Page 91 of Blood & Snow

Shock has set in completely, rendering her useless for the time being.

I think a lot of people feel this way when they first see someone take a life.

I pocket the most important documents and cash, leaving the satchel beside the body, but I steal his wallet, watch, and keys too.

The scene needs to look like a robbery gone wrong, not a targeted assassination.

Random street crime that the police will investigate with minimal enthusiasm.

But Nadya can't function.

She stands frozen while precious time ticks away, her breath coming in shallow pants that suggest panic.

Even when I touch her face, she doesn’t move or stop staring at that man.

I glance back at him and think for a moment about the life I've just taken.

A family, kids, probably siblings and parents.

But he knew what he was doing when he signed up to work for such evil men.

He knew the risks.

Nadya didn't.

She shouldn’t have been here.

Bringing her was a mistake.

I should've anticipated her reaction and left her in the car.

Now she's contaminated the scene with her presence and her terror, creating complications I don't need.

"Get in the car," I tell her.

She runs without argument, her footsteps echoing off the alley walls.

I follow more slowly, wiping the knife clean on the dead man's coat before sheathing it.

Our footprints tell the tale of two attackers, one of them female.

Another mistake.

Professionals would've made sure not to leave any evidence, but the best I can do is drag my foot across her foot prints so no one can tell there were two of us or that one of us was female.

And then I get the hell out of there.

Every additional minute in that alley increases the risk of discovery.

Someone could emerge from the buildings above, or a vendor might step out for a smoke break.

We climb into the car and I start the engine and pull intotraffic.

Nadya sits silent in the passenger seat.

Her face has turned gray, and she stares straight ahead without blinking, leaving me to text and drive to inform my men that it's done.

I'll still have a mess to clean up when we get back to my place but the hard part of that is over.