Alec Benjamin Devil Doesn't Bargain Novels & Stories

Ice cold against my skin. My hand shook as I signed. _Elena Vance._ The second the last letter was done, I threw it. The pen hit his chest with a dull thud and clattered onto the desk. “There,” I said, standing. I leaned over his desk, close enough to smell tobacco and that 10k cologne. “You have your prize, Mr. Alighieri. Leo gets transferred tomorrow. If he gets one bruise, I will burn this entire empire to the ground myself.”

And besides rough whore… not that, she is too elegant to be a rough whore. Now...Audrel. He is just so cunning, that's actually in there nature—devil, that's in their nature. He showed up again months ago after I made a deal with him—making a deal with the devil is more like selling your life to him your soul to him. You are already tied to him. Dawn barged in, the most attitude I hated the much, coming into my space without knocking. “Dawn I thought I have—” “Sorry Alpha, but you need to see this” the horror in his eyes yelled something was off,

The email came again, this time with a message. We should talk. Privately. “No,” Adrian said immediately. “Yes,” I replied. Elena looked between us. “You don’t even know who he is.” “I know what he is,” I said. “A broker.” The meeting was set for the next evening public place, neutral territory. A gallery opening crowded enough to discourage scenes. He introduced himself without flourish. “Marcus Hale,” he said. “No relation.” I didn’t ask. “I invest in stability,” he continued, eyes flicking briefly toward Adrian. “And instability creates mispricing.”

“I don’t play by the rules of the Syndicate, Arielle. And I never let go of something I’ve paid for in blood.” He gripped my waist, his fingers digging into the silk of my dress. “Your father wanted you to be my distraction. Instead, I’m going to make you my wife. You will bear the Roux name, and you will learn exactly what kind of monster he sold you to.” He stood up, pulling me effortlessly to my feet as if I weighed nothing. I stumbled, my legs weak, but his arm was a band of iron around my waist, holding me upright. “Tomorrow, the city will hear the bells,” Girard growled, his eyes flashing a brilliant, terrifying gold in the shadows. “And the world will know that what belongs to the Dev

“You lied to bury me.” Amaiya hissed, “You abandoned me.” “I was taken,” he said simply. “And you made a bargain with the devil to hide it.” Rowan. The name hung between them like smoke. Amaiya backed away, her eyes glinting with fear or madness. “He’ll kill you all for this.” I stepped forward, fire burning faint blue across my skin. “No, Amaiya. This time, he’ll watch you burn.” Amaiya screamed, trying to summon power, but nothing came. The bond she’d used was gone with Rowan’s shadow.

Viktor asked relaxing against the couch. Esmeralda just stared at him not understanding what all this meant. Seeing that she didn’t understand, Viktor smiled. “You don’t expect to win a war, where you know nothing about your opponent. That’s a very foolish move. Lorenzo is called the devil’s Son because he has a way of knowing everything that you’re up to. He’s all seeing, as some may claim. I won’t be surprised if he already knows that we’re scheming together and what we’re planning.” He said and there was a hint of disgust as he said it.

His breath grazing my skin causes my breath to hitch. "We talked about this." "No. You blackmailed me. We talked about nothing." I counter, jabbing my finger against his sternum. "You agreed to this." He says as if I'm the one not thinking rationally here as if he hasn't threatened me with my daughter. "Because you threatened me with my daughter's life," I say, my voice trembling with suppressed anger. "I'm trying to make things right between us, Lyn." He sounds pained. His jaw tenses, a vein pulsating his skin. Something human flickers in his eyes, though I know better. Dimitri is no human. He is the devil embodied in a beautiful human.

"My apologies for Alejandro's behavior, Ms. Alissa." I released Alejandro, his pride wounded but intact. I stepped back, smoothing my attire, and with a curt nod, I acknowledged Emilio's apology. The Black Shadow cartel understood the significance of our business, and they had no intention of jeopardizing the meeting with such provocations. With the situation defused, I retreated to my post near the door, watching as the group resumed their conversation and continued to sip their drinks. It was a testament to the gravity of their purpose that the incident was neither discussed nor acknowledged further.