Loving The Devil's Son

Chapter 5: The Devil's Bargain

"She's not useful when she's dead." "Keep the dosage low."

The voice. Ayla's heart trembled. Moore, Evelyn. Marcus is the person who fixes things for Steve. The woman in the video of the burner phone.

The syringe. The gunshot. George.

She opened her eyes. There were blurry objects swimming in front of her. Her head hurt, and the taste of terror on her tongue was like metal.

She was tied to a chair. The metal restraints hurt her wrists and ankles. There was only one light bulb flickering above. The walls were made of concrete. A basement, perhaps.

Someone was coming up behind me. Evelyn came out of the shadows wearing black and with her trademark scar running down her cheek. She had a switchblade in her hand and opened and closed it with perfect timing.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." Evelyn's lips turned into a smile. "Are you comfortable?"

Ayla's throat hurt. "Where am I?"

"Somewhere you'll never be able to leave." Evelyn bent down next to her and rubbed the flat of the blade along Ayla's jaw. "You should have left the past behind."

"Where is Lucas?" Ayla's voice broke.

Evelyn's smile got bigger. "Oh, don't worry about him. Marcus is coping with his son who won't listen.

Ayla's heart rate went up. "If you hurt him—"

"You'll what?" Evelyn's laugh was frigid. "Cry? Please? You don't have any power, darling. Just as your dad was when Markus platonic when Marcus crushed him.

Ayla's eyes were blurry with tears, but she gritted her teeth. "He'll never get away with it." "We have proof."

"Had," Evelyn said as she stood up. She held up the manila packet that George had given them. "By the way, this was very helpful."

Ayla's stomach dropped. The proof.

Evelyn opened the envelope and slowly ripped the pictures in two, letting the pieces fall to the floor. "Game over."

Ayla's chest got constricted. That proof had cost George his life. It was gone now.

Evelyn said, "I'll give you one chance." "Sign a statement saying you made up the charges against Marcus Steve." Then go away. Get a new name. “Get out of the country.”

Ayla's nails hurt her hands. "And what if I say no?"

Evelyn's smile became deadly. "Then Marcus finishes what he started twenty years ago."

Lucas woke up with a grunt. His head hurt and his vision was blurry. He was lying on the floor of his marble house, with blood in his hair. The penthouse was a mess, with broken glass and furniture all over the place.

Leo knelt next to him with a serious look on his face. "Thank God you're up."

Lucas blinked. "Where is Ayla?"

"They took her." Leo helped him get up. "Three of them." Evelyn was in control.

Lucas's mind was racing. He remembered the sound of the pistol. George's body, which was dead. Evelyn giving Ayla a shot. The fear in her golden eyes.

His stomach turned. This is what Marcus did.

Lucas pushed himself up and staggered over to his desk. He had his father's number on speed dial. After one ring, the call went through.

"Lucas," Marcus said, his voice soft as silk.

"Where is she?" Lucas's voice shook with anger.

Marcus said, "Safe." "For now."

Lucas's hands turned into fists. "If you hurt her—"

"I told you, son. But you picked her above your family. "Over business." Marcus's sigh came through the line with a crackle. "Now you will learn how much it costs to disobey."

Lucas walked back and forth, his heart racing. "Let her go." This is just between us.

"It's not. She's your weak point. Marcus's voice got harder. "Do one thing or the girl will die."

"What?"

"Get married to Laura Dawson." Finish the merger. "Show the world that you still believe in the Steve legacy."

Lucas's stomach turned. "You can't be serious."

"I'm really serious." Marcus's voice got quite low. "The wedding is tomorrow. You say "I do," and Ayla lives. You say no... Evelyn sends me her dead body.

The line went silent.

Lucas dropped his phone, and it hit the floor with a dull thud.

Leo cursed beneath his breath. "What do we do?"

Lucas wiped the blood off his head. "We don't follow his rules."

Leo made a face. "Are you really thinking about marrying Laura?"

Lucas's jaw got tight. "No way." He took the keys to his automobile. "But Marcus doesn't know that."

Ayla's body hurt. The cuffs were hurting her wrists, but she kept twisting them to see if she could get some slack. Evelyn stood against the wall and wiped her sword with a handkerchief.

Evelyn said, "You're wasting energy," without looking up. "These cuffs are made of titanium." Made only for you.

"People like me?"

"The ones who won't listen," Evelyn said. "The ones who don't know when to stop."

Ayla's lips broke into a bitter smile. "Sounds like you've met a lot of people like me."

Evelyn's eyes got darker. "Too many."

A buzzing phone interrupted the silence. Evelyn took a sleek black phone out of her jacket. Before she answered, she looked at Ayla.

"Sir?"

Ayla had to work hard to hear the other voice.

"Got it." Evelyn hung up and put the phone back in her pocket. She stalked toward Ayla, the knife shining in the low light.

Evelyn said, "Good news." "Lucas said yes to Laura's proposal. He put his family ahead of you.

Ayla's stomach dropped. "You're lying."

Evelyn got down on her knees next to her. "He sold you out to save himself." That's so Steve. She hit Ayla's temple with the sword. "Now, be a good girl and sign the paper."

Ayla's eyes were burning with tears. Lucas wouldn't do that. Would he?

She bit down on the panic that was about to take over her. "Go to hell."

Evelyn smiled again. "I've been there, honey. I will save you a spot.

Lucas looked at himself in the mirror and fixed his tie. He wore a nice black tuxedo. The wedding was going to happen at midday. It was now 11:45.

Laura Dawson stood next to him, and her white dress sparkled with every step. She put her arm over his. "Smile, sweetheart," she said. "We're about to be the most powerful couple in New York."

Lucas made a weak smile and looked at Leo, who was standing at the door with his phone in hand.

Lucas's phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered right away. "Leo?"

Leo's voice was quiet. "I found her."

Lucas's heart rate went up. "Where?"

"An old warehouse in Red Hook." There are three males with Evelyn.

Lucas's jaw was stuck. "Get the team ready."

Laura frowned. "Who are you talking to?"

Lucas smiled at her in a frigid way. "My dad. Just finishing up the merger.

Right away, her doubts went away. She straightened out her dress. "Don't make me wait at the altar."

Lucas kissed her on the cheek and then moved up to Leo. His heart raced as they left the building and got into a black SUV.

Lucas responded, "We go in quietly." "Don't make any mistakes."

Leo nodded and gave him a Glock. "Let's take her home."

Ayla was slumped in the chair, and blood was dripping from a cut on her lip. Evelyn walked around the room while the other masked men talked quietly at the door.

Evelyn stopped when she heard the faint buzz of an engine coming. She squinted her eyes. "There's someone here."

The men pulled out their guns. Evelyn turned to Ayla and put the chilly barrel of her gun against Ayla's head.

Evelyn said, "Looks like Lucas didn't follow the rules." "Not good news for you."

Ayla's breath stopped.

There was gunfire outside. Evelyn cursed and pointed for the men to look into it. The first one opened the door and fell right away, with a bullet in his head.

Lucas ran into the room with his rifle lifted. He couldn't take his eyes off of Ayla. His face showed both relief and anger.

"Let her go, Evelyn."

Evelyn held the trigger tighter. "I told you."

Lucas's eyes didn't move. "You won't be able to walk away from this."

"She won't either."

Ayla watched Evelyn's finger move on the trigger. Time moved more slowly. Lucas's face twisted with hatred as he pushed forward.

The pistol went off.

Ayla yelled.

Lucas fell to the ground. There was blood all over his chest.

Evelyn smiled and pointed the gun at Ayla.

The bullet casing hit the floor with a metallic ping.

"Looks like the devil wins again."