Chapter Thirty-Four
Devious
I stand in front of the bedroom where Maya is staying. I tuck my hands in my pocket as Aiden turns the knob on the door, pushing it open. She lost the color in her rosy cheeks, and her glossy red hair is now dyed a jet-black and is cut short. I haven’t seen her since she was twenty years old. Aiden grabs her by the arm, and she screams for him to let her go with tears in her eyes. He forces her to sit on the queen-size bed.
Her green doe eyes stare at me as she wraps her arms around her knees. My brother is staring at her with hurt and anger in his eyes. What happened between the two of them for him to want to go and get revenge on her?
Tears trickle down her cheeks. “I used to look up to you as my big brother, Cayden, and you do this?”
She was like a little sister to me. She used to be a part of our little group in high school, and she and Aiden parted ways after I graduated. I hate to bring her into this, but I need to find Cashel, and she can tell me where he’s at.
She spits in my face. “Cashel is going to kill you for what you’re doing to me, and he’s going to get me out of here.”
Just as I’m about to backhand her, Aiden stands in my way.
“Devious, don’t hurt her. She’s been through enough already.”
The fuck? Why is he defending her?
“By the time Cashel discovers you’re missing, you’ll be dead in a ditch,” I say through clenched teeth, then wipe the spit from my face.
Tears continue to run down her cheeks.
“You spit in my face again, I’ll gut you like a little fish. My brother won’t be able to stop me either,” I snap. “Where is Cashel?”
“I’ll never tell you.”
“Keep her locked in this room and you’ll decide her punishment.”
He nods and does what I say. She screams, calling me every name in the book.
Before he slams the door in her face, he tells her he’ll deal with her later. We take the elevator to the second floor and head to the spacious kitchen. I move to the stainless-steel fridge, grab myself a beer, and sit on the leather barstool. I glance out the window at the backyard. We’re far away from the city.
We’re never going to find Cashel at this rate, and without Maya’s information we’re screwed. I tried everything to find him, and I feel like we’re back at square one.
Aiden rests his hand on the white granite counter.
He grabs the bottle of bourbon, pouring it into a crystal shot glass. “How was your trip to LA?”
“It was great.”
I’m staying the night here with him, and then I’m going home in the morning. Marla is staying the night with Roselyn to keep her company. I insisted on Roselyn hanging out with the dons’ wives, but she’s told me they aren’t her type of women.
“She tried to kill me on our wedding night,” I finally reveal to my brother.
“You must have a soft spot for her because if it were anyone else, you would have killed them.”
I don’t say anything but keep one hand in my pocket and the other on my beer bottle.
“I knew Roselyn was feisty, but goddamn, the woman is a loose cannon.” He chuckles with his glass on his lips, then drinks his whiskey. “You always liked toxic women,” he says, laughing.
“You like toxic women too. What about the girl you fucked who vandalized the manor when we were in high school? What was her name—Leah?”
“Sienna,” he corrects.
“You paid the price with Draco. He always hated you more. He was more lenient on me than you.” I suspect he favored me more than Aiden because Polina molested him and Draco saw him as a threat to his marriage. He knew what was happening, so he took it out on Aiden. “You never liked to follow the rules.”
He clutches his glass hard. “That’s one of the reasons why I slit his throat, and I’d do it again too. I give zero fucks about the rules of the mafia. Some of the shit we do is stupid,” he states. “You want to play some pool?”
I finish the remainder of my beer. “You sure you want to get your ass kicked by your older brother?”
“You were only born ten minutes ahead of me, big whoop-de-do.”
We stroll into the entertainment room, and I grab the stick from the wall. Aiden removes the triangle, and the colorful balls sit in the center of the table.
“You go first,” he says.
I lean over the table, hitting the balls.
They scatter across the table. A solid green ball rolls into a pocket.
Aiden leans against the table, waiting for me to take my turn. “I married Maya.”
My mind finally registers what he said, and I connect my fist with his chin, then I pull out my gun from my holster, debating if I should kill my brother for committing treason.
What the fuck is wrong with him? Why would he marry the enemy?
He puts his hands up in the air, like in surrender. He knocks the gun out of my hand, and grabs me by the throat, squeezing. I step on his feet, elbowing him in the stomach, and twisting his arm behind his back.
“When did you marry her?”
“On the night I kidnapped her. I forced her to marry me, so she’ll be tied to me until I’m done with her.”
My blood boils. Why would he betray me like this?
“Why?”
“It’ll piss off Cashel more.”
I throw him to the ground, and he stands up, dusting off his shirt.
“You married Maya to piss off Cashel? Is this the bullshit you’re trying to sell me?” I snap. “You don’t give a fuck about the war or pissing off Cashel. Why don’t you want to kill her?” I throw my hands in the air. “Why betray me? You know I don’t want anything to do with them. We’re at war with her brother, for fuck’s sake.”
He won’t admit to himself that he might still be in love with her, which is the only reason why he would keep her around. I should have gotten Lex to do it. He loves younger women, but I wouldn’t have to worry about him marrying her.
His face flushes with embarrassment. “You know why.”
Either he’s still in love with her but won’t admit it to himself, or he’s seeking revenge. Knowing Aiden, I think it’s both. Since he’s my brother, I’ll cut him some slack. I should kill my brother, and if he were anyone else, I would have.
“You still love her and want revenge.”
“I was going to kill her after I finished using her, but I can’t bring myself to do it.” He leans against the wall, watching my every movement. “I need to know why she left me.”
I nod, understanding what he means, though I want to bash his skull in.
“I’m pissed off at you, Aiden.”
He sighs. “I know.”
“You betrayed me.”
He runs his fingers through his hair. “I know.”
If word got out that they are married, then I would have no choice but to kill him. He’s my brother, and I love him. This is the stupidest thing he has ever done. The entire mafia would view me as weak if they found out I spared his life.
“I will have to kill her eventually, Villainous. You do know that? She’s our enemy.”
He doesn’t say anything but looks out of the window. I’ve never seen my brother with so much sorrow on his face. “Keep your marriage a secret for now. If word got out, then I will have to kill you.”
“I know, big bro. I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
Roselyn
Marla paints my toenails black. Devious is staying overnight with Aiden for business, and I’m glad she showed up because I didn’t want to be in the big manor alone. Sometimes, this place is spooky, and it doesn’t feel like a home with all the soldiers guarding the yard. I haven’t had a girls’ night since I lived in Atlanta.
She finishes painting my big toe and places the top onto the small bottle, resting it on the metal dresser. “Black is so your color.”
I’m nosey, so every person I get in contact with, I want to know their business so I can see what type of person they are. From what I’ve learn about her, she’s outgoing. Usually, I don’t talk to people unless they speak to me, and if they want to be my friend, then I’ll consider it. In this lifestyle, you can’t call everyone your friend.
“Are you married?” I ask.
“Um, no. I’m in a steady relationship with a bodyguard.”
“How long have you guys been dating?”
She sits up on the bed, tucking her legs under her butt. “For two years now. I think Ronnie is about to pop the question.”
I bring the pillow to my stomach, hugging and sniffing it. It smells like Devious—clean sheets and a hint of expensive cologne. “Are you going to say yes?”
“I don’t know. I thought about it a lot. Do I want to share my life with him? Will Mr. Pot like having him around?”
“Who is Mr. Pot?”
“My pet cat. I don’t know. I’ll wait until he asks, then whatever answer pops out my mouth, that’s what I’m going with.” She stretches out her legs.
The freedom of doing what I want seems so far away and a privilege to me.
“I wish I was given the chance to choose my own partner,” I mumble.
She plays with the end of her big white T-shirt with a rock band across her chest. “Would you have chosen my cousin?”
“I don’t know. Maybe, if he would have done it the right way. Taken me out on a proper date and asked for my hand in marriage, but it wouldn’t be at this age. Maybe when I’m twenty-five years old. I want to see the world and live life on the edge, not be someone’s housewife, but I fall in love easily.” I shrug. “Who knows what would have happened if things were different?”
“It takes Devious a lot to fall in love, especially after Shelby, but when he does fall in love, the woman has him wrapped around his finger. He avoids people. I think he’s trying to fill a void because he didn’t get the proper love from Aunt Polina and Uncle Draco. I’ve read people who have been abused often seek ways to cope with trauma. Devious wants to be alone, and Aiden’s is hurting people.”
I never thought about it. Maybe mine is running away. Whenever I face chaos, I feel the need to escape. When things get tough, I have the urgency to run.
“Have you ever been abused?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “My parents never abused me. It was shocking when my mother learned her sister was neglectful, and for a while, my mother kept us away from them. When I turned twenty, I reached out to Devious, and he accepted me with open arms, but Aiden wouldn’t. Now, they are overprotective, so if a guy were to put his hands on me, then he would kill them. Like if anyone would try to harm you, Devious would kill them. He would have done it anyway, but now he wants you like a man wants a wife. So yeah, girl, my cousin is into you.”
I don’t believe Devious is into me, but whatever.
“You up for a horror film? I haven’t had a girls’ night in a while, so I’m sorry if it’s turning out lame.”
“It’s not. I’m over thirty and live at home with my cat. So, this is the most fun I ever have these days.”
I think I can be Marla’s friend. Though she runs her mouth, so I have to be careful about what I tell her so she doesn’t go back and tell Devious. I can’t confide in her too much because she’s still loyal to her cousin, but I like her a lot.
“Put it on Netflix. They are streaming the latest Michael Myers movie,” I tell her.
We watch the movie, and when her phone lights up and Devious’s name pops up, my heart dances with anticipation. She grabs it and reads the screen.
“Devious is asking if we’re okay. I told him he worries too much. He even had extra security tonight because he’s not home.” She exhales, not taking her eyes off the screen. “If Devious falls in love with you, don’t break his heart. If you break his heart, you’ll break him.”