Devil's Due: A Thomas Caine Thriller (The Thomas Caine Series Book 0) Read Online Free Page B

torture.   And when he finally escaped and returned home, he discovered the ultimate betrayal.   His country believed that he was the traitor responsible for his partner's murder.  
    He knew that any further contact with Rebecca would only put her in danger.   He had brought death to her doorstep.   The only way to keep her safe was to allow others to believe him dead.   So, he disappeared.
    Caine knew how to survive off the grid.   He used his contacts and criminal connections to make a meager living on the outskirts of society.   He had been trained to operate invisibly, leaving as little sign of his presence as possible.   It wasn't a fulfilling life, but it kept him and those he cared about safe.  
    Deep down, he feared that all the bloodshed, all the pain and suffering he had caused, was a curse.   He could never escape it.   No matter how far he ran, violence and death were always just a few steps behind him.
    Now, violence had followed him to Naiyana.  
    There was a knock on the door.  
    Caine paced across the studio apartment.   He peeled back a small piece of tape that covered the peephole in the door.   The tape was a security precaution.   It kept people outside from being able to look through and track his movements, watching for him to block the light.  
    Looking through the tiny fisheye lens, he saw Naiyana standing in the dark hallway.   She cradled a bag of groceries in her arms.   He opened the door
    "Naiyana, you know you don't have to--"
    The beautiful girl rolled her eyes.   "Khx phak kxn, just let me in."   Caine smiled as she pushed past him and entered the apartment.   “Cops give you a hard time?” he asked, as he shut the door behind her.   “Did the Russians come back?”
    “Cops come, ask questions.   I flirt, they leave, just like always.   And you know how many Russian’s we get in bar?   They all the same, think their money make them kings.   I can handle them.”   She set the groceries down on the counter and surveyed the room.   "You been living here how long?   Place always look empty.   You need a plant!"
    Caine laughed.   "Trust me, plants aren't my specialty."
    Naiyana gave him a hug, and Caine winced as her arms brushed against his ribs.   She looked him over with concern, and wrinkled her nose.   "Still sore, huh?   You smell like xu. You take hot shower. I cook."
    Caine didn't speak much Thai, but he knew the word "xu."   It meant excrement.   He locked the door, replaced the tape, and trudged towards the bathroom.  
    "You hungry tonight?" Naiyana called from the kitchen.  
    "Starving!" Caine shouted back as he stripped off his sweaty shirt and turned on the shower.
    "Good.   I cook lots.   Keep you healthy for next time you fight."
    Caine stuck his head out the door as he waited for the shower to warm up.   "What makes you think there's a next time?"  
    He heard pots and pans clattering in the kitchen. Naiyana leaned out and smiled at him.   "Men like you, always a fight."
    Caine shook his head, closed the bathroom door, and stepped under the scalding hot water.
    A few minutes later, he was showered and seated at a tiny folding table they set up near the kitchen.   Naiyana had cooked a simple green curry, and the smells of cumin, ginger, and chicken wafted through the apartment.   Somehow, the smells of Naiyana's cooking transformed the small, spartan space into something else.   To Caine, for the couple of hours she was there, the empty apartment became a home.  
    Caine lifted his chopsticks to his mouth and devoured another bite of the spicy dish.   He washed it down with a sip of cold beer from a frosted glass.   "How's your brother doing?" he asked.
    Naiyana made a clicking sound with her tongue.   "Oh, Taavi?   So much trouble, that one.   He get into a fight today, too.   Black eye."   A look of concern flashed across Caine's face, but Naiyana smiled and shook her head.   "Don't worry, nothing serious.   Just boys