Page 22 of Arseni

“Uh…” I take hold of the arm rests, lightly gliding my thumbs over the smooth edges.“No, he couldn’t ID me.”

Nikita just stares at me a moment like he knows there’s more I’m not saying.“You’re positive?”

I nod.“He was preoccupied with a coworker when I found him, but I ran into one of his colleagues.I was obviously very wrong in my assessment, but I thought threatening her to convince the engineer would be just as successful.Plus, I thought it’d be harder to connect us to him.”

“Her?”His eyes roam me like he can see my motive written in my posture.“His colleague was a woman?”

I open my mouth then settle on a nod.

It was worth it.After last night, I couldn’t question if it was worth it.But it’s coming back to bite me in the ass.

“CouldsheID you?”

I don’t respond right away, instead rolling my tongue across my teeth and dropping my eyes to the golden serpent making up his cane handle.

Nikita rubs his temples with his eyes closed like he has a headache.His groan tells me my non-answer is enough.

He drops his hand.“Kill her.”

I don’t know why.Ireallydon’t know why.But my heart jumps at the command.I uncurl my hands when I notice how tightly I’m clutching the chair and rest my palms on my lap.

“She won’t be a problem, sir.I wouldn’t have left her alive otherwise.”

“Are you … arguing with me?”He pins me with a stare so intense, I get a taste of what it was like to be one of his soldiers before he had his power removed.For a split second, before I remember we’re partners, I feel glad for the restrictions placed on him.He couldn’t kill me if he wanted to.

But hedoesn’twant to.Like I said, we’re partners.At the very least, I’m important to him.

I open and close my mouth before lifting a palm and finally getting something out.“I don’t mean to, sir.It’s just that she’s someone from my past, so I know her well enough to say she isn’t going to talk.”

“Who is she?”

Again, I hesitate but no longer from uncertainty.Now, I’m just embarrassed.

“My old foster mother.”

He doesn’t make any kind of expression, instead choosing to study me like one would a fine painting.

“I see…” He nods, then looks up at the ceiling like he’s contemplating something.“Kill her.”

Kill her.

The image of Margot’s corpse flashes in my mind, and for some reason, I cringe.I’ve killed so many people, it’s difficult to count, but still, I feel hesitant.

“Is that a problem?”Nikita asks.

Is it?

I think of her with the gun, so ready to fire until she saw my face.

After a breath, I shake my head.“Of course not, sir.I’m sorry.I’ve just been having a bit of fun with her, if I’m honest.”

“Fun?”He raises a brow.

Fun.Therapy.What’s the difference?Either way, I’m lighter.

I planned to walk away and leave her in my past after last night, but the idea of the door to her closing forever… I don’t like it.At all.

Is there another way?