Page 19 of Alik

I fucked up. I should’ve killed her like I’d been ordered.

It’s quiet for a full minute while Nikita recovers.

“What good does your friendly banter with the Italians do for me if you can’t get a simple thing done?” Nikita’s voice is a low, menacing growl. A threat really, more than a question, directed at Maksim. I’m surprised he’s throwing the blame Maksim’s way first, but it’s only a matter of time until he makes his way to me.

“I’ll do everything I can to smooth things over with the Italians, but we all know that isn’t the real problem here, Pakhan,” Maksim replies.

Slowly, Nikita uses his cane to help him stand, cracking his neck when he’s fully erect. “The goddamn DEA.” His scowl turns to me. “Their sole attention should be on the Irish by now.”

“It’s only been a few days, sir,” I say, knowing it’s bullshit. It’ll be a miracle if this mistake doesn’t cost me my life.

Keeping my hands clasped behind me and my voice even, I hold his murderous gaze. “It’s possible they’re merely following through on things they already had in motion.”

Roman scoffs. “I know you’re dead inside, kid, so this may be tough to grasp, but the guy’s daughter died, and we gave him someone to blame it on. That’s enough for everything on hisagendato get shoved to the side.” He shakes his head and pushes off the wall, uncrossing his arms. Maksim is smart enough to keep quiet while bad news is fresh for Nikita, ensuringthe boss is the one to make the calls. Roman, not so much, and I wish he’d shut the fuck up.

“No, something is obviously off,” Roman continues. “If they aren’t going after the Italians, it means they’re targetingus, and we need to know why.”

“I don’t carewhy,” Nikita snarls. “I don’t answer to them. They answer to me.” He snaps his head to me. “Andyouwere supposed to deliver that message. I don’t know why the fuck I let you talk me into some sideways bullshit.”

“You’re right, sir,” I nod and catch Roman rolling his eyes. “I apologize.”

“You apologize?” Nikita limps up to me, his eyes wide and head shaking with fury. “I should kill you right where you stand.”

I don’t blink. Don’t move. My jaw doesn’t tic, and my hands don’t clench, but if he so much as thrusts a blade my way, I will slice that manic scowl right off his face. I know what Roman means when he says I’m dead inside, but he’s wrong in this instance. I feel challenged, and when I feel challenged, I feel the need to be violent. It’s what makes me a terrific weapon, and Nikita knows it.

“Probably,” I say because I refuse to ask him to spare me. He might kill me, he might not. He’s pretty fucking unpredictable.

His face reddens like my response only pissed him off more, and I can’t decide whether or not I regret it.

“Surely there are other ways we can get to the DEA,” Maksim graciously pipes in. “If the special agent isn’t mourning his daughter’s death, maybe he isn’t the caring do-gooder we’ve been pegging him for. We?—”

“Or maybe overdosing on heroin wasn’t as tragic a death as what was needed,” Nikita interrupts, his eyes never leaving mine.

“There’s nothing we can do about that now.” Maksim pulls his hands from his pockets and shifts toward me. I appreciatewhat he’s trying to do, but I don’t need him to save me, so I toss a glare his way until he stops.

“We could try offering a bribe,” he goes on anyway. “Hell, maybe that’s what he’s been waiting for.”

Nikita’s jaw flexes. “I’m not giving that piece of shit a penny.” He spins to face his lieutenants. “I want the special agent executed. Him and his family.Tonight.”

Roman rears back. “Sir.”

“What?” Nikita booms, puffing his chest to challenge Roman as he did me. He’s a lunatic. Killing an informant is one thing, but the SAC? We do that, and we’re done. That isn’t putting out the fire, it’s turning our entire organization into ash.

“We’re tense,” Maksim chimes in, his eyes narrowed in clear disapproval. “We should take the night to think about our next move.”

Nikita throws his head back with a laugh while Maksim and Roman use the opportunity to exchange a look with each other. If there’s an assassination happening tonight, it might be Nikita’s.

“I don’t need a night,” Nikita says, coming down from his dry laugh. “I need this taken care of, and since Alik has proven himself useless, we’re going to do it my way. So…” He lifts his arms. “Do either of you have an enforcer you’d like to nominate for the honor?”

“You mean one we’d like to sacrifice?” When Roman openly glares, Nikita’s arms lower. I can’t see his face, but I can hear the vicious thoughts entering his mind. “Because everyone here with a brain knows we’ll have to give up whoever lays a hand on that man’s head if there’s even a chance of us surviving the aftermath of this bullshit plan.”

“Roman,” Maksim warns.

“No.” Roman bats Maksim away. He opens his mouth to rant while the tension in the room grows, and I watch the jackass’slife flash in front of me. I thought I’d be the one to get myself killed, but he seems to have a death wish.

I look to the side, my tongue pressing into my cheek while Roman goes on.

Does he not value his life at all?

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