The moonlight filtered through the office window, casting a soft glow over the room, but it did little to brighten my mood. I paced back and forth, my footsteps echoing off the walls. My face was flushed with anger, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Marcus sat at the edge of the desk, watching me with concern.

"I can't believe it!" I spat, my eyes blazing. "Dimitri Orlov, that cunt of all people! Why him?"

He leaned back, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Nora, calm down. Getting worked up won't help."

"Calm down?" I snapped, whipping around to face him. "How can I calm down when she's bringing him here? He's insufferable!"

Marcus watched with a slight, almost amused expression, which I didn't notice. He knew I had a temper, but he probably didn't expect to see me like this.

He sighed, searching for the right words. "I know you two have history, but we need to focus on the bigger picture. He's here to help."

I let out a bitter laugh, my eyes twitching. "Help? That bastard has only ever helped himself. This is a disaster waiting to happen."

He stood up, moving to stand before me and taking my hand. "Look, I get it. Dimitri isn't exactly our favorite person. But we have to trust Svetlana's judgment. She wouldn't bring him in if it wasn't necessary."

"Don't ever use Dimitri and 'favorite' in the same sentence again," I snapped, my nose flaring. "And besides, I don't trust him, especially not when he's going to be so close."

"Sorry, I won't do it again." He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We'll keep an eye on him. Together. We won't let him compromise our mission."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Fine. But if he steps out of line, I won't hesitate to put him in his place."

He nodded. "Agreed. But for now, let's focus on preparing for his arrival. We need to be ready for whatever comes next."

I gave a reluctant nod, though the fire in my eyes was still burning bright. "Alright. But I'm not happy about this, Marcus. Not at all."

He gave me a reassuring smile. "I know. But we'll get through this. We always do."

I sighed, finally starting to calm down. "Okay. Let's get to work."

Marcus walked over to the window, looking out at the city below. "We need to figure out what Dimitri's angle is. He's not the type to get involved without a reason."

I crossed my arms, my gaze hardening. "His reason is probably to make our lives miserable. He's always been a thorn in our side."

He turned back to me, his expression serious. "We can't afford to let personal grudges interfere. Svetlana expects us to be professional."

I scoffed. "Professional. Right. As if he knows the meaning of the word."

"Nora, listen to me," Marcus said softly, moving closer and wrapping his arms around my waist. "I know he's a dickhead and everything, but right now, our lives are on the line, Svetlana's life is on the line. Remove your anger and don't let him get to you."

I stared at his face, our proximity making his lips appear inviting. Marcus quickly cleared his throat and stepped back, realizing how close we had been standing.

He moved back to the desk, sorting through some papers. "Alright, let's find out what we can. We don't want to let Svetlana down in any way."

I walked over to join him, my anger simmering just below the surface, but the moment we shared made me feel a bit better. "You're right. Let's do this."

Hours passed as we delved into our research, compiling information and formulating plans. The tension from earlier had eased, replaced by focused determination.

"Come on, Nora, he may be a motherfucker, but he's so hot," one of the clan members, Andrea, said with a teasing smile, which made the other girls agree. "I know, right? And he must be great in bed too!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Hot or not, we can't ignore the risks. This isn't about attraction; it's about strategy. And ew, don't talk about his sex life."

"Girl, you're boring," Andrea shrugged playfully. "But a little eye candy never hurt anyone."

I cringed, making a disgusted face. "Ugh, seriously? The last thing I need is to be thinking about his 'hotness' right now."

As Andrea and the others laughed, I gagged theatrically. "I'd rather not have my thoughts polluted by that bitch."

The room chuckled at my exaggerated reaction. Even Marcus was laughing, but the underlying tension remained. I leaned back in my chair, shaking my head in disbelief.

Just then, the door swung open, and Svetlana entered, her presence immediately commanding attention. The room quieted down as she walked to the front with her usual air of authority.

"Sorry for the delay," Svetlana said, taking her seat. "I had to handle a few things."

The room settled as Svetlana began speaking. "We've received some new intel. Dimitri has offered to help us, and his offer seems genuine. We need to consider this carefully."

Murmurs of surprise and curiosity rippled through the room. My gaze remained skeptical, my earlier cringed expression lingering as I braced myself for what was to come next.

"Why is he helping us? He's never considered us as his allies in any of his missions," I questioned, crossing my arms over my chest.

"He knows Yakim's men and some of these men have betrayed him, which means they were once in his clan," Svetlana said, her tone unwavering. "And secondly, you did kill his father, so it involves all of us."

I nodded with a sigh, while Marcus began speaking. "Are we sure he wants to help us or is he looking to take advantage of us?"

Svetlana raised a brow and took a puff of her cigar. "Marcus, dear, I've worked with his father in the past. Believe me, I know more about Dimitri than you can imagine."

She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing with a hint of sarcasm, "You should worry more about how to keep Nora from tearing him apart before he even has a chance to betray us."

I rolled my eyes, my tongue pressing the inside of my cheek with irritation. "You're right, I'll be the first one to put that asshole in his place," I added, my tone dripping with annoyance."

"Okay enough being immature," she said, making me nod. "Dimitri has valuable intelligence on Slavik's men and their operations. His armory is far superior to ours, and his connections outside of Vladivostok and Novosibirsk could prove valuable."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room, but I could see the unease in their eyes. Trust was a rare commodity in our world, and alliances were often precarious.

Andrea, who had been teasing me earlier, raised her hand. "What about the logistics? How are we coordinating with Dimitri's men? We need to ensure there's no room for miscommunication."

Svetlana nodded, appreciating the question. "Dimitri and I have already set up secure communication channels. His second-in-command will be our primary contact. We'll coordinate our efforts closely to avoid any mishaps."

"Really? He accepted that?" I asked with disbelief rolling off my tongue. "I genuinely thought his ego would've hurt if you asked that."

Everyone around me snickered as Svetlana watched me with amusement. "You know, I thought so too, but it didn't. Everyone involved is mature, and they don't let egos interfere with their professionalism.

I stared at her as a smirk formed on my expression. "Right," I replied.

As the conversation continued, the room was filled with strategies, contingency plans, and what-ifs. Svetlana's experience and authority kept the discussion on track, but the underlying tension was palpable.

After a while, Svetlana addressed the room with finality. "This is a risky move, but it's our best shot. We need to be united in this effort. Dimitri's help is essential, but we'll watch him closely. Trust is earned, and we'll ensure he earns it."

"Understandable," my voice cut through as I smiled at her. "And I will try my best to trust him."

"I can tell it was hard for you to say trust and him in a single sentence," Svetlana spoke as I chuckled. "I understand your concerns, Nora. Trusting people in our world is never easy. But Dimitri's offer is genuine, and we can't afford to let personal grudges interfere with our mission."

I gave her a nod while her gaze softened before Svetlana stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor and drawing everyone's attention. "Pack your asses," she commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument.

A ripple of confusion spread through the room. People exchanged bewildered glances, whispering among themselves.

Andrea, her earlier light-heartedness gone, looked around nervously. "Is there a threat we don't know about?" Alexei furrowed his brow, leaning forward in his seat. "What do you mean, pack? What's going on?"

I wasn't the only one caught off guard by her words.

"What do you think? We're moving to Serbia, specifically to Dimitri's home in Novosibirsk."

{Word Count- 1593}

A/N

Sorry for not updating in a long time. I had some issues going on.

But now it's updated. What do you think of this chapter? Please comment and give your reviews so I can write better.

Vote and comment. I really appreciate it. Makes me feel happy.

Anyways see ya soon!

xoxo

-lily