Page 44 of Silk and Sirens

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze without flinching, even as my pulse hammered against my throat. “I’ll give you every known location she uses. Safe houses, warehouses, and known associates. You can burn the physical evidence to the ground.”

“And the digital trails?”

I swallowed. “I can hand you everything I know and have access to. The rest … that’s on you to hunt down and destroy.”

Langdon whistled, the two other men staring over as he signed frantically. After a moment he drew his gun, and my stomach twisted.

“Wait!” I held up my hand, as if that could stop a bullet. “There’s going to be a delivery at the docks, a case of ghost weapons that will accidentally be stored amongst your cocaine,” I said as he pointed it at me.

“Not our problem,” Sebastian said calmly as Langdon took a step closer.

“Sasha Antonov’s going to track it to you, and I don’t think the Bratva’s Pakhan will take kindly to you stealing from him.”

“Bullshit,” Caden grunted. “No way you pulled that off.”

I smiled, hoping it didn’t look strained. “If you don’t believe me, call the docks.”

Sebastian’s fists clenched on his desk, bringing out the scars along his fists. After a moment he nodded to Caden, who took out his phone.

“Cade, my man, I was just about to call you,” a masculine voice chuckled from the receiver. “There’s been a bit of a fuck up, and I’m just hoping it was an accident and you’re not trying to start a war on my fucking territory.”

“What fuck up?” Caden asked, glaring at me as background shouting echoed through the phone.

“Just get here before Sasha feels inclined to ruin my face.”

Chapter 20

Aeris

This was fine. I was completely in control.

“Interesno, khorosha li ona na kolenyakh,” one of the Bratva men said, his eyes crawling over my skin. I didn’t react when he licked his lips suggestively, refusing to feed the already razor-thin tension crackling between everyone. Especially considering one crime lord was accusing the other of stealing.

Oops.

But at least it had given me another hour to convince them. Risking a war was better for me than the alternative, a bullet in my head.

A sharp whistle drew my attention to the side and away from the line of Russians, only for a phone to be pushed into my face.

If it wouldn’t escalate things, I’d give you my knife so I can watch you carve that fucker up, the text on the screen said.

I re-read it a few times before I looked up, only to find Langdon wiggling his eyebrows with a grin.

“I prefer poison.”

Langdon’s smile widened as he typed out another message.

“Well, if it isn’t my favourite mute.” A man appeared from behind the row of men, his white shirt rolled up to his elbows, the first few buttons undone to reveal a Kraken tattoo covering his chest. “And you must be the Mistress of Whispers. The rumours were right,” he said as he stopped beside us, his grin even wider than Langdon’s had been. “You really are beautiful.”

“And you are?” I asked, though I already knew the answer. James was my contact, the man who quietly obtained my TTX, although he never knew it was for me.

James was dangerously handsome, the kind of beautiful that made people forget he was lethal. Long, dark hair was tied back with a thin leather cord, a few strands framing sharp cheekbones and a perfectly sculpted jaw. A single gold ring pierced through his nostril, matching the many rings that adorned his large hands.

He was a man who could smuggle pretty much anything into the country … or out of it. He alone controlled the water and every ship that crossed it, and was exactly the kind of man who could get a girl what she needed for the right price.

“Name’s James, but most people just call me Hook.” He winked, holding out his hand towards me. Only for Langdon to smack it away. He began to sign and then let out a strange scratchy sound before reverting back to his phone.

No touching.