Page 269 of Gilded Cage (Kovalyov Bratva 1)

I roll my eyes at him. “Is that why you stayed behind?” I ask. “So you could lull me into a false sense of security and trick me into giving you information?”

Cillian laughs. I can’t help admiring the way his blonde curls catch the light. He looks like he should be on the cover of some all-American magazine. Ironic really, considering he’s pure Irish.

“Come on now, you’ve got me all wrong,” he argues. “I’m just trying to get to know you a little better and you’re accusing me of ulterior motives.”

“Well, you’re asking me a lot of unnecessary questions,” I point out.

He smiles, apparently unaffected by how uncomfortable I obviously am right now. “Nuh-uh,” he says. “You let something slip and I simply wanted clarification.”

I open my mouth and then snap it shut again, realizing that he’s right. He’s absolutely right—I’m the one being cagey and weird.

I exhale and try to shake off the tightening in my chest that I’ve been feeling for the past few days now.

“Okay,” I concede. “You’re right.”

He smiles in satisfaction. “Listen, all I’m saying is,ifthere is something on your mind, you can talk to me. That’s all. No ulterior motives. And in this case, I won’t play the double agent.”

“In this case?” I ask, with raised eyebrows.

He chuckles. “Well, sometimes in this line of work, double agenting is necessary.”

“Double agenting?”

“It’s a real word,” he says confidently.

I can’t help but laugh. For a trained killer, he’s a little goofy.

“So, Cillian, I have to admit… Artem doesn’t talk about you much.”

“Ouch. My ego.”

“That’s not what I mean!” I protest. “I know how close the two of you are, and I know how much Artem loves and respects you, which is why it’s surprising that he doesn’t talk about you more.”

“Ah,” Cillian muses. “Well, Artem doesn’t really like to talk about the past much. Anyone’s past.”

“Apparently.”

“But in my case, I think it’s simply because he feels he doesn’t have the right,” Cillian explains. “Especially because my past is mired in drama, heartache and betrayal.”

“All three, huh?”

“Triple whammy,” Cillian agrees. He casts a glance around. “Do you by any chance have alcohol in this little love shack?”

I smile apologetically. “Sorry, but it’s a dry love shack for now.”

“Seriously?” Cillian says, looking at me in shock. “There’s no alcohol at all?”

“Sorry.”

“What did Artem do, finish the entire supply before I got here?”

“He hasn’t really drank at all since we’ve been up here. Actually, he hasn’t really drank since we left Los Angeles.”

Cillian’s brow furrows for a short moment before a smile falls back onto his face.

“Wow,” he breathes, impressed.

“What’s that look?”

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