All Chapters of THE DEVIL’S CHOKEHOLD : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

ROBI didn’t smell smoke until it was too late.By the time I got to the lobby, chaos had already broken out. Security barking into their radios, staff scrambling around like ants, the stench of burning plastic hanging low and heavy.I grabbed the nearest firm guard by the collar. “What caused it?”He looked nervous. “We don’t know yet. Someone tampered with the electrical box at the end of the hall, or someone left—”“It was Vanessa.”The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. My blood ran cold. My stomach turned.If it was her—if Vanessa really set off that fire alarm—then she was off her meds again. No question about it.She had been prescribed anti-psychotics. Strong ones. It wasn’t a secret, not between us. Not after everything that happened. Our relationship didn’t implode because I was a heartless bastard. It fell apart because she was unstable in ways I couldn’t help or fix.She was obsessive. Possessive. And not in a sexy, jealous-girlfriend way. No. Vanessa’s k

I padded across the hardwood floor, the faint squeak of my damp feet echoing in the quiet apartment as I headed for the kitchen. Rob sprawled on the couch like he owned the damn place—one leg stretched out, laptop balanced on his thighs, brows furrowed in focus. The glow of the screen lit his face in the dim afternoon light filtering through the blinds. I slowed my steps, catching the faint scent of his coffee lingering in the air as I passed him in my loungewear, hair still dripping from the shower.“You work a lot for someone who isn’t employed here,” I muttered, reaching for a glass from the cupboard. The cool edge pressed into my palm, grounding me as I flicked a glance his way.His eyes flicked up, the corner of his lips twitching into that infuriatingly smug smirk. “Why? Jealous I’m being productive while you’re wandering around in nightwear at noon?”“It’s a sexy lounge set, you creep,” I corrected, brushing a wet strand of hair off my shoulder. The fabric clung lightly to my s

My mind jumped from the amputated tongue I had to get rid of earlier. I could feel him before I saw him. The air shifted, grew heavier, charged with a kind of tension I hated. The sound of his footsteps was familiar, unmistakable, and as much as I tried to ignore it, my pulse quickened.I kept my eyes on the book in my hands, pretending I didn’t know he was there. But I did. I always did. Rob had a way of making his presence known, like a storm on the horizon silent, but you could feel the thunder before it ever struck.“Bianca.”His voice was low, rough, and unmistakably him. I didn’t even bother to look up.“Why are you here?” I spat, the words coming out sharper than I meant. I was glad he was out. I had the house to myself to panic over the PI’s death. “Leo sent me. He told me to look after you because he trust me. Because I can keep you safe,” he replied, his voice slightly slurred, but the control was still there, just barely.I finally glanced up at him, my eyes narrowing ins

You don’t walk away from a man like Jason Clarke. You bury him. But she’s holding back. And if she won’t do it, I will.I know what everyone around Bianca is up to. Their habits, their routines, their little secrets. Their favorite lies. That’s what makes them predictable. Easy prey.Jason was the easiest.I’d been watching him for weeks, letting him run his mouth and paw at women like the world owed him something. But when he touched her, when he cornered Bianca and made her flinch… that was his death sentence. She let it go, but I didn’t. Couldn’t.I waited across the street, hidden between dumpsters behind a strip of boutique buildings. The luxury club he loved so much was glowing like a brothel muted gold lights, sleek black glass, security at the front but blind as fuck to the back alley. Leonardo and I had been here too many times for business trips in New York. I knew the layout by memory. Every blind spot. Every shortcut. Every exit.Jason walked out just after midnight, talk

“You are such a perfect little mess for me. Look at you. Trembling. Dripping. Breathless. My favorite obsession, laid out like a gift. You want me to ruin you again, don’t you? Say it, my greedy little bitch. Tell me how much this cock means to your needy, soaking cunt. Good girl. That is it. My filthy goddess.”His lips brushed my neck as his tongue dragged across my skin. I moaned in response, blindfolded and cuffed to the bed, completely at his mercy.“Open your eyes, my queen.”I opened my eyes. And froze.Rob was standing over me.“Morning, sleepyhead,” he said with a smirk that made me want to scream.“What the fuck are you doing in my room?” I asked. It came out more embarrassed than angry. I had just had a sex dream in front of the most obnoxious man in existence.“You forgot we have an early flight,” he said, his smirk stretching even wider.My heart dropped. Was I squirming in my sleep? Did I moan? I did not even need to touch myself to know I was already soaked. Oh my god.