Hostile Ground (The Arsenal #7) - Cara Carnes Page 0,5

through her the moment they entered the quiet backroom.

Addy ignored the greeting and continued scanning her surroundings. Ivan did the same, displeasure on his face whenever their gazes met. When she was confident they were alone, she turned and scowled at Kristof.

Awareness beaded along her skin as he scanned her body. Fists clenched, she looked away and took a deep breath. “Now’s not the time.”

“It’s never the time.” He took another step forward until he was in her personal space. “Is any of that yours?”

Any of that. The blood. She shook her head, unsure why she always offered him the reassurance even though she owed him nothing.

“No more fights. You’ve made enough of a reputation, Iriana.”

“I decide when I’m done, not you.”

Kristof grabbed her hair and pulled backward until their gazes locked. Breath swooshed from her lungs as her pulse quickened. Hot breath fanned across her face. “Don’t test my patience tonight.”

The whispered warning in her ear quickened her pulse. “Step back. I wouldn’t want to get that expensive suit bloodied up.”

“I can live with that as long as it isn’t your blood.” He released his grip on her hair. “You took too long to take him out. Don’t play with your food.”

Addy chuckled and turned away. She dragged on a loose pair of sweatpants over the top of her shorts and grabbed an oversized T-shirt. Ivan glowered as he crossed his arms.

“What’s wrong with Ivan? Did he bet against me again?” Addy asked.

“Probably.” Kristof crossed his arms. “The promoter wants you gone. You’re bad for business.”

Addy picked up her bag and regarded Kristof. “You pay him to say that?”

“No. I’d pay him to turn you away if I chose to go against your wishes.”

“Like I said, I decide when this is done.” Her presence in the fighting rings garnered attention within the seedy underworld. They’d already found some of Yesim’s crew because of the fights.

Every person they captured was a step forward. She’d continue doing whatever was necessary to secure the biochemical weapons.

For Rhea.

Her friend had finally agreed to take some much-needed time off. She and Fallon had taken vacation time to visit his recently found childhood friends. Addy intended for this entire mess to be finished before they returned.

“Team has the two targets secured,” Beast said in the com. “Get out of there, Red.”

“You taking me home tonight?” Addy took a step into Kristof’s personal space. His eyes flashed wide a moment before he settled a hand at her hip. “My home, not yours.”

“I figured as much. You wouldn’t ever make it that simple.”

She had. Once. Bitterness coated her tongue as she shoved away from his touch. “Let’s go.”

“Iriana. Wait.” He grabbed her arm.

She shoved away from him. “I warned you once. Don’t ever bring that shit up. It’s dead, just like you’ll be if you cross that line.”

In a moment of weakness months ago, she’d given Kristof an opening—one she’d expected him to take. Sating lust was a necessity she rarely concerned herself with. She’d been foolishly reckless. But what did it say about her that a man with no moral scruples turned her away?

“Let’s go,” Addy repeated.

The sooner this damned mission was over, the better. She’d been the best option to entrench The Arsenal within Kristof’s network because she already had an established identity as Iriana. Kristof was their “in” to the auction where the missiles would be a sold.

Addy had hoped they’d find the weapons long before the auction took place, but so far they’d had no success. Yesim and his crew might be a relatively new splinter cell, but the bastard was either brilliant or lucky.

Or he had help.

Ivan pulled the vehicle to the rear exit a few minutes later. She got in after Kristof and focused on the chatter in her com as her team rendezvoused with the other Arsenal teams in Moscow. Although she wanted to be with her fellow operatives, maintaining her Iriana cover was her primary objective—which meant she’d waste a solid forty-five minutes being driven to their apartment in the Maryino District, where they’d taken up residence across the street from the one known location for some of Yesim’s crew.

“I have several meetings I must take this week,” Kristof said. “It’s best if you aren’t present.”

“That’s not an option. I go where you go.” Addy cut her gaze to the man beside her.

Intensity resonated within his gray eyes. Once blond hair was now a brown so dark it glimmered black with the pale moonlight and streetlights. Unlike most of