Page 136 of Crave

Kirill is here?

I’m still getting my snack. I’ve been waiting for almost ten minutes for those snickerdoodles.

Pictures are the only way I know what he looks like, I’ve never actually crossed paths with this guy before.

So tonight will be fun.

There’s a pink toy. Oh, it’s some sort of princess.

Maybe I should get one for Elena and Maeve after I’m done here? Depends on what Tatiana has planned for me next.

Blue jacket?

No beard. He always has a trimmed one in all of the shots I’ve seen.

Wait.

I think that’s him.

He’s standing near the line for the Ferris wheel.

Every plan has led to this moment.

How many months have we been tracking him, only to have him slip through our fingers?

All this time, I just needed Tatiana. I thought Enzo was a god for being able to locate people.

But she’s the queen at it.

Empress?

Devil. She barters for the soul in exchange.

What did I sell to get put here with him? This won’t be a light payment.

I move next to him and grip my pistol in my jacket. “Next?”

His distracted gaze lands on me. “Um, no. Go ahead.”

“Here, have a cookie.” I hold out one of them and watch the look of confusion flush across his face.

Crumbling it into my fist, I snap my knuckles forward and hit him right between the eyes.

His pink butterfly falls to the ground as he stumbles backwards, but I grab him before he takes another step.

“I’m Alexei, and I’m here because of Lara Volkov. You fucked up my friend.” I drag him close and jab the barrel of my pistol into his ribs.

The people gathered nearby don’t seem to have noticed the small scuffle.

Good.

“Let’s go for a little ride, eh?” I tug on his elbow and direct him to the loading area of the Ferris wheel.

“Two?” asks the bored attendant.

“Go on, pay the nice man.” I encourage Kirill with another poke from my pistol.

Sweat beads on his temple as he hands over a few bills before letting me push him into the rocking carriage.

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