The plane ride back home is a blur of events, nothing makes sense anymore.
My mind keeps replaying his voice, our last minutes together, everything he’s been doing since he burgled my apartment a week ago. Nothing makes sense, and I can’t hold it in anymore. Even the driver notices it and keeps on glancing at me in the rearview like he is waiting for me to snap.
Once back in my apartment, I open the file of the mystery caller. This folder has exactly three lines, and the only info inside it is some random details Alex sent over about the caller’s previous location. VPN to Japan, rerouted IP from Singapore and one direct ping in…
No, he didn’t. He wouldn’t dare, but?—.
The last time he contacted, right before I accepted his offer, the fucker sent the message from my apartment, right after I let him fuck me.
Why didn’t Alex send me this before? Seems like Azrael has had this whole situation planned for weeks now, almost begging me to figure it out.
I start laughing at nothing to the point that even Cat gets scared. The fucker played me like a pawn, and now I’m supposed to accept a mission from him?
What the hell are you doing, Azrael?
My phone screen lights up, and Alex’s name is visible on the screen.
I pick up instantly. “What?”
“We got the message. Istanbul.”
“Target?”
“Malek.”
My body jerks like it’s been sunk in ice.
Malek.
If this was not crazy, it would have been quite funny. Fucking Malek. Couldn’t he be at least a little creative? There are literally billions of names out there, and he chooses to use his real one? He must be joking.
“Victoria?” Alex’s voice cuts through. “Did you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know him?”
“I knowofhim. He’s just a dead man.”
Or he will be in the next twenty-four hours.
CHAPTER 31
VICTORIA
Ididn’t want this. I didn’t want Azrael to end our game like this. Because that’s what this is, right? The end. That’s the only reason someone would hire me—to delete someone.
No, no, I really don’t like this.
“You don’t have to do this. Hell, you should not do this.”
For the first time in his life, Alex is right. I shouldn’t do this. I should just take the first flight back to Seattle, go back to my old life, and forget everything.
In fact, I don’t owe the Professor anything. He’s had his fun, I’ve had mine, and now it’s time to part ways. This train of thoughts would be amazing under normal circumstances, but not with him. With Azrael, everything is stupidly different. I don’t need a reason, I don’t need to know I will win. All I need to know is that he’ll be there.
“You know I will, anyway.” And I can sense the defeat in my voice. This is it: defeat. I surrendered myself to the Professor and his theories, and now I’m paying the price.
“I have a list of at least seven lives you can ruin. At least one of them is far more interesting than this. Vic, listen. I know youhave your own battles and have your own demons to fight, but this is not one of them. This is not how you have to do this.”