A Devil Love Story

Chapter 8

Arnav didn't chase him. He turned his full attention to Diya. He grabbed her face with both hands, checking for injuries. His hands were trembling.

"You tried to run," he hissed, his anger returning now that she was safe. "You almost got yourself killed!"

"Because you lied to me! You used me!" Diya screamed back, pushing his hands away.

"I did what I had to do!" Arnav roared. "And I will do it again to keep you safe! Now, get in the car!"

He literally threw her into the passenger seat and sped back toward the mansion. The silence in the car was heavier than the gunfire had been. Diya realized that the man sitting next to her was truly a Devil, but he was a Devil who was willing to burn the entire world down just to keep her in his cage.

The return to the mansion was unlike any other. The guards stood at attention, their faces pale as they saw the bullet holes in Arnav’s SUV. Arnav didn't say a word. He stepped out of the car, walked around to Diya’s side, and literally pulled her out. His grip was firm, almost painful, but Diya was too exhausted to fight back.

He led her straight back to his suite, slamming the door behind them. The room was dimly lit, the only sound being the heavy breathing of two souls trapped in a game of fate.

"Why?" Diya whispered, her voice trembling. "Why did you come for me if I’m just a pawn in your game?"

Arnav turned to her, his face a mask of cold fury and hidden agony. He took a step toward her, forcing her back against the door. "Because you are the first thing in five years that has made me feel alive, Diya. And I will burn this city to the ground before I let anyone take that away from me."

"You lied to me about my father. You used me as bait!" Diya cried, hitting his chest with her fists. "How can you call that protection?"

Arnav caught her wrists, pinning them against the door. His eyes were burning with a terrifying intensity. "Because in my world, there is no such thing as safety! There is only power and those who are controlled by it. Mehra was going to kill your father anyway. By bringing you here, I gave you a fighting chance. I gave us a fighting chance."

"There is no 'us', Arnav. There is only a contract," Diya sobbed.

Suddenly, Arnav leaned down, his lips inches from hers. "Then let’s change the contract, Diya. From this moment, you are not my assistant. You are not a debt-payer. You are the woman who will stand by my side while I destroy every person who ever hurt me."

Before Diya could respond, Arnav’s phone buzzed. It was a video call from an unknown number. He answered it, and his face went pale.

On the screen was Diya’s father, still in his hospital bed, but he wasn't alone. A man in a doctor’s coat was standing over him, but instead of a stethoscope, he was holding a small, clear vial near the IV drip.

"Checkmate, Arnav," Mehra’s voice echoed through the phone. "You kept the girl, but you forgot about the old man. One drop of this, and his heart stops in ten seconds. What will it be? The girl’s freedom, or her father’s life?"

Diya gasped, her legs giving out. Arnav caught her, his eyes fixed on the screen. The Devil was finally cornered.

"I will kill you, Mehra," Arnav hissed, his voice trembling with a rage so deep it sounded like a growl.

"Maybe. But not before you watch him die," Mehra laughed. "I want the girl at the old warehouse by the docks in one hour. Alone. Or the drip starts."

The line went dead. Diya looked up at Arnav, her eyes wide with terror. "Arnav... please. Save him. I’ll go. I don’t care what happens to me, just save him!"

Arnav looked at her, and for the first time, Diya saw a flicker of something she had never seen before—fear. Not for himself, but for her. He grabbed her shoulders, his voice calm but deadly.

"You are not going anywhere, Diya. I made a vow to protect you, and I intend to keep it. Even if it means I have to become the monster everyone thinks I am."

He walked to his safe and pulled out two more handguns and a bulletproof vest. He threw the vest to Diya. "Put this on. We’re going to the docks. But we aren't going there to surrender. We’re going there to finish this once and for all."

The rain began to pour as the SUV screeched toward the abandoned docks. The sound of the waves crashing against the rusted pillars felt like a countdown to death. Diya sat in the passenger seat, the heavy bulletproof vest pressing against her chest. She looked at Arnav. He was checking his weapons, his face as cold and hard as marble.

"Stay behind me, no matter what happens," Arnav said, his voice cutting through the sound of the rain. "If I tell you to run, you don't look back. Do you understand?"

"I'm not leaving you, Arnav," Diya said, her voice surprisingly steady. "We’re in this together."

Arnav looked at her for a split second, and for the first time, he didn't correct her. He parked the car a distance away and they stepped out into the storm. The warehouse was a giant, skeletal structure of metal and shadows. As they entered, the smell of salt and old oil filled Diya’s nose.

"Welcome, Arnav!" Mehra’s voice echoed from the upper catwalk. "I see you brought the girl. Wise choice."

In the center of the warehouse, a large screen was flickering. It was still showing Diya’s father, but now the man in the white coat was holding the vial directly over the IV tube.

"Let him go, Mehra," Arnav shouted, his gun raised. "You have me. You have the girl. There's no need to kill an innocent man."

"Innocent?" Mehra laughed, stepping into the dim light. "No one is innocent in this city, Arnav. Not your father, not hers, and certainly not you. I want to see you break. I want to see the 'Devil' crawl."

Suddenly, several of Mehra’s men stepped out from behind the crates, their red laser sights dancing on Arnav’s chest.

"Drop the gun, Arnav," Mehra commanded. "Or the old man dies right now."