Page 131 of Devious Knight

I take him down by launching myself into him. We tumble to the floor, but he fires several more shots, alerting his guards to our ambush.

I hear more men approaching outside, then they’re on us in seconds. Dmitri and Logan tackle them while I fight with Estes, who is ten times stronger than he looks.

We both get lost in a series of punches, but I know there’s no way this guy is as vicious as me. Even if he’s got a good twenty years on me and he’s giving it all he’s got.

I flip him over, and he hits his head on the door stopper, then I take his gun and shoot him in the head with it.

His brains blow all over the place and blood splatters all over me. I’m about to get up when I feel the cold barrel of a gun at the side of my head.

“Not so fast, Knight,” a rough accented voice says from behind me.

Slowly turning my head, I look up and find a monstrous-looking man with scars all over his face staring down at me.

Dmitri and Logan are fighting outside the cabin, so they don’t even know I’m in trouble. It looks like Alek doesn’t know either.

The guy cocks the hammer on the gun and smiles, revealing gold teeth. “I’m going to kill your ass. And I–”

The words die in his mouth when a blade slices across his neck and his head slides off.

Alek is behind him holding up his twin swords. The guy's blood is dripping from the sharp-looking blade of the sword in his left hand.

With his clean-cut appearance and boy-band-styled hair, Alek has the kind of look that could fool you into thinking he has a gentler presence. The deadly truth is quite the opposite. People call me devious, but he’s something else entirely.

While the guy’s headless body slumps to the ground and twitches, Alek keeps his gaze on me. A silent conversation happens between us where he declares that he just saved me and I acknowledge it, but there’s more. More to do with the Malina.

Our attention is drawn back to the chaos outside, and the two of us rush out to help Dmitri and Logan take down the other guards.

Blood and dead bodies cover the ground minutes later while the four of us stand triumphant.

I call Thorne to let him know we’ve dealt with the situation and retrieved the stolen goods, then we head back to campus.

It’s nine o clock when we reach Erebus House. We’re about to separate and head to our apartments when I stop Alek.

It’s time we talk.

Dmitri and Logan look back at me with knowing looks before they head off.

We’re in the grand hall, and no one is around, so we’ll have the privacy I need to air out the shit with him.

“I’d be dead right now if not for you,” I say first. “I haven’t said thanks yet.”

“Are you saying it now?” Alek quirks a brow.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. But that’s what we’re supposed to do, isn’t it? Have each other’s backs.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to do it. You got there just in time when you saw I was in trouble.”

He seems to contemplate this before he nods. “I guess that shows I’m of some use to you and not just the fourth wheel.”

“Of course, you’re useful.”

“I know you saw me,” he cuts into my next words, referring to the instances where he’s followed the guys and me. “I made sure you saw me.”

“And this is the first time you’re mentioning it.”

“Maybe I'm waiting for you to tell me why you want to start a war with the Malina.”

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