Page 126 of Beneath the Light of the Moon

A devious grin had graced her countenance as she replied with, “Perfect!”

He may be more forward than Mikko, but he was twice as dumb. His own desperation and bullheadedness would work in her favor.

Now, she stood in her kitchen, the soft din of the movie they’d chosen playing on the TV in her living room. The carefree rom-com echoed down the hall, a terrible backdrop for Levi’s soon-to-be downfall. In front of her, she mixed two cocktails. Levi’s consisted of a large square ice cube, a generous splash of vodka, and a finishing touch Anika was fiercely proud of. Her own homemade violet liqueur made from ingredients she’d grown herself in her backyard.

It was a potent batch, a few drinks containing the liquid sure to put the drinker to sleep. Most people used these flowers for insomnia and anxiety, but Anika had gottencreative. A fact she’d tested with Ivan and perfected with Dimitri.

Defeating men at their own game was easy when it came to mental challenges, but physical ones proved to be slightly more difficult. This drink leveled the playing field, especially since she discovered Levi had shown up to her house armed.

When he’d given her an enthusiastic hug right inside the front door, he’d made a fatal mistake. Well,two,but who was counting? The first was coming to her house, her domain. And the second was embracing her tightly, the unmistakable press of his gun poking into her abdomen. They’d made out enough on her couch for her to know what his erection felt like, and it wasnothinglike that.

Mikko had warned him, and now Levi had a dark plan unfolding in his mind.

But so did she.

Her drink looked similar to his, but the ingredients were vastly different. Instead of vodka, she’d substituted it with soda water with a dash of food coloring to give it the same ethereal lavender hue as his. If he looked closely, he might be able to tell the difference, but he was too dimwitted to do so. This secret would be one for her andher alone.

Satisfied with the results, she gripped both glasses and returned to the living room. Levi sat there, his body positioned to look like he was lounging, but his muscles were wound tight. His hand rested on his upper thigh, close to the concealed gun he carried in the front of his jeans.

“I’m so glad you like these,” Anika said before plopping down on the couch next to him. He’d already had two thirty minutes prior, the flavor too good for him to resist. The idea of liquid courage was an added benefit.

“Never had anything like it,” he grinned while taking his glass from her.

“It’s a similar recipe to a drink I had while traveling on the east coast.” Her eyes hungrily watched him take a sip. Men had such privilege. It infuriated her. All her life she’d been raised to be aware of men, to cover her drink while out with friends, and toneveraccept drinks that weren’t capped or hadn’t been made in front of her. Yet, Levi missed that lesson.

A fatal flaw.

Holding in a scoff, she leaned in. It was time to play a loving and supportive girlfriend until his eyelids drooped. If he kept going at this rate, it wouldn’t be long.

“I didn’t know you traveled that far,” he responded, keeping his drink in his clutch. As if it’d help; she’d already tampered with it.

“I’ve been known to be full of surprises.”

“Something I’m coming to realize.” His pupils dilated and the tension seeped from his shoulders as he took another swig. “It’s why the nicknamefirecrackerfits you so well.”

She hardly reigned in her grimace.

To keep up appearances, she drained half her drink in one go. Long ago, Anika had realized people tended to follow in suit if their friends’inhibitions were equally impaired. Too bad she couldn’t get drunk on soda water.

“Nervous?” he asked, falling into her trap.

With a timid giggle, Anika said, “A little, I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.” Lies, but Levi would misconstrue her faux drunkenness as a sign she wouldn’t even fight back against whatever he was planning.

Ha.

“No need to be nervous,” he reached out to tuck a hair behind her ear, but his movements were sloppy. “You know me.”

All too well.“I do. Thank you for coming over tonight.”

Levi took another large gulp. His body slouched. “Of…course.”

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah…just got really tired out of…nowhere.”

Anika stifled her smile. “We can turn off the movie and go to bed if you’d like?”

“I don’t think–really?”