14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Author:James Patterson & Maxine Paetro [Patterson, James & Paetro, Maxine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781595963543
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2015-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Dan sipped his whiskey and waited for Ian to absorb the first revelation. He pretended to be calm when he wanted to kneel before Ian and beg for his understanding. Any one of Dan’s revelations was enough, but put together in a string, they overwhelmed saints. Yet he had no choice. He had to make Ian understand, or his friend couldn’t combat the forces at work. It was best to simply give all the information to him and let him absorb what he could. “There’s more. I promised you an introduction. Grip really is a demon in an odd shape. I state the obvious and remind you demons follow their rules. Trust him to act as a demon would. Don’t trust anything he says because he plays his own game.”

Some color returned to Ian’s face. He gave Dan a lopsided grin. His voice was shaky, but he managed some humor. “In other words, even if he tells me the sky is blue I had better check out the window.”

Hey now! I’ve never pretended to be anything less than what I am.

Ian’s head snapped around to look in Grip’s direction. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “I’ve never had a voice talk in my head.” Ian blinked for a moment. “I’d say nice to meet you, but the meeting isn’t pleasant in the least. I have a feeling you’re the reason the Russians came, not the fact I’m sitting next to the czar in exile.”

Dan choked, surprised Ian had figured out his true rank. Technically, Dan was the last royal Romanoff, but his heritage meant nothing as far as he was concerned. Politics, especially world politics, meant living in a fish bowl. Dan wanted none of the nonsense and strife that turned men gray before their time.

Very good. Yes and no. They want me, and the fact I’m attached to the last legal czar just adds spice to the broth.

Ian laughed without humor. He held his glass out for a refill without taking his eyes off the demonic book. “Dan may not care for politics, but I do. I know the situation in Russia, and the growing faction of people who want to see the royal family restored to power, even if they’re puppets.”

Dan’s hand shook as he poured whiskey into Ian’s glass. Ian sounded so cynical and friendly toward Grip, they were a matched set. They weren’t talking about some far away person who was merely a name in the papers. They conversed so casually about him. Dan had to remind himself Ian had been his friend and agent for several years. Trusting Ian would not betray him still came hard. “I hope you understand I don’t want anything more than staying right here.”

Ian shot him an unreadable look. The cynical half smile wasn’t reassuring. “Of course you don’t. Your dislike of politics is what makes you so perfect for both this demon’s plans and the Russians’. They could lock you away in some fine palace with your paintings and trot you out on the rare state occasion when they need a symbol.

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