Page 28 of Toxic Salvation
“There he is!” Waylen spots Kovan and his entire demeanor shifts from frustrated to murderous. “The man of the hour. I just need a few minutes with your douche bag boss, Grisha. Now, move.”
“Waylen, stop!” I rush forward, but Kovan catches me around the waist and pulls me back against his chest.
“Stay out of this,” he growls.
“Let me go!”
“You heard her,” Waylen snarls. “Let her go.”
“What’s all the noise about?” Pavel appears at the top of the staircase with Luka beside him, both looking curious rather than concerned.
Dammit. This is about to become a spectacle.
“Everyone just calm down,” I plead. “We can talk about this like rational adults.”
For a moment, blessed silence falls over the foyer. I actually think they might listen to reason.
Then Waylen draws back his fist and punches Kovan directly in the face.
The crack of knuckles meeting bone echoes through the space. I hear someone screaming and realize it’s me.
My brother’s eyes are wild as he winds up for another swing, but this time, Kovan is ready. He ducks the punch and grabs Waylen in a headlock so smooth it looks choreographed.
“I’ll give you that one,” Kovan says calmly, as if he’s not currently restraining my thrashing brother. “From your perspective, I probably deserve it. But you’re not getting another shot.”
“Wanna bet?” Waylen gasps, trying to break free.
“This is insane!” I shout at both of them. “You’re acting like children! Stop it right now!”
Neither man pays me any attention. I might as well be talking to the furniture.
“Take Luka upstairs,” Kovan directs me while maintaining his hold on Waylen. “Your brother and I need to have a conversation.”
“I’m not leaving you two Neanderthals alone!”
He starts dragging Waylen toward the hallway that leads to his office. “Everything’s fine. We just need to work some things out.”
“I’d believe that more if you weren’t restraining him!”
“It’s okay, V,” Waylen manages between labored breaths. “We have unfinished business. This has been coming for a while.”
“He has you in a headlock!”
Way winks. “I’ve got him exactly where I want him.”
The two of them disappear around the corner still locked together, leaving me staring after them in disbelief.
“Well,” Pavel says cheerfully from the staircase, “this should be interesting.”
I turn to glare at him. “You’re enjoying this.”
“A little. Your brother’s got spirit—I’ll give him that.”
Luka tugs on my sleeve. “Vesper, are Uncle Kovan and Waylen going to fight?”
I look down at his worried face and force a smile. “No, sweetheart. They’re just going to have a very loud conversation.”
“Like the kind Mom and Ihor used to have?”
