The Devil’s Game

The taxi's headlights cut through the darkness as it rolled into the neighborhood. Aiden leaned forward in the backseat, rubbing his temples. The bar shift had been hell tonight, drunk idiots, rude girls… the usual chaos. All he wanted was to see Elena's little face light up when he walked through the door."Right here's good," Aiden said, passing a crumpled twenty to the driver.The street was dead quiet with that thick, heavy silence that made everything feel off. He looked at his father's house and frowned. Usually Elena would've heard the car by now, and would be pressing her nose against the window."She’s probably sleeping," he muttered to himself, walking up the driveway.His footsteps echoed on the wooden porch. He raised his fist to knock, but the door swung open at his touch. His hand froze mid-air."What the hell?"His father never left the door unlocked. Ever. The old man was paranoid about it, always double-checking, and muttering about safety. Aiden's gut twisted as he p

Vito stared down at the man kneeling in front of him, and something ugly twisted in his chest. He was irritated.This guy went easily on his knees like he had no pride left in him. And that pissed Vito off more than the fact that he had barged in here uninvited. A man should have some self-respect. Some dignity. You made deals standing up, not groveling like a dog begging for scraps.But what really got under Vito's skin was the face staring up at him.His features. The way his dark hair fell across his forehead. It reminded him of a ghost from his past. A ghost Vito had spent years looking for. Someone he had fantasized about making kneel exactly like this in front of him, broken and desperate.Except, that asshole had fucking black eyes, this one had blue. And he would never bend his knees for something as measly as this.It made Vito's hands itch."Don't make me repeat myself," Vito said, his voice cutting through whatever daze Aiden had fallen into.Aiden blinked, his eyes refocu

Aiden groaned and stormed out of the lounge. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and stared up at them. The bedrooms were probably up there. But choosing a room upstairs would only keep him closer to the boss, and he refused that. He refused to make this easy for the man who'd basically bought him like he was some kind of object, regardless of the help he could provide or not.He turned away sharply and started searching the ground floor instead. He passed a dining room with a table that could seat twenty people. Then a study with walls lined with books that probably cost more than everything he had ever owned. Finally, at the far end of the lobby, he opened a random door.A guest room. Small, at least compared to everything else in this place. A bed, a dresser, a window with heavy curtains.Good enough.He stepped inside and locked the door behind him, even though he knew it probably wouldn't keep anyone out if they really wanted in.He was angry. So angry his hands were shaking.

Aiden moved around the bar with practiced ease, his hands working on autopilot as he mixed drinks and served customers. The music from the speakers filled the space, loud enough to drown out most conversations but not so loud you couldn't think.His job at the bar was basically two parts. The drinks part… mixing cocktails, pouring beers, keeping the glasses clean. And the singing part. He had a section in the evening where he would perform with the band, usually an hour or two depending on how busy they were.He'd joined the bar to get some extra money. That was the plan. But somewhere along the way, he'd realized that singing like that, up on the small stage with the lights dimmed and the crowd watching, was the only way he could really express himself. The only time he felt like he could breathe.He looked around the bar now, scanning the familiar faces. Regulars. New customers. The usual Friday night crowd.And then his eyes landed on the guard.The same guard who'd been standing s

Aiden stood outside Vito's door, his hand hovering just inches from the wood. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears and feel it in his throat.The last time he had been here, he literally had to beg for his life. And that hadn't ended well. Not well at all.He could still remember the cold barrel of the gun pointed at his head, the way his knees had hit the floor, the taste of copper in his mouth from biting his tongue too hard. He had promised things that night. Things he couldn't take back.The boss had sent for him. Fred had delivered the message with that same nervous energy, the "don't ask questions" look on his face. But what Fred didn't know… what Kate didn't know, was that this wasn't just a meeting.The boss owned him now. Vito owned him.And Aiden couldn't tell them that. Not yet. Maybe not ever.He took a shaky breath and knocked once. Then he opened the door.Slowly. Carefully.The room was dark… darker than it had been last time. No armed guards jump