Page 129 of Assassin: Part 1

“No, I brought you in, so this is my problem. I will fix it. Whoever they are, I will find them and eliminate them before this becomes even more of a problem.”

“You’re not doing this alone, Lane,” Mishka bites out, glaring at me. “And until we know who and what we’re dealing with, you don’t do shit.”

I’ll do whatever I damn well please, and fixing my mistakes is the first thing I’ll be doing.

Mishka curses, and Ilya’s looking at me, expression hard as stone. Guilt hits me. He’s probably pissed I’ve fucked this up and put him and his family in danger.

Again.

I don’t blame him, and he’s not going to want anything to do with me after today. He’ll finally realize what I’ve been sure of. I’m not worth the danger that comes with me.

“I’ll ensure Mila is still safe, and then I’ll be out of here. I won’t⁠—”

“No.” Ilya’s voice is sharp and loud.

I narrow my eyes at him. “Look, I know you’re probably pissed off about all of this, but⁠—”

“Shut the hell up, Lane,” he barks.

“Fuck, dude, are you trying to get stabbed?” Mishka mutters with a harsh sigh.

We ignore him.

“Listen, Ilya, you might be pissed off at me about all of this, but⁠—”

“Jesus Christ, shut up.” He snatches me and pulls me into him, slamming his mouth down on mine.

Shocked, I don’t move, unable to understand what the hell this is all about. He doesn’t stop, kissing me harder, deeper, until I finally relax and kiss him back.

My mind settles, and the only thing I can focus on is him. His taste. The scent of him. The way he holds me so tight, like he never wants to let me go.

When he finally draws back, his icy eyes bore into mine. “You listen to me, Lane, right the fuck now. I told you, you were mine, and I fucking meant it. The days of dealing with this shit on your own are finished. You are not at fault for this. You are not going to be the one to pay for it. I will not allow it, do you understand me?”

“You’re being ridiculous, Ilya,” I rasp, trying to get my wits about me. Damn him.

“I’m being your man, lisichka. You’re not alone anymore. I told you I would be behind you and I meant it. It’s time for you to realize that using me isn’t a bad thing. Not in this. You took down a fucking hellhole, and you took down one of the biggest assassins in the world. You have set free thousands of people in one move. And you’re going to continue doing it. There’s just a small bump in the road until then.”

I can’t help but smile softly at him. “You’re quite the optimist considering the situation.”

“Because if anyone is going to fix this, it’s you, Lane.” He’s completely serious. “And whatever you need, I’m going to make sure you have it. Someone in your corner. That’s what a relationship is, and that’s what I’m going to prove to you.”

A lump forms in my throat. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone talk to me this way. Ever support me without question. Why does it hit me so hard?

Unable to help myself, I rasp, “Are you sure it’s not because you don’t want me to demo more of your house now that you know about this place?”

“I’m tossing you to the fucking wolves as soon as we get back to our room and alert Zakhar and Oleg. You can deal with them. Then, after they have their turn, it’ll be mine.” His smile is dark and salacious. “And I have plans for you, lisichka.”

“Yeah, well, you two can worry about that later,” Mishka interrupts. “We don’t have time to waste. We need to make a plan. And no, Lane, you will not be doing it alone. You started alone, but you brought me on and I have a stake in this. I have a traitor in my home, and I will find them. Are we a team this time?”

I pull away from Ilya, a strange feeling coiling in my chest. I don’t want to name it, too afraid of what it could mean. Of what I could lose if I fuck this up.

Will Ilya still want to stay when he realizes just what this is going to mean? Will it make him look at me differently? I won’t show mercy. I’m going hard.

He wants to tell me he wants me forever, but he hasn’t seen the real me. Not really. Not to mention, he could betray me now that he knows intimate details from my past. If shit gets hard, will he be the one to toss me to the wolves?

Or will Mishka betray me when this is all over? Is he doing all of this to throw me off? Could he be the one who was actually working with Pasha, and this is all a setup to take out me and Ilya’s entire territory?

Those are the questions I’ll need to answer sooner than later. And I will. Until then, I need to tread carefully. Nothing else is getting by me, and I’m not going to put my heart on the line. Or my trust.

If either of them betrays me in any way, I’ll make them pay in the worst way possible. The Chameleon never leaves loose ends, no matter who tries to get in their way.

“Let’s find these fuckers. No loose ends.”

THE END OF PART 1