Page 11 of Unmatched Devil

While Warden headed for a recording studio nearby, Rian savored the way Kylian toyed with his fingers and sneaked glances his way. He bled innocence that made the evil beast inside Rian ravenous. When they reached the studio—a nondescript brick building with no outdoor signs—they headed inside. Kylian looked confused, but he kept rolling with things. Inside, they found Scott Jones already behind the mic. Scott had run a popular podcast for nearly a decade. Between ad space and subscribers, he had turned the two-hour show into a lucrative career. His huge audience gave Kylian the perfect opportunity to be introduced to the world.

Scott saw them come inside through the recording studio window and paused his recording. He motioned them inside the soundproof room. His shoulder-length hair was a mess. He looked like a guy who had rolled out of bed only long enough to record, but he was all smiles.

“Hey, guys.” Scott stuck his hand out toward Kylian. “You must be Kylian. I’m Scott.”

Kylian shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Scott nodded at Warden and Rian, acknowledging their presence before motioning toward a second chair and microphone. “You’ll sit here, Kylian, while everyone else listens from outside the sound booth. There’s an intercom button on the left.”

Rian took the hint and stepped back into the hallway. He closed the door. Rian wasn’t offended. He understood time was money. Plus, he was ready to be alone with Kylian, so they needed to get on with things. He clicked the intercom button and Scott’s voice poured out.

“So, Kylian, just for a quick rundown. I run a podcast where I scour the internet for advice columns and pick the best and or funniest letters sent to each. After reading the letter, I give my opinion on it, lend advice, and sometimes have guests—such as yourself—discuss the contents. Are you up for it?”

Kylian was all smiles. “I’m very much a know-it-all, so sure.”

Scott looked immediately smitten. “Okay. Let’s get started.” He held out three fingers. After counting them down, he hit record. “Today, I have a guest with me to go over this doozy of a post. Kylian is a student at Princeton and a self-proclaimed know-it-all. Say hi, Kylian.”

“Hey.”

Rian nodded. Things were going fine. That was good. Kylian was good at going with the flow without questions. Perfect.

Scott seemed equally pleased. That was important. He had a big name. “Let’s jump right in. Dear, How to Fix It. Am I—twenty-four male—the bad guy for telling my boyfriend of four months—male twenty-seven—that I won’t add his name to the deed of the house my grandfather left me in his will?”

“Immediately no,” Kylian and Scott said simultaneously. They burst into laughter.

A smile exploded across Rian’s face.

Scott continued with the story.

Warden turned and leaned his back against the window to stare at Rian. “You genuinely like this guy.”

Rian tore his gaze away from Kylian to focus on Warden. The guy was more than his guard. He had been Rian’s father’s second in command. That made him Rian’s second and his confidant. “I do.”

“He tried to poison you.”

“Actually, he didn’t. He just made me sick, which is a more than a fair trade for terrorizing him.” Rian’s gaze slid back toward Kylian.

“Considering who you are, that makes the guy completely batshit insane.”

Rian’s smile grew. “Good. So am I.”

Warden didn’t back down. “What happens if this doesn’t go well? You’re starting off with a dozen secrets and his family will explode if they learn who you are.”

“How will they learn who I am?”

“How did Kylian figure it out?” Warden shot back.

Rian flashed him a look that—no doubt—screamed Warden should use his head. “I told him who I was when you kidnapped him. Otherwise, it’s not like you can Google my name and have ‘head of the Irish mafia’ pop up on my profile. On paper, I’m clean. People only know what I want them to know. If Kylian decides to betray me, who would listen to him beyond his family? I’m an upstanding citizen with every branch of law enforcement in my pocket. He’s one twenty-year-old guy in a city of my people. Let me have this one distraction.” Rian stopped himself before adding anything about Warden’s ridiculous self-imposed lack of a personal life. He wasn’t in the mood to have that fight.

Warden sighed and turned back toward the booth. They went back to listening.

“So what’s your opinion on that crazy mess?”

Kylian leaned toward the microphone at Scott’s question. “Dump the boyfriend. Marry his dad.”

Scott howled with laughter.

Rian chuckled. “What the hell did we miss?”

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