I swallow thickly.
Fairfax and Talbot shrink back at the sight of him, their faces going red. My lungs barely work and they feel so dry. I have to will myself to keep breathing.
There’s no gun visible, just the radio.But who knows?
“Who… who are you?” I grind out.
“Old friend of Fairfax’s. He owed me.” His eyes stay flat and hard when he smiles.
I’ve never seen eyes like this before, such unblinking ice fields.
I’m not sure he even needs a gun to kill me.
And for the first time, I notice there are no cameras on the ceiling here.
Oh God.
“Stay still,” he clips when I stir restlessly. “Kindly place the briefcase on the table and this will all be over soon. You will leave this place alive.”
I don’t know if I believe him.
I’m definitely not ready to give up PopPop’s legacy, the last precious thing he ever trusted me with.
Anger roils my blood, and I stare at this man-eating ogre for what feels like an hour.
“J-Jesus, just listen to him!” Talbot’s voice breaks the silence. “Don’t be stupid, Miss Blackthorn, for God’s sake. You know the risks. He’s extremely dangerous, and so are his men. Take my word for it.”
“Da, he is right.” The giant shrugs, like this detail isn’t important. “Rest assured I have no particular interest in you, Cleopatra. Nothing but your treasure.” He nods his sharp chin at me. “Put it down. Now.”
My hands tremble.
Talbot’s composure implodes.
“P-please!” he spits, sobbing brokenly. “The cops, they’ll… they’ll never reach my house in time. My whole family dies if you don’t do it.”
“He’s right. You don’t know what he’s capable of,” Fairfax says with that same icy desperation. “Viktor Guchkov, leader of the Black Talon group. He manages a crew of highly skilled foreign mercenaries. Miss Blackthorn, believe me when I say I’d stand with you if there were any other options. There aren’t. He has us cornered. He has my—” He swallows hard.
He doesn’t finish. He doesn’t need to.
His son.
I’ve never been so uncomfortable with three sets of eyes on me. I don’t even know why it’s so important I fork it over. Obviously, he could snatch it from me right now if he wanted.
Guchkov controls the room quietly.
No force necessary, just thepromiseof violence.
That much power must be addictive. I can see why he’d keep throwing himself back into dangerous robberies despite the damage on his face.
He basks in his dominance, watching us with a small Satanic smile. I idly wonder if he cares more about scaring people than the money.
But the longer I stare, his smile drops.
He quirks a dark eyebrow and reaches into his pocket. “Move, little girl. I am running out of patience.”
I bristle atlittle girl, but my attention locks on the slight bulge in his pocket.
Yep, there’s our gun.
