Without Armor

Chapter 5

"It's a myth, we don't go chasing myths." Kaz shook his head in disbelief. The Crows were all sitting around one of the tables at the club as Tolya and Zoya explained the mission to them.

"What's it pay?" Jesper asked.

"Anything, that's how important it is. Name your price and the crown Prince will pay happily." Tolya said as he took a bite out of a green apple.

"Plus it seems like your shadow is jumping at the bits to see Nikolai, her heart races every time at the mention of him." Zoya stirred. Jesper noticed that Kaz was giving her a stern side eye.

"Nevertheless, we are free to leave Ketterdam now, plus if the new king is willing to pay anything. I'm in." Jesper gave Wylan a smirk.

"I agree....plus it is to help a Saint." Wylan agreed as he found himself getting nervous for speaking up.

"You know I'm always ready to help out Sankta Alina." Vernera said.

"Vernera we need a word, now." Kaz said and got up from the table aggressively and into his office upstairs.

"This should be interesting." Vernera whispered to Jesper and Inej as she stood up.

"Try not to make eye contact with him, he goes crazy over it." Nina stated.

"Like a dominance thing?" Jesper questioned.

"No like every time he looks at you his heart wants to explode. Probably because he's obviously in love with you." Nina shrugged. Everyone looked at her including Tolya and Zoya. Vernera rolled her eyes and headed up the steps.

"Wait aren't they together? They seemed like a couple. It was sweet." Tolya smiled just thinking about it.

"Before we got so derailed from the topic at hand, so are you guys in or should we stop wasting our time and figure out an alternative?" Zoya spat.

"Well it looks like we are all prepared to do this, but our boss just left so guess we will have to wait for the two of them to return." Inej sighed.

"We have done too much waiting as it is!" Zoya rolled her eyes.

Upstairs Kaz was back to his pacing as Vernera walked into his office.

"Kaz this better be important, this is an incredible deal and you just can't go and be all unprofessional like this." Vernera lectured as she walked into the room.

"I'm very aware at how unprofessional this is, yet I couldn't seem to care less what those two downstairs think. Clearly they are desperate and have no other options besides the Crows." Kaz ranted as he stood behind his desk.

"So was there a point to this meeting or are you just going to continue ranting like a child?" Vernera crossed her arms.

"I just needed a second to think. Once I get back and the money is handed over then-"

"You? Don't you mean we?" Vernera interrupted.

"No, you're not going." Kaz shook his head.

"I'm sorry did I hear you right or is my concussion causing hallucinations because I could have sworn that you just said I'm not going on this mission." Vernera couldn't believe Kaz.

"Your ears are working just fine." Kaz said under his breath as he began looking through the scattered papers on his desk. "I sent you out twice now to your death and I will not make that mistake again. You are wounded and need time to heal before going back out into the field." He explained as he continued to look through papers.

"Kaz I'm fine really. That wasn't your fault that this happened, it was my mistake, you do realize that right?" Vernera leaned against his desk with her arms. Kaz looked up to meet her eyes for a second, before snapping out of it and went back to searching.