On the other, an elevator.
I went to the elevator and pushed the up button.
A mechanical voice said, “Please step closer to the scanner and do not blink.”
Oh, geez. This elevator required a retinal scan to be operated. I wondered if I could crack something like that… I highly doubted it. There was no way to do it from a photograph, no matter what they did on TV. If this elevator led to the girls, then how were we going to get down there?
A noise at the metal door.
It was opening.
Shit.
I dove back through the swinging door and looked around wildly. I needed somewhere to hide. I started to run down the hallway.
But then I realized that the door wasn’t opening.
I stopped.
Carefully, I tiptoed back toward the door and peered through the crack it made with the wall.
I could see several men walking in with passed-out women flung over their shoulders.
God. Were those women…?
One of the men stepped up to the elevator. Sure enough, it scanned his retina before opening. The men all trooped inside.
Suddenly, I lost my grip on the wall and pitched forward, pushing the door open a few inches.
“What was that?” said one of the men, coming out of the elevator.
This time, I didn’t wait. I took off at a sprint, back down the hallway to safety.
When I rounded the corner, I threw a glance over my shoulder.
No one was there.
Hell. That was close.
* * *
Demetrius
I shuffled through the building schematics Kiera had given me again. “I don’t see anything here about a retinal scan.”
“No, I didn’t see it in the schematics,” she said. “I saw it in the building.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When I went to pick up the schematics—”
“Pick up? What do you mean? You do work on a computer, in an office. You don’t go places.”
“Well, I couldn’t find them online, so I improvised. I knew you needed them. I did what I had to do in order to find them.”
Rough: A Hitman Romance Page 3