Chapter 87 – Damir
DAMIR
“Roslyn” by Bon Iver, St. Vincent
Present
A zra is gone.
I woke up to an empty bed and a note.
“Thanks for the gloves. And the sex. And the laugh. Oh, and the not so platonic team bonding. See you soon, partner. -V.”
V.
Voron .
Not Azra.
But why am I smiling like an idiot?
I’ve been dodging my mission, breaking protocol only to stay with her a little longer. Now I want to stay forever , and I know I’m not supposed to.
She just left. No creaking door, no sound, the only thing left is the ghost of her presence in my sheets and a folded note on my chest.
I blink against the morning light and squint down at it.
Thanks for the gloves. And the sex. And the laugh. See you soon, partner.
I grin like an idiot. Thumb brushing her words but then my phone buzzes.
Lev
Status? You haven’t reported on the Voron thing.
Lev
We need to debrief. ASAP.
I don’t reply. I’m still rereading her note, touching the letters like a stupid man. And then, I stare at the ceiling for a moment.
Something stupidly soft cracks open in my chest.
I text her.
Me
You’re welcome.
Read .
No reply, of course, so I call her. She picks up like she was waiting for it, voice all innocent, and I can hear the music blasting in the background.
“Missing me already?” She asks softly.
“Didn’t even get a proper goodbye, partner .”
“You got a note.”
“You thanked me for the sex.”
“It was good.”
“Yeah, it was.”
She laughs, and the sound fills something in me I didn’t know was empty.
“What are you wearing?” I ask, dragging a hand through my hair.
“A gun and a knife.”
“Mmmh. Hot .”
I smile into the phone, barely suppressing the urge to ask when I’ll see her again.
“Plans today?”
“Big Emira and Venom Reapers dinner tonight at the Lebanese complex. Just received a text from Zanae.”
“Need a date?”
“I’d say no, but you’d show up anyway.”
“Exactly.”
“Fine. My other admirer might be here too.”
“Too bad he won’t be able to talk to you.”
“ Clingy ,” she teases.
“I’m only in this city for you.”
Silence. Then a softer voice, “You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why? Because you might believe me?”
“Because I already do.”
Fuck. My heart is beating so fast in my chest, I could hear it scream her name, over and over again. Azra, Azra, Azra…
“And you, what are you wearing?” she asks like she wants to change the subject.
I grin. “Still naked.”
“Gross.”
“ Accurate. ”
“You do sound like you’re still naked.”
“Trying to mourn your absence in peace. You're making it hard.”
She laughs again and I can hear her smile through the phone, “What’s hard?”
“What ruined you for the past two days.”
“Poor thing.”
“Devastated even.”
Pathetic. I’m pathetic.
Another pause and I picture her biting her lip, trying not to smile.
“Later, partner.”
She hangs up first and I stare at the phone, smile stretching slow and stupid across my face.
Yeah.
I really like her. I really fucking do.