Manipulative Attraction

52. ⚛️ To Err Is Human

A darkly clad agent, plucked the gun from Shon's trembling hand. Demetri lay limp on the ground, his shoulder oozing blood. He grunted in pain when two of the Istochnik agents picked him up by his arms and feet and laid him in the back of the van. The other two agents motioned Shon and Jeannie forward. Fear seized them both as they walked a steep incline and out into the night.

Thorne had learned some Russian during his training at The Source. The irony of it being the language of his parents wasn't lost on him. He shifted through his limited knowledge to find the right words.

When they formed in his mind, he turned from the wall and spoke with authority, "Мне нужно поговорить с вашим лидером."

The wording was wrong, but it did the trick as a large man, almost equal to his height and muscle mass approached him.

"I am the leader. What do you want?"

"You need to let my men go. They know nothing. Take me and do with me what you will." Thorne stood unflinching as the large man came so close their noses almost touched.

"Don't worry, son of Aleksei, you and your men—"

An Istochnik member came up and spoke in his leader's ear. The big man nodded, satisfied. He saluted Thorne with two fingers. "We go now."

"Wait!" Thorne shouted at the leader's departing back. "What about the two prisoners? What about Demetri?"

"Those you hold to your heart are safe." The man's long teeth glinted in the moonlight, and his eyes were like black pebbles. "The others are ours to deal with."

Jeannie is safe. That's all I hoped for.

He would deal with his enemies later.

The SUV's carrying the Istochnik and a dark-colored van drove away from the derelict site. Thorne struggled with his bonds, eventually wiggling free after a few agonizing moments. His heart and mind already focused on Jeannie and where she—"

"Thorne. Thorne!" Jeannie cried.

She reached him first, barreling into him so hard, his body smashed against the wall. Jeannie kissed him and he returned it for all he was worth.

Their bodies were so tightly molded together, the watching men didn't know where Thorne ended and Jeannie began.

"Get a room!" Quentin yelled.

The men laughed, even Shon. All of them happy the mission ended with no lives lost.

Quentin's words reminded Thorne of another time, a bad time when he was less than human. A time when he'd held another woman in his arms. Jeannie had changed all of that. How could he have ever doubted her? He lived and breathed because of his want and need for her.

He hated to do it, but he disentangled himself from her flush embrace to look into her eyes. "Jeannie, are you okay?"

"Yes. Yes. I'm fine." She bit her lip, and Thorne's heart froze at the worry on her face. "Shon wounded Demetri. The Istochnik took him and Anatoly. I don't know where Svetlana is—"

"She's dead, yo." Quentin said, coming to stand by Thorne. Dalton stood on his other side, his eyes fixated on blood that spattered Jeannie's clothes.

"You musta been in the mix, Jeannie. With all those blood splatters, you and Shon look like—"

"No time for humor- we need to leave," Thorne said, breaking off Dalton's untimely quip.

As the team trailed behind them, Jeannie whispered, "When this is over, I need to tell you something. Something I know you won't like."