What do they have for her, then?

She lays out the numbers: their own network of drugs which they've brought to the business and is keeping them afloat, their weapons, their militia, and, finally... the artefacts they have.

It's bait, obviously. She wants to know how much Lebedev is willing to let them know she'll bite. 

All the while, her legs are draped casually between Carter's, her nails raking up the sensitive skin on the back of his neck, feeding him morsels from the plate in front of them. Every time she shifts, he feels it between his thighs, and it's absolutely intentional. Every word, every hum, every flutter of her lashes and smooth laugh is right in his space, right in front of him, right within reach-

The tension stands out all along his forearms, muscles knotted, he'd been gripping the arms of his chair until they started to splinter. 

Fuck. 

He could - he could grab her right now-

No, that way she'd win. 

He chimes in sometimes. Doesn't have to sound like he isn't distracted - does have to sound like he's in over his head, has to glance at Khan for approval the right way - 

Ah, the game. She does bite. Oh, how she bites.

She lowers her head a little. Jewels sparkle about her neck and she leans on both hands between her legs, pushing up her breasts so Raina's eyes can linger on the soft curve down her plunging neckline. 

There's a strange sort of tension in the air, almost - audible, almost like a whine, like a steel cable under unimaginable strain. 

Something in her gaze flickers. 

Maybe Raina said all that just to disguise that business about the artefacts - perhaps it's supposed to be a trade - knowledge for knowledge - perhaps it's a really good distraction from something else - perhaps...

"You are interesting woman," she says finally. "I am here for business, not the toys you have," a dismissive wave of her hand, but her eyes flick to where Raina's legs lie in Carter's lap, just visible past the table, "and yet, they are all you talk about, you seem... ah, desperate, yes, to speak of them. A personal pleasure?" She disarms the insult with a sinful smile, one of the ones that breaks marriages and makes good girls melt, and the shadow of a wink. 

That was a lie, obviously, Raina is being very free with valuable information about her operations (which could all be a lie, but that's very risky, she has her own sources and it's very hard to make convincing fake numbers like that) and only brought up the artefacts once. But Raina can't have it all her own way, can she? Let's see how she handles herself when she's a little off-balance. A little flustered? She licks her lips subtly. 

"Well. I can show you a little, what is the word, kindness. Why should these artefacts... excite me? Impress a girl, Miss Yazmine."

She plucks up an olive and pushes between Carter's lips, allowing skin to brush skin for just a moment, keeping her gaze fixed on him. "Well, as you know, we've only recently come into this business. We've been apprised that these ones are apparently something special, and a little strange. And we're very, very eager to make friends." 

He meets her hooded eyes from where he's coiled in his chair, conscious of the pounding of his heart, and leans forwards very slightly, letting his teeth graze her fingertip. 

Thoughts of his cover, trying to work out what the hell Lebedev is up to, are so very far distant. 

There's something - hypnotic, delightful, about this. Something about being in her hands. Something about her being stronger - it was frustrating, when he sparred with her and she couldn't even win once like normal like she didn't care-

This is a dangerous path to go down. 

He bites down and pulls his head away, smirks very slightly at her. 

...Hmm. 

Her eyes flicker between them lightning-fast.

She rests her chin on her hands and with one long finger caresses the curve of her own lips, as her eyes rake over Yazmine's warm dark skin against the cool white outline of her kameez, finally glancing away as she sips her drink. 

"Well. I do like a woman who can, yes, make her own way. And make her will known." She gestures dismissively at Carter. "But friendship is a rare coin in these parts, Miss Yazmine. I can help you, yes. But can I trust you? We will see."

She leans back. 

Hmm...

"This boy of yours is trustworthy, no? Would never betray you, and so me? Serves you, does he? Obeys you? Prove it."

Khan measures the gaze Lebedev has on them. For all that she is a guest in their home, she is the one calling the shots here, and Raina doesn't like that one bit. 

She lets her impatience show, clicking her tongue. "I do not appreciate your suspicion, but if it lays your mind to rest, I can perform some display of his loyalty to... the cause."

She unfurls like a whip, smooth and weighted, flicks her fingers at Carter's shirt and commands, "Off."

Lebedev is already onto them, and this will do nothing to change her mind, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt them to play into her expectations of them. At the very least, she seems entertained. 

Raina walks to the wall and takes a hunting whip, cracking it to the side with a sound that makes the fine hairs on her arms stand up. 

She meets Carter's eyes evenly, calm, precise. Whatever they are, whatever is happening and whatever they came from, she thinks she can trust him like this. 

Can he? 

"Give him something to bite down on."

He's been through training - when you feel yourself start to spiral, do something, anything, to break the pattern and flip the script in your own head - it all feels hollow, impossibly distant. 

Can he?

As though in a dream he feels it happen around him. 

Feels himself strip, step forward, bow his head. 

-silver knives-

Feels something hard and rough in his mouth, wooden, bites down-

Feels the kiss of her whip across his back- 

He never, in fact, hesitated. 

He's not sure how much later it is that he's standing there- bleeding, he thinks. 

(From behind, Raina can see the livid silver of his skin, silvery like scar-tissue where it's inflamed, blood scarlet even where it's dried, even where if you look closely the skin already knits greedily together-)

He tastes iron. His mouth is full of splinters. 

She laughs, lowly. 

She claps. 

"Bravo," she whispers, her eyes huge and hungry and fixed on Yazmine where she stands there, glowing a little with exertion and perfect. 

She stands slowly, uncoiling from her chair. 

Crosses the distance between them. 

"I can tell you a great deal," she whispers. "I know the answers. I know what the Soviets want. I know these things scare you, a little, yes."

She places herself between the two of them, watching Yazmine's eyes carefully. 

Where is she looking? What is she doing? 

Is she... indifferent? Bored? Nervous? Is she, a little, secretly, concerned? 

Or does all this turn her on just as much? 

Will she meet Galina's eyes? Or look over at the boy's little wounds and give herself away?

She's so close now, close enough to feel the other woman's warm breath on her skin. 

Her fingers are soft and electric where they trace up Yazmine's wrist. 

"Do you want?" 

She meets Lebedev's eyes, steady, calm, polite. 

Under the surface, rage boils. This bitch will have what she deserves.

She smiles, polished, smooth, unaffected. Her nostrils flare just a little at the metallic, sticky tang of blood. Her mouth tastes sour, but she cracks the whip to the side and sends splatters of blood flying over Lebedev - an accident, of course. 

Yazmin coils the whip up again, darts out a tongue to tap to the tip of her finger, lets a corner of her mouth twist cruelly. 

"Meet me at the warehouse tomorrow. We can exchange information there. I do so hate mixing my business with pleasure."

She jerks her head at a servant who knows her moods enough to see murder in her eyes when they are away from Lebedev's sight. He scurries away and returns with Lebedev's shawl. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, madam." 

Oh.

"Hey now." 

Her voice is suddenly so soft, gentle. 

"I am... sorry. I did not realise what I asked of you. What this was."

She speaks quietly, too quietly for Carter to hear. 

"Listen, please. I have much experience in this. I know many men like him, many women like him. If you send me away and rush to him now you will break him, like dropping hot glass in snow, yes? He will feel like failure. Hollow. Hot iron needs be tempered, you see? Or else it cracks."

He stands there, teetering, stretched too thin-

She is genuinely passionate now. "Man like him is not thing to be thrown away so lightly, no. I... make mistake like that, once. Know better now." Her eyes are big, shining. 

Her hand is warm against Raina's, and she shows no fear in the face of that smile like the lid on a boiling pot, only a real sadness. "You give me much, tonight. I give you more. I answer your questions. And I tell you how fix this. How I wish I had."

She seems different as she stands here, more... human, her English more broken, what might be... if not remorse, then at least a little genuine concern lighting her eyes."

"I... go too far, sometimes. I lash out. But now - at least now I trust you, yes. I see."

Her eyelids are lowered.

"Let me show you to trust me too."

Raina watches her, cool, polished, smiling. "Oh, make no mistake, Madam, I will have what I wish for from you, and I will make this an even trade. But do not presume that I am happy with being ordered by a guest in my home. I will see you tomorrow." 

Raina cracks the gaze she has on Lebedev, Carter like a black hole in the middle of the room-

"Salman, please alert the driver that Ms Lebedev will need to be dropped home, or to any location of her choosing."

A large man with an impassive expression will guide Lebedev away, whether or not she wants it.

Fetch towels, she says. Cotton ones. Make a paste with turmeric and aloe. Clean this up. Burn the leather.

Carter. Carter, I'm sorry. Carter, please say something. 

Fractures, fractures, the world like a broken mirror, a thousand thoughts a thousand sights a thousand things that could be true-

-that was a disaster they barely learned anything-

-he ruined it ruined the mission-

-she ruined it-

-she didn't even-

-there wasn't even a point-

-silver, knives, 'Experimental Log iz not necessary for this procedure'-

-he needs to do something act now the staff will be suspicious how the hell can he turn this into the thing they had going before-

-'Subject incapable of-'-

-she didn't know what she was doing at all after all was just making it up or never knew or never cared or she's lying or-

He bolts.