High Stakes (A Deal With The Devil)

CHAPTER FOUR

Bella

Oh gosh, my head . I groan before stretching out and I freeze as memories of last night flood my mind. Oh god, oh god, oh god . I squeeze my eyes tight. Please don’t let it be real . I slowly open one eye but soon squeeze it shut again. Yep, that confirms it, the memories are real. Crap, crap, crap. A cough makes me jump in fright and my eyes shoot open.

“Morning sunshine.” Aiden’s smirking, and I want to slap it off his gorgeous face.

“Why am I naked?” My voice is croaky, dry from all the alcohol, and I pull the blanket tighter around me.

He grins wider. “You called me Khal Drogo.”

I throw my forearm over my eyes, “No I didn’t.”

“Oh you did. Do you often play out fantasies, Bella? Or should I say, Daenerys.” I can hear his sniggers. I pull the pillow over my head and hold it there to hide my embarrassed, crimson coloured face. I’m sure I would remember saying that, but he does look a bit like him, it was my first thought when I saw him at my dad’s house. “Your phone’s been ringing non-stop; I think Carl’s getting annoyed.” I peek out from under the pillow and see he’s holding my phone and flicking through it. “Call me before I track your mobile and come and find you.” He reads it with a smugness in his tone, “He really isn’t a nice guy, is he? So clingy and desperate.”

I sit bolt upright. “Shit, where’re my clothes?”

He shrugs his large shoulders. “You took them off.”

“Aiden help me, if he comes here, he’ll go mad. I don’t need his stress today, I feel like crap,” I say, desperately.

He holds out my phone so I can see it. “Can I post this on your Facebook?” It’s a selfie of me and him. I’m passed out and he’s grinning up at the camera, doing a thumbs up .

“Delete that right now. Do you not understand my current situation or are you trying to ruin my life?”

I climb from the bed, keeping the sheet wrapped around me as I stomp into the bathroom, relieved to see my dress just inside the door. I dress quickly and proceed to go through his drawers until I find some toothpaste, alongside several unopened toothbrushes. I arch a judgmental brow, wondering if he has a lot of unexpected, overnight visitors. The thought niggles me.

Aiden

I click ‘add photo’ and upload the image of me and Bella to my social media. I don’t often use it, but if I want to have this woman for myself, I need to start stirring up some shit between her and lover boy.

She appears in the kitchen doorway looking dis-shelved, but still beautiful. I mentally slap myself. Since when do I see anyone as beautiful? Fuckable, yes, but never beautiful.

“I’ve deleted the pic from your phone . . . after I sent it to mine.”

She glares at me, “Why would you send it to yourself?”

“Memories, Bells,” I tease, “Not often I role play. Although, many girls have compared me to Drogo.” I say it proudly .

Her phone lights up and she sighs before accepting the incoming call and pressing the device to her ear. “Hi Carl, so sorry. I passed out at Aria’s place.” She lies easily, but her expression shows she’s uncomfortable doing it. I hear him yelling and she moves the phone away from her ear slightly. “Don’t be like that, I’m sorry I worried you. I’ll make it up to you,” she soothes, glancing at me.

I role my eyes and pour a coffee, setting it down in front of her. “Well, maybe not that. I thought we agreed you were just helping me out.” She whispers her words, trying to prevent me from hearing. He yells some more. “I’m not teasing you, Carl. Look, I don’t want to talk about this over the phone, I’ll see you after your shift.” She disconnects the call, looking annoyed.

“Lover boy getting fed up with waiting?” I smirk. She sits opposite me at the large island in the middle of my kitchen. “What are you waiting for anyway? Marriage?”

She blushes, “No, I just don’t feel it with him.”

“Feel what? Please don’t tell me you’re a fairy tale kind of girl cos if you’re waiting to be struck with cupid’s arrow, you’re gonna to be very disappointed. All you’re going to feel is pain, and then relief that it’s over.”

She glares at me, “I just want to feel comfortable with the person I’m with, and Carl is not that person.”

“Then stop using the guy. ”

She looks annoyed again. “My Dad didn’t give me much choice.”

I shake my head. “Don’t use excuses, Bella. Your dad fucked up, but surely you have other people you can run to? I feel for this guy, he’s holding out for your cherry, and you have no intention of giving it to him. No wonder he’s frustrated and pissed at the world, holding out can send a guy nuts.”

“Maybe I should just do it, just to get rid of it. That’ll solve all my problems. My Dad can’t sell what I don’t have.”

Her words instantly piss me off. “No,” I grit out, clenching my teeth in agitation.

She looks confused. “You said I was teasing him.”

I take a deep breath, knowing I’ve got to keep my shit together or risk everything. I need her virginity, but I can’t make it obvious. “Look, not to be rude, but I have stuff to do.”

She quickly stands. “Of course. I’m sorry.” She grabs her clutch. “And I’m sorry if I made a fool of myself last night. I haven’t been that drunk in . . . well, ever.”

I give a stiff nod. “JP is waiting in the lobby to take you wherever you need to go.” She heads for the door. “And Bella,” She glances back. “If you need anything, I’m here. ”

She leaves just as Raff enters, giving her a slight smile as they pass one another. He waits for the door to close before fixing me with narrowed, suspicious eyes, “Tell me you didn’t fuck her yet?”

“No, I didn’t sleep with her, I’m not stupid.”

He helps himself to coffee. “You need to play the long game with this one, or you’re going to lose the lot.”

“Don’t you think I know what’s at risk, Raff? I just don’t know how to do all this. You know what I’m like, I need rules, I need control and knowing that I can’t just go in there and claim her is too hard. All this work bores me.”

It’s a running joke. I don’t settle down, which is why Jake’s done what he’s done.

Me, Jake, JP and Raff have always been close. Jake, my non-identical twin, died a few months ago, up until that point we were all inseparable, right from school. We were pranksters, always playing tricks on one another and never taking life too seriously. None of us had settled down, although at some point or another, we’ve all been in a serious relationship. It’s how I know relationships aren’t for me.

When I met Laurie, I was just twenty. I loved her fiercely, and soon became possessive and obsessed, until I pushed her away. Losing her tore me apart, and I refuse to put myself, or any other girl through that again. I still see her. She’s married now, and every time she hits a rough patch, she turns to me. It’s not healthy, but I can never find it in me to turn her away.

Her husband is a rich prick, he owns a massive hotel chain and most of the time he treats Laurie like shit, but she insists she’s happy.

“Did you get anywhere with her friend?” I ask.

“No, I’m a gentleman.” He grins. “She wants the chase; I can’t be bothered with that shit. I fucked some random out in the alleyway instead.”

“Classy. Aria’s nice, if I wasn’t chasing Bella, I would definitely have a go at her. But you’re right, they both seem to be hard work, cracking Bella is going to take weeks. No wonder Jake gave me two months.”

“Look man, whose to say we haven’t planned this all wrong. Go in there as you, stop keeping that beast under lock and key, maybe she’ll like your dominant, bossy arse to take charge.”

Bella

Carl storms across the room and pins me to the wall, I don’t even have time to register what’s happening before he slaps me hard across the face. Tears rush to my eyes as my vision blurs. He holds his phone next to my face. “What the fuck is this?” I side glance, seeing it’s the picture that Aiden took. His hand goes to my throat, clamping around it tightly, almost cutting off my airway.

“Carl.” It’s barely there as he squeezes harder, pure determination on his face.

“Six months, Bella, and you give it to this bastard.” He shoves me to the floor and lands a punch to my stomach, making me double over.

“I didn’t,” I cry, rubbing my neck. My throat is sore, and my brain is having trouble keeping up with what’s happening. “I didn’t. I was drunk and slept there, that’s all.”

“Prove it,” he sneers. I frown, and as he crouches down and takes a hold of my skirt, pushing it up, I realise what he’s implying.

I try to scramble away, kicking out, but he’s too quick. “Don’t do this Carl, please don’t do this.”

His fingers grip my knickers, “You know he’s a player right? A fuck em and chuck em kind of guy. Did you fancy a bit of rough, Bella? Cos trust me, I can play rough too.” He laughs to himself, and I notice his dark eyes look even darker as he tugs my knickers down my thighs. I kick out, flailing around to make it difficult for him, but he hits me full force in the face and I still, gasping in shock. A warmth trickles from my nose, and I touch the blood and stare at my fingers in bewilderment. How can this be happening?

There’s a loud bang, distracting Carl, but before he can get off me, he’s pulled back. I stare open mouthed as JP punches Carl hard in the face. He falls back and JP stands over him, hitting him repeatedly in the face. Coming to my senses, I pull my underwear up and scramble towards the pair. “Stop,” I cry, grabbing JP’s arm midair. He pauses to look back at me and I note Carl’s bloodied face. “He’s a copper,” I remind him.

JP shoves Carl away and stands, holding out a hand for me to take, which I do, and he tugs me to my feet. “Get your stuff,” he orders. I grab the bag I hadn’t yet unpacked, and he takes me by the hand. “Let’s get out of here.”