by Blue, Kaye
He gestured toward the corner again, and I looked at one of the men as he approached, pulling a semi-automatic from his waistband.
“I think you have some idea,” the Commander said.
The man pressed the gun into my hand.
I closed my fingers around it.
Twenty-Four
Mikhail
It was easy to get past the security. Security was technically Riker’s responsibility, but I knew and had even trained many of the men who watched.
I also knew the electronic security inside and out, so it provided no difficulty either.
So, I easily made my way to the penthouse that Etienne was currently calling home.
Bypassed the key-code security door, and walked in, trying to calculate all the ways the next few minutes would play out.
I found him at the kitchen island.
He was wearing a stark white shirt, unbuttoned, his hair perfect despite the hour, looking every bit the aristocrat he pretended to be.
But when his eyes met mine, I saw awareness, saw the thing that made him so fierce.
“You’ve come to kill me, Ghost,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Yes,” I responded equally so.
“Well, get on with it.”
He stood a little straighter but otherwise didn’t respond.
I didn’t allow myself to pause.
Swiftly pulled out the now-silenced gun.
Pulled the trigger.
Twenty-Five
Mikhail
“It’s done.”
I again stood in front of the Commander less than four hours after I’d left him.
“Efficient as always,” he said.
He took the weapon I offered but didn’t look pleased.
“Was he surprised?”
“No,” I responded.
“But you didn’t give him the opportunity to be, did you?” he said.
He was quiet then, letting his words sink in.
I was happy to play along.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning,” he said, twisting the butt of the gun off and pulling out a small device, “I had a bird’s ear view.”
He laughed, and I wanted to choke him out.
Pushed the urge down.
“Still trusting as ever,” I said.
He shrugged. “You don’t to be my age by being trusting, Mikhail,” he said.
“I guess not. So, are you satisfied?”
“I guess it should be a little bit disconcerting that the man who saved your life and made you rich and powerful over ten years was someone you could kill in hours.” He shrugged. “But it’s not.”
“So now?”
“What about the Brotherhood? How will they respond?”
“Poorly, at least at first, but there will be bigger issues to deal with.”
“Go on,” he said.
“Both Sasha and Riker have their backers. I imagine the squabble over who will take Etienne’s place will keep them occupied.”
“So why not eliminate both of them?”
“And cause chaos? Not a good idea,” I said.
He nodded, his pleasure at my response unmissable.
“My thoughts exactly.”
He waited a moment then nodded.
“But I see there is something still on your mind,” he said.
He handed the gun to one of the two guards and then looked at me, his gaze level, yet again giving nothing away.
I hadn’t been so careful with my own emotions, and it was clear that he had picked up on them.
“That plane, the one you shut down.”
“I have court documents that say you shot it down,” he tossed back.
“The plane,” I said, not allowing myself to get sidetracked “who was on it that you need to get rid of so desperately?”
“Is that guilt I’m hearing?”
“Curiosity.”
“Maybe you’re concerned about the woman.”
I didn’t allow myself to react, knew he was looking for exactly that.
“Humor me,” I said.
He shrugged, apparently deciding to be indulgent.
“I didn’t think there would be tourists, if that’s what you’re asking, but I knew for certain a businessman, a Greek national with his fingers in businesses I was interested in acquiring, would be on board. His death was the most convenient route to where I want to go.”
“Shooting down a plane for that seems a little excessive.”
“And that’s why it was genius. A perfect diversion, really.”
It took everything inside of me not to rip his nose off and feed it to him.
“So, just a humble business move?” I asked when I trusted myself enough to speak.
“Yeah. Isn’t everything?”
There was a time when I might have agreed with him, but not now.
I looked at him, took him in, disgust at the man he was, at the man I had almost allowed him to turn me into, making me want to gag. I swallowed those feelings down, knowing this wasn’t done yet.
“Thank you, Commander.”
I moved before he had a chance to react, jabbing the end of the straightened carabiner into his neck, twice, three times before he delivered a blow to my ribs.
It was strong, and even as he spurted blood, each beat of his heart hastening his death, there fight was in him.
The two guards rushed me, and I twisted out of their attack, gesturing toward the Commander.
“You might want to help him.”
There was no hope for him, but that gave me a moment’s reprieve.
The men looked at one other and then at the Commander, realization dawning as the blood gurgled, a slight bubbling hiss signaling his last breath.
Then they looked at me, again ready to spring.
“You’ve been paid for the month?” I asked.
The two men looked at each other and then looked at me, and one of them nodded.
“I’ll see to it that you get another month’s wages if you can dispose of him,” I said.
They looked at each other and then shrugged.
“I know it’s not exactly professional to let your charge die on your watch, but you don’t want to fight me. Not over him,” I said.
They seemed to agree, and by the time I came back with two zippered bags containing their wages, they were well on their way to ensuring that no one would ever see the Commander again.
I looked at the scene a moment longer but didn’t linger.
I’d gotten the information I needed, had gotten Adora what revenge I could.
There was nothing left for me here.
All that mattered now was whether there was something left with her.
Twenty-Six
Mikhail
“I take it this business is concluded?” Etienne said.
I looked at him, suppressing the urge to laugh.
He was dressed in the black slacks and a white button-down shirt, both filthy now, streaked with mud and sweat, still managing to look almost regal.
“It is,” I said when I was sure my humor had faded.
“And the guards?” Riker asked.
“Mercenaries. No loyalty to the Commander.”
“You saw that they were appropriately compensated?” Etienne asked.
I nodded.
“Then we’ll get some sleep, and tomorrow I’ll take stock of the Commander’s holdings, have Shay see if there’s anything worth absorbing.”
No one argued, and after nods all around, Etienne looked at me.
“I take it you have somewhere you need to be?” he said.
“I do.”
“Fine.”
I didn’t linger.
I made my way to her, more nervous than I’d been as I’d waited in the death chamber.
I knocked on the apartment door, and she opened immediately.
“Sorry I’m late and it’s late,” I said.
She shrugged, looking nonchalant, but I could tell she was relieved.<
br />
She let me in and then turned to look at me.
“You okay?” she asked, seeming angry at herself for even caring.
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“That depends,” she said.
“On?” I asked.
“On whether you’re going to tell me the truth,” she said.
“I will. Always. About everything,” I said.
“So, what happened?” she asked.
Her voice wavered, but she didn’t cry, though I could see the tears welling.
“I started out in the military young. Had some skills that the higher-ups found useful. I got assigned to a special unit. Grimy shit that I don’t want to tell you about.”
I paused, looked at her, and saw that she was still patient but waiting, so I went on.
“The…crash.” She flinched when I said the word but then nodded for me to continue. “It was my last assignment. But I was set up. My commander gave me drugs.”
Her eyes narrowed with question.
“It’s more common than you’d think, but I never used them. I did that night. And when I woke up, the plane was down and I was under arrest. Got convicted and sentenced to death.”
“They were going to kill you?” she asked, her voice rough.
“Yes. And I thought they had. But Etienne stepped in, and here we are.”
“So, this is your second chance?” she asked.
“Yes. One I don’t deserve, but one that I’m glad to have because it brought me to you.”
“You didn’t kill them?” she asked.
“No.”
“But you would have?”
“Yes.”
I hated myself for saying that word, but I promised I would tell the truth.
“Thank you for being honest,” she said.
She sighed, then met my eyes.
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you too,” I responded.
“But I don’t know if I forgive you.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“I know. But I want to.”
“Why?”
“Because despite what you did, I love you, and I know my life wouldn’t be the same without you. Don’t know if I want to try.”
She sounded so sad, so broken that I couldn’t keep myself from going to her.
I held her tight. Held her until she relaxed against me.
“Adora, I’m not asking for anything from you. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I’ll be here for you. I won’t ever be able to make for the past, but I’ll spend the rest of my life building a future for us. Together.”
I squeezed her, and after a long moment, she hugged me back.
“I think I like the sound of that,” she said with a smile.
Epilogue
Riker
One Year Later
“Stop being such an asshole, Riker.”
Sasha bumped me with his shoulder, and I scowled at him.
“I wearing a suit, and I haven’t kicked anyone’s ass. I’m on my best behavior,” I said.
“Maybe. But stop glaring at people. Have some cake. It’s good.”
“You’re bitching about a glare? I’ve been to two weddings in the last year. A glare is as good as you could hope for.”
Besides, I wasn’t glaring at people.
Only her.
As if she heard my thoughts, she turned a corner and walked into the room.
Like always, everyone and everything else faded.
I pretended it didn’t, something that was getting harder to do.
I also pretended I didn’t see her approaching me or that I didn’t notice that Sasha had walked away.
She stopped in front of me, blinked and then swallowed, looking nervous, which was unusual for her.
Finally, after a breath, she met my eyes.
“Riker—”
Her eyes widened as I grabbed her arm and walked her out of the room.
I pushed her into an open room and closed the door and then stared down at her. She looked even more nervous now, something that made me happy.
Fucked up, but true.
“What do you want?” I asked, not bothering to keep the edge out of my voice.
She swallowed hard, breathed out, and then finally spoke. “You have a problem with me, and I sick of it. So, we’re going to settle this, once and for all.”
* * *
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Covet - Rise - Vow - Crave - Joy