He made his way to the address he’d gotten from Ivan. It hadn’t taken much coaxing either. Maybe Ivan was more protective of his hacker cousin than he let on.
Chaos knocked on the run-down office door.
A human answered. He looked to be somewhere in his early sixties, with a scraggly gray beard and the look and scent of someone who hadn’t showered in more than a few days. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, the door held mostly closed in front of him. “You’re not who I was expecting.”
“No. You were expecting Cooper, weren’t you? But that was me, texting from his phone.” Chaos grinned. “Wasn’t that devious of me?”
There was a flash of fear on the man’s face—Smith’sface—but Chaos was already pushing him inside, locking the door behind them.
“Hello,” Chaos said, since Smith had apparently forgotten the niceties when he’d seen Chaos at the door. “I’m Chaos. Cooper’s friend. Hisbestfriend.”
Smith held up his hands, as if a silly gesture like that could ward off any of Chaos’s ire. “Listen, I’m sorry for what happened. I told Coop so, when he came to pick up the latest papers.” He cocked his head, his hands still held in front of him. “That was for you, right? I recognize you from the picture now. Bracchus something or other.”
“Yes. Thank you for those.” Look at Chaos, being so polite. Cooper would be proud. “But we still have our own business to attend to.”
Smith tried to back away, but he only ran into his own desk. “Wh-What kind of business?”
Chaos stepped forward, closing the extra distance Smith had gained. “I’ve been away, so I apologize for the delay. I usually like my vengeance right up front. Cooper was hurt. You played a part.” He grabbed Smith’s hand, ignoring the man’s efforts to tug it away. “Index, middle, pinky, or ring?”
“Wh-What?”
“Which will you miss the least?” Chaos asked, ever so patient. “I’m being very kind, letting you choose and not even bringing your thumb into it. You probably need that most of all, yes?”
Smith didn’t answer.
Chaos switched into his demon form.
Smith screamed.
Chaos growled. “Which finger, human?”
Smith only screamed again, so Chaos chose for him. And in the spirit of Cooper’s mercy, Chaos would be generous.
He’d take the littlest.
He bit down on Smith’s pinky. There was a crunch. Another scream. The taste of warm copper and old man skin.
Ugh.
Chaos spat out the pinky immediately and cauterized what was left with a flash of fire. He released Smith’s hand, not eager to hold it any longer than he needed to.
Smith immediately tucked it into his chest protectively. His screams had died down with the shock of the cauterization.
Chaos made a face at him. “That wasn’t very tasty.” He looked accusingly at Smith’s hand. “Cooper’s would have been much more delicious.”
“What thefuck?”
“Anyway, I must be off. Hurt Cooper again and it’ll be your whole hand. Or better yet, your head.”
Chaos wouldn’t really be able to unhinge his jaw wide enough to bite off a man’s head—who was he, Nightmare?—but he thought it was still a very good threat. His talons would do the trick if nothing else.
With another flash of his sharp teeth for good measure, he flounced off, leaving the cowering, whimpering man behind. Chaos needed to hurry if he was going to surprise his puppy at the computer center.
Once there, he caught Cooper on his way out of the building, and the look of pure delight on his human’s face made something thump in Chaos’s chest. Cooper was always happy to see him. Every single time.
“Perfect timing!” Cooper told him, hitching his computer bag higher onto his shoulder. “Did you get bored all by your lonesome?”
Chaos tugged Cooper into his arms, nuzzling his head against his shoulder. “Yes, puppy. So bored.”
