Chapter 87 – Damir
DAMIR
“Roslyn” by Bon Iver, St. Vincent
Present
Azra 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.