Las Vegas, USA

K E I R A

I'd been trying not to think about him ever since I'd left Moscow, and while I'd been successful at ignoring his thoughts that crept into my head when I least expected it, today, I couldn't help but wonder if he'd at least missed having me around. I'd gotten rid of one of the pen drives Kyzer wanted, and tonight if all went according to plan, I'd be able to take care of the other one, and while I wanted this done with, I was also scared to go back to my life and find that he still hated me.

I didn't want to fool myself any more than I already had, so I'd made up my mind to stay away from Nikolai because being close to him was a constant reminder of all my mistakes. Mistakes that he refused to look past and omissions that were too painful for me to face now. Being close to him was like standing beside the sun, knowing it would burn you to nothing and only leave some ashes if you were lucky.

Pushing these thoughts aside, I zipped up my silver sequin dress and stepped into my silver strappy heels. I'd been waiting for Kyzer's message, informing me that our target was at the casino and had enjoyed a couple of drinks. Once my phone pinged, I knew it was go time. I picked my clutch from the dresser, and looked at myself one last time in the mirror, making sure, the wig was still intact on my head.

It wasn't a long ride down in the elevator, and once I'd stepped foot inside the casino, I hadn't been able to spot him, probably because he was in a private salon, and I hadn't yet met my ticket in. I understood the charm of casinos. However, most times when I stepped into one, all that glamour just made me sad. Men and women dressed to the nines sat here, seduced into destitution by the mere idea of money. I'd ordered myself a Gin and Tonic and was quietly sitting on the bar when a man dressed in a black suit slid beside me and asked for a lemonade. While the bartender was preparing his order, he looked at me and smiled. I arched a brow, having an idea about who he may be.

"I'm Theo,"
"The thief," I marveled, and he nodded,
"The one and only," He took a sip from his drink and placed it back, "do you have your story straight?"
"Of course," I drank my remaining drink in one go and ordered another; however, Theo stopped me.

"You'll need your wits about you,"
"I can handle a drink,"
"That's what your brother usually said before getting shitfaced," He shrugged, getting me water instead, and I wondered about his connection with my brother because I sure as fuck didn't know this man other than the rumors I'd heard or the little Kyzer had told me.

Theo was handsome with his dark wavy hair that looked like he'd run his fingers through them one too many times and were a contrast against his otherwise dapper appearance. His green eyes, rimmed with black, and the beard covering his face made him appear quite easy on the eyes, though the expression itself nearly made me laugh because one thing that I'd learned by now was that the darkness doesn't appear black. It had its home in all the shiny and pretty things.

"He helped me hide a body," Theo clarified, and my eyes widened at his perceptive answer to a question I hadn't even asked. "Now, you won't be able to figure me out in a few minutes, so so I suggest you drop it, and we stop wasting more time,"

"I just might," I shrugged, getting off the stool and waiting for Theo, who kept his hand on my back as he led me to where Ian Miller would be gambling like a fawn waiting to be skinned. In this case, I would be doing all the metaphorical skinning, of course.

Once we'd stepped inside, all four of the other men in the salon turned to look at Theo, and as he took his seat beside someone else, he strategically left me to sit next to Ian Miller.

"Gentlemen, this is my client, Scarlett Jameson. I hope you'll welcome my guest warmly." Theo introduced me as I sat down and placed my clutch in my lap. I nodded at the men as they introduced themselves, except for the dealer, who didn't need any introduction sitting across the table. I didn't pay attention to any names except the one of the man sitting to my right, the only person who had something I needed.

They asked me if I wanted to play. However, I'd politely declined, not because I didn't know how to play Blackjack, but rather because I was here to make sure Mr. Miller here won, by any means necessary. I did want to see him play on his own before, though. After all, I'd been told Blackjack was a favorite of his, though it was implausible he'd win when Theo was on the table. It wasn't really like poker. In this game, to put it simply, you played the cards, not the player, so I'd be disappointed if he couldn't win, and we'd end up having to take the dealer's help in counting cards for him, which wouldn't work under normal circumstances, but Theo had made sure they would turn a blind eye to all the cheating that was bound to happen on this table.

The game went on a while, and I'd been diligent in all my attempts to seduce Mr. Miller; after all, it hadn't taken more than a couple whispers in his ear that I'd gotten his full attention. It was impressive how he'd managed to keep an eye on the cards despite relentlessly flirting with me. If anything, it was a little concerning, his attentiveness, and I would need him a little sloppy, or perhaps that wouldn't be needed at all considering he'd be unconscious while I'd be done with most of my work.

*

After winning the round, Mr. Miller had been in high spirits and didn't take much persuasion to come up to my room, where the actual action would happen. It also helped my case that I had helped him cheat, if you think of it, and now because of me, he was some more dollars richer, not that it should matter to a shark like him, but that's the thing about money, it's never enough, and those who have it, also have hobbies fit for their bank balances. In Mr. Miller's case, it was gambling. 

Before getting inside the elevator, I'd signaled Theo to get the car ready for me to leave, all while Ian had been trailing his lips down my neck, not even waiting for the elevator doors to close. We stumbled into my room, and when he reached to kiss me, I pulled away with a coy smile on my face, but not before loosening his tie,
"How about a celebratory drink?" He nodded, and I made my way towards the bar and poured both of us some whiskey. By the time he'd reached me, his tie and jacket were gone, and he took a seat beside me, his eyes fixated on my tits.

I slid his tumbler, and we toasted to his success before drinking. A couple more drinks later, his hands had started roaming on their own, and I knew I would have to bring my plan into action. His fingers moved up my thigh, pulling my dress up, and I leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, making sure to rest my hand just close to the apparent bulge in his slacks.   
                                                            
"I'll be right back," Before I could stand up, he held me by the back of my neck and connected his lips to mine. I forced myself to relax in his arms, my eyes roaming the darkroom as I tugged the roots of his hair, ensuring he didn't doubt my intentions.

I pulled away and reached for my drink as I made my way toward the restroom,
"You're taking your drink with you?" He traced his lip with his thumb, his eyes darkening with lust.
"I know better than to leave my drink unguarded," I winked and stepped inside the restroom, my heart beating against my chest.

Knowing I didn't have time to waste, I took out the pills I'd hidden in the restroom and mixed a very generous amount in the drink before turning the water on. I washed my hands and placed my cold hands on my neck. Once I was sure nothing was visible inside the glass, I unlocked the door and wasn't surprised to see Ian standing so close to the door, but before he could reach me, I took a sip, making sure I didn't swallow. And when he kissed me, I was prepared and slipped the spiked drink into his mouth, making sure he swallowed before my fingers loosened around the glass. Ian smirked against my lips as he fisted my ass, and I took that chance to pull away and turned my attention to his neck as I tried unbuttoning his shirt. I traced my teeth against his flesh and when he groaned, fisting my ass, I knew all I had to do was ride out a couple more minutes. He pulled me back with his fist in my hair and retook my lips as his hands roamed my body, finally settling on my tits. A moan slipped past my lips when he pushed my dress down and placed his lips against my breasts.

I stopped myself from breathing a sigh of relief when he stumbled, his weight pushing me back towards the wall.

"Fuck," Ian whispered as his eyes dropped and his entire weight fell on me. I was almost sure I'd heard a hiss, but it hadn't come from Ian or me, and considering there was no one else in this room, it was highly likely I imagined things. However, I still couldn't explain the sudden rush in my blood or the awareness at the back of my head.

Shaking myself free of Ian's limbs, I ensured he was incapacitated as I dragged him to the king-sized bed and placed him in the center. Sighing, I held him up with his arms, and with my arm around his shoulders, I held him in a sitting position as I got rid of his button-down. His belt came next, and I threw it to the side with his shirt as I unbuttoned his pants and unzipped the fly. Standing up, I got rid of his shoes and socks and then dragged his slacks down his legs. I took his discarded clothes in my hand and pulled the comforter over his unconscious form. I crouched to collect his discarded clothes, and once I had all of him in my hands, I started setting up the scene.

I threw his shirt right in front of the restroom door and unzipped my dress just a couple steps from there. His belt and slacks came next, and once I'd carefully planted them in the room, I got rid of my lingerie and quickly stepped into a pair of jeans and a white shirt. While I was carefully making this scene, I couldn't ignore the feeling that I was being watched, and I'd looked around the dimly lit room, rubbing the back of my neck as I did so, resenting that I'd drawn the blackout curtains before leaving to start this charade earlier tonight. Maybe some light from outside would have brightened up the dark corners of this room and helped me with my paranoia.

When I found nothing in my third sweep of the room, I wrote it off as just a trick of light and threw my bra at the foot of the bed.

However, I put the panties back in the bag for dirty clothes. Ensuring everything was set, I picked up his jacket from the couch and went through its pockets, smiling when my fingers closed around the hard pen drive. I eyed Ian's passed-out form just to be sure as my blood buzzed with adrenaline. I placed the USB on the bar, got my laptop out, and while it was turning on, I pulled my hair in a bun. Once the screen lit up and I logged in, I plugged the USB in and dialed Kyzer.

"I'm online now. Do what you have to,"
"Already on it,"
"Now, will you finally tell me what was the point of all this?"
Kyzer chuckled on the other end as I heard the keys of the keyboard clicking ferociously, "Do you remember Hansel and Gretel?"
I rolled my eyes, "What has that got to do with this?"
"It has everything to do with this." Kyzer said, more somber than I'd ever heard him, "Run that program I gave you and place it back. We're done here."
"Okay. Also, I won't let you get away with this answer. I want an actual explanation about this."
"Whatever you say, sis."

I could imagine a stupid grin on his face as he said it. I hung up after that and ran the software Kyzer had asked me to. It took a little while as the green line on the screen kept moving and moving, making my heart race by the second. Once I heard the ping that the process was complete, I unplugged the USB and walked to where Ian had hung his jacket. I placed the pen drive back where I had found it, making a mental note to not leave Kyzer alone when I saw him again.

I'd finished packing the little stuff I had with me, and the only thing that was now left was to make this farce of a situation seem real by making sure I'd planted at least a hickey on his body. As much as I didn't want to touch him again, it was essential to make sure there was at least a mark on him from our 'passionate night' if he were to remain unsuspecting of what actually went down here. I leaned over him on the bed, preparing myself. However, this time I was certain someone was watching.

My skin crawled as goosebumps rose on my skin, and I reached for the dagger I'd strapped to my thigh before leaving my room earlier tonight. I aimed blindly and threw the knife; a sharp hiss was followed by a clank as the dagger fell to the floor. I straightened, rushing over the sheets towards my bag where I'd kept my gun. I wrapped my fingers around the barrel of my 0.9mm, and removed the safety, preparing to shoot.

"I would be worried about your awareness and aiming skills if I were you, little wolf,"

All the air left my lungs at his voice, and my body prickled with a different awareness that it became harder to breathe. My palms were clammy as I wiped one hand over my jeans as something vicious twined itself around my heart.

If I were to name this vice, I'd say he was my husband, but to call him that was just willingly lacerating my heart more because all of his words had indicated only one thing. We were lovers once. And we couldn't be that anymore.

However, I couldn't control my rage as I dashed towards the sound, my gun in hand, and when I collided with a hard chest, I couldn't help but punch him. Repeatedly. And he didn't stop me. He grunted when my blows landed on his shoulder, and I stopped, realizing that my palm was wet with something.

"Are you—" I gasped, my eyes widening, "Are you bleeding? Did it hit you? Why would you hide like that, you asshole?!"

Nikolai held my hands in his palm and pulled me to his chest, my hands between us, "Trust me, I did not want to remain in the shadows and watch him touch you, but I gave my word to Kyzer that I would not fuck this up for him."
"I—I need to finish this" I looked over my shoulder at Ian's unconscious form and turned towards Nikolai, whose face darkened.

Nikolai traced my bottom lip with his thumb, undoubtedly making a mess of my lipstick, "No, you don't."
There was a knot in my stomach, "What—"
His hand cupped the nape of my neck as he brought our faces closer.
"Ask me to kiss you, little wolf," Nikolai whispered, his voice pained though I couldn't tell if it was because of the gash I'd left on his shoulder or something else.

His breath fanned my face, and while there were a million reasons why I should've pushed him away and finished what I'd started, I couldn't. Loving him had always been a losing game, not because I couldn't be with him, but rather because I'd lay down all my arms without question when it came to him. Over and over again. I'd let him win because the only solace I'd ever found was in his embrace, no matter what.

I wished I didn't love him just the same even after he'd broken my heart into a tiny million pieces. However, my heart gravitated towards him with all of its broken parts. It was almost like a nightingale that, for all its misfortune, loved the rose despite the thorns never letting it get to the flower.

"Niko—"
"Please," he whispered against my lips, the need in his voice sparked against my lips, and I could no longer tell if it was just me or was he getting drunk on this mayhem between us, "Give me this, and I swear, I'll stay this time."

Maybe it was something in his voice, or maybe it was the fact that I was an addict who was being served his vice on a silver platter while the withdrawal had been killing me, but I couldn't hold off anymore.

I didn't care that we were on borrowed time. I didn't care that placing my heart in the palm of his hand was a bad idea because for the last few months, I'd been handing him my heart, and he'd been callously throwing it away.
Hope was a little traitor, though the sliver of it that I'd been catching glimpses of was better than the darkness.

My hands flew up as I grabbed his cheek, his beard tickling my palm as I leaned in and brushed my lips against his hesitantly. Niko's hand tightened on the nape of my neck, but he didn't move, And when I traced his bottom lip with my tongue, he let me explore, his hand holding my jaw as he tilted his head, letting me kiss him deeper.

Letting me drown in him, and for someone who'd been treading cold water as long as I had, I still couldn't swim and let the tide take me under. 

* * *
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And if you did please vote and comment and let me know what you think!

Also I've had a lot of you asking how many more chapters this book will have and while I don't know the exact number, we are at the last stretch of this book. So once my semester ends in May, I will finish TDDUP in the summer at start on Kyzer's book.

Thank you for waiting for my updates even though they take ages!