Page 61 of Wraith
“You always work this late?” Amelia asked.
“Usually. Single—nothing to go home to.” Aleksei explained. “Plus, I have a huge glitch in my newest software. Can’t exactly sleep when the deadline his hovering over my neck like a guillotine.”
Amelia nodded.
The set up was simple and by the time the seller stepped through the door and recognized what was happening, Beast and Barbie entered behind him and Barbie quietly locked us in.
“What is this?” The man asked looking around.
“We’re going to have a little talk about your merchandise,” Wraith said.
Their visitor jumped about a foot in the air, but Wraith merely gripped his shoulder and shoved him into a chair. He pulled the bag from the man’s hand.
“You can’t!” The man hollered.
Wraith barely spared him a glance before removing the canvas from the bag. He unfurled it and stretched it out on the table. The others gathered around it and stared down.
“Ruined my life for this.” Amelia’s voice cracked. “He got you shot, pulled Beast and Barbie from their lives, take Tex away from time with his woman and have us all stuck in the frozen tundra for this bullshit.”
Our visitor tried running but Amelia wasn’t having it. Wraith had never seen anyone moved so fast. She grabbed his vacated chair and hurled it into the man’s back. He hit the floor almost like a cartoon character getting hit by a train then rolled over to look up at her.
“Not today, pal!” Amelia said through gritted teeth. “Now, tell me everything about this painting.”
The man looked up at her then Beast.
“Listen,” Beast said. “Word of advice, the whole woman scorned thing? Totally true.”
When he made no move to answer, Amelia reeled back and brought her foot crashing into his side. Though Wraith wanted to hold her back, he knew her anger. He knew this idiot had it coming. Enough was enough and he knew Amelia was fed up—hell, she had to be downright homicidal.
Damn, I’m so proud of her!
“I’m waiting!” Amelia said like a mother about to whoop her child’s ass.
Silence.
Once again, she kicked him and he reached for her leg. Instead of freaking out, Amelia merely fell to the ground beside him and brought her other leg down in his chest.
Wraith had never been prouder of anyone in his life.
She knelt beside him. “One last time, asshole, because the next time I’m making sure I break something.”
“Phone…” The man said. “Right pocket.”
Amelia glanced up at Wraith who nodded at her. She reached into the man’s pocket and pulled out his cell. After he put in his password and scrolled through, he turned the face to him. “I got it from him. He wanted me to sell it and would split the profits. Even at ten percent, I’d be set for life.”
Amelia lifted the phone, so Wraith could see. It was the same man they’d gotten the party in Moscow information from. Wraith wanted to shoot the fool.
“He was either lying or somehow managed to get it back,” Barbie said. “It’s not important right now—what is important is we find out—”
The phone on Aleksei’s desk rang and he grabbed it. The colour drained from his face as he slammed the phone down and turned to the others.
“We have company,” he said. “They just took out the front security and is on their way up.”
“Is there another way out of this corridor?” Beast asked.
“There is another elevator at the far end of the hall.” Aleksei explained. “But you’ll never make it. You can go down the emergency egress through that door. It’ll take you two floors down.”
“We’re not leaving you here,” Wraith told him. “You’re coming with us.”
