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CHAPTER SEVEN ▪▫▪▫▪
DRIVING MEN TO MADNESS WAS HER SPECIALTY. Kira loved watching them squirm under her gaze, watching them stumbled over their words as she smiled, watching them hand over their will to her on a golden platter.
However, Kira never imagined Kaz would be one of her victims. She was well aware of her own reactions to him. His closeness. His rare but oh-so-exhilarating touch. His raspy voice and his intense eyes, that darkened to endless pools of black. And now, she was aware of what she did to him. Or, completely aware, as she knew there had always been something there.
After their moment in the crypt. When Kira let all her walls down, baring herself to Kaz like she had to no other, Kaz had become unhinged.
The best kind of unhinged. The kind that made him look crazed and sinister. It was as if he'd found the motivation to finally destroy Pekka Rollins. As if... And at that moment Kira allowed herself to hope... As if he had found something he finally craved more than revenge.
When she arrived back in the crypt, late at night, after a long day of trying to convince the children on the streets of the Barrel to take down the Wanted posters, so her face wouldn't get shared throughout the city and eventually get back to Ravka's, she found Kaz looking handsomely beaten up. It confirmed the whispers she'd heard about the Dregs' having been defeated by a man with a cane and her theory that Kira could drive any man to madness.
He had fought a gang on his own, defying every odd against him, unleashing the beast inside him that was merciless and ruthless and absolutely captivating. He was the devil incarnate and Kira was ready to throw herself into hell. With a maniacal smile, edging on a sneer, he had also declared that suffering was the weapon he'd found to destroy Pekka Rollins once and for all.
This wasn't Kaz Brekker, it was Dirtyhands coming to see the rough work done. And he had never looked more attractive in her eyes.
There were no Saints that could help Kira now. She was too far gone. Dirtyhands had stolen her heart and she had no intention of getting it back.
Kira entered the Slat whistling an old Ravkan tune to herself, twirling her fingers in a wave at the men by the bar—it was safe to say the Dregs already liked her. She turned to see Jesper and Wylan setting up at a table and approached them with a smile just as Inej arrived with her teal costume.
"Smells like these haven't been washed since last year," she said with a grimace and Jesper shrugged sheepishly.
"They probably haven't," replied Kira as she leaned over to smell the Wraith's clothing before gagging. "Saints. That's bad."
Kira's head snapped up as Kaz walked into the room, ignoring everyone, as he went around Jesper, and opened the crates full of spray bottles of the concoction Wylan had prepared so they could fake an outspread of the plague.
