Page 204 of I’m The Worst

“So hostile. I come bearing gifts, and this is how you treat me?”

“I’m not in the mood.”

“You never are.” He reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket and slaps a thin folder down on my lap. “Good thing I’m not here for your sparkling personality.”

I frown and flip it open. Every page is in Russian.

“What is this?”

“No idea. You know I can’t read that shit. Couldn’t be bothered to get it translated either. Felt like a you problem.”

I stare at the first page, irritation already building. “Then why bring it to me?”

“Look at the date, dumbass.”

My eyes drop to the top corner of the folder.

Everything in me stills.

It’s the week AJ was taken.

“Where the fuck did you get this?”

“Was balls-deep in Devin on her daddy’s desk last night and found it shoved in the bottom drawer. Perks of fucking a Commander’s daughter. Sometimes, you get your dick sucked. Sometimes, you get classified documents.”

“You stole this from Commander Harrington’s desk?”

“I prefer ‘borrowed with extreme prejudice.’ Relax, K9. Either it helps your weird-ass obsession, or it doesn’t. I’m tired of waiting for you to lose your goddamn mind and blow up half the Section while I’m trying to get promoted. You’re stressing me the fuck out.” He gestures to himself as he walks to the door. “Look at me. I’m practically developing empathy. It’s disgusting.” He smirks over his shoulder as the door closes. “I’m gonna go peel somebody’s face off. Gets me back to feeling like myself.”

I look back at the file.

It isn’t a mission report.

It’s a communication log.

Not official Sovereign formatting either. Just timestamps, names, coded references, and pages of messages between transport teams moving through Russia.

I don’t hear footsteps.

I hear the metallic click first.

Then cold steel presses to the base of my skull.

“Don’t fucking move,” Gage snarls. He’s breathing fast and uneven, hands shaking.

“Easy, kid.”

“Shut the fuck up. How could you do that to her?” He presses the muzzle harder into my head.

“You gonna shoot me, or you just want to talk?”

“I should shoot you.”

“Then do it.”

The barrel digs in. “I should have done it a long time ago.”

I move fast.