Ruthless Creatures

Kage is the novel’s male protagonist; his characterization is part antihero and part more traditional romantic ideal. While Kage’s job in the Bratva makes him a violent criminal, his mindful treatment of Nat and his sexual prowess make him a figure of romantic wish fulfillment. Although he lies for the Bratva, he is as truthful as he can be with Nat, opening up about his ties to organized crime and his traumatic childhood experiences. Despite being a brooding and mysterious stranger who cannot reveal why he’s in town, he’s entirely open and communicative during sex, ensuring that he’s not forcing or pressuring Nat to have experiences that she doesn’t want. Kage’s sexual range furthers his characterization as a progressive man: He agrees to let Nat do to him whatever he does to her, including penetration, and he isn’t threatened by Nat’s large collection of sex toys but instead incorporates them into their sex life since his goal is to give her pleasure. Although he’s been sent to interrogate, torture, and kill Nat, he instead defends her from other assassins. Kage finds her so irresistible that he decides, “It’s my duty and pleasure to take care of you” (317). Respectful and selfless, Kage becomes the embodiment of positive masculinity.

Yet the novel realizes that Kage’s appeal comes from his dangerous and aggressive masculinity, so it works to preserve this characterization. While, in theory, Nat could penetrate Kage sexually, she never wants to. Although Kage’s backstory underscores his vulnerable side, other subplots depict him as brutal and invincible: He uses violence to dispatch the Irishmen at La Cantine, Max, and Viktor, and he verbally intimidates Chris and David into compliance. Nat sees Kage’s emotional side, but with his superhero looks and organized-crime affluence, Kage is primarily an “alpha male” whom other men envy. His nickname underscores the fact that his softer side is sealed off in a cage, accessible only to one woman—Nat.

Secondary character Sloane is Nat’s best friend and foil. They’ve known each other since they were kids, and their longstanding friendship allows them to share intimate details of their lives. Like Nat, Sloane is open about sex; unlike Nat, Sloane has had many sexual partners and feels no need for a committed partnership. Sloane’s flippant attitude toward romance and sex makes her responsible for many of the novel’s comedic moments. She often punctures Nat’s romantic reveries with blunt and bawdy observations, such as when she jokes that anal sex leads to “afterglow […] from the phosphorescent glands in your sphincter. Why do you think my complexion is so great?” (454). While Sloane doesn’t take herself or sex too seriously, she does care deeply for Nat’s well-being, earnestly encouraging Nat to embrace Kage and move on from David. In the next installment of the series, Sloane’s conviction that “[she] can’t fall in love” is tested when she meets her match—Declan (459).

Minor character David is Nat’s former fiancé, who mysteriously vanished five years ago. While Sloane encourages Nat to accept that David is probably dead, the police can’t find his body or explain his disappearance. This ambiguity adds to the novel’s dark-romance atmosphere. 

David and Kage are foils. Kage is a physically imposing, traditionally masculine character with wild hair, a menacing name, and wide-ranging sexual proclivities. In contrast, David has a bland name, is rigidly neat, and does not seem to have been sexually adventurous. As Nat’s relationship with Kage blossoms, her view of David sours: “I pledged my life to a man who folded his dirty laundry before putting it in the hamper” (255)—a hyperbolic description of an unattractively fussy person. 

Once Nat learns that David has lied to her in many different ways—he’s alive, he disappeared after stealing money from the Bratva, and he was already married with children when he dated Nat—he emerges as Kage’s foil in a different way. Although David never killed people like Kage, his selfishness and disloyalty turn him into one of the novel’s antagonists—an emotionally manipulative man whose behavior underscores the importance of Distinguishing Conflict and Abuse. David’s real name, Damon, suggests that he’s, in some ways, almost demonic.

Minor character Chris is Nat’s former boyfriend and another foil for Kage. After breaking up with her for not being over David, Chris reveals that this was actually a passive-aggressive way to get Nat to appreciate him: “I thought breaking up with you might, you know, light a fire under your ass” (128).

Like David, Chris embodies a type of toxic masculinity. As the local sheriff, Chris abuses his position of authority and power to harass Nat. In the middle of an investigation into the restaurant shootings, Chris forcibly grabs Nat and kisses her without her consent. By never stooping to the kind of underhanded behavior that Chris engages in, Kage reveals himself to be a better romantic partner for her despite being a violent criminal.