Mikko:Said by someone who has a child’s taste palette
Rude:Levi
Mikko:I’m serious, stay focused and update me on everything
I’m starting to think you’re into some freaky voyeur shit:Levi
Mikko:Have you been talking to Cristiano?
No, why?:Levi
Mikko had blatantly ignored Levi, never bothering to respond.
So that was how Levi knew her food and wine preference; he’d had an inside source. And it was Mikko Romanov no less. Did he always dedicate this much time to learning his clients? If so, she could see why he was bitchy and had dark circles under his eyes most days. That shit was exhausting.
While the discovery made Anika feel violated, she had to go along with it, pretending everything slipped past her sight, her brain unable to keep up.
Lies.
Confronting Levi about this was a bad idea, a way to erase all of her hard work. No, she needed to stay quiet, to do what she didbest.
Observe.
Investigate.
Collect.
Until she had every piece of the puzzle where she wanted it.
Her wine stained lips curved into a smile was what greeted Levi when he returned, his phone back in its original place, and her fingerprints wiped away.
26
Slippery Slope
Mikko
Levi:I can’t make our debrief meeting tonight
The text from his informant was not unlike Levi. Still, Mikko quickly typed a message back.
You know our arrangements:Mikko
Levi:I know, I had some stuff come up with Anika. If I break away now, she’ll be suspicious of us
What stuff?:Mikko
He waited for a couple minutes, but Levi didn’t respond. Concern and jealousy shot through Mikko’s heart, but he quickly wrote it off, knowing Levi would be fine. He had the man’s location on his phone if his situation turned dire. Besides, they’d donemore dangerous tasks in the past and made it out alive. Having him get close to Anika was tame compared to that. But that didn’t keep his mind from ruminating onotherthings that could be keeping him busy. Which was why he needed to keep his hands occupied.
Tucking his phone back into his pocket, he continued what he’d been doing before Levi had pinged: rummaging through Anika’s house.Again.
While he’d vowed to stop and put some goddamn distance between them, his traitorous mind had other thoughts.
Getting to know thy enemy, or whatever the fuck Shakespeare had said.
He’d already memorized her routines and knew her schedule, so sneaking in and out was easy. Especially when she was never home. A fact he was relating to as he was spending more time at the office orhere.
After antagonizing her at the gun range early yesterday morning, she’d seemingly won by digging a metaphorical knife in between his ribs. While he’d gone home shortly after she’d left the range—his dick way too hard for public decency—and jerked off, she remained seemingly unaffected. She’d let Levi into her home. A perfect plan on his part, but his emotional, illogical side was fuckingfuming.Just when he thought he’d gotten under her skin, she smiled back and clawed her way deeper.