Page 41 of Marked By His Touch
Like a vision in black leather pants and smoky eyes, Zara nudges me with a playful elbow. “Ready,slatka?”
She’s enjoying this, isn’t she? Revenge looks good on her.
On the other hand, I’m on edge. My fingers brush the grip of the gun hidden in my stocking; the sleek, cold metal calms me. Still, my heart pounds, but I force myself to take deep breaths, trying to stay in control. This place, I think, is like a chaotic vortex of noise and bodies. My sanity, my life, depends on it.
“What now?” Tatiana asks her voice tight. Her delicate features are pale and drawn.
“Now we find Nikolai,” I say. He’s the puppet master, the one who orchestrates this nightmare. Finding him is the first step in ending it.
“And then—” Lena asks.
“We take him out, him and his men, just like we planned.” I slap my hand onto the gun, its weight reassuring. This is it. The moment we’ve been training for. The moment we reclaim our power. “We bring Nikolai and Veles to its knees. Then we go after the Raven.” The words taste like fire in my mouth.
The other women nod, their faces grim.
“Tatiana and I will look for missing women,” Lena says.
“Yes,” I reply, “but first, let’s assess the floor. We stay together. I know a room we can occupy. If it’s not taken, there are more down the hallway. We need to scout out his location. Get ready.”
“What if he’s not here?” Tatiana asks. Her voice is small, and her features are delicate and fragile, like a porcelain doll dressed in a prostitute’s outfit.
“I suspect he’s always here,” I say, recalling his chilling gaze, obsessive words, and predatory presence. He is a man of control, of power, with an appetite, a sexual hunger, that fuels this entire operation. He wouldn’t miss a night like this.
“He will be here,” I add, trying to convince myself as much as them. “I have a feeling he’s already here.”
As we navigate the crowded dance floor, avoiding the writhing mass of bodies, I catch a glimpse of the drunk girl from weeks ago. The one who called me a pretty doll. She’s one of the ones I want to get out of here. But she disappears into the crowd before I can reach her.Where did she go?
“Blend in,” I say.
Zara immediately grabs a man by his tie, pulling him in, his gaze reluctantly shifting from the writhing mass on the floor. Zara’s confidence is intoxicating, but I know it’s a facade, a mask she wears to protect herself.Just like me.
“Want fuck later, babe?” Zara purrs. Her voice is seductive as hell.
The man, in his Armani suit and expensive watch, looks at her with lust-filled eyes.
Zara takes his hand and places it on her breasts. “These real, handsome. They belong to you. Youownthem tonight.”
He sticks his tongue out, pulling her closer and biting her lip swiftly.
“Oh,da,” she purrs. “We do that soon. I will be back.” She gives his buttock a playful smack and spins away, her confidence radiating like a heatwave. His hungry eyes follow her.
Every muscle in my body is tense, every nerve on edge. We all follow Zara. This is a game of cat and mouse, and we’re thehunters. We reach the hallway, and I let out a breath. I haven’t seen Cole, Nikolai, or Nadia.
Where are they?
I lead us towards theDoctor’s room, where Nikolai took me. I open the door slowly, ready with an excuse if the room is occupied.
It’s not.
We enter the room one by one, blending in with the constant flow of people in the corridor going to different rooms, trying to avoid suspicion. It’s a busy night, Friday, that’s why we chose it.
I look around, making sure the room is empty. I breathe a sigh of relief, quickly locking the door. For now, at least, we’re safe.
“We gotta move,” I say, my voice a taut wire stretched to the breaking point. “Get your weapons ready. Are they within reach?”
“W-what do we do now, Ava?” Tatiana stutters, her fingers fiddling with the strap of her bra. Her eyes are wide like a deer caught in headlights.
“We locate Nikolai. There are offices and rooms nearby, I think. We check them one by one, weapons in handy but out of sight.” I keep my voice level, a dam trying to hold back a torrent of fear.
