Chapter Seventeen #2
I reached out with my mind, following the electronic trail through servers and firewalls. The green energy around my hands intensified, reflecting in the monitors as I bypassed security protocols that would have taken conventional hackers days to crack.
For me, they were as substantial as cobwebs.
The door to the command center opened behind me and I didn't need to turn to know who had entered.
Nicolai's presence filled a room like no one else's—a predatory energy that made the air feel suddenly thicker.
My body reacted to his proximity with a shameful eagerness that I was still getting used to.
"Busy day?" I asked, eyes still on the screens as my consciousness traced financial networks across continents.
"Productive," came the rumbled reply.
I swiveled in my chair, taking in the sight of him. The immaculately tailored suit couldn't completely disguise the power of the body beneath it, and the bloodied knuckles of his right hand told their own story.
"Let me guess," I said dryly. "Mr. Henderson suddenly decided to be more cooperative about his business relationship with O'Rourke?"
Nicolai's mouth twitched in that almost-smile that did unfair things to my heart rate. "He developed a surprising enthusiasm for sharing information."
"Amazing what a change in perspective can achieve." I nodded toward his hand. "You should clean that up before Yuri sees. You know how he gets about bloodstains on the imported carpets."
"Henderson's nose bled more than I anticipated." He moved to the small sink in the corner, washing his hands with methodical precision. "He provided names. Three new associates we weren't tracking yet."
My interest immediately piqued. "Financial backers?"
"One financial, one political, one technical." He dried his hands on a towel, then moved to stand behind me. "The technical contact is particularly interesting."
He handed me a small notebook with three names written in his precise handwriting. I input them into my system, setting facial recognition programs in motion across surveillance networks and initiating deep searches through financial and communication databases.
"Senator Williams is going to be a problem," I noted, eyeing the second name on the list. "His security is top-notch."
"Leave the senator to me," Nicolai replied, his voice taking on that dangerous edge that reminded me of exactly who and what he was. "Focus on this one."
He tapped the third name—Dr. Elaine Reeves, Technical Director.
"What's her story?"
"Henderson claims she was the architect of the containment technology used on shifters." Nicolai's voice remained calm, but I caught the slight tension in his jaw. "The same restraints they used on me."
My fingers clenched involuntarily, green energy sparking between them. The nearest monitor flickered in response.
"Control, malysh," Nicolai murmured, echoing his familiar reminder.
"I'm fine," I replied automatically, though we both knew it was a lie. The memory of him strapped to that metal table, surrounded by O'Rourke's scientists, still haunted my nightmares.
I refocused on the screens, directing my abilities into the search. Information about Dr. Reeves flowed faster as I pushed the systems beyond their normal capabilities, pulling data from secure servers and classified databases with an ease that would have terrified government cybersecurity experts.
"She has a cabin," I said after several minutes of intense searching.
"Off the grid, but not completely. Solar power system with a satellite internet connection for emergencies.
" I pulled up property records, then satellite imagery.
"Remote location in the mountains, about three hours north.
Purchased through a shell corporation, but I found the paper trail. "
Nicolai's hand settled on my shoulder, heavy and warm, as he leaned in to study the images. The possessive weight of it should have bothered me—should have triggered all my old instincts to run from anyone trying to claim me. Instead, I found myself leaning slightly into the touch.
When had that happened? When had his possessiveness become something I craved rather than feared?
"Good work," he said, his fingers squeezing gently. "We'll move on this tonight."
I manipulated the screens to display all the data we'd gathered on O'Rourke's network, a web of connections with conspicuous empty spaces where the man himself should be.
"Still no direct line to O'Rourke," I said, frustration evident in my voice. "He's like a ghost."
"Every ghost leaves traces," Nicolai replied. "We're getting closer. Each associate we remove weakens his position."
The screens reflected in my eyes as I surveyed our progress. Twenty-seven facilities destroyed. Thirty-four key associates either eliminated or turned. Millions in assets frozen or seized. Yet O'Rourke himself remained frustratingly elusive.
"We make a good team," I said, glancing up at Nicolai as he studied the data.
"Obviously," he replied, his tone dry. "I provide the muscle, you provide the sass."
I couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "Is that what you call it when I trace untraceable accounts and crack 'unbreakable' security systems? Sass?"
"Among other things." His thumb traced a small circle on my shoulder, the casual intimacy of it sending warmth through me. "Your particular brand of electronic warfare complements my more... traditional methods."
I turned back to the screens, trying to ignore how his proximity affected my concentration. "By 'traditional methods,' you mean intimidation, violence, and the occasional destruction of property?"
"Time-tested approaches," he confirmed, and I could hear the smile in his voice without seeing it.
My fingers danced across the keyboard as I set up automated searches to run while we pursued Dr. Reeves. "Well, your knuckles and my neurons have dismantled most of O'Rourke's empire. We'll get him eventually."
Nicolai's hand slid from my shoulder to the back of my neck, a casual claim that sent shivers down my spine. "We'll get him soon," he corrected, his voice taking on that dangerous edge again. "His options are running out."
The predatory confidence in his tone should have been disturbing. Instead, it felt like a promise—of safety, of vengeance, of a future where I wouldn't have to keep looking over my shoulder.
"Your bear is showing," I murmured, but leaned back into his touch all the same.
His soft growl in response vibrated through his hand and into my body. "He's impatient to finish this hunt."
And God help me, so was I.
* * * *
The war table was covered with maps, surveillance photos, and handwritten notes detailing our ongoing dismantling of O'Rourke's empire.
I leaned over a satellite image of Dr. Reeves' mountain cabin, fingers tracing the approach routes we'd identified earlier. Nicolai stood behind me, his massive frame radiating heat I could feel even without direct contact.
This had become our nightly ritual—strategy sessions that gradually shifted from professional to something decidedly more personal as the hours wore on.
Tonight was no different, his proximity growing closer with each passing minute, until I could feel his breath stirring the hair at my nape.
"Two access roads," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady despite his closeness. "Both easily monitored, but there's a hiking trail that comes within a quarter mile of the property line. Less direct, but—"
"But less likely to trigger security systems," Nicolai finished, his hand settling on the small of my back. "Yuri and Dima can approach from that direction while we take the main road."
His touch burned through my thin t-shirt like a brand. I swallowed hard, trying to focus on the maps instead of the way my body responded to his proximity.
"She'll have electronic countermeasures," I pointed out, tapping a series of notations on the property plans we'd hacked from the security company's servers. "Motion sensors, cameras, probably signal jammers too."
"Can you handle them?" The question was purely professional, but the way his fingers traced small circles against my back was anything but.
I shot him a look over my shoulder. "Please. Remember who you're talking to."
His mouth curved in that slight, devastating smile. "How could I possibly forget?"
The air between us crackled with tension that had nothing to do with my electronic abilities. We'd been dancing around this—around us—for weeks now. Lingering touches, heated glances, moments of intimacy interrupted by the demands of our hunt for O'Rourke.
"We should finalize the team assignments," I said, not moving away as he stepped closer, his chest nearly touching my back. "Dima's group will need—"
"Dima knows what to do," Nicolai murmured, his voice dropping to that dangerous rumble that sent heat pooling low in my belly. His hands settled on my hips, turning me to face him.
Professional boundaries: officially abandoned.
"We were discussing strategy," I reminded him, even as my hands betrayed me by reaching up to rest against his chest.
"We've been discussing strategy for three hours," he countered, one large hand sliding up my back to settle between my shoulder blades. "I think we've earned a break."
His other hand came up to cup my face, thumb brushing over my lower lip in a touch so gentle it seemed impossible from those powerful hands—hands I'd seen break bones and end threats without hesitation.
"A break," I repeated, my voice embarrassingly breathless. "Is that what we're calling this now?"
Instead of answering, he leaned down, his lips claiming mine with a hunger that stole my breath.
My body responded instantly, arms sliding around his neck as I pressed against him, rising on my toes to better meet his kiss. His hand at my back tightened, drawing me impossibly closer until I could feel every hard plane of his body against mine.