Chapter 4: A Deal with the Devil
1770 Words
Chapter 4
[Aron]
Chase’s words kept echoing in my mind. As he spoke, I could see his eyes widen; his face was a canvas of sheer amazement and raw excitement. To be fair, he wasn’t wrong. We had been searching for our ticket out of this gutter for years. Maybe a completely different life was waiting for us on the other side. Who could tell?
After parting ways with Chase, my mind drifted to all the ways I could burn through the cash I’d won from the fight. My feet moved on autopilot, dragging me out into the open air. With my hands shoved deep in my pockets, my head was spinning with Chase's talk of money and fame. A wave of thrill washed over me, blinding me to everything else around. The sky was already bruising into twilight. My destination was obvious—one of the usual clubs. And, as always, girls.
Lost in these thoughts, I happened to look up.
Right there, across from me in a coffee shop, sat a redhead in a long white dress. Looking at her from a distance, she seemed completely untouched by the filth of this world, quietly lost in her book. Just then, she raised her head. Through the glass barrier, our eyes locked.
For the first time in my life, a simple look made me feel utterly ashamed. Standing next to her pure image, I felt incredibly dirty. I quickly averted my gaze and hurried around the corner of the shop. I didn't know why, but it felt like an invisible force was pulling me toward her. Those eyes were so beautiful that, for the first time, a single glance from a stranger had completely brought me to my knees.
I couldn't help but steal another glance. Doubling back to look near the shop, I saw she was already outside, scanning the street left and right. What was she doing? Looking for me? Or waiting for someone else? I stayed back in the shadows, watching her intently. Suddenly, a sleek black Mercedes pulled up. Her driver, no doubt. She stepped inside, and within seconds, both the car and the girl vanished from sight.
Axx, you i***t, Aron. What the hell did you expect? I muttered to myself. Did you think she’d just run into your arms after one look?
I kept walking, but that first gaze was impossible to erase. I couldn't control the sudden, overwhelming grip this nameless girl had taken on my mind.
By the time I reached the club, the heavy, thumping bass finally blasted me back to reality. The crowd was a blur of wild energy. Stepping through the doors, I shed my thoughts and became the same old, unfeeling Aron. A few drinks later, everything went dark.
When I finally opened my eyes, I was in a strange girl's apartment with absolutely no memory of how I got there. Just then, the girl walked into the room.
"So, you're finally awake," she said, her voice cold.
"Who the hell are you?" I muttered.
From the looks of it, she didn't remember me either. We had clearly both been blackout drunk, clueless about what had happened between us. I bolted out of bed and scrambled to put my clothes on.
"This was a mistake. Let's just forget about yesterday," I said flatly.
Her face hardened with instant irritation. "Yeah, I highly agree it was a mistake, because there is no way in hell I would have ever slept with you."
"I have to go," I snapped.
"Then why the hell are you still standing here?!" she spat back.
I threw myself out of the apartment. I was so sick of this. This entire lifestyle was suffocating me.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was Chase.
"Where the hell are you, man?" Chase asked.
"I... I don't even know," I sighed.
"What do you mean you don't know? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, Chase, everything's fine. I just woke up at some random woman's house, and apparently, I slept with her."
Chase let out a loud laugh through the receiver. It wasn't the first time he'd found me in this state.
"Whatever, listen to me carefully, brother," Chase’s voice turned dead serious. "Viktor Vance called. He wants you. Don't tell me where you are—just stay put, I'm coming to pick you up."
[Aron]
I described my surroundings to Chase, and thirty minutes later, his car pulled up.
As we drove, he couldn't contain his excitement. "Yes! Finally, brother! Fortune is finally smiling on us. Our plans are going to work out!"
I wanted to share his joy, but a dark, uneasy knot was tightening in my gut. It felt like a warning that, at the very last second, everything was going to go horribly wrong.
We arrived at the designated address—Viktor’s luxury car dealership. The showroom was filled with obscenely expensive cars, guarded by massive, broad-shouldered security detail who watched our every move. One of the guards met us at the entrance and demanded to search us. Once he cleared us, he muttered, "Follow me."
We walked up the showroom stairs toward the VIP office. Two more guards stood posted at the door. The guide knocked, and we stepped inside.
Viktor Vance was standing by the panoramic window of his office, staring out at the view while puffing on a thick cigar. He turned to us, his voice booming across the room.
"Look who it is! The Champion!"
At first glance, Viktor looked highly sophisticated and refined. But looking directly into his eyes, the sheer malice and egotistical cruelty staring back told me everything I needed to know about how ruthless this man truly was.
Viktor wasted no time. "I have an absolutely magnificent proposition for you. If you pull this off, I will pay you one million dollars each."
One million. Chase’s face lit up with pure ecstasy. He couldn't earn that kind of money in a year of organizing illegal fights.
"What's the job?" I asked coldly.
Viktor signaled his guard with a flick of his hand. The guard stepped forward and slapped a set of photographs onto the table.
"You are going to kidnap someone for me. And get her out of the country."
Chase and I locked eyes. This wasn't about a fight, like Chase had thought. The target we were supposed to abduct was a woman.
"Why us?" I demanded. "You've got a small army of guards. Why do you need us for this?"
Viktor let out a loud, mocking laugh. "Because under no circumstances can this trace back to me. Now, do we have a deal?"
Chase’s voice shook, the fear evident in his tight throat. "And... what if we don't accept?"
Viktor’s expression instantly turned predatory. He gave a sharp nod to the men standing over us. Instantly, the four guards in the room drew their weapons and aimed them straight at our heads.
Viktor leaned forward, his voice dropping to a terrifying, quiet whisper. "Let me explain what happens if you don't. You will simply have never existed. The newspapers and everyone who knows you will never hear a single word from you again."
Rage boiled in my veins. It wasn't the first time someone had pointed a gun at me to back me into a corner. I clenched my fists, ready to snap, but then I caught sight of Chase. He was looking at me with absolute, pleading terror.
I took a slow breath, keeping my voice heavy and dangerous. "One million is too low for this kind of risk. Two million each. Plus, we'll need a few things of our own."
Viktor erupted into a booming laugh. "You see that, Chase? The Champion is much smarter than you. He knows exactly what he wants. Pull this off, Champion, and I'll personally ensure your name gets on the roster of the most famous professional boxers. But this job is crucial to me. Not a single hair on her head is to be harmed, or you know what will happen. The details—where she works, her daily schedule, her routes—are on the back of those photos. Act when the time is right. Oh, and use this."
He slid a burner phone across the table. "My number is programmed in. You call me only from this."
I grabbed the phone and the photos, shoving them into my pocket. Without another word, we walked out.
The moment we stepped out of the building, I grabbed Chase by the collar, slamming him against the wall, my fist clenched tight. "You bastard! This was your brilliant plan for me?!"
Chase threw his hands up, trying to shield his face. "Aron, calm down! I swear I didn't know it was going to be like this! But two million... that's insane money, man! We won't ever have to step into a ring again! We can do this! Think about the things we've survived, what is this compared to that?!"
"You i***t!" I roared. "This isn't about whether we can do it or not! We are hitmen now! Do you have any idea what he's going to do to that girl? We're getting tangled up with a monster. You don't know who her family is—for all we know, they're heavy players in the underworld too!"
"Brother, think about it," Chase pleaded, his eyes desperate. "We take the two million and we disappear. No one will ever find us. We build a luxury life in another country, open a professional gym, and you'll be on those TV rings we always dream about!"
"Does human life mean absolutely nothing to you, Chase?"
Chase grabbed my collar right back, his eyes burning with resentment. "Human life? Look at yourself, Aron! Can you honestly call what you have right now a 'life'? Go out there and see if a single soul would even bother to say hello to you in the state you're in!"
I froze. The words hit me like a physical blow.
Chase was right. The cold, brutal streets had taught us only one thing: how to survive, and how to be heartless.
We both leaned back against the car, staring into the dark, silent street, lost in our own thoughts.
- Writer
