Page 29 of Niko's Printsessa

I raise my eyebrows, knowing what she’s after. “Don’t even go there.”

She pouts. “When will you guys figure out you’re perfect for each other?”

“I’m protecting her.”

“Right, right. I call bullshit.”

“Believe what you want.”

“You can protect her while also ravaging her.”

“One of us has to take her safety seriously, because she obviously isn’t.”

“It’s kind of hard to worry when we have hot-as-fuck and muscles-for-days crazy killers to take care of us.”

“And we take care of you because we think with our heads, not our dicks.”

“No great tryst started with someone being levelheaded.And, I happen to know for a fact, Sergei thinks with his dicka lot. I’d hate it if he didn’t. He also thinks with his heart.”

“He has one?”

She laughs, “It’s in there.”

Luckily, Foko pokes his head out of the office, but as soon as I enter all four men wear the same smirk Tali just had.

Sergei teases me like I did him not too long ago, “How’s the Mrs?”

“If you're asking about Becca, she’s still Becca. Defiant, rebellious, and dramatic, throwing tantrums because she can’t leave.”

Alek snorts, “You’re living together and nothing has happened?”

“Except for us trying to murder each other.” What happened is none of their business.

“So, when all of this is over, you won’t mind if I ask her out,” Foko taunts.

“You fucking look at her and I’ll kill you.”

Sergei laughs, “Remember when you joked that there was something in the water? What was it you said?” He snaps his fingers dramatically, “That’s right, you said if you catch whatever sickness this is, we should put you out of your misery.”

Isaak pats his gun, “Say the word brother, and I’ll put you down.”

“Why such an asshole? Anya still ignoring you?”

“Anya is none of your business,” Alek retorts.

I snap my annoyance at both of them, “Exactly! I thought we were here to ambush the Peréz’s.”

They gratefully gather around the table and we get down to business. Sergei says, “Oni laid the groundwork so they believe a large shipment of arsenal is arriving at one a.m. I assume their plan is to show up two hours ahead of time, take out our men, and then steal our shipment.”

“How many do you think?”

“Probably two groups of four or five men, maybe more. This is huge to them. If they take out a Sokolov shipment, it makes a statement. And if they kill us, they’ll earn the credibility they desperately need.”

Sergei nods to Foko. “You and Lev will set up in the abandoned building across the street, keep your eyes on the warehouse cameras and tell us where our targets are. If shit goes sideways, you come in as backup.”

“Niko, I want you with me tonight. Alek and Isaak, are your teams ready?”

Alek nods. “Ready and waiting.”

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