The Dark Duet (21 page)

“Tonight we become one, the phantom and his ghost,” I breathe. We both manage to slip out of what’s left of our clothing in a succession of movements that feel more like one fluid strip tease without easing up the assault on the other one’s lips. We waste no time with foreplay as I push my cock all the way up to her womb, savoring the feel of her warmth surrounding me.

“You are mine now, Alese Ballentine. Do not try and leave me ... ever again,” I say between our gasps. My body tenses as the sensation of an orgasm strong enough to render me speechless makes its way through my body. In return, Alese begins to shudder underneath me, her nails digging into my back as she cries out.

She pulls back to stare into my eyes, hers half-lidded and dark with passion. “I’m not going anywhere, Belikov. You should know that by now.”

With our bodies still entwined, I stare into her eyes for a few seconds, wanting to make sure she fully understands the meaning behind what I’m about to say. “If you try to leave me, I will find you and bring you back. Always. Every time.”

“If I didn’t know you better, I might think you’re obsessed with me,” she breathes, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Call it what you will. But this is mine.” I ease my cock out of her sex and shove it back up inside of her, smooth and hard. She gasps and digs her nails into my back again, the pain a welcome reminder of what we have.

“Fuck me again, Nikolai. Show me what I mean to you.”

“As my little dove wishes.” Our bodies rock together and we switch places several times—me on top, Alese on top, and a combination of other creative positions—until we’re both exhausted from experiencing multiple orgasms.

“I’m sorry I didn’t fight harder for you,” I whisper in her ear as I bask in the sensual scent of our naked bodies entwined together. Holding on to her tightly, every muscle in my body is exhausted, yet satisfied with the woman who means more to me than any building ... even though the revenge inside of me fights to hold on to its spot in my soul.

“No. You did fight for me. I don’t think you realize just how much so,” she answers, staring into my eyes.

“I don’t understand,” I reply, frowning.

“You make me feel stronger, Nikolai, and I don’t want to live without you by my side. What happened in the past doesn’t matter because you and I are the future. I’m in too deep. Please don’t let me walk away and make the biggest mistake of my life.”

Every muscle in my body tightens, and each cell fills with energy, a power that comes from the place inside of me that’s fueled by revenge. I pull Alese closer, holding her tightly against my chest.

“This is Burkenstein’s fault. He should pay for what he’s done to all of us,” she suggests.

“I know.”

She lifts her head and stares into my eyes. “What should we do now?”

Cradling her head, I bring her face closer to mine and kiss her forehead, her eyes, and those luscious lips. “Mine,” I whisper and move back so I’m gazing into her eyes. “Together, we can liberate each other and those who have been wronged before us. Together, the monster and his bride will take down the scientist who thinks he’s a god. He will pay. I promise.”

CHAPTER 24

~Nikolai~

“Aleksandr’s pissed at us,” Crow explains as we sit inside one of Katerina’s private jets, discussing the best way to infiltrate Rudolph’s fortress of a lab in Switzerland.

“I told you not to say a word to him,” I remind. “He’ll try to follow us and get in the way.”

“He could help us,” Crow responds, holding my gaze.

“This is my fight. Alek has been in Lafayette with his fiancée, enjoying his life. I want to keep it that way. He doesn’t need to get caught up in the middle of this madness.”

What I mean to say is I don’t want my family and friends involved this time, to get hurt the way my ex-lead dancer, Mikhail, did when the beams at the theatre in Rome crushed him during Alek and Erin’s last performance before the two of them disappeared a few weeks ago, yet another sting from the Widow. It took every bit of willpower I had in me to stay away from my family and friends after hearing the news, but I managed. This time, I will be the one to keep my best friend and his family safe, even though I’m still mad as hell about discovering Katerina had made a secret deal with Burkenstein eight years ago.

“I didn’t tell him where we were headed to,” Crow assures me.

“Good. This is something I have to do on my own.” I’m thankful for his presence. I trust very few people. We both suffered through the trials of street life back when we were in the Master Phoenix’s gang. He could easily have walked away, but he chose to stand by my side the same way we did years ago when Alek set us free.

“You mean to say, something
we
have to do,” Alese says, taking a seat across from us and popping the top on a can of ginger ale.

Oh, how I would love to be that can right now. An image of me pulling her down onto my lap and kissing her deeply flashes through my head. Although our makeup sex a couple of nights ago was legendary, she still regards me with an air of reservation, as though she’s afraid to fully trust me again. I will earn back a chance to see her smile once more, and regain her trust.

“That’s exactly what I meant to say,” I reply, holding her gaze while she does the same.

Crow stares at us and shakes his head. I know what he’s thinking, since I was worried about the same thing once I admitted my feelings for Alese. He’s worried that she’ll turn me. Make me soft and ruin our mission. I owe Alese the chance to avenge the man who destroyed her life, and to show her what she truly means to me.

The plane arrives at the airport in Geneva late that night, and we take up residence in a small house on the Swedish pier, checking in under our fake names. The little building we stay in has four small rooms: a living area, kitchen, and two small bedrooms in back. Gray walls and dark wooden floors make up the decoration.

“Wow, this place could use a little HGTV magic,” Alese says, walking through the doorway and setting her backpack down on the floor. She runs her fingers across the countertop and smirks. “A few Mr. Clean wipes wouldn’t hurt, either.”

She disappears down the hallway, leaving me and Crow together alone for the first time, and I turn to my accomplice. “Say what’s on your mind, but do so quickly and carefully.”

“What is it?” he asks, setting down his equipment.

“You’ve been holding back ever since we were on the plane.”

He works his jaw muscles a few times. “I know you feel like she’s on our level, but I’m worried.”

I hold back my temper. “About what?”

“The way you act when she’s around.” He sighs deeply. “I don’t know, Nikolai. You’re different.”

“Unfocused, you mean to say?” I respond, folding my arms across my chest.

“Soft would be the better word,” he answers, his dark-eyed gaze locked on mine.

“May I offer some advice?” I ask. He nods.

“Stick with what you do best. Hacking and computers and such. Leave the dirty business of assessing trainees to me.”

“I believe in the Phantom. It’s my friend Nikolai who worries me. I wonder which side of him will be at that lab tomorrow night.”

“Trust, my friend. And do not question Alese’s motives again.” I slap him on the back and walk away before he has the chance to say something we both will regret.

That night, I sit down on the edge of the bed in the tiny room Alese and I share and pull her flush against me, my head resting on her abdomen as I inhale the scent of her freshly washed body. “Everything changes tomorrow night,” she whispers as she strokes the top of my head.

“Yes, I know,” I confirm. “People will get hurt tomorrow.” According to Crow, the compound is filled with no less than fifty or so personnel, including security guards and lab technicians. The challenge presented before me both worries and excites me.

Placing her hands underneath my chin, Alese tilts my head back so I’m staring into her hazel eyes. “This is what we want. What we must do to keep others safe. So that no more children will be victimized by the kind of things done to you and me.”

I nod, smile, and close my eyes, enjoying our last few hours of peace.

Dressed in the costumes of the Phantom and his Ghost, Alese and I sneak up on the laboratory. Crow waits outside in a van parked nearby. He’ll upload the data from Vladimir’s computer once we make our way to Rudolph’s study and link the two computers together. The compound is filled with guards and cronies, but we’re ready to take the mission on regardless. This will be the way to destroy Burkenstein, by taking down his operation, the pride and joy of a sick man, and also the one who has given him this power of a god, Vladimir.

Two guards stand inside the lobby, guarding the one door that leads up to the living quarters and the lab. There’s no way for us to get around them. We walk straight up to the desk, our faces covered by the masks.

“What the fuck is this?” one of the guards asks in a heavily accented voice. He turns to his partner and says, “Burkenstein planning some kind of costume gig?” The two men share a laugh, deepening it once they see I’ve joined in with them. I glance at Alese and nod; no words are necessary. The Ghost has taken over her personality, the side of her that doesn’t remember the things that cause her pain.

“That’s exactly right, boys,” she confirms, slinking her way around the desk and hopping up on top of it, the form fitting black spandex suit she’s wearing giving her an air of raw sensuality. “Which one of you sexy bastards wants to dance with me first?”

“What you got for me, little lady?” the guard asks, leaning closer to Alese as she sits on the desk, her body lodged between the two men. His partner, however, doesn’t look as convinced of Alese’s innocence as his eager-eyed comrade. His hand is slowly inching toward something underneath their desk. Alese doesn’t miss a beat. She turns extra attention on the hesitant guard, lavishing him with smiles and pulling his hand back toward her boot. “Silly me. Looks like my lace has come undone. Help a girl out, won’t you?”

“I saw nothing about a private party tonight. Gash usually leaves a note,” the guard says while tying Alese’s boot lace. Apparently, Burkenstein’s fetishes are quite common.

“It’s a surprise. Wouldn’t you love it if someone sent you an unexpected gift like me?” she purrs. The hard ass cracks a slight smile. Her charms are working. “Come closer. No worries. I don’t bite. Well, not too hard, anyway.” The men do as instructed, eager grins plastered across their faces.

At once Alese pulls out a set of blades from inside of the same boots the guard was just lacing up, and slams them down into the tops of either men’s hands. Both of them start shouting for help as they try for the alarm, but Alese has made sure they can’t reach it. She’s a professional assassin, and I both love and admire her for the duality of her nature. I slide over the top of the desk and send two swift jabs into the men’s temples, knocking them both unconscious.

“That was easy,” Alese says as I remove my backpack and begin hooking plaster containing explosives to the door leading up to the main area. The calm way she slips into becoming the Ghost fascinates me.

“Things will not be as easy from this point on,” I warn.

“No doubt. What’s up with the explosives?” she asks.

“A little insurance policy,” I reply, moving back to the desk.

“Nikolai. Wait.” Alese walks toward me, throws her arms around my neck and shoves her tongue into my mouth, kissing me with the kind of passion I’ve missed over the past few weeks we’ve been apart. I grow hard from the excitement of what we’re doing, the danger lurking just beyond the doorway, and knowing the woman I’ve grown to care about more than anything else chooses to do this with me, even though she knows about the things I’ve done in my past.

Pulling back, she holds my head between her palms, her fingers splayed on the sides of my face and says, “Thank you. For everything.”

“I’ve done nothing yet.”

“You could’ve walked away from all this. From me. But you didn’t. Now you’re risking everything. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I’m not a man without motive, little dove. We must continue.” I try to ignore the concern for her safety threatening to distort my focus. “I’m going to draw the thugs to me. They won’t expect you. We must separate as we discussed.”

“All right. I got this,” she answers. I pull her to me. Crow was right. I’m worried about her safety more than I am completing the mission. I am weak. I move back and stare into her eyes hidden behind her mask. “You remember the way to the study?”

“Nikolai, babe. I’m going to be fine. Don’t you worry one bit,” she assures, kissing me and then moving over to stand by the door leading into the hallway. “Let’s do this thing.”

Turning away from Alese, I walk back over to the security guard’s desk and trip the alarm, drawing attention to our location. The doors slide open and we both slip into the hallway, the alarm blaring through my eardrums. Alese checks her weapons—a set of Celtic blades—her face tight and determined. I can tell she’s focused on her task, finding the computer that will finally lead us to Vladimir. She nods at me and then disappears down the hallway in the opposite direction from where I already hear the patter of boots rushing toward me. I head back into the lobby. There’s more room for fighting in there than in the narrow hallway.