Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Devil You Made Me: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

KyrenThe rage followed me down three flights of stairs like a second step.The morning air hit my face as I stepped onto Maple Street. My hands were shaking, whether from fury or something else, I didn't want to examine too closely. I pulled out my phone and dialed Leo's number, the familiar sequence of digits grounding me in routine."Boss?" His voice was alert despite the early hour. Leo never slept much."Pick me up." I gave him the intersection, then hung up without waiting for a response. He would come. He always did.The black sedan arrived within minutes, Marco behind the wheel with Leo riding shotgun. Neither man spoke as I slid into the backseat, but I could feel their tension through the leather partition. They'd learned to read my moods over the years, and right now I was broadcasting danger on every frequency.We'd driven maybe six blocks in blessed silence when Marco's voice cut through the quiet like a rusty blade."So, boss," he said, catching my eyes in the rearview m

Alastair I forced myself to look away from the sight of Kyren pulling out a chair for his beautiful fiancée, focusing instead on my partner's concerned face. "I'm fine. Just... I think I need some air. Would it be okay if we wrapped this up?""Of course." She began gathering her books, but I could see confusion in her expression. "Did I say something wrong?""No, not at all. You've been great." I tried for a reassuring smile while carefully avoiding looking in Kyren's direction. "Could we get the food to go? I just remembered I have something I need to take care of.""Sure. Let me talk to the kitchen."She disappeared toward the back of the restaurant, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts and the sound of laughter from the wedding party's table. I couldn't help but steal glances at them, at the way Anna's eyes sparkled when she looked at Kyren, at his polite attentiveness as she introduced him to her friends.They looked perfect together. Like something out of a magazine spread a

Alastair Kyren sat alone at a corner table, nursing what looked like whiskey and staring at nothing with the intensity of a man trying to solve the universe's mysteries. He'd changed out of his expensive suit into dark jeans and a black sweater, but even in casual clothes he radiated the kind of dangerous elegance that made other people give him space.My hands stilled on the glass I'd been polishing. Part of me wanted to pretend I hadn't seen him, to focus on my work and hope he'd leave before we had to interact. But a larger part, the part that was still angry about this morning, about the restaurant, about the timing of my eviction.I finished setting up the bar and tried to lose myself in the familiar rhythm of work. Wednesday nights were usually quiet, with a handful of regulars and a few students looking for somewhere cheap to drink. I served beers and mixed simple cocktails, keeping my eyes focused on anything except the corner table where Kyren sat like a storm cloud gatheri

KyrenThe pounding in my skull felt like someone was taking a sledgehammer to the inside of my head. I surfaced slowly from unconsciousness, my mouth tasting like I'd been gargling with battery acid and my body feeling like I'd been thrown down a flight of stairs. The familiar leather couch in my penthouse living room came into focus, along with the empty bottle of Macallan 25 that had apparently been my companion for the night."Boss?" Leo's voice called out. "You awake?"I sat up slowly, every movement sending fresh waves of agony through my skull. The morning light streaming through my floor-to-ceiling windows was offensive, turning the city skyline into a glittering assault on my retinas."What time is it?" My voice came out as a croak."Ten-thirty. You've been out for twelve hours." He stood near the kitchen counter, his expression carefully neutral but his posture radiating disapproval. "That bartender called me at two AM to come collect you. Said you were in no condition to dr

Kyren"I need the address," I said, my voice coming out rougher than intended.Leo looked up from his tablet, eyebrows raised. "Boss?""The address. Where he's staying.""Why do you need—""Why the fuck are you asking me questions?" The words exploded out of me with enough force to make Leo take a step back. "I asked for an address. Give me the goddamn address."Leo's expression shifted to something between concern and exasperation. "Boss, maybe you should be focusing on finding whoever stole our shipment instead of—""Instead of what? So should I go around the entire country looking for one missing driver?" I could feel my control fraying at the edges, all the pressure and failure of the past few days coalescing into pure rage. "We have no leads, no witnesses, and forty-six hours before Rodriguez decides to cut our throats. So unless you have a better suggestion, give me the fucking address."The silence stretched between us. Leo's jaw worked like he was considering saying something