Wolf with Benefits
Page 78
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Disgusted, Ricky returned his attention to Toni. She stood straight, shook her hair. The curls were shorter now, getting curlier as her hair became drier.
Okay. Im ready. She threw the towel back into the bathroom and grabbed a small backpack and thick file folder from her bed. She walked to the door, pulling it open with her free hand.
What happened to the back of the door? Ricky asked her.
Huh? Toni asked, eyes wide as if she didnt know what he was talking about. She continued to keep moving, saying nothing more.
Going to say it now? Vic asked him.
No. Im not. He pointed at the hybrid. I know itll be impossible for a bear-tiger freak of nature to understand, but although every dog may be a canine, not every canine is a dog.
Did you get that from your college Logic one-oh-one class?
Maybe.
Come on, guys, Toni called from the hallway. Lets go. Ive got a lot of work to get done today.
Just leave it, Ricky warned the hybrid. Shes fine.
If you say so.
Watch that tone, son.
Vic chuckled and walked out of the room; Ricky followed.
Still disgusted.
She saw the girl, Delilah Jean-Louis Parker, sitting on the steps in front of that church. She couldnt be more than eighteen or nineteen, but Miss Parker was strikingly beautiful.
It was extremely late when she sat down beside the girl. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized that Parker wasnt alone. At least three men, probably members of the churchor cult, depending on whom you talked towere standing in the shadows, there to protect Parker.
That was all right. She had her own backup.
Hi, she finally said to the girl. She knew she had a warm way about her as it said in her evaluations. It was something she used to her benefit.
Hello. Parker looked at her. She had a soft smile and dead eyes.
I got your message through our mutual friend and we are definitely interested.
Okay.
Were willing to pay you
I want a million. In this account in the Cayman Islands. She handed over a piece of paper with numbers on it. Get me that and Ill give you what I have.
A million? That seems . . . substantial. For something were not even sure will work.
A million or you get nothing.
Look, Miss Jean-Louis Parker
Gasp, Parker said flatly. How do you know my name? Oh, no. If you know my name . . . you know where I live. What will I do now? The horror. The horror. Parker leaned in a bit.Is that what you wanted to hear? Was that the reaction you needed?
A girl this one might be, but smart. And cold. Ice fucking cold.
Ill talk to my superiors, Miss Parker.
Parker gave a little shrug, her small, misleading smile still in place. Okay.
Tucking the piece of paper into her jeans pocket, she stood and walked down the steps and out onto the street. She walked a block until her team picked her up. She got into the Town Car and closed the door.
Well?
Snotty little slit.
We know where she lives.
Strong-arming this girl isnt going to work. Not with this one.
Then what do you want to do?
Well see if we can find it on our own.
And if we cant?
She thought back on her superiors excitement when shed shown him the information one of her contacts had sent her. Then we give the bitch what she wants.
Although Toni had been to Russia beforeseveral times, in factshed never been this far outside a major city. Shed never been to Siberia.
And Siberia was, in a word, astounding.
So lush and green. Not at all what Toni expected.
Beautiful, isnt it? Barinov asked as he glanced at her in the rearview.
It is. I guess I expected
A snow-covered wilderness?
Its Siberia.
Theres summertime here, too. Its actually kind of extra hot for this time of year. Nearly sixty-five Fahrenheit when I checked this morning. Considering Toni had just left what she considered the oppressive heat of the East Coast, she had to chuckle a little.
The drive took a good thirty minutes until they reached the location where theyd be meeting with the bears. A ridiculously large . . . well . . . palace. Yeah. It was a palace. Not a mansion. Not a castle. A palace.
Good Lord, Ricky muttered.
Barinov chuckled. This is the house
House? Toni asked, incredulous.
that belongs to whoever is currently running this town. And for the last century and a half, thats been the Zubachevs.
Why do I know that name? Ricky asked, yawning and taking off his cap to scratch his head.
Lots of Zubachevs in the States, a bunch of them in Maine. Like my mothers family, theyre from Kamchatka.
Lovely. Ricky put his hat back on his head. Just lovely.
Whats wrong? Toni asked.
Barinov shrugged. Kamchatka bears kind of hate
Okay. Im ready. She threw the towel back into the bathroom and grabbed a small backpack and thick file folder from her bed. She walked to the door, pulling it open with her free hand.
What happened to the back of the door? Ricky asked her.
Huh? Toni asked, eyes wide as if she didnt know what he was talking about. She continued to keep moving, saying nothing more.
Going to say it now? Vic asked him.
No. Im not. He pointed at the hybrid. I know itll be impossible for a bear-tiger freak of nature to understand, but although every dog may be a canine, not every canine is a dog.
Did you get that from your college Logic one-oh-one class?
Maybe.
Come on, guys, Toni called from the hallway. Lets go. Ive got a lot of work to get done today.
Just leave it, Ricky warned the hybrid. Shes fine.
If you say so.
Watch that tone, son.
Vic chuckled and walked out of the room; Ricky followed.
Still disgusted.
She saw the girl, Delilah Jean-Louis Parker, sitting on the steps in front of that church. She couldnt be more than eighteen or nineteen, but Miss Parker was strikingly beautiful.
It was extremely late when she sat down beside the girl. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized that Parker wasnt alone. At least three men, probably members of the churchor cult, depending on whom you talked towere standing in the shadows, there to protect Parker.
That was all right. She had her own backup.
Hi, she finally said to the girl. She knew she had a warm way about her as it said in her evaluations. It was something she used to her benefit.
Hello. Parker looked at her. She had a soft smile and dead eyes.
I got your message through our mutual friend and we are definitely interested.
Okay.
Were willing to pay you
I want a million. In this account in the Cayman Islands. She handed over a piece of paper with numbers on it. Get me that and Ill give you what I have.
A million? That seems . . . substantial. For something were not even sure will work.
A million or you get nothing.
Look, Miss Jean-Louis Parker
Gasp, Parker said flatly. How do you know my name? Oh, no. If you know my name . . . you know where I live. What will I do now? The horror. The horror. Parker leaned in a bit.Is that what you wanted to hear? Was that the reaction you needed?
A girl this one might be, but smart. And cold. Ice fucking cold.
Ill talk to my superiors, Miss Parker.
Parker gave a little shrug, her small, misleading smile still in place. Okay.
Tucking the piece of paper into her jeans pocket, she stood and walked down the steps and out onto the street. She walked a block until her team picked her up. She got into the Town Car and closed the door.
Well?
Snotty little slit.
We know where she lives.
Strong-arming this girl isnt going to work. Not with this one.
Then what do you want to do?
Well see if we can find it on our own.
And if we cant?
She thought back on her superiors excitement when shed shown him the information one of her contacts had sent her. Then we give the bitch what she wants.
Although Toni had been to Russia beforeseveral times, in factshed never been this far outside a major city. Shed never been to Siberia.
And Siberia was, in a word, astounding.
So lush and green. Not at all what Toni expected.
Beautiful, isnt it? Barinov asked as he glanced at her in the rearview.
It is. I guess I expected
A snow-covered wilderness?
Its Siberia.
Theres summertime here, too. Its actually kind of extra hot for this time of year. Nearly sixty-five Fahrenheit when I checked this morning. Considering Toni had just left what she considered the oppressive heat of the East Coast, she had to chuckle a little.
The drive took a good thirty minutes until they reached the location where theyd be meeting with the bears. A ridiculously large . . . well . . . palace. Yeah. It was a palace. Not a mansion. Not a castle. A palace.
Good Lord, Ricky muttered.
Barinov chuckled. This is the house
House? Toni asked, incredulous.
that belongs to whoever is currently running this town. And for the last century and a half, thats been the Zubachevs.
Why do I know that name? Ricky asked, yawning and taking off his cap to scratch his head.
Lots of Zubachevs in the States, a bunch of them in Maine. Like my mothers family, theyre from Kamchatka.
Lovely. Ricky put his hat back on his head. Just lovely.
Whats wrong? Toni asked.
Barinov shrugged. Kamchatka bears kind of hate
