Devil’s Game (The Devil’s Demons #2)

1. Prologue

Prologue

Spade

F our hours ago

“Last call,” Eve shouted. “Get your drinks now, or keep your whiny mouths shut. Bar closes in thirty minutes, and I don’t care where you go, but you need to get the fuck out of here.” Eve’s long, black hair fanned out as she turned to the beer fridge, already pulling out bottles in anticipation of the swarm of orders she was about to get.

“She’s always so pleasant.” I chuckled, shaking my head as I glanced behind the bar for the millionth time—no exaggeration necessary.

“You know Eve,” Kellan murmured distractedly, his words barely audible over the shuffling of boots on the worn hardwood floor as patrons headed to the bar for their final drinks of the night.

“It’s been—” I glanced down at my watch and turned back to face Kellan. “Twenty minutes. Just how long do you think this girl talk is supposed to last?”

“For the thousandth time, I don’t know.” Kellan sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face, weary exhaustion creasing the edges of his sable eyes as they met mine. “I haven’t pulled a crystal ball out of my ass since the last time you asked.”

“That’s something I’d like to see.” I lifted my glass to my lips, letting the last sip of the cool amber liquid sweep over my tongue. “I don’t like not being able to see her . . . or touch her,” I said idly, imagining just how incredible this whiskey would taste with my sugar’s delectable pussy as a chaser.

A satisfied hum vibrated from my chest, and I leaned back in my seat, letting the edges of my leather jacket fall open to reveal the pistol strapped to my waist. Oh, how I’d wanted to put a bullet through Jeff’s head the second that high-pitched whistle slipped from his lips, but I’d known my sugar could take care of him, either with her words or her fists.

I would’ve loved watching her lay into him. I would’ve held his arms just for fun as her punches reverberated through him, licking my skin.

If only Merrick hadn’t ruined our fun with his temper. He was currently taking out his frustration on the waste of space I’d never liked. I could always get started on digging him a grave . . .

My thoughts trailed off as my eyes landed on Giana’s drink that had been sitting there for twenty whole minutes—more, if you counted how long she’d been talking before that. I’d gotten lost in her tales, wishing I could’ve been the one there with her, instead of that asshole Tommaso. We would’ve taken that city by storm.

“I’m going to get her a new drink.” I launched out of my chair, a plan already in place. There was no way she’d turn me away with a drink in my hand.

“Spade,” Kellan warned, his tone laced with suspicion.

“What? I’m sure her throat is probably bone dry with all the talking she’s been doing. Besides, I want to see if I can overhear what she’s saying about us.” I grinned conspiratorially, almost sure he would be on my side. Kellan seemed to consider it for a moment, and I didn’t wait for him to talk me out of it.

I sauntered up to the bar, just as the last of the guys were paying their tabs, and leaned against the worn bar top, ignoring Kellan’s huff of annoyance. “Can I get another sex on the beach for the love of my life, Evie?”

“That’s not my name,” she grumbled, eyeing me warily. “Are you sure she wants another one?”

“I know what my girlfriend needs.” I sighed. “She forgot her drink, and I’m going to bring her a new one, like the amazing boyfriend I am.” My chest puffed out with pride, and I ignored the fact that I hadn’t actually asked if she wanted to be my girlfriend because, obviously, that was a given.

Eve looked between the table and me in confusion. “You didn’t ask Mike to bring her another one?”

“Mike?” I frowned, not liking where this was going. “Of course, I didn’t ask that oaf to bring my woman a drink. What are you talking about?”

The blood seemed to drain from her cheeks, a stricken look frozen on her face.

“Eve?” I demanded, my fists clenching on the bar.

Kellan strode over to us, obviously overhearing the conversation.

“I, uh, he came to me about twenty minutes ago—”

Neither of us even waited for her to finish the sentence.

We rushed to the other side of the bar, barreling past the door into the back. My pulse pounded in my veins, my adrenaline spiking, ready to tear the world apart if anyone had laid a hand on Giana.

“I didn’t know,” Eve shouted, her words desperate, but I didn’t care. Not when the only thing my brain could focus on was the door to Merrick’s office. It should have been closed, with the faint murmur of my sugar’s voice echoing inside the small room. She should have been there, safe and secure. Instead, the space was empty, the door flung open, as though someone had hastily barged in, too preoccupied to close it on their way out.

This can’t be happening.

“We have to check the back,” Kellan rasped, panic tingeing his voice as he raced down the hallway.

My attention snapped to him, his words and thunderous footsteps pulling me from the icy dread creeping over my skin like frost.

We might still have a chance .

My body moved on autopilot, catapulting me down the hall. I caught up to Kellan just as he flew into the metal door, bashing it open and barreling through. Cool night air caressed my skin, the breeze helping me keep an even head.

There should have been two cars back here. But only Eve’s black Honda Civic remained in the employee lot. The only traces of Mike’s car were the thick tire tracks in the gravel as he must have sped away—with our devil stowed away in the back.

Cold fury washed over me, and it took every ounce of my self-control to keep my mind in the present and not float away on a killing spree.

“No,” Kellan breathed, jogging around to the side of the building.

I followed him, my footsteps hard and even, already preparing myself for the worst. “Get Merrick,” I ordered, a plan unfolding in my mind.

I strode back to the door, not bothering to wait for him to respond. The cool metal of the handle sank into my skin as I pulled it open and hopped back inside. Each step was measured as I made my way back to the office, needing to comb the space for any clues . . . and to make sure a certain something wasn’t there.

A lethal calmness swept over me, and a smile curled on my lips as I peered into the office. The worn fabric of the office chair was swung toward the door, and scraps of paper were strewn across the floor, like she had fallen from the chair once the drink took its hold. I glanced at the desk and at the offending glass, its contents half drank.

My hands clenched at my sides, the calmness slipping as it took everything in me not to pick up the glass and chuck it against the wall.

“What the hell happened?” Merrick bellowed, his footsteps pounding against the hardwood floor as he stormed behind the bar. The door behind me swung open, and I stepped to the side, not wanting to be in the line of fire.

“No, no, no,” Eve said, fear coating every word, but she was cut off as the door shuttered behind Merrick and Kellan.

Fury flickered in Merrick’s hazel eyes, like they just might set the room ablaze.

“That fucker took her,” Merrick growled, his words more a promise of malice than a question.

“Yup, I guess he decided that he wants to die tonight.” I shrugged, taking a seat in the office chair.

“Why aren’t you ripping this place apart?” Merrick asked, his tone a mix of confusion and incredulity.

“Because I have a plan.” I leaned back in the chair and took out my phone.

“This isn’t the time to be on your phone,” Kellan hissed.

“We have to chase after them. Get your ass up,” Merrick demanded, slamming his fist against the wall. Plaster cracked under his knuckles, sending a cloud of dust billowing from the impact.

I ignored both of them and pulled up the app on my phone, immediately activating the tracker sewn into her leather jacket. A blue dot popped up in the middle of the map, the app following the tracker as Giana moved away from us.

“Or you could both take a breath and listen to my plan,” I drawled, lifting my screen for them to see.

Merrick’s jaw ticked as he looked at the phone, and Kellan’s mouth clamped shut, his retort cut off as he scanned the map.

“Did you put a tracker on her?” Kellan asked in disbelief.

“Of course, I did.” I scoffed. “I can’t believe neither of you thought of it first.”

Merrick grumbled something unintelligible under his breath and narrowed his glare on me. Obviously, he was just jealous that he hadn’t done it himself.

“She’s going to hate that, but honestly, that was good thinking,” Kellan said, his lips twisted to the side, like he was unsure if he should be thanking me or chewing me out.

“Don’t act so surprised. I have good ideas all the time.” I chuckled and leaped from the chair. “Let’s get the Demons together.”

“I guess Tommaso didn’t learn his lesson last time. We’ll have to make it clear that no one touches our girl.” Merrick nodded tersely, his biceps bulging, the movement visible even beneath his shirt.

Anticipation coiled in my stomach, and electricity vibrated through my veins, my body craving the death and destruction on the horizon.

Did he think we would just give up? Did he think he could drug and steal our devil away, and he wouldn’t have the full brunt of our wrath barreling down on him?

“I just hope he’s there, so I can rip the fucker’s pathetic heart from his chest,” I purred, already imagining it, the image eliciting a spark of joy in my chest.

“You know that kill is Giana’s,” Merrick warned, his mouth curling into a scowl.

“Fine.” I sighed, my shoulders slumping slightly, but I would give my sugar the world. Of course, she could claim whoever’s life as her own. “Let’s go get our devil.”

And we would. We would tear the world apart to get her back and kill everyone in our way.