Page 64 of Dark Soul

Stay quiet and live.

Kvyat spoke to somebody in rapid-fire Russian. She couldn’t see him from where she crouched, but heard him sit down heavily on the leather chair. Then the telltale click of the briefcase being opened.

Kvyat began humming a little, happy song.

In her corner, Alexia shivered. Because she didn’t know what kind of thing could make a man like Kvyat hum like that. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.

There was a quick knock at the door, and Alexia felt her hope soar.

Please get him out of here.

Please ask him to go downstairs.

Kvyat interrupted his song.

“Come in, come in,” he said in English. The door opened and closed again, and Alexia heard soft footsteps making their way into the room.

Flat shoes.

A man.

“Great party,” the newcomer said. The r was a thick sound coming from the back of his throat.

“You’re late,” Kvyat replied in a haughty tone.

The other man sighed loudly and theatrically. “Do you know who I am?”

“Of course,” Kvyat said. And there was something new in his voice now, something that sounded a lot like … fear.

And Alexia didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to know this man who inspired fear in Kvyat.

“Then you’ll speak to me with respect.”

Kvyat huffed. “Of course. I was simply stating a fact.”

“Do you have it?”

“I do,” Kvyat said quickly, shuffling some papers.

“No,” the newcomer said softly, and Alexia marveled at the way he’d taken control of the conversation—taken control of Kvyat. “I do not need to see it. Not now.”

“You don’t—“ Kvyat sputtered.

“We’re not doing this tonight.”

“You don’t have my money,” Kvyat said shrewdly.

The newcomer clucked his tongue. He still sounded completely relaxed. “Not on me, I don’t.”

“We said we’d do this today. Tell your friends they’re not the only people interested.”

“Is that a threat, Kvyat? It sounds a lot like a threat … which is interesting. Nobody has threatened me in a very long time.”

“It’s not a threat,” Kvyat said quickly, and there was a whining tone to his voice Alexia had never heard before. “I want my money today.”

“You’ll get your money … when we’re good and ready.”

Alexia’s calf muscles were cramping so badly, she didn’t know how long she could hold this position. But something about the newcomer’s smooth voice made her think Kvyat wasn’t the biggest danger anymore.