‘Vasily was so shy.He used to make cookies.Mimi adored him.Mikhail sent him to me because he wanted him kept out of things, kept safe.He used to read to Mimi by the lake when I trained you.Hehatedviolence.’
‘Well, he runs a massive crime syndicate now,’ Kade says.‘I don’t know what to tell you.People change.’
They resume walking.
Lachlan seems buried deep in thought.
‘You’ve never met him?’
‘I rarely leave the Tower.’
‘He’s never come there personally?’
‘Vasily Sorrenko isn’t stupid enough to expose himself.’
‘He’d recognise you if he saw you.’
‘Like I said, we’ve never met.’
‘What were these self-destructing messages?’
‘They were meant to harm Riley, obviously.The one time I got one to him safely, it melted when Riley touched it.They try every now and then, like we’re stupid enough to fall for it again.’
‘Did you ever read any?’
‘They’re for the boss of Iron Star, not me.’
‘How do you know that?’
‘Because I’m a grunt, Tanner,’ Kade snaps.‘If old man Penhalyx got a message delivered to the Estate, would you believe it was for you?’
‘Fair point.’
They turn right down a dark alleyway.
It’s deathly quiet away from the city street, ripe with new smells and scents.
‘What are you thinking?’Kade asks, irritably.He’s getting the worst stomach ache of his life after all the dancing, drinking and French toast.‘I canhearyou thinking, Bodyguard, what—?’
The attack comes out of nowhere, explodes from the shadows, no breathing, no fabric rustle, no giveaways whatsoever.
For the first time in his life, Kade is caught off-guard.
The punch has him seeing yellow stars behind his eyes, pureexplosionof the unexpected.It jars his senses hard, disorients Kade, has him reeling.
But only for a second.
He pushes off the dumpster, regains equilibrium and then gets stuck into the fight, andfuck yeah,it’s a good one.
Sharp instinct takes over, fighting in the dark is something Kade is so very good at.He shouldn’tbepunching at all, fucked his knuckles already, but he doesn’t feel it as he moves through the sea of attackers, fighting them off one by one, follows his heartbeat, hisguide,his instincts.
Violence comes easy.He makes art of it.
Elbow strike, body-shot, hammerfist, uppercut.He gives no one the chance to draw back and regain balance, no opportunity to breathe.
Destabilise, remove balance, destroy the threat.
No fancy moves, no trading blows.
