Page 1 of Tracking Shadows
Chapter 1 – Alexei
“You’re late again, Alexei. You trying to make it a habit?”
“Only for you, Dmitri. Gotta keep you on your toes somehow.”
I stroll into Dmitri’s office, which is more like a cave—a dark, quiet place where no one would dare speak out of turn. Except me, of course . . . okay, and Valentina. I’m no longer his one exception.
The leather chair squeaks as I drop into it, legs stretched out in front of me, hands laced behind my head. The ceiling fan above spins lazily, as if bored with the whole affair.
Dmitri stands behind his desk, staring down at a map laid out in front of him. He doesn’t look up. “I don’t have time for your games today.”
“Who said I was playing?” I drawl, though I know exactly how to push his buttons. It’s one of my favorite pastimes, if I’m honest. I lean forward, elbows on my knees. “What’s got you all worked up?”
Finally, his cold eyes meet mine. There’s that familiar intensity that would make most people break into a sweat. Me? I find it kind of endearing. “Sergei Marakov.”
“Ah, Sergei. Our favorite psychopathic father-in-law,” I say with a smirk, already feeling the familiar thrill of the hunt. “He’s finally poked his head out of the snake pit?”
Dmitri’s gaze narrows. “He’s on the move, and he's consolidating power. He’s more dangerous than ever, and we can’t afford to sit back.”
I sit up straight, all traces of humor gone. Dmitri might enjoy my antics, but when he’s serious like this, I know it’s not a drill. “What’s the plan?”
He straightens, pushing the map across the desk toward me. “You’re not going in alone this time.”
I blink, staring at the map, then back at him. “Say that again?”
“Alexei,” Dmitri’s voice is as steady as the hands he folds behind his back, “you’re going to need someone watching your six. This mission is too important to let your . . . methods . . . compromise it.”
“Methods,” I repeat with a smirk. “You mean my unparalleled charm and finesse.”
“I mean your reckless disregard for anything resembling caution.”
I let out a low laugh. “You wound me, Dmitri. But fine, who’s the unlucky soul?”
“Irina Petrovna,” he says, and the name lands between us like a bomb.
The smirk fades. “Irina Petrovna?TheIrina Petrovna?”
“The very one,” he confirms with an edge of authority that brooks no argument.
I lean back, arms crossed, mind racing. “She’s a legend. Heard she’s been hunting Sergei for years. Some say she’s got a vendetta so deep, she’s practically digging her own grave.”
“She’s the best,” Dmitri says, eyes locking onto mine. “And you’ll need the best if you’re going to survive this.”
“Survive?” I raise an eyebrow, letting the word hang in the air. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Dmitri.”
“I wouldn’t dare try,” he replies, but there’s a flicker of something in his expression—maybe concern, maybe something darker. He’s good at hiding his cards, but I’ve played this game long enough to know when the stakes are higher than he’s letting on.
“So,” I say, leaning back again, the cocky grin returning, “when do I get to meet this Irina?”
Dmitri doesn’t smile. He rarely does. “Tonight. I’ll send you the details.”
I nod, pushing the map back toward him. “Guess I better dust off my Sunday best.”
“Alexei,” he says, just as I’m about to stand, and there’s that note of warning in the way he sounds. “This isn’t just another job. Sergei’s more dangerous than ever, and Irina . . . she’s not like anyone you’ve worked with before.”
I pause, my hand on the back of the chair, looking at him seriously for the first time. “You don’t trust her?”
“I trust her to get the job done,” he says carefully. “But she’s got more scars than you can count, and she doesn’t trust easily. You’ll have to earn it.”