Page 83 of Tarnished Tyrant (Zhukova Bratva 1)

“Listen, sir,” I repeat. “I am leaving tomorrow morning for a very early flight, and I left my laptop upstairs. If I don’t get it back, I’ll be in serious trouble. Could you please help me out?”

He looks me up and down, but not in a suggestive way. Rather, I get the sense he is a man with very little power who is suddenly getting a taste of what it feels like to hold all the cards.

And he likes it.

“Sorry,” he says with a shrug and a shake of his head. “No can do. You’re out of luck, Miss.”

I sag. “I’ll only be up there a minute. I just need to run up and—”

He turns towards the entrance. “I’ll show you out and lock up behind you. Good luck with everything.”

For half a second, I consider following behind him and quietly leaving the building.

I’ve always been a rule follower. A “nice girl.” I don’t push back or make waves. I don’t complain when I get the wrong order in a restaurant. When someone cuts me off in traffic, I slow down to give them more space.

But right now, I’m done being pushed around.

“Listen,” I bark, all politeness gone from my voice, “tonight alone, my ride home was hijacked by a CEO on a power trip and I was locked in a closet.”

The janitor’s eyes widen. “What—”

“The only reason I’m still even in this godforsaken city is because my boss bailed on the work trip to go to Aruba. If he hadn’t done that, I’d be done by now. I’d be back home, safe and sound, back to my regularly scheduled programming. But no—instead, I’m here, dealing with yet another asshole chauvinist on yet another power trip.”

“Hey!” he barks, having the audacity to look offended. “You can’t say that to me!”

“So here’s what’s going to happen,” I tell him, still riding the high from my rant. “You are going to give me the keys hanging from your belt, and I’m going to go upstairs and get my laptop. If not, I’ll be sure to report to your supervisor that you’re taking smoke breaks in the middle of your shift.”

His face is creased and angry. “I’m allowed one smoke break every hour.”

“Onecigarettebreak,” I clarify. “Right? I’m sure your boss would have something to say if they knew you were lighting up joints at work.”

It was a guess based on the faint scent and his red eyes, but the way he presses his lips together tells me I hit the nail on the head. “You don’t have any proof of anything.”

“I can smell it from here,” I snap. “But give me the keys and this will stay between us.”

The man stares at me for a moment, weighing his options.

In the end, he decides I’m not worth the trouble.

“I’ll unlock the door for you,” he grumbles, stomping down a hallway that runs behind the bank of elevators. “You’ll be able to access the elevators or the stairs on your way down. Get in, do your business, and get out. I don’t wanna see you again after that.”

He slides a silver key into a solid metal door with a rectangular pane of glass in it. As soon as it’s open, I step inside before he can change his mind.

“Thank you kindly,” I mutter, already heading up the stairs.

The janitor grumbles behind me. “Crazy fuckin’ snitch.”

It’s a long trek up to the thirty-fifth floor, a fact I realize only ten flights into my climb. My chest is tight and my legs are burning, so I duck into a random floor and take the elevator up to the thirty-fourth. Then I take the stairs up one more level so the ding of the elevator won’t bring me any unwanted attention.

Bridget’s empty desk in the lobby of Zhukova Incorporated is illuminated by a single fluorescent panel above her desk, but the rest of the lobby is dark. I don’t hear any voices or see any movement. Still, I plan to take the janitor’s advice: get in, do my business, and get out.

The hallway is lit by every third light. The alternating brights and shadows give off an eerie, otherworldly glow. I feel like I’m on a movie set rather than in real life.

So when I hear low, angry voices coming from the end of the hall, I’m not even that surprised.

The scene is set. All it needed was the action.

“Get in, get out,” I say softly. “Get in, get out. Don’t linger.”

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