Page 35 of The Devil We Know

I hoist myself up on the edge of the large stone planter I insisted we put in various places around the warehouse, and that’s where I’m sitting when the man strolls around the corner, still looking for a way in.

He’s so focused on his mission that he foolishly doesn’t notice me sitting there. As soon as he gets just beyond me, I ask playfully, “Whatcha doin’?”

He freezes, his body stiff as his slowly turns, so he’s looking at me. He grimaces and then laughs nervously as he replies, “Nothing?”

Definitely sounds like a question, which makes me smile. I laugh, and he visibly tenses even further until he’s standing there like a wide-eyed statue, which makes me laugh even louder.

After a few moments of listening to me laugh, he turns his body toward me, crosses his arms over his chest, and says, “I was sent for the Beast.”

Abruptly, I stop laughing.

I slowly slide forward until my feet are touching the ground and then I stand, all humor gone from my tone as I ask, “Are you now?”

He frowns, indecision crossing his face, and after a moment, he adds, “Oh, not like that.”

I take a step toward him and then another and another until I’m standing naught more than a foot from him. I look up into his face and respond quietly, “Then, by all means, explain yourself.”

He swallows, and I watch his Adam’s apple bob in his neck before looking back into his face again. He answers, “I just need to talk to him.”

“What could you possibly have to talk to him about?”

“Matt sent me,” he rushes out. “He asked me to send a message.”

I narrow my eyes, leaning in slightly as I say, “A message?”

He gives me a humorless, toothy grin as he winces and stutters, “To-to deliver him a message, to-to tell him something.”

“What’s the message?”

Now, he narrows his eyes at me and replies, “I’m supposed to tell him, not you.”

I roll my eyes, my hands settling on my hips as I respond, “Well, you’re not going to get to him until you tell me, so you decide.”

His lips press together, and he looks me over, obviously unsure how he wants to proceed, so I ask, “What’s your name?”

“Kaian,” he answers easily. “Kaian Volkov.”

I tilt my head, squinting at the ground as I say, “Kind of an odd mix of names.”

He laughs as he replies, “Yeah, let’s just say my mother was the only person the great Vladimir Volkov ever allowed to have an opinion.”

I raise my brows, now understanding why he looks vaguely familiar. “Another prince of the underworld.”

He barks out a short laugh, drawing my attention back to his face as he says, “Please don’t judge me for that.”

“I won’t judge you, but you’re still gonna have to give me the message.”

He nods and swallows again before saying, “Matt says it’s fuck around time.”

Well, that gets my attention. It's like music to my ears.

I do my best to squash my outward excitement as I reply, “And how do I know Matt sent you?”

He gives me an incredulous look as he sputters, “How else would I have known where to find you if Matt hadn’t told me in great detail?”

“You’re not very good at this sneaking around stuff. I would think that at your age, you’d at least know the basics by now.”

He frowns as he says, “Believe me, I’m well-versed in clandestine tactics. Just in this particular case, I needed you to see me because I needed you to find me so I can speak to the Beast.”

---