8. Devin
I sit perched on the stool in the corner of the basement, watching the unconscious man who’s currently strapped to my table. My boiling hot blood pumps through my veins as I look at this motherfucker, his head lolled to the side, drool and blood collecting on the table beneath him.
This is going to be fun.
I palm my half-hard cock as I play out all the ways that this night could end and the retribution I’ll gain for Lena. I think about how I want to show her the underbelly of the club and exactly how we use those private rooms that she seemed all too curious about. The things that I could do to her has me groaning under my breath. But there’s plenty of time for that after I make her fall in love with me. With us .
Until then, I have this piece of shit to deal with.
I left Tony on duty to get Lena and her friends home safely, and to post people up outside for the foreseeable future. Knowing that she’s safe and not alone tonight puts me slightly at ease; however, I will finally be able to relax once I have my eyes and hands on her again when she comes back tomorrow evening. She thinks staying away is the smart choice, but after some persuading, I finally changed her mind and convinced her the safest place she can be is here with all our security.
And by security, I mean me.
But for now, I’m sitting in this dank basement, listening to the drip of a leaky pipe. I can nearly see my breath as the chill night sinks into the earth, making this level even colder since we’re so far underground. The single lightbulb that’s hanging from the middle of the room gives off an ominous glow as my breath fills the air around my mouth.
Of course, I could turn up the heat, but it’s more fun to watch them shiver.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I shift on the stool to pull it out, seeing a message from Tony informing me that he’s heading back. That all three women are locked up tight and under full surveillance. No one is going in or out of that building without us knowing.
Pulling up the feed, I watch the empty hallway inside her building before flipping to the street view, making sure our men are in the right place to stake out. The tension in my chest eases slightly, knowing we have the best watching over her. That she’s safe in her bed.
It would be even better if she were in mine… but that time will come eventually. She’s going to fall for me, whether she realizes it now or not. She doesn’t have a choice, because she’s fucking mine. And if someone would stop being such a fucking prick, she might want to be his, too.
I quickly reply to Tony, telling him not to look for me for a while. It’s better if only one of us is triggered by what’s about to unfold down here.
A moan comes from the body that’s strapped to the metal table in the middle of the room, gaining my full attention. Standing, I pocket my phone as our old pal Vince starts to stir. I watch in delight as his eyes open and he takes in his surroundings, realizing exactly where he is and the severity of his crimes.
I can feel his panic rising as he jerks at the restraints, grunting like a caged animal. The rattle of the table sends a thrill through me, knowing that he can’t get away. He looks around, trying to see who, if anyone, is here with him. But for a little extra fun, I stick to the shadows, just out of sight, watching him squirm like the fucking worm he is.
“Help! Help, please! Somebody!” His restraints continue to clang, and he keeps screaming for help. He tires himself out faster than I expected, and his voice becomes hoarse. “Please, please God, help me. Save me. Please.”
It’s funny how people who have inflicted pain on others for so long seem to forget all of the sins they’ve committed and pray to their god like he’s going to fucking do anything.
He didn’t do shit for me, no matter how much I prayed. I figured out at a young age that I had to save myself. Eventually, through a stroke of pure luck and not divine intervention, I found the few people I can trust. Ones who have proven time and time again that they’ve got my back. This piece of shit, though, isn’t so lucky. He won’t find a savior on the path he’s paved for himself. The one-way path that’s sending him straight to Hell.
And I’m the devil incarnate.
Vince’s breaths are erratic, and his head drops back with a metallic thud against the metal table, his eyes closing as he lets out a whimper.
A fucking whimper.
I tug on the leather gloves burning a hole in my pocket as I close the distance between us, taking quiet, calculated steps. The last thing I want to do is ruin the element of surprise that the shadows have granted me. A sheen of sweat coats his skin, and droplets drip from his bald head.
Standing right behind him, I lean over to take in his battered face, blood still oozing from his broken nose. It felt good to beat the living shit out of him. I plan to keep him alive just long enough to confess everything he knows. I check the clock on the wall in front of me and figure that Tony will be back soon, and I really don’t need him to come looking for me, because he will, despite my instructions not to.
I cock my head to the side as I watch Vince’s breathing even out and his body relax, exhaustion taking over, along with his false sense of security. I tsk softly while I adjust my gloves, pulling them tight against my fingers. His eyes fly open, wild with panic, exactly how I wanted them to look. My voice is low as I say, “Hello, Vinny. Welcome back to the basement.”
Craning his head back to look at me, he immediately starts begging for forgiveness. I plant my hands on the side of his head, caging his face between them, holding his head in place. At my touch, his eyes go even wider as I bring my face closer to his. “Oh Vinny, Vinny, Vinny. It’s a little late to apologize now, isn’t it?” I feel the tug of a smile on my lips as I continue. “You weren’t sorry for all the money you hocked off women at the door when you know that those women are supposed to get in for free. You definitely weren’t sorry for the ones you took favors from; what was it you told them?” His eyes goes wide as I come even closer to his face. “Oh yes, it was your ‘ special VIP treatment’ .”
“I was just trying to make some money on the side and give the women here a good time, boss. I know how much you want the ladies to have a good time.” The fucking bullshit this fucker is spewing has me pressing my gloved hands even harder into his skull.
Anger courses through my veins, and without thinking, I pick up his head and slam it against the table. He lets out a cry from the impact and his breathing goes erratic, blood spraying from his nose and mouth as he forces his breaths. I peel my hands off his head, the pressure under my skin feeling like it’s nearly tearing it open. I stalk around the table, this time letting my shoes click against the concrete floor as I head to a cart just out of reach of the light.
His hands are fisted as he yanks on the restraints holding him in place. The smell of his anxiety fills the room, making me twitchy. It’s the kind of tension that makes my heart race with my own anticipation as the voice in my head whispers devious things. Things it claims will help settle our bloodlust. The same lies it’s been telling me for years.
I casually walk over to a table, letting the shadows cloak me as I grab a coiled wad of cash. I turn slowly, letting my hand back into the light as I toss it in the air like I’m getting ready to play fucking catch with my old man. I stalk back toward him, and he yanks his limbs against the restraints even harder, as if he can free himself.
Leaning against the table, I let him watch the cash float up and down in my hand. He sputters as he tries to string together a sentence of pleas, his words falling on deaf ears. I throw the wad up high this time, snatching it just as it comes back down, about to hit his face. He flinches like a little fucking bitch. I smirk down at him, watching the beads of sweat as they roll down his face, mixing with the blood that’s dripping from his nose.
“Please, Devin. I-I won’t do it again. Please .”
Anger rolls through me at the sound of his incessant lies. I take the wad of cash and smash it into his mouth, cutting off his pleas mid-sentence. I shove it as far back as I can, pressing it in until he gags, his teeth pressing into the leather of my gloves. “You’re right, Vinny. You won’t.”
His eyes widen as I turn around, grabbing the roll of duct tape off the other cart of toys. I make a show of pulling a long strip from the roll, tearing it with my teeth, and slap it over his mouth. His eyes widen and he lets out a muffled scream as I clamp his busted nose, cutting off all his air supply.
He struggles under my grip, trying to wrench his face from my hand, but it only makes me press his nose tighter. I give him a smile, showing all my teeth. “This money isn’t going to save you now, is it, Vinny?”
A long whistle comes from behind me, and I spin toward the door, my hand going to the gun that is wedged into my waistband. The bright light of the single bulb makes it hard to make out who is standing in the shadows and has interrupted my fun. “I didn’t know we were having fun like this tonight, Dev. You should have called,” a feminine voice muses with a hint of amusement.
I look back at Vince, who is now unconscious. All because I couldn’t fucking help myself and was distracted by the intruder.
“Dammit,” I mutter under my breath, because I really don’t have time to wait around for him to wake up since the clock is ticking. I know he has fucking information about Obsidian and I want to know exactly what it is.
“Why don’t you let me take over?” the feminine voice croons as Tasha materializes into the light. She’s wearing nothing but a black, see-through lace bra, matching thong, and her signature stilettos. She must have followed me down here or been tipped off that one of the bouncers was being permanently removed.
Her eyes are like mesmerizing pools of black, contrasting her smooth, porcelain skin. The true embodiment of a woman of the night. She commands the crowd with her long limbs, thick, flowing, black hair, and her impeccable body. She keeps the dancers in line, with her own crew as the eyes and ears of the club, reporting on the happenings behind the closed doors of the elite levels of the club. She’s smart, cunning, and one hell of a Dominatrix. You could almost call her the Queen of the club, if that seat wasn’t now reserved for Lena.
“You don’t need to get your hands dirty, Tash. He’s not worth the notch in your belt and if Tony?—"
She cuts me off. “Don’t worry your pretty blond head. I intercepted Tony when I caught him questioning one of the girls about your whereabouts.” Her lips pull up into a malicious smile. “I told him I would come put a stop to your little game and he’s now occupied with watching over the security team. The one that you placed outside of your mystery girl’s home.” Her eyes flash to Vince. “And besides, I think it will be very poetic if his woman finishes the job.”
“You actually just wanted this job for yourself, didn’t you?” My tone is light, because I’m good at making things hurt and ending things a little too abruptly for Tony’s liking. He likes to inflict just enough pain so people will be willing to talk and once he’s finished, he’ll put a bullet right into their skull. But Tasha, she will hang you on the brink of death, give you a look into the depths of Hell, bring you back, and then do it all over again. She’s like a predator playing with her food. She’ll carry on until she’s bored and even then, she’ll keep edging them to their death.
She laughs, the sound like dark, black velvet. “I think you and Tony just need to jerk each other off to the security footage of your girl sleeping and call it a night.”
I chuckle. “He doesn’t seem too into her, so maybe I’ll just get to keep her for myself. Also, with as much as he disappears, I’m pretty sure he gets laid more in a week than I have in months.”
What she doesn’t realize is that I haven’t indulged in sex with another person since the night that I got my hands on Lena. The thought of another woman’s body beneath my fingers just hasn’t sat right with me. It’s just been me and my hand like I’m a fucking teenager again.
She cuts me a look. “He hasn’t fucked anyone in the club for nearly three months, Dev.” She runs her fingers down Vince’s face, holding them there, her nails pressing into his skin. “He’s obviously been holding out for someone.” Drawing back her hand, she slaps Vince so hard his neck audibly cracks, but he’s still out cold.
My eyes narrow at her words, because I’ve seen him go to his favorite room on multiple occasions, but never stuck around to see who he met up with in there. Tony has never been picky with who he fucks, preferring to keep his kinks in the private rooms and not out in the open in the Underground. Well, except for one specific kink that I’ve played a part in a few times—and casually pretend like I don’t know about it.
“Tell your spies to mind their own fucking business, Tash.” I cross my arms, my eyes drifting down to Vince’s still unconscious body.
Tasha smirks, her eyes giving me a once-over. “Testy tonight, aren’t we?” She pops open a button on Vince’s shirt. “Heard you tried to fuck the leader of Obsidian’s little fiancée and got into a little bit of trouble tonight.” Her fingers deftly undo another button.
“I fucking handled it.”
She rolls her eyes as she pops another button open. “Is a few of your men dying, you getting the shit kicked out of you, and Tony being stabbed your way of ‘handling it’?” She puts the last two words in air quotes just before she pops open another button.
I scoff at her. “I said I handled it, not that it was handled well .”
She cuts me another look. “Tell me something, Dev. Is she worth all of that?”
I stiffen, narrowing my eyes at her. But before I can say anything, Vince lets out a groan, his eyes drifting open. As he stirs, Tasha hops on the table and straddles his chest. She rests her hands on her thighs and watches as he comes to.
Vince’s breathing is labored from the hits he took, and he raises his head to meet Tasha’s eyes. He tries to speak around the wad of cash and the tape that’s covering his mouth, but it’s no more than muffled screams. She slaps him hard across the face, his head jerking to the side.
“Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit,” she spits the words like venom. She grabs his face, letting her nails dig into his cheeks as she forces him to look at her. “All those years I spent swooning over you and letting you lead me along.” She leans down, a breath from him. “Let me think that you were interested in me, telling me that we had to stay a secret, so it didn’t jeopardize our operations. And I was stupid enough to believe your bullshit, when the only thing you were interested in was shoving your cock in me on the nights you couldn’t get pussy from the poor girls you targeted at the door.”
Her anger is building along with my own, her milky skin turning flushed. “You owe a very large debt for the services you received from me.” He tries to pull out of her grip, but her fingers become a vice, drawing blood with her sharp, red talons. “Most men would sell their souls for a night with me,” she says through gritted teeth, “but I think I’ll take my payment from you, right here, right now,” he lets out another pathetic whimper, “in blood.”
My mouth gapes as her words filter through, the pieces falling into place. I wondered how he had gotten away with this for as long as he did, but how he got past her eyes and ears makes more sense. Even though they were secretly sleeping together, that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t telling other people, persuading her girls to turn a blind eye and feeding them lies to cover his own ass. I wouldn’t doubt that he even blackmailed some of the girls to keep them quiet about what was really going on.
I can’t blame Tasha for any of this, though. While Vince is charming and handsome, I have a feeling that he won’t be for much longer after she’s through with him.
I start to back away as he attempts to snarl, his last-ditch effort to go out like the monster that he is, but her nails only dig further into his skin, slicing through as she squeezes his cheeks in her grip; Tasha seemingly transforms before my eyes, her own monster showing up to play.
“Need anything from me before I go, darling?” I say teasingly, because I know fucking well that she doesn’t need shit from me.
She looks my way, her dark eyes seem to be glowing with her own bloodlust. “First, don’t call me darling, you know I fucking hate that.” That makes my lips quirk. “And second, if you’d be a good little boy, roll that table over here. I’m comfortable where I am.” She runs her nail down Vince’s now exposed chest, leaving a red line in its wake. “Little Vinny carved up my heart and put my friends in danger, so in return, I’m going to carve up his dick.” Her smile is that of a Cheshire cat as he starts screaming, the sounds still muted, as he tries to buck her off .
She laughs darkly. “Quit trying to show off, Vinny. It’s not that big, anyways.” She puts her hand up to her mouth as if she doesn’t want him to see her mouth as she whispers, “Too many steroids.”
I let out a chuckle as I roll the table to her, the different tools and their sharp edges shining under the light. I gently pat her on the leg before heading toward the door. “Have fun and let me know when you’re through playing with your food. I’ll call in the vulture to clean up the scraps.”
“I can’t guarantee there’ll be anything left when I’m done, but I’ll still let you know.” Her voice is cruel as she reaches over to pick up a scalpel and examines it in the light. “Besides, I might be here awhile.”
She runs the tip of the blade across his chest, blood swelling from the thin line. He starts screaming louder, the muffled sounds like the howling wind as she presses the scalpel to his throat, blood welling as the tip slices into his skin. She throws her head back, a maniacal laugh filling the room.
“If you need more after you’re through with him, you can take your pick from the cells down either hall. It’s about time to clean house, anyways.”
She looks playfully in my direction, giving me a curt salute just as I turn to leave. “You got it, boss,” she says, her voice low. She moves down his torso to his hips and begins to unbuckle his pants, the blade now pressing against his inner thigh. His muffled screams are silenced as the thick, metal door slams shut behind me.