“We heard there’s a potential second suspect.” Madden sounded like he actually gave a shit.
Zane let his gaze wander to the window. It’d started to rain, a light pattering slowly painting their surroundings a darker shade. Every now and again, the clouds shifted, allowing sunlight to pool down and create a glittering effect.
Did Pavel enjoy the rain? On Vitality, it rained a lot, unlike their home planet Hexa. Though he truly didn’t recall much from his time there, Zane knew the weather had been drier, hot, with very little change in season.
“Yuze seems to think so, but he’s…occupied,” Kaz hesitated, which was very unlike him.
Zane turned back and cocked his head. “With?”
“Please don’t tell me he’s filming another porn video,” Madden drawled, mostly joking. They all knew Yuze would take this seriously.
“I’m surprised you two haven’t heard,” Kazimir said. “It involves one of the Royal Consort’s friends.”
Zane and Madden glanced at each other, both frowning.
“Rin’s friend?” Zane didn’t know any of them very well, but he’d seen their faces. “Weren’t they all in attendance at his birthday party last month?”
“It happened after that,” Kazimir sighed. “He was kidnapped by Jem. The guy’s favorite sister was just murdered, and he hasn’t been handling it well. He doesn’t think we’re doing everything we can to catch the culprit.”
“So…he’s using a nobody as an incentive?”
“He isn’t a nobody,” Kazimir corrected, and when Zane gave him a look, corrected, “Okay, sure to us he is, I mean, since he’s a close friend of the Royal Consort’s, he can’t be considered unimportant. Yuze will handle it. Once he locates them.”
“I’m surprised Kelevra hasn’t said anything to me,” Madden stated.
“Pretty sure Baikal asked that it be kept on the down low for now. Better chance of locating Jem. If it did leak, people would plaster his face all over social media, and that would be just as bad as him kidnapping and holding a hostage.”
Because making an enemy of the Royal would mean breaking the trade route agreement. Baikal would rather help Jem keep face than do everything they could to rescue whoever this friend was. Not that Zane was judging.
He’d make the same call if their roles were reversed.
They kept discussing ways Madden could offer his aid, but Zane mostly tuned it out. Technically, his services weren’t required. He’d only offered to come to piss Pavel off, and the longer this dragged on the more likely that was, so he just sat there idly, sending friendly smiles Nate’s way whenever he noticed the other man looking at him.
“I don’t get you,” Narek said after ten or so minutes had passed and the other two had gotten up for refills.
“What’s to get?” Zane played with his empty cup, twirling it on the table.
Nate stared at him wordlessly for a moment and then planted his palms on the surface of the table and stood. “Is this what you did to me and Kazimir? Put on a show and turned us into your puppets?”
To an onlooker, it would appear as though he were being scolded, but Zane took in Nate’s expression carefully, noting there was nothing but curiosity and mild distaste in his gaze.
“What are you doing, Narek?” It seemed an awful lot like he was playing along.
“I don’t like you.”
“I’m aware.”
“Kazimir doesn’t like you either.”
“That’s also been expressed,” Zane drawled, “yes.”
“But I’ve been on the receiving end of a Devil’s obsession before. I’m willing to bet this show of yours is all part of a bigger act.”
Okay. Things had just gotten incredibly fascinating. Zane rested his elbows on the edge of the table, leaning in. “Do tell.”
“It scares you, doesn’t it?” Nate’s voice dropped, as though he were trying to prevent the others across the store from hearing. Like he didn’t want to embarrass Zane or something. “Knowing that Pavel isn’t going to let you go, no matter how many times you resist? It scares you that you want him back, because—”
“You’re a very good person, Nate,” Zane stopped him. “Good for Kaz. Since helping to save your skin that one time wasn’t enough to endear me to you, how about I give it another go and let you in on a secret.” He smiled sweetly. “Wanting to fuck Pavel Hart doesn’t scare me. Casual sex is nothing new to me, as you well know. It’s not even the idea of commitment that has me hesitating. It’s not understanding his motives, or really,himat all that’s driving me crazy.”
