Page 86 of Wreaking Havoc
“No one’s killing you,” Sascha said, gently as he could. He could feel the swell of another massively impulsive decision bubbling out of his chest. “You can come with us,” he offered before he could stop himself. “The house is definitely big enough. No one will think to come for you there. What’s your name?”
The little chick opened his watery eyes more fully. “Matteo.”
“All right, Matteo. How do you feel about Maine?”
Kai grinned, looking all smug again. “See? All settled.” He let go of the little chick’s collar and gave him a push. “Go wait outside now.”’
Sascha wasn’t so sure about “settled.” Matteo hadn’t even technically agreed. But it seemed like they were going to be adding kidnapping to their list of charges today, because they sure as hell couldn’t leave him here.
Matteo scuttled out of the warehouse obligingly—presumably not running away, but who the hell knew—leaving Sascha to assess Kai. He must have worked his demon magic, because there wasn’t even a spot of blood on him.
“Did I do well?” Kai asked, a smirk on his lips.
Arrogant bastard.
“The vanquishing of my enemies, or the extremely traumatized boy you just foisted on us?” Sascha asked.
“Both.”
“You know that’s not how human friendships work?”
Kai gestured to the warehouse behind them. “Shall we leave him here, then?”
“What?” Sascha asked, startled. “No. We just took out nine men and left him the only survivor. And if he really doesn’t have anyone…” He shook his head. “We’re taking him with us.”
Kai caressed his cheek with a talon, his smirk turning into a tender smile. “My sweet Sascha,” he murmured.
“I’m not beingsweet,” Sascha told him haughtily. “I’m being impulsive. It’s different.”
“Of course.” Kai leaned in for a kiss but stopped halfway there. He grabbed Sascha’s hand, sticking Sascha’s pinky finger in his mouth instead.
“Um…”
Was Kai really trying to start hanky-panky in the middle of their murder zone?
But he only sucked once perfunctorily, then dropped Sascha’s hand. Sascha realized—he must have had a drop of blood on his finger. Kai had been making sure he didn’t see it.
It was too much. Kai had just taken care of the threat against Sascha—the threat that had hounded him for months—with complete ease, lending Sascha his strength and his power and asking for nothing in return but Sascha’s affection. Finding what he believed—in his misguided way—was a new friend for him inthe process. And now he was treating Sascha with such delicate care, no matter the corpses waiting behind them.
“I love you,” Sascha blurted out, horrified at himself but unable to stop the words. “I know we haven’t known each other very long and it’s too soon to say, but I do.”
Kai cocked his head. “We’re already bonded for eternity, but you’re worried it’s too soon to say those words?”
“Yes?”
“Sweet Sascha,” Kai crooned.
“Now you say it back,” Sascha told him.
Kai laughed, grabbing Sascha’s hand and leading him to the front doors of the warehouse. “Humans are so strange.”
“Yeah, but now you say it.”
“So very strange,” Kai mused.
“Kai. Now yousayit.”
Walkinginto Ivan’s office building felt different this time.Saschafelt different.
