Read The Devil Inside for Free Online Page B

great pair.
    Then what happens? He plays avenging angel? We call the cops?  
    Not going to happen.  
    "Whatever it is, surely it can wait?" I sigh and try to brush past him. He doesn't move.  
    It's weird. I've always been wishing he'd pay me more attention. Now that he finally is, it’s making me nervous.
    Well, I don't mind it, but my instincts are telling me I don't want to go there with Kaito. Because last night he beat up two hardened thugs like it was an everyday thing.
    I don't do violent men.
    And I don't buy that accountant bullshit.
    Accountant, huh? Really, Kaito? My eyes narrow as I stare at him.
    Curiosity wins. I’ve changed my mind. Kaito wants to talk? Then we'll talk out back. I feel the sudden urge to call him out, to ask him who the hell he really is.
    I edge past Kaito and my hip brushes against him. He steps aside and puts a hand on my waist as I pass, ever so briefly.  
    Smooth, bookworm.
    His veneer of indifferent politeness is gone. I don't know what's changed since last night, but Kaito has allowed one of his barriers to drop.  
    I’m sure there are many more layers to get past. Do I really want to go there?
    "Fine, let’s talk,” I snap, not bothering to look behind as I push through the staff door. I head for the back exit, craving a moment of fresh air. The restaurant smells like fish and nori and soy sauce, and all of a sudden, it feels stifling.  
    Kaito follows me like a shadow, wordless and silent. We reach the door, which opens into a narrow alley. He leans against the wall and pulls a pack of cigarettes from inside his jacket.
    It’s a brand I haven’t seen before, called Hope .
    The irony isn’t lost on me.  
    Kaito puts one of the cigarettes in his mouth. I glare at him.
    “You’re not going to start smoking in front of me, are you?” The smell of cigarette smoke isn’t my favorite thing in the world.
    He looks in my direction, blinks, then takes the smoke out of his mouth. “Sorry. Bad habit.” He almost sounds sheepish. I wonder how many other bad habits Kaito has.  
    His gaze roams over my face and his expression becomes hard. I know I’ve done a poor job with the makeup. It’s not fooling him.
    “Rough night?” he asks, and even though I knew the question was coming, I’m surprised at how concerned he sounds. “Was it those guys again?” The tone of his voice promises vengeance.  
    “No, not those assholes from last night.” I sigh. “It was someone I know. We had a disagreement. Nothing to be bothered about. It won’t happen again.”
    “Hmm.” He’s staring at me as if he’s expecting something more. I allow the silence to lengthen. I appreciate Kaito’s concern, but I don’t really want to discuss last night’s incident. But the pause becomes uncomfortable, and I say something to break it.
    “Is that why you asked me out back? Because of this?”
    “Not quite.” Kaito shrugs and slides the cigarette back into its small, white box. There’s something a bit neat and obsessive in the way he goes about it. “Well, maybe it prompted me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, after last night. When I saw your face I thought those two men had followed you. But obviously, it was someone else.”
    Wordless, I nod. The silence stretches between us again. Kaito is quiet and still, but there’s a tempest swirling in his eyes. He moves closer to me, and I catch a tendril of his scent. It’s a complex mixture of leather and spice and something raw and woody, like freshly cut pine.
    Warmth floods through me.  
    “You know, Adele, on those first few occasions we met, I told myself I shouldn't get close to someone like you.” Kaito is beside me now, so close we’re almost touching. It’s probably my imagination, but I can almost feel the heat rolling off him. “But last night, you caught a glimpse of my world. And you didn’t run.” He sounds bitter, and the look he gives me is guarded, as if he's ready to draw back and erect his barriers