Chapter 19
Chapter nineteen
Alisa
Dmitri’s irritated gaze met mine in the hallway.
“Something you want to say?” I asked, crossing my arms.
I’d changed into a dress that was practically nun-like in the concealment of my skin. I hadn’t missed the way Jayden had been eye fucking me.
“Anything amiss?” Dmitri asked quietly, his jaw set in a firm line.
“They went through my things, but didn’t find anything,” I said with a small smile.
Knowledge was power. So I’d been completely unsurprised that when I’d opened my suitcase, there were tells that a guard had gone through my things when he’d transported it to my room.
It appeared he’d been too busy fondling my underwear to find my secret compartments.
After I’d re-read the assignment briefing for the fifth time, I’d started planning which poisons to bring. My deficiency of knowledge regarding this particular type of mission had an inverse effect on the amount of poisons I’d carefully hidden in my suitcase.
I was prepared for anything and from the tension rippling from Dmitri, it appeared my intuition had been right.
A guard approached on our left, ending our private conversation.
We silently followed him through the cathedral height hallway, and I enjoyed the flow of central heating bathing me in warmth.
If I had to deal with the icy glares of Dmitri and the lecherous glances of the distributor who didn’t take me seriously beyond my body, at least I could be grateful that I was in a house that wouldn’t leave me wrapping myself in five layers of blankets because the heater was broken.
That was the only thing I had to look forward to this weekend.
“Alisa, you look lovely,” Jayden said from his perch on the couch. It was blatantly obvious he was mentally undressing my completely covered frame.
A wave of irritation rolled off Dmitri’s face before he masked it with indifference. I couldn’t blame him. The last thing I’d want is to be partnered with someone who had no experience in this type of mission and wasn’t being taken seriously at all.
When Jayden smiled at me and patted the couch cushion right next to him, I held in my cringe.
I selected the chair furthest away from him.
“Can I offer you anything to eat?” Jayden said, his tongue flicking across his utterly punchable lips.
“We didn’t come here for your hospitality,” Dmitri said, his voice hard. “I want to see the ledgers.”
Jayden’s smile dipped for a moment. “Of course, you can follow me this way, Dmitri.”
Jayden brushed ahead of me, without even checking to see if I was following.
Jayden left us alone in a cavernous library with views of a frosty lake. For a moment, all I could do was stare at the mammoth collection of books lining the shelves. As if in a trance, I ran my fingers across the oak wood shelves that held as many hardcovers as a bookstore.
I felt the heat of Dmitri’s attention and immediately dropped my hand.
“Are you a fan of self-help books?” he asked with a smirk.
I shot him a glare, but an obnoxious flush worked its way up my neck. His eyes darkened, and my pulse skyrocketed in response.
Before he could shoot it up even higher I blurted out, “Are you?”
“I don’t need help with anything,” he said, taking a step forward, and encroaching into my space. “But I’d be happy to show you everything I know.”
I backed up into the hard wooden bookshelf, and he stepped right into my personal space. I lifted my chin to stare up at him, and he laid a large hand over my head, caging me in.
Without meaning to, I bit down on my lip. His eyes tracked the movement, and my traitorous body yearned for him to close the distance.
“All you have to do is beg, kotenok, and I’ll give you everything you’re craving.”
My body was still screaming at me to give in, but my mind reared back into action.
“Never.”
Dmitri stepped back, an amused smile working its way over his face. While I tried to discreetly regain my breath and mind, Dmitri picked up the ledger Jayden had left for us.
Seemingly unaffected by what happened, he silently flicked through the pages while my body was entirely focused on what I’d preferred he was flicking instead.
“What are you looking for?” I asked, and then mentally kicked myself.
Obviously, Dmitri wasn’t going to tell me. From the irritated looks he’d been spearing my way since we’d entered the house, he thought I was just in the way.
I was so used to that from men in my life, that it barely stung anymore. I’d learned to silently watch and try to glean some knowledge, instead of broadcasting my deficiencies.
Dmitri’s head tilted towards me. His look turned assessing.
“Discrepancies,” he said after a few moments of silence. “But I’d be shocked if he was stupid enough to record them here.”
Dmitri handed me the book and pointed to a number near the bottom of the page. Him actively involving me in the process instead of shooing me away was almost more shocking than if he’d just handed me a gun and dared me to shoot him.
Okay, I shouldn’t be that shocked. The one thing I’d learned about Dmitri was to never try to predict what he’d do next.
“I’m going to check to see if those numbers are significantly higher than last week,” he said, his voice gravelly and warm over my shoulder.
I bit down on my lip, paying rapt attention to the small pieces of knowledge he was giving me.
“If you notice a fluctuation, then we’ll know he’s skimming the books?” I guessed.
Dmitri’s lips curved into a smile, and my stomach jumped into my throat. My mind flashed back to a time when my brother was still alive.
My father had been discussing strategy with my brother for an upcoming mission, something he’d never wasted his energy on with me.
I’d listened in at the door, trying to learn something.
When my father had mentioned his suspicions about a drug dealer’s encroachment on the Bratva territory, without thinking I’d piped up with a suggestion from the doorway.
I’d never forget the slow turn of my father’s head, and the way I held my breath. My father’s mouth opened, and a laugh burst out of him. His shoulders shook with the force of his laughter.
When his shuddering breaths of mirth had descended back into silence, I knew I’d never be stupid enough to speak up again.
But when Dmitri opened his mouth, he didn’t laugh.
“If only it were that easy,” he said.
I waited for the hammer to drop. For him to shoo me off to distract Jayden, probably the only thing he thought I was good for.
Dmitri nodded at the ledger. “Why don’t you go through that and see if anything looks off.”
My mouth dropped open and I just stared at him for a moment, waiting for the punch line. When it didn’t come I said tentatively, “What should I be looking for?”
As he listed off examples I steadfastly engrained each and every detail, refusing to give him a reason for why I wasn’t equipped to handle this. When he left me alone to begin the work, I realized two things:
He was actually taking me seriously.
And I was absolutely certain I’d never understand this man.