Hostile Ground (The Arsenal #7) - Cara Carnes Page 0,24
The argument escaped him without hesitation. He hated the disappointment in her gaze, her sexy voice.
“Then what is it about?”
Vengeance. Justice. She wouldn’t get the answer to that question—not the real one. Rather than continue down an impossible path, he shifted direction. “Why do you do what you do? Surely you could’ve escaped at some point. Why didn’t you run and chase the dreams you had?”
“Those dreams died long ago.”
“Mine did, too.” They were too alike, two fractured souls who’d adhered to one another in their darkest hours. Personal demons had divided them long ago, fractured them into smaller shards. Yet they were together once again, bonded by pasts neither would share.
“You never talked about your dreams back then,” she said. “What were they?”
“I barely remember.” He swallowed and looked away. Remembering what had once been and what should have been was too painful, a diversion from the road he had to take. This attempt was a problem. A huge one he had to deal with, which meant forgetting the beautiful woman tending his injuries like it was her right. Distance from Addy was the last thing he wanted, but he had no choice. Not right now. “I can do this.”
“We aren’t done talking.” She picked up the bandaging materials. “I’m going back to your home with you. Iriana wouldn’t leave your side after an attack like this.”
“That’s not a good idea.”
“No, it isn’t. But it’s the only solution to this clusterfuck.” She cut strips of tape off and pressed the edges to his forehead, like she used to do in the camp whenever she’d mended his wounds. She smirked down at him when he chuckled. “We need a list of who could’ve done this. The missions are our only priority, so we won’t act on anything you provide. We can’t keep you safe if we don’t know who we’re up against.”
The lie hung between them a moment. The Arsenal could defend anyone without knowing the enemy. She pressed the bandage in place and adhered the tape. Though pain consumed him, there was too much to be done to accept whatever medication she’d get her hands on.
The door opened. Addy whirled and pulled a gun from the waistband of her jeans. Maksim halted at the entry, arms up.
“Maksim.” Kristof tapped Addy’s hip. “He’s my attendant.”
His true second-in-command had taken many identities through the years. Each one gave him ample cause for always being nearby without alerting Ivan or Father to his true value.
“I have pain medication for you,” the man said as he entered.
Kristof watched Addy as she took a few steps back, her gaze locked on Maksim. “Could you give us a moment?”
“No.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “I’ll stay.”
Right. “I’ll need another phone, Maksim. Mine was left back at the club.”
“Zoey has it,” Addy said from the corner. “I mentioned that before.”
The man’s lips thinned as he nodded. He reached into his pocket. “You may use mine. I’ll get another.”
Kristof took the cell and pressed the home button. A replica of his own screen appeared. As always, Maksim was several steps ahead and had provided a clone of Kristof’s. He’d likely tracked it and figured out it wasn’t with him.
He went into the wire transfer app and discovered monies had already been disbursed to his father’s account for the women Gavriil had “purchased.” Yet another step Maksim had taken to keep him safe. He fired off a text to his father’s burner phone.
Transaction complete. We’ll speak later.
The response was immediate, as Kristof had expected.
Yes. We will.
“I’ll be right back,” Addy said.
Kristof nodded. Her departure helped but wasn’t enough. He glanced into the corner where the surveillance camera was. “This is not our place.”
“No. Dima had enough brains and forethought to call me once you were brought here.” Concern filled the man’s voice and his gaze as he studied Kristof, but he made no further comment.
“Who brought me here?”
“Dima, along with Iriana and some of Gavriil’s men.” Which meant Gavriil had overseen Kristof’s men and remained on guard. He’d proven an invaluable ally, albeit a silent one.
“And the facility?”
“From what little I learned, one of Gavriil’s. His men and The Arsenal teams made my entering to discover more impossible.”
“The Arsenal teams were compromised?” He kept his voice low but suspected the camera would pick it up anyway.
“No. I spotted them because I knew they’d be there.”
Tension corded Kristof’s spine. If the surveillance cameras had good audio, then The Arsenal would now know that he’d trusted