Page 87 of Midnight Sanctuary

“Are you sure you want to try this location?” Nikolai asks. “Boris and his men haven’t worked out of there in years.”

“Which is exactly why he might risk it. He’ll assume it’s under the radar. There aren’t very many places he can hide.”

“On the contrary, this is a big city in an even bigger country. Big fuckin’ planet, too, while we’re on the topic. For all we know, he could be guzzling vodka in some random pub in Russia by now.”

I glare at him. “Aren’t you just a fount of optimism today?”

Nikolai rolls his eyes. “I’m just being realistic, man. If I were that fucker, I’d have cut and run the moment I was free.”

“Which only proves that you don’t have the personality to bepahkan.”

Nikolai flinches, his face hardening instantly. It’s a low blow and I regret it immediately. Just not enough to take it back.

I haven’t lived with my brother for a very long time and the close quarters that the cabin requires haven’t exactly been conducive to our relationship. Nikolai and I always get along better with some space between us. Living on top of one another this last week has reminded me of why he moved out the first chance he got.

It doesn’t help that Alyssa loves the hell out of him.

“It looks abandoned,” Nikolai remarks gruffly as we pull up outside of the old Sobakin haunt.

“Doesn’t mean it is.”

He sighs. “How long are we gonna sit and brood before you accept that no one’s here?”

“We just arrived.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

I bite my tongue to stop another below-the-belt insult from flying loose. “An hour or so.”

He mutters something I don’t catch and sinks low in his seat, a hood pulled down over his face. “Whatever you say.”

I grab my phone, if only to distract myself from the tension boiling between us right now, and start texting Alyssa.

URI:How’s it going?

ALYSSA:Polly went back to her room for a nap. I’m just lying in bed… thinking of you.

Hm. I like where this is going.

URI:Oh yeah? What are you thinking about?

ALYSSA:The lake.

That’s all she needs to say for me to know exactly what she’s thinking of. I can feel the heat spread slowly to my extremities. I adjust in my seat so that Nikolai doesn’t suspect what’s unfolding right next to him.

ALYSSA:I’ve got your little silver present in bed with me right now.

URI:What a good girl you are. I might have to reward you.

ALYSSA:Please.

URI:Take off all your clothes. I want you completely naked and splayed out on that bed.

ALYSSA:Done.

That didn’t take long at all. Someone’s clearly eager. It makes me regret this little stakeout, the unfortunate distance between us. I could have been at home, ravishing her body, making her come again and again with my own two hands, instead of letting the metal toy I bought her have all the fun.

Before I can think of an answer, she sends another message. This one is a picture, though. I lean away from Nikolai, making sure to angle my phone to the side so that he can’t see my screen.

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