Page 13 of Toxic Temptation
Luka looks at her and promises solemnly, “You’ll be safe with Uncle Kovan, Vesper. He’s the strongest.”
One eyebrow of hers rises skeptically. But she has to admit defeat as Luka waves a nonchalant goodbye and clambers into the first SUV with Pavel.
The sound of sirens blaring in the distance has her eyes brightening, her neck craning to see if help is arriving.
It is.
But not for her.
I grab her arm and reel her toward the second SUV. “I’d advise against whatever dream scenario you’re playing out in your head,” I inform her. “Running will only make things uglier.”
She snorts. The moony-eyed, smitten woman of a few minutes ago is long gone. She’s back to the sneering, sarcastic she-devil she was when we first crossed paths.
Funny enough, I think I prefer the latter. What’s a filly without a little bite to her?
“I wasn’t planning on making a run for it, idiot. There’s like twenty of you and one of me. I was hoping that the cops would bust in here and take you and your goons down before you can drive off with me.”
Chuckling, I shut the door on her and lock her in. As I’m walking around to the driver’s seat, both Pavel and Osip come at me from different sides.
“What the hell are you doing?” Osip asks, running a hand over his shiny scalp. “What’s with the stowaway?”
“She’s seen and heard too much,” I explain. “I’ve got to make sure she’s not going to be a threat to us if I release her.”
“What do you plan to do exactly?” Pavel chimes in. His eyes veer to the passenger seat where Vesper is watching us warily.
“I’m going to vet her. Simple as that.”
Osip guffaws. “Oh sure, you’re going to ‘vet’ her. I’ve heard that one before. How come you end up with all the fun jobs and I’m always on babysitting duty?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Pavel digs an elbow into my ribs. “Don’t play dumb. You’re a big, ugly brute, but you’re not blind. The doc there is hot.”
Instinctively, I stiffen, although I’m not sure why. The doctor is nothing to me. Nothing more than a thorn in my side. A loose end to be taken care of.
Nicely tied, if necessary.
Brutally severed, if it comes to that.
Either way, she is meaningless.
“Her looks are irrelevant. Luka slipped up today, so she’s aware of the Keres, and I need to make sure she doesn’t start poking her nose into shit that doesn’t concern her.”
“Alright then.” Osip grins. “Have fun ‘vetting’ her. Wrap it up!” He starts whistling as he rounds the car and gets in the back seat with Luka.
I look at Pavel. “If he keeps making noise about that shit, you are ordered to smack him in the head.”
My second-in-command claps a hand over his heart. “It would be my highest honor,moy pakhan.”
“Don’t look so smug. I’m giving him the same orders about you.” I crack my neck from side to side, exhausted by this day that just won’t fucking end. “And you both have work to do. One of you stays with Luka; the other is to run a background check on the doctor and sweep her apartment. If there’s anything remotely incriminating in her past, I want to know about it.”
“Leverage,” he summarizes. “Copy that.” With a sloppy salute, he joins the car with Osip and Luka.
I sigh and get behind the wheel of mine. In the slice of her I can see in the rearview mirror, Vesper is scowling, arms folded over her chest and nose wrinkled in bristling anger. Around us, the caravan engines roar to life. The first few cars file out, each of them making a left turn. I follow them to the exit.
Then I go right.
Vesper’s knuckles go white, but her voice is carefully composed. “Where are we going?”
