Chapter 39
Louhi
I smile at my brother as I finish securing the bandage to his head.
Snuggling deeper into the blanket, I drop my head onto his shoulder.
A large part of his left ear is missing, but he claims he can still somewhat hear out of it.
I still chose to sit on his other side. I hate having to repeat myself.
He even let me help him get his arm into the sling I purchased for him yesterday. Luckily, the gash on his neck wasn’t as deep as I’d feared. I’m sure he only allowed me to tend to him this morning because we were alone.
He drapes his arm around my shoulders and holds me the way he did after our parents died. I swallow hard as a wave of nostalgia wells up inside me. “I’m glad we’re back together again,” I tell him in Finnish. This shift in topic suddenly feels too intimate for English.
“I missed you. I thought about you every day. I’m…sorry.”
I don’t hold anything against him—not at this point—and I nestle into his side. “It’s over now.”
He’s quiet, then murmurs, “Is it? Are you sure they can be trusted? They’re military, Lou.”
I frown and sit up so that I’m looking into familiar eyes.
In a firm, steady tone, I confirm, “They were military. They don’t pose a threat.
I vouch for them.” Are we safe from whatever you’re planning?
The question is on the tip of my tongue, but I don’t give it life.
While I didn’t study the wall or so much as enter Mercer’s bedroom, I saw the strings and drawings when I passed his open doorway. He’s up to something…
His job with The Shadows is highly secretive, and we’ve had an unspoken rule for years not to interfere with each other’s work.
I’m unsure how much longer I’ll grant him that courtesy, but I won’t burst the bubble we’re in just yet.
I’d rather enjoy the blissful moment of being reunited.
There have been countless occasions over the last five months where I thought I might never see him again.
Seeming to take me at my word, Mercer dips his chin. He’s going to need to trust me when I say Sean and Jace aren’t threats the same way I trust him. Still speaking Finnish, I finally ask, “How long are you planning to stay? Where are you going from here?”
Selfishly, I want him to tell me that he’ll come with me, that he’ll leave behind the danger, at least until he’s fully healed. I want to recover together and for him to get to know Sean. I want to be with my family. I just got him back; I can’t bear to be apart now.
He sighs with his attention fixed on the large, floor-to-ceiling windows opposite us. Outside, the snow is piling up as the sky continues to unburden itself. “Once the snow clears and the swelling in my eye goes down enough for me to peer through a rifle scope, I can get back to work.”
“I was thinking of going back to my place outside of Moscow in a few days,” I tell him. This was meant to be a safe stopover point, not to become home. Plus, that’s more ideal for trying to get Sean and Jace working with Viktor. “I want you to come with us.”
“I’ll—I’ll think about it, Lou.”
Leaning close, I brush a kiss over his cheek. “That’s all I ask.”
Getting to my feet, I tug on his hand. My coffee needs a refill. He follows me dutifully, a soft smile on his lips like he finds me amusing.
In the kitchen, we find Sean and Jace leaning against the counter. I’ve only taken three steps before Sean has filled a mug with fresh coffee for me. When I accept it, the warmth seeps through the porcelain.
“How do you take your coffee?”
Next to me, my brother hesitates for a second before dipping his chin. “Milk, please.”
Sean turns to fix the coffee, and I grin, nudging my brother with my elbow. We’re all going to be alright.
Warm light floods the basement when Sean flips the switch several hours later. Once he and Jace descend the stairs, I catch my brother’s arm and question in Finnish, “Are you sure working out is wise in your condition?”
He scoffs, and the derisive sound makes my lips twitch. “I don’t need ears for crunches.”
“Fingers either,” I quip. I hope he spends all his time on the computer that I gave him access to early this morning. I find that less concerning than potentially exacerbating his physical injuries. As though he can read my mind, he rolls his eyes and mutters, “I’m being friendly.”
The gym isn’t as extensive as the one I have at my other homes, but it has more than enough equipment to keep ourselves in shape.
Jace is already sitting on the edge of the bench, a pair of dumbbells between his spread feet. Sean is loading the bar on the squat rack with plates. Blessedly, Mercer sits on the floor in the corner, opening the laptop. Good.
Beneath the pull-up bar, I close my eyes and stretch out my muscles for a moment, feeling, sensing Sean approach. “I like it when you smile,” he whispers directly into my ear before disappearing. I hadn’t realized I was, but when my eyelashes part, the mirror confirms his statement.
It makes me happy to be with my family.
The three of us lose ourselves in our individual workouts over the next hour. I toss a bottle of water to Jace and Sean and dab off the sweat from my face with Sean’s abandoned shirt. I wish he’d stop wearing them altogether.
“So, I’ve been wondering, how does it work?” Jace asks, still catching his breath. “Being an assassin, I mean.”
I sit on the floor, my forearms resting on my bent knees. “You submit a job listing for me, and I’ll either accept or decline.”
Out of my periphery, I find my brother’s eyes on us. I’ve never discussed this with anyone other than Mercer.
“How do you decide whether or not you’ll accept it?” Sean questions before taking a long swig of his cold water.
I lift a shoulder. “Gut instinct; I always trust my intuition. Outside of logistical aspects, it’s what I base everything on. It’s never led me astray.”
“Do you charge a flat rate or what?”
I tsk, a sly smile dancing over my mouth.
“Sean, baby, you like to ask invasive questions. I charge by the job. The price varies upon the circumstance, the target, and the level of risk. If I accept the job, I’ll determine how much it’ll cost, and a deposit of half is required before I complete it.
When I’m done, I’ll submit a photo of the eliminated target as proof, and the remainder of the payment is wired into my account. ”
“How much would you charge to take out Viktor?” I take a swig of my beer.
My face hardens to ancient stone. “I would not take that job.”
Mercer joins officially when he snorts and everyone’s eyes land on him. His face is impassive, but he knows better than anyone that I’d never take that job. Conall either. At least I think that’s what the snort was about…
“Hypothetically,” Sean insists.
With a sigh, I yield. “Purely in a hypothetical context and simply to satisfy your boundless curiosity, I’d charge at least ten million pounds for Viktor.”
Sean’s eyes go wider than a continent. “That seems like…a lot. Is that the typical rate?”
“For the Pakhan of the Bratva? No, it’s not too much. He would be an incredibly risky mark.” The only law I abide by is my own, and I’m exceptional at what I do, which has made me wealthy. I realize that must be an adjustment from the type of life he and Jace must’ve lived prior.
“Is that why you wouldn’t take that job?” he presses.
I feel my brother’s gaze drilling into the side of my head as I answer. “It has nothing to do with his title. I’m responsible for the death of his grandfather. Viktor hired me himself. There are simply…certain people I would never accept as targets. Viktor is one of them.”
“What about for a regular person? Someone like me?” Jace asks.
Sean shoves at him. “Man, we really don’t need to fucking know that.”
I find their curiosity amusing, so I decide to entertain it. “Without having to factor in travel or the low risk you pose, I’d take the job for sixty thousand.”
Honey Eyes pulls a face that makes me chuckle. “Low risk,” he protests.
“How would you do it?” Sean inquires on his behalf.
Jace levels a horrified expression in his direction that makes me giggle. He shakes his head. “I do not need you to answer that.”
Even my brother chuckles. I finish my bottle of water and set it aside.
“Sniper rifle,” I reply easily.
Jace blows out a breath, his eyes still rounded. “At least I wouldn’t see it coming.”
I glance at my brother and find him fighting a smile. I know he’d do things differently.
“How would you kill me?”
I tilt my head as I assess Sean. Does he really want to know? I’d never kill him. Not even with the metal of a barrel pressed to my temple. The look he pins me with now says that he knows that, though.
I think through the question before landing on an option as unique and creative as he is.
“Accidental snakebite. I’d choose to use the saw-scaled viper since its bite is so venomous and highly toxic.
The result would be severe blood-clotting issues that would eventually lead to hemorrhaging.
Of course, I could just inject the venom into your system, but watching the snake strike is part of the fun. ”
His eyebrows lift, the corner of his mouth twitching like he might be impressed, but it’s Jace who speaks next, his congenial tone tinged with disbelief. “Christ, Lou, you’re disturbed.”
“How would you do it?” Sean directs the inquiry to my brother, who blinks in surprise.
I crawl over to my other half and settle between his legs, my back sticking to the sweaty skin of his torso. Sean casually rests a hand on my thigh, and I let out a contented hum. Being in his arms is as wonderful as stripping out of your bra after a long day.
“Car explosion via remote detonation so I could ensure you two were together,” my brother responds with a blank expression, as though he’s discussing the Tuesday special at his favorite restaurant. I know it’s an act. He’d never do anything to hurt me.
“Do you think this is how journalists feel when they step into a room alone with a convicted serial killer, Digs?” Jace chuckles, and I know it’s a joke because they spent years alone with the worst sorts of humans.
I laugh and explain, “Mercer has a penchant for things that go boom.”
“Would it be a Koskinen murder if it wasn’t a bit theatrical?” Mercer retorts. Touché.
“Is? would be proud,” I tell him. He nods in agreement. I often wonder what my father would say about our chosen professions. I like to think he’d be proud.
Then, Jace’s face twists in pain before he drops his head back. “I bet they’ve frozen our accounts so we couldn’t pay to have each other murdered.”
“That’s alright. I’ll share my wealth,” I supply. “And we’ll find you both a job. Something that pays well.”
Mercer’s wide, brown eyes meet mine from across the room. I’m sure this is the most shocking part of the entire conversation for him to hear.
“How did you get around that?” Sean asks, his chest rumbling against my spine.
“I’m sure they froze my dummy accounts. They’d never be able to lock down my actual finances.
Money buys a lot of things, including the best hackers in the world to make sure my wealth remains untouchable.
I’ve worked too hard to let anyone—let alone some government—gain access to what’s rightfully mine. ”
“Guess that means you don’t pay taxes?”
Mercer and I both laugh loudly and openly at Jace’s question as I shake my head. Give the government my hard-earned money? No, thanks.
Jace claps his hands and grins, glee dripping from his words. “Can we look at the toys now?”