what got you through it?
knowing that one day i'd see you again.
✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:**:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
two years ago, the love of his life went missing. one day, jay halstead gets a phone call that changes everything.
✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*...
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Bringing the glass to her lips, Avery knocked back the vodka in one gulp – the only way to earn respect with these people. She slammed the glass on the table with a cocky smile, arching a brow at the men sitting across from her. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Nik," she chuckled with a shake of her head, leaning back in her chair.
The man who she'd gotten close with during the operation, the son of the kingpin they were after, chuckled along with her. Nikolai smiled, a twinkle in his eyes as he stared at her in wonder, "You are the best, Talia, I won't deny."
As their chuckles died down, Avery leaned her forearms on the table and ticked her eyes between the four men in the room, "Can we get down to business now?"
"We can offer fifteen," Nik shrugged after taking her in for a few moments.
She shook her head, "No way. If you want to partner with the Aleksovs, you need to give me more to work with." Her eyes flitted briefly towards one of the 'bodyguards' as he reached into his pocket for his phone, focusing back on Nik as the man moved a few steps away to take a call. "Look," she continued with a flirtatious smile, "We want a part of your business, you want a part of ours. Instead of starting an all-out war, the best thing we can do is work together. We're gonna need more than—"
Her voice was cut off by the man on the phone turning back to the group in anger. "Wait," he pulled the phone from his ear to glance at the screen before putting it back to listen closely, "Say that again." After a few moments of silence and confused glances, he lowered the phone again, Russian accent thickening with his anger, "Someone is wearing a wire."
"What?" Nik blurted out incredulously.
"There was feedback through the phone," the man explained before turning his gaze to Avery, eyes narrowed. "Search her."
Avery tried her best to ignore the panic bubbling in the pit of her stomach, scooching her chair back a bit and looking at Nik with wide eyes, trying to use his obvious affection for her to her advantage, "This is ridiculous. C'mon, Nik." When all eyes focused on her, she stood but before she could make a getaway, two of the men grabbed her by the elbows. "Nik, you know me. You know I'm trustworthy!" she slipped the safe word in, hoping the unit would be quick to intervene as she struggled against the hold on her.
Nik seemed to contemplate what to do, obviously in anguish before glancing to one of the men and pressing his lips in a firm line, giving the slightest of nods. The man gripped the back of her neck tightly and before she could even blink, he slammed her head against the table.
