Lev Ashworth comes in last, and he takes his time about it.

He is the last one through the door on purpose, because the last one in gets to read the room before the room reads him: Milos with his hand already out, Anders with the jaw set, Kirill dripping blood on his stepmother's clean floor. And you.

You are the interesting part. Your bag is still on your shoulder, so nobody has taken it from you, so nobody has decided anything yet.

He straightens one cuff. Then he smiles, because a smile has cost him nothing in his life and tends to buy a great deal.

introduce

Nobody laughs. He did not expect anyone to. He is not doing it for them.

Behind him Milos huffs and starts moving the men toward the kitchen, and Lev stays where he is half a second longer than he needs to, watching your face to see what it does when a man apologises for a room without ever saying the word sorry.