Page 46 of Wreaking Havoc
“Sascha…”
Sascha’s hands clenched into fists on his pillow. “I’ve felt powerless my whole life. What else was I supposed to do but shop and party and—and dick around?” He let out a bitter laugh.“No one would let me do anything else. I have a business degree I’ve never even used.”
“I’m sorry.” Alexei’s expression was pained. “I should have realized.”
Sascha forced his tense muscles to relax. “I don’t know if I wanted you to. I liked that we got to have fun together. And you had plenty of your own shit. I’m not saying mine equaled that. Just that Ididhave shit.”
Alexei leaned back into the couch with a loud sigh. “Our family’s legacy, huh? Complete and total shit.”
“Ivan would disagree.”
Alexei made a noncommittal noise. Then he cocked a brow at Sascha. “You know, there are legitimate branches of the family business you could take part in.”
“Psh.” Sascha waved a hand. “As if Ivan would let me.”
Alexei leaned forward, looking surprisingly eager. “Then make him let you. So you’ve been powerless before? You’re not anymore. You have an actual demon at your disposal, Sascha. One that looks at you like you’re his precious fucking treasure.”
Um. He did?
“Well, he has to look at me like that,” Sascha said nonsensically, too taken aback by Alexei’s assessment to use actual logic. “It’s just, you know…the bargain.”
“He learned to make syrniki for you tonight. Is that part of your bargain?” At Sascha’s silence, Alexei gave a decisive nod. “You’re not powerless anymore.”
Sascha frowned down at his lap. “It’s not my power though.”
“It’s power you’ve tamed. As far as I’m concerned, that makes it yours.” Alexei glanced at the clock on the wall, some antique thing the previous owner had left behind. “It’s late. You need to rest.”
“I feel fine,” Sascha argued with a pout. He did, actually. The tea had cleared up the last of the soreness in his throat, and thefood had given him back some strength. Although, that didn’t stop a yawn so wide it almost cracked his jaw from escaping him.
Alexei gave him a look.
Sascha huffed. “Fine. There’s a guest bedroom made up for you and Jay. Kai’s not using it.” At Alexei’s raised brow, Sascha flushed. “He likes to stay close,” he mumbled.
“I bet he does.”
Sascha stuck out his tongue. “Good night, Alyosha.”
He flounced out of the living room to find Kai waiting for him right there, at the bottom of the stairs. Sascha glared at him, embarrassment making him peevish. “Have you just been lurking there the whole time?”
Kai smirked. “Not the whole time.”
“Ugh. Come on, then.”
And Kai did, just like that.
It’s power you’ve tamed. As far as I’m concerned, that makes it yours.
Had Sascha really tamed this demon? He hadn’t done much. Only exchanged orgasms and whined a lot and briefly made Kai believe he was dying. It wasn’t like Kai was any less bossy or cocky.
But God, the heat in Sascha’s cheeks just wouldn’t go away. Whereas moments ago he’d been ready to drop from exhaustion, suddenly he was fully alert as he walked along with this monstrous beast from another realm who’d agreed to protect him.
Not by sending Sascha away. Not by ignoring him. But by standingwithhim (or, as he had earlier, deliberately in front of him). Blocking him from danger. Lending Sascha his power.
It was the kind of protection Sascha had never known.
Sascha’s room was much more cluttered than when he’d left it. At some point during the night, Kai had apparently moved allhis packages from the hallway in there. Sascha would go through them at some point, but it hardly seemed the time.
Instead, he went through the motions of getting ready for bed, incredibly aware of the demon waiting for him, perched on his bed and watching his every move.
