Chapter 21
ALONZO
Ilya’s Home:
The moment I shut the door, Zakhar appears from the shadows, a smirk pulling at his lips.
“Figured I’d find you here when the guards said you weren’t in your room.
” I stare at him, unspeaking. Does he expect me to apologize?
Zakhar rolls his eyes. “We know all about the two of you, man. I also know that she’s really pissed at you, so if you want to fix that, you’re going to have to work fast and hard.
Good thing for you, I’m good at that shit.
First, though, Ilya wants to talk to you. ”
“You mean he wants to kill me after I tell him what he wants to know? And I don’t need your fucking help with anything.
” I’m not about to pretend I don’t know exactly what’s likely to happen when I get into Ilya’s office, but the idea that this prick thinks he knows Rori better than I do makes me want to punch him.
Preferably more than once.
His lips pull into a wide grin. “And they say the Italians have no brains.” I glare at him. “Work with us, and you’ll probably live through the night. Ilya’s a bit prickly as he got some…unexpected news, so take that as you will. Come on. Best not to keep him waiting any longer.”
I don’t bother to protest, following him down the hall. For now, I have to play nice, but the moment we can get the hell out of here, all bets are off.
Ilya looks as pissed as I expected when we enter his office. More actually. I’m not sure what set him off, but from the veins in his neck bulging and the flushed color of his face, I’d have to say it’s something big. I quickly glance around the room, but I don’t see Simeon.
Probably for the best. The guy is pretty useless.
Zakhar motions for me to have a seat, but Ilya’s eyes are on me, and they are frigid. I hold his stare, refusing to be intimidated. I don’t sit, either. Instead, I cross my arms over my chest and give him a cold glare of my own.
At this point, Rori is scarier than he’ll ever be.
Another flash of guilt but I ignore it. Especially when Ilya slowly gets to his feet, like he’s going for some stupid dramatic effect. “How do you know the Chameleon?” he finally demands once he’s straightened to his full height, his clenched fists braced on his desk.
Shit. Is this another fucking test? Rori’s warning blares loudly in my head.
Do not even dare to utter their fucking name or gender. This entire place is lined with cameras and bugs. Possibly some of theirs.
Something tells me that I need to tread very carefully.
“I already told you. I was kidnapped, given instructions, and I came here. I’m here for Rori, not whatever bullshit you’re planning to do.”
“The Chameleon never shows their face and never leaves anyone alive, so you really expect me to believe you?”
“I don’t care what you believe. I already told you that I never saw their face.
I was in a fucking shipping container in the fucking dark.
I couldn’t even tell from their voice if it was a man or a woman, so I assumed they had on a mask and voice modifier.
They told me I was to come here, gave me that note and the information I already told you, and left after they knocked me out again. ”
Ilya pounces. “And how did they knock you out if they didn’t get near you?”
I give him my best you’re an idiot look. “They had someone else knock me out. The blow came from behind me, so I have to assume they had someone there to make sure that I didn’t cause any trouble.”
“And let me guess, you didn’t see them either?”
“It was fucking pitch black in there. I couldn’t see my own fucking hands in front of my face. The only light was a crack in the container door, and these people stayed in the shadows.”
I hope to God I’m selling this shit, or I’m going to really be in trouble. I’m already treading a little closer to the line than comfortable. Especially if Tatiana has a way of watching me or another tracker or something on me that no one knows about.
“The Chameleon works alone. No fucking way they would allow another person to get that close to them.”
“How do you know they didn’t kill them?” His lips purse slightly.
I glare at him. “You already thought of that, and you’re sitting here busting my balls about it?
Wasting time is pointless, Romanov. Whatever bullshit you’re getting all pissy about is in your own head.
Getting paranoid is what is going to get you killed. ”
Zakhar snorts out a laugh, ignoring his brother’s furious glare. “What, he’s right. Besides, you tried to trap him and it didn’t work. He didn’t see the guy or his helper.” Zakhar looks at me thoughtfully. “Were you sitting in a chair when you woke up or on the floor?”
What the hell kind of question is that? “I was sprawled on the floor. I got the feeling they weren’t interested in giving me a five-star experience.”
Zakhar shrugs. “Maybe, or they couldn’t get your giant ass in a chair so they didn’t bother trying.”
“What I don’t understand is how they got you there in the first place. You just let someone get the drop on you like that?” Ilya sneers.
“I was drugged, not hit over the fucking head,” I snap. This asshole is trying my patience. Massimo was always the one to handle this bullshit.
“Probably couldn’t fucking reach that either.” Zakhar laughs. “Dude, you’re taller than me and people have a hard time doing that shit when they attempt it on me.”
“Still, if you were drugged, then someone had to get close to you to make sure that they got enough into you to take your ass down,” Ilya points out, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Before I can answer that, the door slams open, all of us rounding toward it, but I relax when I see it’s Rori and Hades. Well, until I see the expression on her face and the pillow case in her hand. Oleg comes running in behind her, a furious look on her face.
Rori doesn’t stop moving as she sends the pillowcase flying toward Ilya. He dodges it, but it lands with a loud, and wet, splat on his desk. Ilya makes a sound that’s a mixture of distress and anger, grabbing the pillowcase and tossing it off his now sopping wet desk.
I cover my mouth to keep from laughing aloud. Effective, if not a good way to piss the man off.
Oleg moves to grab Rori, but Hades lets out a vicious snarl, jaws snapping inches from the man’s arm.
I’m already moving, but Rori simply turns around, brings up her booted foot, and rams it into Oleg’s gut, sending him sprawling back.
She calls Hades off before Hades can launch himself after the man, and she turns back to face Ilya.
“Thought you might want your equipment back after it took a nice, blistering bubble bath. And your guards are shit. I was already halfway here before your guard dog came running to try and intercept me. And from the look on your face, they also didn’t let you know I destroyed all your devices.
Might want to look into that. Oh, and you’re going to want to have someone fix that light over the bed.
Nice touch, hiding one in there, but you need to work on your disguising ability. It was a little too obvious.”
Ilya’s jaw clenches, even as Zakhar gapes at her.
I don’t bother stopping my short bark of laughter this time. Fuck, she just called him an idiot and his men incompetent in a short breath.
There’s a quick barking order to Oleg in Russian by Ilya, and when I turn to look at him, Oleg’s lips are pinched with fury. Uh oh, someone got himself in trouble?
“Oh, well, you’re welcome then,” Rori says sweetly, a toothy smile stretching her lips wide. “Sounds like your regular sweeps aren’t up to par either if I managed to find one that one of your enemy’s spies got in without anyone knowing. Should work on that too, don’t you think?”
Ilya’s face flushes an angry red, while Zakhar looks like he’s not sure if he wants to laugh or curse her.
I move behind her, glaring at them both, daring them to try and touch her.
Rori doesn’t even glance at me, but her elbow to my gut with enough force to send the breath whooshing out of me tells me she isn’t pleased with my gesture.
Damn it. But she doesn’t move away from me, so that’s a good sign, right?
“Now, I’m sure you were interrogating Alonzo, but he’s not going to be able to help you.
The Chameleon sees an opportunity to use him to make this entire mess somehow work out, and he won’t know anything past what they want him to know.
So instead of all this posturing and interrogation bullshit, how about we actually get to work on a plan so none of us end up in a basement getting scalped, eyes gouged out, and then limbs sawed off one by one until we finally die from blood loss and shock? ”
I look down at her, horrified at the imagery filling my head. I’ve heard that the Bratva Butcher is a sadistic monster, but I haven’t heard of that level of depravity. And this is what she grew up around?
I’m shocked she’s turned out as normal as she has.
A quick flash of the look in her eyes, and how fast she took me down fills my head. Yeah, I think I should probably be grateful after all the shit that’s gone down between us she hasn’t just murdered me in my sleep. Or worse…
Neither Ilya or Zakhar look disgusted at her words, so they must be aware of those methods. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they used a few of them too. “You are quickly wearing away any generosity or kindness I might possess, Rayea,” Ilya hisses out between gritted teeth.
My own teeth grind at the use of her birth name. It doesn’t suit her. Fuck, I hate it. I won’t ever call her that. She’s Aurora O’Brien. That’s the only name she should be called.
Rori shrugs. “And we both know that you need me, and you won’t do anything to me that might risk me being able to pull off this grand plan.
Whatever your issues are with the Chameleon, unless it has something to do with what is about to happen, let it go.
Deal with them later. We are running short on time. Where is Simeon?”
“He’s dealing with some of his men and the plane,” Zakhar tells her. “Searching it for bugs and trackers.”
“Wait, he doesn’t do that regularly now?” I demand. They stare at me. “And you really want to get involved with him? He’s an idiot.”
“An idiot that can be controlled,” Rori corrects me.
Her gaze is directed at Ilya, daring him to disagree.
He holds her stare, unyielding. “You already had it searched, but you sent him there to make sure he’s out of the way while you talk to Alonzo.
Which means you have a plan to use Alonzo and don’t want Simeon potentially overhearing it and blurting it out to the wrong person. ”
I narrow my eyes. What the fuck is he planning for me to do? Does he really think I’m going to play along with this bullshit?
The first opportunity I can get Rori the hell out of here, I am. I don’t care if I have to knock her out and burn this place to the ground to make it happen.