Page 23 of Room One Hundred and Seven: Catch and Claim

“Fuck,” he groans, “I’ll tell you what you want to know. Just don’t hurt me anymore.”

I cross my arms across my chest and smirk. “Gotta say, I’m surprised you held out for both fingers.”

As he tells me everything he knows, which does include working for Mikhail—like we didn’t already know that—and using Volkov’s name around town as a cover for who his boss really is, tears and blood drip from his chin.

“I’m just a distraction,” his voice starts getting weak.

I perk up at this, not expecting it.

“A distraction for what?”

He takes a long blink and shakes his head. “I don’t know. I just know that I’m a distraction from something else Mikhail is doing. I don’t,” he swallows hard and his brows furrow together, “know anything else.”

After studying him for a moment, I find that I believe him.

Without a word, I grab one of the knives from the tool cabinet. He doesn’t open his eyes when I step up to him, but his face goes slack like he’s accepted his fate. It doesn’t make me feel guilty about what I’m about to do, but it does earn him a sliver of my respect.

My movements are quick and concise as I slit his throat. I don’t walk out until he takes his last breath.

Hopefully, Hendrix is done watching over Kirby because he’ll want to be with me when I meet with Volkov and give an update.If this drug shit was a distraction, what is really going on in this city?

CHAPTER 10

HENDRIX

Watching Kirby walk into The Centennial building has me clenching my fists at my sides. I want to rush over to her and throw her over my shoulder. But I don’t.

I knew she would pull back and need some space after the gift she gave us a few nights ago. She could have insisted that we let her leave, and we would have done it. It’s not like we ever want to take our woman without her consent.

Not only did she grant it, but she gave us her trust. It was a true gift, and I know that my brothers appreciate it just as much as I do.

But it was a lot for her. I can respect that.

I wasn’t surprised to find her gone the next morning even though I wanted to track her down and put her over my knee for leaving without one of us to escort her wherever she needed to go.

It was difficult to do, but I convinced Wolfe and Dominic to give her a little bit of space when they realized that she had left our home. Surprisingly, Wolfe understood my point before Dominic was willing to accept the truth of what I was saying. He wanted to storm over to her hotel and bring her back to whereshe belongs.

Being the voice of reason is a burden sometimes.

The only thing that calmed Dominic down was the promise that we would keep an eye on her while giving her some space. We’ve taken turns over the last few days in a divide and conquer approach to everything we have going on.

Normally we keep our ranks tight so that we ensure that we have each other’s backs but being pulled in more than one direction makes that more difficult. I hate the fact that Dominic is alone while checking out some warehouses, just to ensure there’s not another trafficking ring since that’s the go to when it comes to dealing with Morozov. It’s where the biggest danger is and Wolfe would be with him, but the tip we got about drugs being sold in Volkov’s name had us going solo today.

I glance down at my phone, knowing that Kirby is safe inside Club Sin even though I desperately want to follow her up.

She’s been running errands today around the city. Feeling her anxiety as she moved through the place she once called home made me want to wrap her in my arms and whisper sweet words in her ear, but I held myself back. There’s no way she would’ve wanted me to coddle her. That’s not who she is, and I could practically feel the resolve wafting off her as she faced her fears.

I’m damn proud of her, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to take the burden of her past off her shoulders. If only it were that easy.

Being able to have my eyes on her has made me feel better since we agreed that part of giving our Phoenix space involved not going to Club Sin the last few evenings. If she’s spent time with a sub, we don’t know. I doubt she has, or if it’s happened then it’s been void of any sexual contact. I don’t know why Ibelieve it, but it’s what my instincts are saying. I learned to trust my gut a long time ago and I don’t see a reason to stop now.

Part of me hopes that with us not being right in her face Kirby will have the chance to wonder about us and miss us. It’s not like we’ve disappeared from her life completely. We’ve taken turns texting her in a group chat every morning. She hasn’t responded, but I wasn’t expecting her to.

She’s been holding herself back from life for a long time. It’s not going to change overnight.

Still, I haven’t been able to leave her alone completely. Not with a Morozov on the loose. She probably isn’t on their radar, but I can’t rule it out completely as well.

The thought of those monsters getting their hand on her again, makes me see red. Just as I’m about to give into the need to be able to see her, again, my phone rings. I growl as I reach for it and see Wolfe’s name.

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