Chapter 11 – Zanae
11
ZANAE
S tepping out of my car, I notice both Nikolai and Elijah waiting for me. I didn’t know he would be here. I didn’t want him to be here.
The Devil is dressed in a black tailored suit that accentuates his commanding presence; he looks more dangerous than ever. His tattoos peek from under his shirt, on his neck and arms, even on his hands.
He has that scary look, the kind that makes me question if I have the right to look at those green eyes so intensely, or if he’s going to kill me for doing it.
“Look who decided to show up,” Elijah remarks as he eyes me from head to toe. Fire . So much fire.
Focus, Z, focus.
Nikolai chuckles and then smiles softly in my direction, “Zanae, beautifully late as always.”
I roll my eyes, looking into Elijah’s eyes, “Thanks, Nikolai.”
I sit on the chair, facing them. Elijah, however, seems distracted, his gaze lingering on me.
I catch his glance and raise an eyebrow, “Something on your mind, Volkov?”
He doesn’t even feel ashamed that I called him out, no emotions, just fire burning in those deep green eyes, “A lot of things, Zanae.”
“Planning to try to kill me again? I see,” I tease, curious about the secrecy of his thoughts, even if I fear what I might find.
He leans in, his grip tightening around my throat as he pulls me closer. His hand slides through strands of hair, tucking it behind my ear before his breath caresses my skin. “No,” he whispers, “this time, I’m thinking about pushing something else between your thighs.”
Pushing something else?
Oh …The gun.
Why is my pulse racing?
This feels so wrong, but why do I like it?
He leaves me hanging like this, readjusting himself in his chair and taking a sip from his glass as if nothing happened.
Bastard.
“Okay, lovers, let’s not ruin the mission before it even starts. We’re a team, remember?”
I turn to Niko, laugh, and brush the skin on my neck, “Lovers? More like nemesis, Niko. Don’t give him ideas.”
Elijah shoots me a cold look, still not changing the fire in them.
He’s just smiling, tilting his head a bit, like he’s liking the situation more than he should. “ Nemesis , I like it,” he finally says. Pride and satisfaction invading those green eyes.
“Psycho.”
“I would rather call myself a genius, but go on.”
Nikolai looks at his friend and shakes his head, laughing in disbelief, “Of course you would call yourself a genius.”
My smile subsides to the last teasing of Niko, when Elijah notices a mark on my arm.
His expression darkens.
Green turns black, the fire turns to ice.
The forest turns into hell.
“Who did this to you, Zanae?”
My name rolls so easily over his tongue. His look changes: it’s not just burning, it’s fucking searing. I bet the flames in him are so bright they would ignite me so easily or show me a piece of hell, something that would purge the guilt I feel deep inside me.
Calm down, Z, calm the fuck down.
I shrug, trying to stay calm, “Nothing I couldn’t handle. Just a run-in with my father.”
Elijah’s jaw tightens, and Nikolai shoots him a look. “He’s been keeping tabs on you?”
“He’s trying. But I can handle him.”
“Maybe you should stay somewhere else until things calm down.”
Unexpectedly, Elijah, surprising everyone, speaks up, “She can stay at my place. It’s secure, and I have an extra room.”
Is he really inviting me to stay in his house? “Oh, how sweet of you, Elijah. It almost sounds like a threat. But you’re not like that, right?”
He scowls, but there’s a glint of something else in his eyes, something weird, something that intrigues me.
I need to know more of him; I want to know everything. I want to fucking study him, dissect him, and understand why it is so difficult to read him, like I do with anyone else.
A small smile returns to his lips as he answers, “Not like that at all, Miss Dellé.”
Nikolai interjects with a laugh, “Well, this should be interesting. The two of you under one roof. What could go wrong?”
Every-fucking-thing could go wrong. He could poison me or strangle me to death. Or I could shoot him right in the head.
Everything .
Elijah and I just look at each other. No sound, just our eyes. It’s a battle of who would make the other one suffer first. I don’t know why he chose me for that, but one thing I know is that I’m not going to let him.
If he wants a fight, then I’ll give it to him.
Nikolai’s voice cuts through the silence, redirecting our focus on the mission, “Our target is Naevio, son of a confirmed high-ranking member of the organization, as you may know. He’ll be attending the event, and Zanae, you’re our ticket to get close to that motherfucker.”
“So, I get to be the pretty dumbass at the party?”
Nikolai nods, “You’ll have to blend in like a pro and be one of them, and, most importantly, charm Naevio. We need information about where his father could be hiding. Lukas is the key to this operation. If we find him, we’ll uncover documents and evidence about every bigwig in the organization.”
Elijah gazes at me, his eyes fixed on mine, but he directs his response to Niko, “You didn’t give me the details of her role for this mission.”
Niko smiles before replying, “I tried to talk to you about it during our training, but you were too busy trying to kill me.”
Elijah rearranges his tie before turning his gaze back to me, “Naevio is his father’s son, even if he’s completely foolish and naive when it comes to women, he can be dangerous.”
I roll my eyes. What could go wrong if I just have to flirt with someone? “I’m training with you. He can’t kill me if you don’t.”
Nikolai chuckles, giving me a high five, “True. It’s settled then.”
He steps out of the room for a phone call, leaving us alone, in a heavy silence.
Elijah is comfortable in it, while I can’t help but want to break it. But he’s enjoying it, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the table before using his utensils.
Fucking stillness. I hate it. That’s why music helps me a lot.
Silence can be so deafening that you must mask it all to numb the pain.
Breathe, Z. Breathe.
I lean back in my chair, crossing my legs as I meet Elijah’s intense gaze. He always looks at me with no shame. He didn’t care that I knew he was always watching me; it was as if he even enjoyed it, making that stare feel almost natural.
“What’s on your mind, Zanae?” he asks first, carving into his meal before taking a bite.
“I’m just curious if there’s more to you than those big green eyes.”
A smile tugs at his lips. “So, you do love my eyes.”
I sigh, exhausted by his attitude. “Please Elijah, I can’t help but notice them when they’re always fixated on me.”
He smirks again, a familiar fire dancing in his eyes. “You talk a lot for someone on a secret mission.”
I lean forward, searching in that deep forest in front of me.
The only thing I noticed is that he always does everything rhythmically, as if he’s constantly counting.
Even now, he cuts through his meat 10 times before eating it. He did the same tapping the knife on the table last time—10 times, and then he’ll complete his action.
Why is it so hard when it’s him? It’s the first time I can’t openly read someone. “It seems you’re not one to shy away from conversation either, Elijah.”
His eyes darken, and he leans closer, toying with his knife as if it were a mere plaything. “I was eating before you started flirting.”
I tilt my head, studying him intently. “I wasn’t flirting, you psycho. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
He inches closer, his existence almost suffocating me.
I’m transfixed by his lips, his neck, the tangled branches tattooed on his skin. “See, Zanae, your cheeks betray you. They’re as red as you are inflamed.”
I’m amused. Murderously amused.
His gaze remains fixed on mine, he’s enjoying it as much as he’s hating it. It’s fascinating to see how much you can read in people’s eyes. Not him though, I’m still learning with him.
“Any thoughts of murder tonight? I’m feeling way better this time.”
His attention shifts to my lips. “Not sure. I might hold off a bit longer, especially since you look quite good tonight in that dress. It would be a shame to waste it,” he remarks, his tongue grazing his lip.
Breathe Z. Breathe.
“If the dress is all that’s holding you back, I can easily take it off, and you can finally have what you want so badly, Elijah,” I reply with a playful grin, tracing my finger along my throat as if it was a blade. “Me, gone .”
Leaning closer, his voice takes on a low, raspy tone, laced with a trace of desire. “I could easily tear it from your body if I wanted to. I wouldn’t mind,” he admits, tracing my cheek with his finger.
“Keep your hands to yourself, Elijah.”
His lips curl into a faint smile, barely noticeable on his stoic face.
“Someday, Milaya , you’ll beg me not to.”
Before I can respond, Nikolai returns to the room. He glances between us, and with a sly grin, then, speaks up, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Well, did I miss the beginning of a love story?”
My gaze met the Devil’s again, only to find him playing with a knife, still tapping on the table again. 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.
I roll my eyes, irritated by the whole situation. “Never.”
Elijah drops the knife on the table with a force that made me flinch. “Stop that,” he says in a deep voice, barely audible yet so loud. Confused, I look up at him, and he continues, “Don’t roll your eyes at me.”
And what next? Getting on my knees and worshiping him?
My ass.
I resist the urge to slap the shit out of him. My hand grabs his, and I move it away from the knife. “And if I don’t want to?”
He reclaims his grip on my wrist, his strength overpowering me. “The next time you do this, I’m going to give you a real reason to roll them back forever, Milaya .”
“Please do,” I challenge. “At least just try.”
But he just smiles, pulling his hand away from my hand slowly.
Asshole.
Niko observes us without a word, as if it was something normal.
“I swear you two are going to drive me insane. We’re on the same side here, right? Besides, we’ve got a mission, and I’d hate to see you ruin those exquisite faces of yours before the real fight even begins.”
“He’s right. We’ve got work to do, aren’t you a pro or something, Elijah?”
Satan finally cracks a small smile. “I suppose you’re right, Milaya .”
Niko claps his hands together, satisfied with our interaction. “That’s the spirit.”
A few moments later, we stood outside, the wind slapping my face. Oh , how I love the night. Even if I don’t show it anymore.
Every time I looked at the sky, the stars seemed to call me back, as if they missed the hope in my eyes.
I don’t look at them like that anymore.
Nikolai calls my name, trying to pull me back from my reverie, and I can hear him, but I reconnect only when I hear my name come out of the Devil’s mouth.
Green . The first thing I see is haunting green eyes. Elijah’s. So close to me, almost breathing the same air I exhaled.
“You good?” Niko asks.
I shake my head, trying to breathe normally again. “Hmm, yeah.”
“Remember, you’re crashing at Elijah’s until the mission is over,” he continues.
“Yeah, yeah. I got it. But I need some things from my place. Clothes, books, you know.”
“Why can’t you just buy essentials and be done with it?”
He sounded so annoyed, and it’s just unbearable to talk to him. I shot him an irritated look. The urge to hit him is almost overwhelming. “Sorry, Elijah, but I like having more than just a shirt on my back. And I need some things, like my headphones. Can’t go without those.”
Nikolai chuckles softly before saying, “Okay, but make it quick. We don’t want your father causing any trouble.”
“And what if he does?” I ask, jokingly.
“If he does, then he’s dead,” Elijah replies, shrugging nonchalantly.
What the fuck is wrong with this man?
“Let’s just go then.”
“You’re coming with me?” I ask, looking at him putting his helmet on, but he just ignores me.
Niko laughs openly this time and kisses my hand before getting into his car where his bodyguards awaited him. “Of course he would. He’s always waiting and watching. You’re never really alone with him still breathing.”
Elijah’s strong voice came through, cutting my reflection. “Come here.”