All Of Me (Book 3 of Lastor Series)

Chapter 4

Katrina was relaying to me the current status of the rest of the organization along with confirmation on the arrangements I had ordered for the operation. I tried to care enough to pay attention to what she was saying but I saw no purpose in any of it. So what if we would win? So what if we might lose? It was all pointless anyway. The strategy I had laid out sought the complete annihilation of my enemies and subsequent acquisition of their properties, but there was no reason. I didn't want it. I didn't care for it. It was just easier to win than lose but if, maybe, they somehow could derail all my plans and destroy everything I built, I wouldn't really mind. Honestly, I might even thank them. Keeping things running smoothly, ensuring we always turned a profit every quarter, and expanding my network was such a hassle anyway. I could spend more time with Rick instead. Being with him was the only thing that's been able to distract me from the emptiness of my life in the absence of a purpose.

I smiled to myself. "Kat, do you think he can win?"

"Ma'am?"

"Leonti." I got off the floor, sitting beside her on the couch. "He's quite powerful, isn't he? And he's decently intelligent too."

Her brows furrowed. "Yes, I suppose."

I leaned towards her, gripping my fingers. "Then he has a chance to beat me, yeah? He might even be able to take everything from me." I paused, my smile growing wider. "Oh, what if he could see through our plans and find a flaw that can turn everything against us? There are nine flaws in my strategy, you know. I could only implement a proper counter for six of them. If he finds the three that I couldn't counter, everything would fall apart and I'll have to yield control over operations here to him. Or maybe he'll find something that I missed and use it to destroy me completely." I leaned closer, tilting my head. "Do you think he's capable of that?"

She glanced at Sawyer as he stood by the door and they shared a look. A look I had become so familiar with over the months we'd spent living together. It was the look they had whenever they were considering to get Rick so he could hold me together whenever I was about to break again but Rick wasn't here and they knew what that meant.

"Miss Lastor," Katrina began, meeting my eyes with a hard glare. "May I?"

I smiled through pursed lips. "Okay."

"Pardon me." She slapped me hard, the force making my head whip to the side and my neck crack audibly. "Focus, Miss Lastor."

I swallowed the blood that filled my mouth, sighing in relief as the pain dulled my mind for a brief moment. "Thank you," I murmured, tilting my head to look at her. "And I'm sorry."

She nodded, pressing a handkerchief to my broken lip. "We're almost done now," she assured me. "And then you can go back to Rick."

"Yeah," I mumbled, forcing a smile. "It's almost Sunday. I have to go back."

Her phone rang and she stood, excusing herself as she answered it. I went to the window, opening it and letting the chilling breeze ease me. I heard Sawyer's familiar footsteps approach me, stopping behind me.

"Miss Lastor, it's too dangerous for you to stand here," he insisted lightly.

I tilted my head, sweeping my gaze along the building across from us and spotting a dark figure behind a curtained window. I pointed at it, glancing at him. "It's not shooting though."

He flinched, pushing me behind him as he spoke into his radio and relayed the sniper's position to the other teams. He relaxed slightly, turning to face me.

"It's with us," he said in relief.

"Then there's no danger." He pursed his lips, evidently frustrated. I chuckled. "Relax, Sawyer. I won't let myself die unless it's for Rick."

He looked at me for a moment, as if my answer was unsatisfactory. "I'd rather you don't let yourself die at all, Ma'am."

I smiled. "You ask for too much."

"Miss Lastor," I heard Katrina call.

I turned to face her. "Yeah?"

"They found Yusupov's location. On your go."

I nodded, taking a deep breath as I actively turned myself off. "Tell them to get in position. We move on our arrival."

She nodded, holding her phone to her ear. I went to my room, taking my boots and coat before heading out with her and the rest of my guards following. The elevator was playing some dull and passionless piano sonata as we descended to the lobby, irking me immensely. I was already harboring a maddening frustration with my own music, I didn't have the mental capacity to be frustrated with other people's music too.

"Of all the masterpieces that were borne from this country, they make their guests endure this garbage," I mumbled in dismay as I laced up my boots. "Balakirev would have a fit."

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. I stood, shrugging on my coat as we walked out. The lobby was deserted, save for the night workers and bar dwellers. I felt their eyes on our admittedly suspicious group as we walked across the lobby and I kept my head down, letting my guards take their positions. Finn and Jaime sidled up at either side of me, Aran and Javier became my shadow, and Sawyer was the wall before me. People parted like the sea when we passed them as my barricade of hulking six foot something behemoths silently bid them to move away or be taken as a threat. I've become used to their presence. I didn't have a choice. Rick had befriended them and always got pissed at me whenever I f****d with them.

As we stepped out into the street, I felt the hairs on my body stand as my anxiety suddenly went haywire. I halted, grabbing the back of Sawyer's jacket and snapping my head up as I swept my gaze at our vicinity in search of what was out of place. There were a few civilians loitering nearby. They shouldn't be. It was 1AM and -10ºC. Not even vermin would dare this cold. It didn't make sense.

"Miss Lastor?" Katrina called questioningly.

"Something's wrong," I mumbled, sniffing at the air. "An engine is running." I caught sight of an idle van at the end of the street and narrowed my eyes, taking in its exterior details and recognizing it. "That." I pointed at it. "It was at the market. Now it's here. It's following us. All these people are with them."

Everyone snapped into action, guiding me towards one of the SUVs parked at the curb. The sound of tires screeching filled the dead air as the van suddenly sped towards us while the civilians broke into a sprint, guns wielded. The snipers posted at the nearby buildings started picking them off one by one, keeping them at bay and stopping their advance. Another van swerved into the street as Sawyer tore out of the spot, ramming into us from the front while the other came at us from the back. The rest of my guards had taken cover beside the two other SUVs still parked at the curb as they engaged the attackers across the street shooting at Katrina and Sawyer. No one was shooting in the back seat, where I was.

Nonsense. So much nonsense. Stop messing with my head.

I climbed into the space between the front seats, reaching for the dashboard and pushing the button that corresponded with the sun roof's control. I stood as it slid back. The attackers stopped shooting instantly.

There's the logic.

"Miss Lastor!" Katrina yelled, dragging me back inside. "Stay down!"

"Stop panicking. They're not here to kill me." I got on the floor, reclining both the front seats. "Stick with me." They crawled over to either side of me while I removed the cushions of the back seat, revealing the compartment where the spare guns were placed. "Sawyer, tell the guys to split and the snipers to keep the civilians pinned until we've followed before moving out. Have them shift positions to the roof once the guys have cleared the street." They both started to protest but I cut them off, snapping my fingers at them. "We're outnumbered and outgunned. If they locate and subdue the snipers before we can get out, we're dead. No, every one of you will be dead. I'll be taken." I placed two identical pistols and two boxes of ammunition on Sawyer's lap. "You load and keep them c****d. Kat, you cover our nine. I'll clear our twelve. Be ready to move out. Have reinforcements meet us halfway. Copy?"

"Copy," they replied in unison.

"Relay the orders to the others," I said as I shrugged off my coat. "Kat, in my middle. Sawyer, stay below me."

I grabbed another pistol from the cache, checking to see that it was loaded. I pulled myself up on the roof, sitting with my legs dangling inside. Katrina settled between my thighs, facing the attackers across the street while I took aim at the driver side of the van in the front, shooting into the windshield but the glass had been reinforced and they wouldn't budge. I lowered one arm when I reached five remaining bullets in the clip, feeling Sawyer place the pistol on my palm. I took it and dropped the other when it clicked empty.

The attackers across the street were getting scattered as the other guys moved out in different directions, the snipers keeping them pinned down. Knowing they were going to focus on immobilizing us, I dropped back inside the car and pushed Katrina and Sawyer into the front before following, settling myself in the middle. Katrina shot at the windshield while I kicked at it with both feet until it gave way and we carried on shooting at the van simultaneously, emptying our clips into it while Sawyer reloaded. We finally broke through and they started reversing.

"Kat, load," Sawyer bit out as he settled into the driver's seat.

I shifted, sliding out to the hood and yelling for a gun. Katrina placed one on my outstretched hand and I took aim again, waiting for a beat. When we had enough distance between us, I shot their front tires before emptying the clip into their engine. Sawyer yelled out for me to get in and I crawled inside just as he sped out, meeting with the rest of the guys who had waited in the corner of the street. I exchanged pistols with Katrina and went to stand through the roof, signaling for them to go ahead of us while keeping my aim at the van following us. It was swerving around and I decided to shoot at their engine instead, emptying the clip. They still kept coming at us.

"Kat, come! I'll cover you!"

She clambered out of the passenger seat and slid up behind me, holding her arms out at either side of my head.

"Cover your ears, Miss Lastor," she said and I pressed my palms against my ears.

I felt her blow out a steady breath against the back of my head before letting loose two quick shots. The van swerved to the side as the front tires blew and she took another tire out before emptying the rest of the clip into its body. We went back inside and she called Artie to relay the situation, asking for a medical team to be ready upon our arrival. I smelled blood and I turned on the interior lights, assessing my injuries. My arms and hands were cut up all over from the broken glass but there was nothing that required immediate aid. I looked over to Sawyer, seeing blood on him.

"Where are you hit?" I asked, unraveling his tie.

"I'm fine. Take care of yourself first," he snapped back, his usual composure gone.

"I've had worse cuts. Tell me where you're hit."

"Left arm and leg," he replied, breathing heavily. "Just slow the bleeding. Kat's got it worse."

I unlatched his seatbelt and took out my knife from the inside of my boot, cutting it off. I settled behind him, pulling his jacket off him and kneeling as I wrapped the tie around his arm to slow the bleeding. I shifted, going under his arms as he kept his hands on the steering wheel and tying the seatbelt around his calf.

"Kat, your status," I said as I went to take the medical kit from the glove compartment.

"Right thigh, two hits," she replied shakily, ripping off her slacks. "One is still in."

Sawyer increased his speed and I placed the cushions on the back seat to let Katrina lay down. I prepared the suture tools, dousing water and alcohol on my hands along with the area of her injury before slipping on a pair of latex gloves.

"Keep it steady, Sawyer," I said as I injected her with a dose of morphine. "Can't wait for the onset. Bite down on something."

She grabbed her jacket, biting a mouthful of it. I started operating, tuning out her muffled scream as I searched for the bullet. It had shattered the bone and bullet fragments were lodged into her flesh. I took care of the clean shot first since it had a burst artery. There wasn't enough time to properly close the wound and I decided to cauterize it to avoid more blood loss. She passed out in the middle of me digging out the bullet fragments, coming to with a scream as I pressed the blade of my knife against her flesh to seal the wound.

"You're good. Just stay awake," I told her when I was done, turning my attention back on Sawyer. He had lost his color and was close to passing out. "Pull over. I need to take care of you."

"We need to meet with reinforcements," he said firmly.

"Let them come to us. You need to be treated now," I said, yanking back the hand brake. The car halted. "I'll work fast. Tell the others to pull over too."

I started tending to him, my mind blank as my hands worked steadily. The bullets hadn't fragmented and there was no bone injury. Once I removed the bullets and stitched him up, I went out to the others. Jamie had taken a brutal hit to his shoulder and was bleeding out. He broke the overhead handle in his struggle with the pain, kicking at the car door as he screamed through his jacket while I cauterized the wound, unable to pass out.

Once I was done with him, I took care of the others who only suffered minor injuries. When the reinforcement arrived in vans, they helped repair the damages and replaced the tires to our cars. I rode with Jamie and Katrina in the back of one the vans, and started a direct transfusion for them through me and one of the new guys. I let the new guy transfuse with Katrina since they were a match while I did with Jaime. I started getting dizzy from the blood loss after a few minutes and briefly lost consciousness. I came to when I felt the needle getting pulled out of me and I flinched as Jamie wrapped his hand around my arm, pressing his thumb on the open vein.

"What are you doing?" I bit out, shifting to my knees as he laid on the floor beside Katrina.

I reached for the cannula but he held it away, shaking his head. "I'll make it."

"You lost nearly 30% of your total blood volume, we need to increase it by at least 15% percent to avoid complications," I reasoned.

"I'll make it," he repeated.

"That's not the point, you idiot."

"Ma'am..." He sighed, loosening his grip on my arm. "You're the priority here."

I pursed my lips. "Fine. Now, stop touching me."

The i***t smiled before letting me go and I bandaged my arm as I sat back on the floor. When I finished, I bandaged his too and checked his pulse, finding it still too weak while his breathing was labored. He was fortunate that he was healthy and had a large build, otherwise he'd be dead by now. I checked on Katrina as she laid unconscious, finding her body temperature too low. I slapped her and she snapped her eyes open.

"Stay awake," I ordered, bundling two jackets and putting it under her thigh to elevate it. "You too, Jamie." I heard him laugh and I glanced at him but his eyes were closed. "What?" I asked. "Are you delirious? I told you, you need more blood."

He shook his head, laughing still. "I didn't think you knew my name."

I furrowed my brows. "We've lived together and spent every day together for over a year now. Of course I know your name."

"Yeah, but we've never directly spoken before."

I thought for a moment, realizing he was right. "Oh, well, I never felt the need to speak to any of you."

He snorted. "I'll try not to be offended."

"No, I mean, I consider you and the other guys as the physical manifestation of my walls," I said, deciding to tend to my injuries to keep myself alert. "When you're surrounding me, I can focus on other things because I know you won't let anything pass you. So unless you're somehow unable to hold your position as my East wall, I can keep ignoring you."

"Why are you not ignoring me now then?"

I pursed my lips, tilting my head to eye his injury. He would need a year to make a full recovery and revert back to his peak condition.

"You're not going to be my East anymore and I'm feeling very vulnerable because of it," I mumbled quietly.

He opened his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. "I'm sure your new East won't let anything pass him."

I turned away, slapping Katrina again to wake her. "I don't like new people."

He chuckled. "Just don't scare the poor guy too much, Ma'am. You made me want to quit three times, you know."

I snickered, wrapping gauze around my hand to cover the cuts. "What's so scary about a five foot seven skinny red head to you?"

"I think it's because you're a five foot seven skinny red head that can take down guys twice your size that scare the s**t out of us," he muttered wryly. "You're pretty badass, you know."

"Hey, soldier," Katrina called, elbowing him in the side. He let out a grunt of pain. "Stop flirting with Miss Lastor."

"It's fine," I said dismissively. "I'm flirting too. It helps me cope with the anxiety." I gave Jamie a smile. "You wear the same aftershave as Rick." I leaned over him, bringing my nose beside his cheek and breathing in the scent of roses. He stiffened. "I'm pretending you're him, though it's not as calming when he's actually with me but you will do for a stand in."

He started laughing again. "You sure know how to break a fella's spirit, Miss Lastor."

********************

Artie was waiting outside when we arrived at the warehouse and he was visibly livid when he caught sight of me, cussing out the medics for not tending to me and my guards for letting me get injured. He was even nagging Katrina for getting shot twice.

"Ease up, Art," I muttered as I changed into a clean shirt. "I was the only one who could move and my injuries are all superficial. I already took care of them, so chill."

He let out a breath, composing himself. "With all due respect, Miss Lastor, I cannot pardon this incompetence. Allow me to arrange a new security team for you, at least."

I rolled my eyes. "We were outnumbered by five to one. Stop being an ass."

He shook his head grimly. "To think Yusupov would be so daring as to attack you in such a spectacle."

"Nah. That's not what it was." I accepted the Gatorade his assistant offered me and took a swig, chugging it down to a half. "We have a party crasher."

"It wasn't Yusupov?" Georgiana asked as she stood beside Artie.

I shook my head, tying up my hair in a high pony tail. "They wanted me alive. That's not Leonti's goal." I bit my bottom lip to hold back a smile. "This is starting to get fun."

"Focus, Miss Lastor," I heard Katrina mumble from beside me as she laid on a gurney.

I smirked, patting her leg as I stood. "Let's get this over with then." I looked over my shoulder to my team as the medics tended to them. "Y'all better not die on me, yeah? I got enough s**t f*****g with my head already."

They chuckled lightly, giving me words of assurance and I headed to the other side of the warehouse, consciously focusing myself. My associates were standing by the wall where rows of screen monitors had been perched up. A group of screens showed a visual of our target locations and others had a corresponding map of their vicinities. Artie took a seat behind the main communications control, speaking with the teams and coordinating with the soldiers Yefrem had gathered for us. I stood beside him, taking the spare headphones slung on one of the computers and holding the microphone to my mouth.

"Hello, boys," I greeted. "This is Silver. Sorry for the wait. Run final checks and report."

A series of clacking of guns and radios turning on and off went for a minute, followed by each team leader providing confirmation of their readiness.

"Aight." I glanced at Artie's watch. "Delta, Golf, India, Lima. Prepare to storm. On my go."

They responded with affirmation and I watched the short arm of the watch click around until the long arm moved to three.

"Go." I touched Artie's shoulder and he shifted into action, guiding the teams along as they moved. I looked over at Georgiana, waving her over. "Stay with your team."

She nodded, grabbing a pair of headphones and flustering to put them on. I rolled my eyes, bringing my attention on the monitors and watching the movement on the ground through the body cams each leader wore. They were being met with resistance from the guards in the warehouses but they seemed to be in control of the situation, easily overpowering the opposition by two to one per team.

"Bravo, Echo, Hotel, Juliet. Prepare to storm," I called out, waiting for the forces on their side to display signs of communication with those being attacked. It took nearly two minutes for them to move, piling into vehicles and gathering weapons in haste. "Go." The occupied vehicles went first, getting blown to bits by a hale of grenades, and then the teams initiated the raid of their respective target. I snapped my fingers at Georgiana. "Ready."

"Okay, Alpha, go. Yankee, Whiskey, open up a path. Eagle 1, provide cover," she ordered in quick succession.

"The f**k?" I grabbed a pencil from the desk, hurling it at her dumb head. "I said ready, you f*****g idiot."

"I thought you- f**k, what should I do?" she said, becoming frantic.

"What are you asking me for? That's your end," I reminded her.

I brought my gaze back to the front, zeroing in on the Alpha's monitor and finding them storming through the gates while Yankee and Whiskey engaged the perimeter defense. I clicked my tongue in displeasure. This section of the operation was the most precarious what with Leonti being the sole target. In accordance to his paranoid nature, he never stayed in one fixed location for more than a day and kept every inch of his safe houses guarded while also surrounding himself with a team of mercenaries as his personal detail. Preparing a solid strategy for his extraction had been impossible, that was why I opted to raid his assets to draw him out. Going in blind with just blunt force to rely on could only achieve deaths for the operatives.

Not my problem.

I focused on my main goals, to effectively cripple Leonti and dismantle his physical operations within the country. Whether he could escape from the Alpha team, die, or somehow get taken by them, it was inconsequential to me. He wasn't my target, his resources were. I had already prepared a detailed plan for his inevitable downfall and this was only just the beginning of the ruin I was going to bring upon him for wasting my time with this pointless war.

I watched the flow of battle in each location, waiting for the right moment to bring down the second wave of our forces. I had estimated the length of time of the collective operation to be fifteen minutes and we were now nearing its final phase and my associates were already toasting our apparent victory. I was disappointed with how pitiful this end was after the months of preparation they made and all the resources they gathered in their effort to down me. What was the point of their attempt if they couldn't even put up a decent fight? What a waste of time.

"Aight, remaining teams, storm," I ordered. "Take control and secure perimeter. Injured, retreat."

I moved my eyes along each monitor, nodding in satisfaction when all seemed to be going as I envisioned. When I brought my attention to the Alpha team, they were taking heavy fire and were forced to hold position at the first floor staircase. I glanced at Georgiana and she was practically pissing herself as she blurted out panicked commands at the poor guys. What a f*****g mess.

"Hit! Man down!" I heard one say.

Georgiana snapped her eyes to me, pleading for help. "Angel, I... they're going to die."

I rolled my eyes, grabbing the phone and dialing the number Ben had provided as our direct line of communication. It was answered instantly.

"Your guys are pinned," I informed him. "Defenses turned out to be more than our estimation. I suggest retreat."

There was a lull and another man on the Alpha team was hit before he responded, "Retreat is not an option. Can you provide support?"

"External, yeah, but I'm not sending in any man under my command to die for someone else's benefit."

He sighed. "Tell me your demands."

I held back a smile. "Six months on top of my existing time and a 20% pay raise for my security team starting with their next salary."

"Done."

I cut the call. "Art, send in the chopper to their location and handle the other end," I ordered before bringing the microphone to my lips. "Silver to Yankee, provide external support. Whiskey, retrieve the downed. Alpha, put up some smoke and stay low. Eagle 1, move twelve yards East. Eagle 2, take the West. Fire for diversion." I analyzed the others, looking for the ones I could spare and could reach them the fastest. "Golf, Sierra, fall back. Gia, get them to Alpha."

"Chopper's en route. ETA six minutes," Artie informed me.

I watched the teams move into action, clearing out the forces that had gone out to reinforce the perimeter. A series of bombs were let loose and relentless firing followed from the perimeter defense while the Alpha team remained in position. The Whiskey team stormed the gates and met up with Alpha team at the foyer. The injured were retreated and then they started counter attack on the combatants, subduing their forces easily. They were going through the second floor hallway when they were met with resistance, one man after another getting downed.

"Whiskey, Alpha, talk to me. How many combatants?" One of the team leaders responded but there was too much noise and I couldn't get a clear sight of what was happening either. "How many?"

"One!"

I glanced at Artie and Georgiana but they mirrored my confusion. "One what? One squad?"

"Person, Ma'am."

"What the f**k?" I blurted out.

There was a sudden unwarranted boom followed by a flash of light and when I looked, the screen that displayed the Whiskey and Alpha team leaders' body cams were all white. I yelled out for both teams to retreat but I couldn't get a confirmation on either one. Yankee kept asking if back up was needed but I couldn't give an order without knowing what I was sending them into. I could hear everything, the gunshots, the grunts of pain, the bodies hitting a hard surface, the panicked yelling, and I became more confused and agitated the longer I remained blind.

More deaths. I had finally passed the threshold of the 500 mark. I wanted to throw up.

"Where the f**k's my chopper, Art?" I bit out.

"Two minutes," he responded.

"Silver to Yankee, hold position," I said, numbed with bewilderment. "Alpha, Whiskey, retreat and report."

I pursed my lips, waiting for them to respond but no one answered. I looked at Yankee's screen but didn't see anyone from either team come out from the house. When the smoke cleared, the Alpha's screen showed a man with his face covered by a black mask and tactical goggles. He took the camera, raising it as he removed his goggles and pulled down his mask, revealing a shaved head and ivory skin. This guy... this soft faced pretty boy... took down two teams with twenty soldiers and mercenaries each.

What the f**k?

He put on one of our comms and Artie relayed an order for all teams to change frequency. "Excuse me," he said, his quiet voice barely audible through the commotion around him. "Is Vivien there?"

I instinctively stiffened at hearing the name, backing away. I held the microphone to my lips. "Where's Leonti?" I asked.

"Is this Vivien?"

I gritted my teeth. "I prefer Angel, but yeah. Who are you?"

At that, he smiled, his beautiful face brightening. "I'm called Malachi. I'm glad you've finally come."

Georgiana leapt to her feet, getting on her phone as she put distance between us. I frowned. "Where's Leonti?" I repeated.

He didn't respond, walking along the hall while the fighting went on outside. He entered a room and turned, holding the camera away to show a corpse with a single bullet wound on its forehead sitting on a chair behind him.

"Here he is. Can you see?"

I glanced at Artie and he got on the comms, ordering the remaining teams on the location to fall back. "You killed your own boss?"

He scowled, bringing the camera closer to his face. "Mr. Yusupov isn't my master."

"The target has been altered," I heard Georgiana bit out. "We're extracting that man at any means necessary. Whatever your demands will be granted."

I ignored her. "What are your interests here if you're not with him?" I asked.

"We're here for you, that is all."

"Oh? I'm flattered," I said, humoring him. I heard the sound of helicopter blades in the background and I tapped Artie, bringing down my fist. He relayed the order to initiate bombing. "So I'm guessing you were my suitors from earlier. You're quite persistent. What can I do for you, Malachi?"

A bomb went off, the window behind him shattering from the impact of the blast. The camera was dropped and there was movement as he ran. I could see Golf and Sierra arriving at the location. I held up two fingers and striked them down. Artie relayed it to the teams, ordering them to storm.

Just one guy. He was just one guy. I couldn't reconcile with it let alone counter it. I never thought to consider that of all the possible ways this operation could become undone, it would be due to the force of one f*****g guy.

A grin spread across my lips as excitement filled me. How long has it been since someone posed as a genuine threat to me? When was the last time I was in a situation and wasn't in control? What took this monster so long to find me? I've been so f*****g bored swatting at these pesky flies.

"Vivien," Malachi called while the sound of gunshots and bombs went on around him. "Don't go anywhere. I'll come to you."

Artie called for the guards, telling them to prepare to move me out. He tried to pull me away but I held up a hand. "Come, then," I urged, adrenaline pumping in my veins. "Entertain me."

The line was cut off by Georgiana. "Get out. Now."

I grabbed the front of her blouse, yanking her forward. "Who is he? Where did he come from?"

She clenched her jaw. "Ask your brother."

I arched a brow. "Oh? Big brother's been playing with this? How selfish."

"Miss Lastor, you need to go," Artie interjected. "I'll take care of the rest."

I frowned, tilting my head. "Go? But it just got fun," I said, grinning. "Clear out. Take the injured with you."