Page 34 of Wreaking Havoc
“I have no boat,” Kai told him haughtily.
Sascha hid his grin with another bite of his mediocre dinner. It was time to change the subject—clueless Kai was too adorable for Sascha’s vulnerable heart to handle. “So how did you get put into that Book in the first place? Were you, like, captured?”
Kai stopped his perusal of the kitchen to frown at him. “To be in the Book is a great honor.”
“You chose to be summoned?” Sascha couldn’t imagine. “You wanted to be put in the—what did you call it?—the Void?”
“I didn’t intend to be in the Void for centuries like that, but yes, I chose it.”
“Why? The great honor?”
Kai hummed in thought. “Restlessness.” His brow furrowed. “And power, perhaps. When the last contract is finished, when you have a thousand pieces of human soul, you return to the demon realm with quite a bit of it. Your strength grows, as does your reputation. I was young and hungry for more. And…curious, I suppose. It’s the only way to spend time in the human realm, via contract.”
“The only way?” Sascha remembered something. “And you said this is your last contract.” His stomach twisted. There it was. The other shoe dropping. After Kai finished his contract with Sascha, he would leave, and he wouldn’t come back.
Kai scooted his chair closer. “Well, thereis—”
Sascha’s phone dinged.
He held up a finger to Kai—any more of this particular conversation and he wouldn’t be able to stomach the rest of hisdinner. It was already sticking in his throat. Kai’s weird cum must’ve done something to his insides, because they were feeling all scratchy.
It was, predictably, a text from Ivan.
I do not appreciate being hung up on.
Sascha was a little surprised it had taken him this long to message. He must have been cooling down enough to communicate without threatening bodily harm.
Sorry. Bad connection, Sascha typed back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kai rise and pour himself a cup of the finished coffee. The mug looked ridiculously tiny in his massive hand.
Ivan’s reply was swift.You want my help, you’ll correct your behavior.
Anger ran through Sascha again, so hot and swift it almost burned. Ivan with his goddamn strings. Whose fault was it Sascha was in this mess in the first place?
His fingers were moving before he could stop them.Don’t fucking bother. I’ve found someone else to help me.
Sascha’s phone started ringing immediately. He turned it off, waving a middle finger at it for good measure.
Kai was watching him closely over his mug. “I can taste your rage, pup.”
“I don’t have rage,” Sascha told him wearily. He was suddenly so fucking tired, his head fuzzy and dull. “I’m not allowed to. So taste your coffee instead.”
Kai took a sip. His nose wrinkled. “This is not like what the baker made for us.”
“Is it better?”
“No,” Kai answered mournfully, staring into the cup. “It is not better.”
Sascha almost laughed, but what came out instead was a sigh. He pushed his half-finished dinner away. “I’ll try again in the morning. I’m tired.”
“What of the Carusos? The family of your enemies? Should we not begin searching for them?”
So you can leave me sooner?Sascha almost said. “In the morning,” he promised instead, rising from the table.
“All right.” Kai set his cup down and made to follow Sascha.
Sascha paused his steps. “What are you doing?”
“Following you to bed.”
