Page 42 of Alexei

“Aurora, you’ve got to-”

“Don’t tell me what I have to do,” she retorted back. “I’m a grown woman and I’m doing my job.”

“Your job is not to be out in the field.”

She scoffed. “Because you say so?” she challenged.

“You just gave me a lecture on dealing with criminals and now you’ll go into the field with one?”

“Who said I’m going into the field with him?” she barked out. She didn’t know it yet, but we’d be going into the field together. “I certainly didn’t. You better not be hacking into their database, Byron.” Oh, so her dear brother did break laws. I couldn’t fault him for it though, because he did it to protect her. “And now that it’s convenient for your cause, you’ll agree with my assessment of a psychotic criminal, huh?” she scoffed. “All of them are psychotic in one way or another, I assure you. Just because some of them are hiding it better than Alexei Nikolaev, it doesn’t mean they are any less brutal or crazy. So if you are dealing with Morrellis and Santos, I’ll deal with the Nikolaevs and you’ll stay out of my goddamn way.”

Okay, so not exactly flattery, but why did I get so goddamn hard hearing her words? Agent Ashford had a backbone.

A heartbeat of silence and then Byron’s deep laugh broke through the tension.

“You did your homework,” her brother commended her. “I taught you well. Go into it with eyes wide open. I’m proud of you, Rora.”

“Whatever. Flattery will get you nowhere,” she mumbled. “I’m going home. I kind of lost my appetite seeing all that shit. Go schmooze, Brother. I’m going to hang out with the girls.”

“Come on-” He tried to sooth her. Those two cared about each other. I’d bet she was close with all her siblings.

“See you later.”

A string of his curses followed. “I’m coming with you, Rora. What kind of brother do you take me for? To let you go home alone after this.”

“Don’t worry, I can shoot. And if that psychotic moron inside didn’t go bananas, I could have handled grabby hands myself. Go catch up with your buddies. God forbid they think you bailed on them.”

“They’ll live. My sister might not with her smart mouth.”

A smack and a soft chuckle followed.

“At least I have a smart mouth. Unlike this brother of mine.”

“Come on, let’s go home. I’ll fix you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It is much fancier than anything this place has. Maybe the girls and I will even convince you to play on the Xbox.”

Her snort was loud. “Fat chance.”

Both of their laughter trailed off.

Not wasting any time, I stood up and shoved my hands into my cargo pockets. “Nico, I’ll need information on her mother and brothers,” I told him and left the table without another word.

After all, the reason I came to this lunch just left.

* * *

Two hours later,I was in the basement of the Sazerac Bar. We hadn’t had anyone in our soundproof, interrogation rooms here for a few years now. Not since that jackass tried to slip a roofie into Isabella’s drink way back when.

I walked down the dimly lit hallway. Centuries ago, these hallways were used for smuggling. Today, they were used for torture and the disposal of bodies. Stopping in front of the metal door, I keyed in my passcode and stepped inside.

The fool that dared to grab Aurora’s ass was tied up in chains, hanging off the ceiling and waiting for me. That familiar, cold calm washed over me, just as it did every time I executed men.

Killing him shouldn’t feel any different than any other man who wronged me.

Yet, it did.

I knew it would, because I was doing it for Agent Ashford. Because he dared to put his filthy hands on her ass.

He began to struggle when he saw me, chains rattling filled the room. I knew I’d go hunting when I told him to run. I was going to toy with him for a few days and teach him a lesson.