Page 45 of Ruthless Commander
And right now, that’s what I wanted.
I wanted out of this hell…and I wanted to take Xael Davies with me. I released my hold, and took a step backwards.
He coughed and spluttered, gasping, and grasped his throat. "What the fuck was that?"
"That, Zakharov, was me allowing you to live,” I answered as his face turned from a shade of red to washed-out gray. “You'll stay in this room until the doctor sees you. And when he’s finished, Score, here, will take you to a nice little room with a locked door until I can figure out what the fuck to do with you."
"You can't do that!”The savage spark flared back into his eyes as he took a step forward. “You can’t keep me locked up here!”
I turned and strode to the door. “It’s not just aboutmelockingyouin, Mr. Zakharov. You just made yourself two very powerful enemies tonight…good luck surviving until mornig.”
Silence filled the room as I strode past Score. “Keep alert tonight. Call me if Mr. Salvatore or Mr. Rossi decide to pay Mr. Zakharov a visit.”
“Will do, Commander,” he answered with a nod.
I had no doubt in my mind they wouldn't think twice about not letting a piece of shit like Damon live. If they didn’t come for him tonight, it’d be a miracle. Either way…Zakharov's days were numbered. I left them behind and headed back along the hallway before stopping outside the control room door.
I pressed my card against the scanner and stepped in, closing the door quietly behind me.
“I want to see you.” The words drifted to me as I walked along the darkened hallway. “What do you mean, you want to leave? No…what I meant was,let me at least try to change your mind.”
I slowed my steps as my mind put a face to the voice. Blake. That’s who it was…a chill swept along my spine as I stepped out of the gloom and into the brighter glow of the monitors.
Blake jerked his gaze my way and for a second, I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.Fear…now that was interesting.
“I gotta go,” he muttered into his phone, meeting my gaze. “I’ll talk to you when my shift’s over. Just don’t leave without seeing me, okay?”
I waited patiently as he finished, then glanced at the cell phone in his hand as he placed it on the desk. “Taking personal calls at work?”
“It was an emergency.”
“I see…” I didn’t look away. “I’m heading in for the night. I’d like the latest full weather report on my desk by morning. Of course, if anything worsens, by all means, call.”
He just gave a nod, his jaw flexing as I turned, then stopped. “And Blake, don’t let it happen again.”
I left the control room feeling the heat of his gaze on the back of my neck and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember how he’d come into my employ. He'd been vetted, that’s all I remembered. I made a mental note to investigate tomorrow when the chaos died down as I stepped through the door and left that part of the building behind, heading for my own private quarters.
I pressed my card against the scanner and waited for the lock to disengage before I shoved the door open and made my way inside. I unbuttoned my jacket and shrugged out of it as I made my way into the apartment. This was home, as close as I had to anything stable…and a helluva lot nicer than anything I'd had growing up. I dropped my jacket over the back of the leather sofa and pulled off my holster before laying the gun on the kitchen counter.
Dinner was a glass of Scotch, not top label, but it’d do. I didn’t have that kind of luxuries…not here, at least. I kept those for my place in the States…the one where I'd met Xael Davies. I poured and lifted the glass to my lips, my thoughts returning to her once more.
I'dhatedleaving her behind tonight…hated the entire fucking incident from the moment she'd stumbled into me after leaving the party. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and pulled up the camera feeds of her apartment as I drank. The elevator doors opened as I flicked through the images. I swallowed and lowered my glass, watching her as she stepped out and made her way into her apartment…alone.
I scowled, pressed the button on the feed of her building, and caught her bodyguard wrestling with the suitcases. So she was serious about leaving. Without Fin’s call, she might’ve already gone. I clenched my jaw at the thought of that.
I closed down the feed and found her number in my contacts.Don’t leave…the words lingered on my lips.Don’t go anywhere, not without me.
My fingers shook as I clenched the phone, desperate to say the words…but I couldn’t. I dropped my head, feeling my shoulders sag under the weight. I couldn’t call her, couldn’t say the words. Not yet.
Beep.
I raised my head, finding a message from an Unknown number:Got some interesting news about an Evan Valachi.
I scowled as my phone rang a second later. “Yeah?” I answered.
“So, I tracked a Ms. Valachi down tonight,” he started.
“Are you on the island?”
