I allow her explorations, but only because I also want to study her and engrave her expression to memory so whenever I think of her or crave to touch her, I’ll have this image of her in the corner of my mind.

“Don’t you have to go back to the company?” she murmurs.

“One more moment. I haven’t gotten my fill of you.”

“Do you ever?”

“Nah, not really. So stay still.” I brush her hair behind her ear, letting the golden strands fall between my fingers. She’s been wearing it down lately, probably because she doesn’t remember her cold, stern phase, and while I love how she looks, I’m constantly in the mood to snipe down every fucker who looks in her direction.

“How long am I supposed to stay here, Kyle?”

“As long as it takes, wife.”

“Aren’t you tired of calling me your wife when I said I don’t remember the marriage?”

“Aren’t you tired of denying it when it’s the truth?”

“I can never win with you, can I?”

“You can try. I love it when you try, especially that other time when you sucked me off to snatch some power back.”

Her cheeks heat. “I did not.”

“Yes, you did, and it was hot as fuck. Mmmm. Thinking about it makes me hard.” I press the evidence against her stomach. “How are you going to deal with it, Princess?”

“If by dealing with it, you mean I’ll get rid of your dick, then sure, I’ll deal with it.”

I laugh, my head tipping back with the motion. “You’re fucking crazy.”

“And that’s funny because…”

“Because you’re only this way with me, whether you have memories or not.” I brush my lips against hers one final time. “Rest well and wait for me.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because I’m staking my claim tonight.” I wink and she swallows, heat rising to her cheeks, before she turns around and heads inside.

After I make sure she’s safely in the house, I go back to my car.

Peter, the useless guard Igor planted at my side, taps on my window. I lower it and stare at him, not bothering to hide my irritation.

He’s holding a weird gun, twirling it between his hands as he speaks. “You want me to come along?”

“No. Stay put.”

“You never take me with you these days.”

“Because you’re useless.”

“Not so useless.” He points the gun at me. “You know what this is?”

“No, but I’m sure you’ll bore me to death about it.”

“It’s an anesthesia gun. It can be very powerful.”

“A bullet is more powerful, kid.” I put my window up and drive out of the property.

I have some sort of a company meeting, but I don’t give two fucks about V Corp and their nonsense strategies.

My actual meeting is with Flame. We need to plot the next attack, which, if it all goes well, will be the last.

At this point, both the Russians and the Irish have lost many soldiers and exhausted their powers. Even the fucker Damien who thinks he has endless destructive energy can’t be on the attack forever. Actually, he’s a bull who doesn’t stop unless he’s dead. If this were an ancient war, he would be the general who wouldn’t raise the white flag, even if all the other units did.

But even he can’t do one consecutive attack after the other.

At this rate, Rolan or Sergei needs a large-scale attack that will wipe out the other party’s army.

I know exactly who I want to lose the most in this war.

After a twenty-minute drive, I notice a black van following me, so instead of going to the rooftop where I agreed to meet Flame, I stop the car at the back of an abandoned warehouse.

Wires and industrialized waste are scattered all over the site, as if this place was used as the set for an apocalyptic film.

I pretend this is my final destination and lean against the car, retrieving my phone.

Kyle: I have company.

His reply comes in a second.

Flame: How could you let them follow you? What are you, an amateur?

Kyle: I didn’t let them. I stopped, didn’t I?

Flame: After they followed? Amateur.

Kyle: Piss off, arsehole.

Flame: All the better. I can’t be away from the boring club for too long. Let’s reschedule.

I’m about to hide my phone when it lights up with another text from him.

Flame: Don’t taint my name by telling anyone I trained you, amateur.

That fucker.

Though, it is weird. I should’ve noticed it at the beginning, but it’s like some of my inhibitions are muted.

Slipping the phone in my pocket, I draw my gun and make sure the magazine is full.

That’s when the first one comes out.

In the beginning, I don’t recognize the face of the guard. They all wear black like members of some secret society who judge each other for not having the same grim dress code.

When the second man steps beside him, my hold tightens on the gun even though it’s still by my side.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Vladimir?”

Five more guards join him, and the seven of them surround me in a circle, all with weapons. I know for a fact Vladimir doesn’t move without a prior plan. He might seem like a stupid burly bear, but he’s far from it. He knows exactly where to hit and how to do it with the least damage possible.

The fact that he brought in so many guards for me is alarming.

“Is this some sort of a late welcome party?” I keep my tone light, jokey even. “Please tell me you brought presents.”

I grin as I stare at their faces and behind them, discreetly searching for an escape route. Since this warehouse isn’t where I intended to meet Flame, I’m not familiar with the area and, therefore, my options are limited.

What makes matters worse are the guards Vladimir brought with him; his three senior soldiers, the ones he uses for extreme torture, and there are two of Sergei’s merciless guards as well.

If he went as far as to gather the strongest he has, this is more serious than I originally anticipated.

“No presents? What happened to the Russian hospitable nature? But fine, whatever. Do I at least get something to drink at my late welcoming party? I’ll even settle for your beloved vodka today. See? I’m not so difficult.”