Chapter 24 #2
Fifteen minutes later he’s back, and she’s trailing behind him. In the cold yellow light of the overhead lamp, filtered through the heavy cigar smoke swirling around us, I’m all the more aware of how unnatural she seems. How different from us. How out of place.
She blinks several times as she enters the room, her thick black eyelashes fanning out over her cheeks every time she closes her eyes, making her skin appear paler, even translucent beneath them.
She wears a long black dress that only further accentuates her pallor, under which I can see the shape of her form, thinner than ever, when she moves.
But only I know the secrets she hides, the pretty perky breasts and the shape of her bottom in my hands.
Though I guess Logan probably got an eyeful.
I shift in discomfort as my cock pulses, the vision of her bound on the bed, naked and aroused, flitting before me again.
Her deep violet eyes fix themselves on me, staring at me in quiet defiance.
This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have let Everest bring her down here.
I clench my jaw as I see the smirk playing at Vale’s lips. I try to keep a neutral expression on my face, but I have the uncomfortable feeling he’s reading right through me.
She’s standing beside the large leather couch in which I’m sprawling, and her attempt at neutrality is a lot more successful than mine. I can tell she doesn’t expect a thing from me, though, and it makes my chest constrict.
I turn to Vale just in time to see him mutter something to Igor under his breath, while his eyes flash dangerously up at her. I grip my knees so hard my knuckles turn white.
I’m hyper-aware of the small, helpless girl beside me. The girl I’m too fucking weak to protect.
Cold fury overtakes me. It’s directed at Vale, at myself, at... my pet.
Because she’s staring at me, her eyes impassive. And in those dark violet mirrors, my own utter failure flashes back at me.
Meanwhile, Everest, oblivious to it all, asks her courteously, “Would you like to play?”
She doesn’t answer, her eyes still glued to mine.
The desire to get her as far away from Vale, and to rattle her, to get those violet eyes to show me something, anything, makes me lash out at her.
“Why don’t you go to the corner until you’ve found your tongue?”
She keeps her eyes on me for another beat, and finally read something in them. Anger that rivals my own. That surpasses it, in fact. Luckily, she turns before Vale can spot it, and walks slowly over to the place I’ve designated.
“You’re such an asshole,” seethes Everest.
I ignore him. His reaction doesn’t bother me. The second I realized his guilt was manifesting in this way, in trying to obtain a little more freedom for her, I stopped worrying. As long as he doesn’t go to the Feds, everything’s fine.
The only thing that bothers me right now is myself. My weakness. My inability to show them all who owns her.
I allow my eyes to seek her out and note that she’s rested her head against the wall, shoulders slumping. I guess she’s not so defiant anymore. I’m glad I still have that effect on her. It’ll keep her safe.
I take a swig of whiskey and avoid meeting Everest’s angry eyes.
“So, are we playing?” I ask, my voice distant and fucking weak.
Another game begins, but it’s a lot more subdued. Everest is furious, Logan unnaturally quiet, and Vale is still staring at me.
We’re all relieved when the latter quickly wins again. He’s on a roll tonight. Guess it isn’t surprising, what with my sleep deprivation and my thoughts fixated on the sad girl in the corner.
“I have an idea,” says Vale suddenly, as he gets ready to distribute the next hand. “Let’s up the ante.”
“Yeah?” asks Everest innocently.
But I’ve spotted the cruel glint in Vale’s eye, and I have the sudden sick feeling that by trying to call his bluff, I’ve instead walked straight into his trap.
He snaps his fingers and calls out to the girl, “Come on over here, pet.”
I clench at the word in his mouth. She doesn’t even look at me for permission, but leaves the corner and returns to her place by the couch.
Fuck. I’ve lost my control over her. Fear makes me angrier than ever. If I can’t control her, then I can’t protect her.
“Sit,” orders Vale, nodding at her.
I’m too busy clenching my fists at him to budge, so, after a pause, she kneels on the floor.
He snorts.
“I know you like the submissive chicks, Wells, but couldn’t you have found one that was a little less of a doormat?”
“Alright, Vale,” spits out Logan. “How about playing? What are we bidding?”
Vale’s mouth twists into an ugly grin.
“Her.”
As I feel her tense beside me, I lean forward, blood crashing in my ears. He’s got to be joking.
But by the way he’s looking at me, I can tell he’s not. The test wasn’t allowing Everest to bring her down here. This is the real test. How much do you care about her, Damien? Ready to lose it all over her? Or can you be a good sport and bet her in a game of poker?
After all, we’ve done it before. No girl has ever been off-limits. Party with them, fuck them, pass them around.
Why should this one be any different? That’s what I need to prove to him if I want to protect her. She’s not different. She’s just a hot girl that I like to fuck. I don’t give a shit what happens, so there’s no point in killing her to get at me. You’ll have to find something else.
I’m well aware by now that he doesn’t believe she’s guilty anymore. Maybe he never did. Maybe this has all been a ploy, from the very beginning, to get me to crack. He wants Devil and he’ll stop at nothing.
I find myself wishing I could just give it to him. I’d lose a lot more than Devil for her. But the one thing that stops me is the knowledge that losers don’t get to keep their spoils.
Also, I do have some pride left. Just enough to want to destroy him before I go.
I clench my jaw, feeling a vein pulse hard in my neck.
Biting down on my first instinct to put a bullet in his brain, I consider my options.
Restraining myself, calculating the odds, and bluffing are my strong points.
The reasons I’ve made it to the top. Lately, though, I’ve clearly been off my game.
It’s because of her, but now that I understand Vale’s game, my focus is razor-sharp again.
I will do whatever is necessary to protect her.
The question that remains is: what the hell is necessary?
I could beat him up right now, but I’m not sure I could control myself. And if I kill him, I’ll have to answer for it. That’s as good a way as any to lose Devil, and lose my girl, too. I’m not sure even Logan would stand by me in that case.
Bluffing. Crazy as it might seem, that seems to be my best shot. The best way to prove, once and for all, that she’s nothing to me. Find some other crack in my armor. You won’t get at me through her, so don’t even try.
The odds are in my favor. Everest would clearly never avail himself of any permission to touch her. Logan wouldn’t either, he’s far too loyal. I have no doubt Igor would welcome the opportunity to hurt her, the fucking sadist, and then there’s Vale.
It goes without saying that if things really came down to it, I’d have to reveal my bluff. This whole thing could backfire, because it would then become glaringly obvious just how much she means to me.
But the odds are three to two. Those are the best odds I’ll ever get.
“Sure,” I say cooly, and hear a sharp intake of breath from Everest.
Meanwhile, in my peripheral vision, I notice my pet swaying. She’s been quietly defiant since she got here, but this has gotten to her. Damn it. I wish there was some way to tell her. To make her understand.
You’re mine, pet. Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten it. I never will.
I’ll find a way to get the message through to her. She’s suffering right now, but she won’t suffer for long.
And as soon as the heat is off me, I’ll get her away. I’ll lock my pet up in another tower, a tower to which only I have the key. And I’ll keep her there forever.
“Go on,” I grunt, nodding at the pile of cards.
“What the fuck?” lashes out Everest.
“You in?” Vale questions him as he mixes the cards.
Everest’s eye meets mine, and I can tell he’s calculating the odds, same as I did.
“Whatever,” he grumbles.
Vale deals.
I glance at my hand. King of hearts and ten of clubs. I’ve won plenty with worse.
To my left, Everest folds without a word, after peaking at his cards.
One down. Goddamnit.
Igor, sitting forward now with a predator’s gleam in his eye, stays in the game. He never wins, he’s far too stupid, but the prize he imagines is actually being dangled before him keeps him trying. Pretty soon, though, he loses yet again.
The odds are back in my favor.
Vale waits a beat before announcing a raise, pushing a stack of chips into the middle.
“Two thousand,” he smirks.
Logan calls again silently, and so do I. I pass a hand through my hair, and for the first time, I realize I’m sweating. I never sweat.
There are three of us left. Me, Vale, Logan.
The turn card comes: eight of hearts.
I keep my face smooth, staring straight at Vale, willing him to read me, but I know I have a better hand than him. A straight.
Logan is still playing like he has nothing at all. Maybe he doesn’t. For some reason, he feels unreadable to me right now.
Vale studies me for a long time, then folds without a word. If he had anything decent, he would have stayed in.
I exhale. Thank God.
That leaves Logan. He pushes all his chips forward and mutters, “All in.”
I let him win, because the danger’s passed, and I don’t care anymore. I lean back on the couch, exhaling. If anything, this is better than if I’d won. Because I can bluff all the way to the end. Vale can’t accuse me anymore of being too obsessed with the girl.