Vow of Hell by Clara Elroy

Saint

“Where’s the madam?” Ares played the first move, opening up the game with the queen’s pawn.

I took a sip of whiskey, letting it warm my insides and numb the memory of Ariadne. Although, I’d found it was pretty fucking hard to stop thinking about her. My mind was stuck in fluffy Ari-induced clouds for the betterment of the past two weeks.

While I was at work, I couldn’t stop texting her. It was little things, advice on things she was unsure about in her line of work, that progressed to asking her if she wanted me to bring something home for dinner. She sent me articles she found interesting and photos of a lingerie line she was designing, asking for my opinion. I told her I couldn’t judge from pictures alone, so when I got to see her that evening, she met me in the living room, clad in nothing but lacy scraps.

I took my time thumbing the material, getting a feel of its quality, leading up to the most important part of it all—how easy they were to rip off. I wasn’t disappointed, and Aria was more than pleased when I chased the light of the fireplace shining down her back and over the arch of her ass with my lips.

“Missed her?” I placed my tumbler on the table, pushing my king’s pawn to E5. The “Delicious”sounds coming from Leo’s phone, lounging on the couch in my home office with Nyx at his feet, were starting to get on my nerves, prompting me to make my mental calculations in between his Candy Crush wins. I’d be damned if I lost to Ares in chess. He was good with numbers, not with strategy.

“Just wondering why you said you needed our help and not hers.”

The last thing I needed was to show Aria how low I thought of my family. When I agreed to give us a try, I didn’t think we would last this long. She was too young, and we were in two different phases of our lives. And even though I’d been inside her enough times to memorize every inch of her body, it wasn’t just sex. My curiosity usually weaned after I had my fill of a woman, with Ariadne though I found myself wanting to hear her moans on replay and talking shop daily because her enthusiasm got me hard.

A twenty-one-year-old with a mind for business—you didn’t see that often. At her age, all I could think about was football and finding the best-looking hole to sink my dick into.

“I don’t think Aria has the strength to stop me if I find what I think I will, inside of there.” I cocked my head to the envelope that sat and collected dust until I pulled the stick out of my ass today and brought it home.

That got Leo’s attention, and he dropped the phone in his lap—thank fuck, because if I heard the words, divine, sweet, and tasty, for a while longer I would blow a fuse—scratching behind Nyx’s ears when she dropped her head on his lap. “Is that the reason you contacted Ethan?”

I nodded, bringing my bishop out, and Ares countered my move by developing his knight. I moved my king’s pawn, and he took, knocking mine out.

“So we have permission to tackle you? Man, I've been waiting to do that ever since you stole that house in Santa Monica from me,” Ares complained.

"It's not my fault the owners liked me better.” I kept my self-satisfied smile to myself.

"The granddaughter of the owners liked you better, and you paid her extra attention specifically for that fact."

"I never claimed to play fair." I almost groaned when I remembered the last time I'd heard those exact same words coming from the mouth of a destroyed Ari. Shifting in my seat, I resisted the urge to text her and find out when she'd get home.

I was not breaking societal norms by becoming the one that was stuck to her like glue. Aria split the stereotype of a virgin and didn't push for more, simply took as much as I gave her.

"While I find this conversation completely riveting." Leo's voice dripped with sarcasm as he regarded me with as much interest as one had for a squashed roach. "Are you going to tell us what's up, or are you saving it for some big reveal?"

I already knew my next move, yet I stared blankly at the checkerboard, prolonging the inevitable. I’d never told anyone my suspicions. If I did they’d think the inside of my mind must be such a terrifying place. Cruel, blunt, always believing the worst, and never expecting anything less. They wouldn’t be too far off. In the process of slaying your monsters, you often became them. Stare in the abyss, and the abyss will stare back and all that shit.

"I asked the P.I. to look into who caused the accident on the field,” I admitted, sacrificing my knight to Ares’s crutches. He fell into my trap as perfectly as I was hoping someone else would.

There was a pregnant pause in the room, the only sounds being the cracking wood in the fireplace. I was comfortable telling Leonardo and Ares my demons because I knew they weren’t without their own.

"So you basically spent a shit ton of money—cause I know from personal experience that Ethan is not cheap—to get an answer to a question you and every football superfan already know?" Leo broke the silence, shaking his head. "Now that's some fucked up logic if I've ever seen one."

"Dude, you gotta stop living in the past.” Ares mirrored his statement, mussing his hair. “Trust me, losing sleep over what could’ve been, brings you nothing, except for black fucking circles the size of Mars under your eyes.”

"I'm not living in the past.” I ground my molars, downing what was left in my glass to quench the sick feeling in my stomach, preparing to lead them down the well of my spotless intuition. “I was going through Falco's stocks a month ago and saw that there were some unauthorized investments made a year back in an up-and-coming restaurant chain in Dallas. And we all know, unless it's Mario Batali or Wolfgang Puck, that's one of the worst industries to invest in.”

The air shifted, giving me the perception that I’d caught their attention. Bad business transactions were their kryptonite. Unlike me, Ares, and Leo genuinely enjoyed navigating the cutthroat corporate world.

“I'm assuming it was neither of those,” Leo said gravely, leaning forward, his hand on his knees. Nyx whined and rushed out of the room, bored of us. “So is someone stealing?”

“I don't suppose you could call it stealing when the head of the company is the one that chooses to spend the funds that way. But then, I looked into it and saw who owned the chain,” I explained drily, the back of my throat parched.

Sacrificing my bishop this time, I ate Ares’s pawn and reached for the bottle of whiskey, topping off my glass one more time. Leo watched with wary eyes. I didn't drink much back in the day, only at parties I threw. Alcohol decreased aerobic performance. I’d come to appreciate the boost in serotonin levels more, though.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Ares spoke, his face set in a deep frown.

“So did I, and the feeling turned murderous when I found out my father was investing in Todd Brees's ventures.”

Ice trickled through a thin line between us, sizzling under the twin melting stares on my face. My fingers tapped the oak surface of the table, letting them soak in the mindfuckery of it all. My father, investing in the business of the man that sent me to rehab for six and a half months and left me with a limp to match.

“Holy shit, what are you saying?” Ares abandoned his focus on the game, keeping a white knuckle grip around the armchair. “I understand not getting along with your father, but do you really think he would do something like this?”

“My mind can’t comprehend it,” Leo dropped his head between his hands.

I smiled with venom.

"Do you remember when you came to visit me at the hospital the next day? Do you remember my father’s smile stretching from ear to ear when the doctors confirmed that my chances of ever playing professionally again were slim to none?” My tone was grave, a part of my soul infusing with black ink when the suspicion turned to reality. “Because it's not something I can forget.”

“So what are you saying?”

“That I wouldn’t put it past him to go above and beyond to get what he wants. At the time he was really pushing me to quit football so I'd take my position at Falco full time.”

If it was true, I’d played into his hand. My career fizzled out, and I was burning to know if Noah Astor’s wish was granted out of sheer luck or his pure immorality, craving to be matched. One thing was sure, if he took a piece of me, I’d take a fucking chunk out of him.

The father, son lines were blurred a long time ago.

“Yeah, I remember that time very well. You were a pain to be around,” Leo sounded, breaking the tension like the ray of fucking sunshine he was.

"Thank you," I replied sarcastically, and Leo shrugged his shoulders as if to say you're welcome. “So, I hired Ethan to see if he could find any further evidence linking Toad Brees and my father together. I guess that’s his report.” I took the envelope in my hands, staining the paper with the moisture on my fingers.

“Well, what are we waiting for?”

They gathered behind me, as I slashed the seal. It was like opening Pandora's Box, and when we peeked at the contents, I knew the impending bloodstains on my knuckles were inevitable. According to a contract dated five years ago, Noah Astor promised Todd Brees financial support in his business and my position on the field in exchange for a non-fatal injury of Saint Astor.

Carbon dioxide left behind the scent of charred air as I exhaled through my nose, eating up the words on the paper faster than Leo and Ares. Noah Astor signed his death warrant the day he chose to hurt his own son for selfish gain.

* * *

Ariadne

“Really? The dog again?”

My gaze drifted to Harry, sitting on the roof of his car, the only flashy one amongst a graveyard of them. The sun was getting dangerously low, and his eyes on my skin sprung shivers. My mind was in the, keep the interaction brief, and get both Erebus and myself out unscathed zone.

“Am I turning too predictable for you, Harry?”

“You’re turning into a pain in my ass.”

“Aw," I cooed. "How rude of me, not snapping my fingers and producing four million dollars out of thin air.”

“I don’t remember you being this much of a bitch when we were going out.” He skittered to his feet like a bottom feeder, insulted by my language.

Erebus gave him a warning growl, and I saw Harry baring his teeth back in response like an idiot. The desperation called for my retaliation, and I decided not to hold back. The tables had turned even if he wasn't aware of it yet.

“I didn’t know you were a delinquent loser either, otherwise I would’ve turned you in the first chance I got,” I said with a sickly sweet smile. “How many other poor girls have you tricked this way?”

His eyes dropped to the hickeys on my neck, which I hadn't bothered covering up, and his nostrils flared. “If they’re slutty enough to spread their legs, they should expect the repercussions that come with that. Nothing poor about bitches like you.”

He must’ve been a high-functioning psychopath. There was no other explanation for the three-sixty degree his character turned. He used his fleeting charm to disguise the lack of empathy, impulsivity, and shallow emotions. When I thought back, I saw cracks in his facade, forceful touches, impatient tugs, and muttered curses. I never paid it much mind, too hung up on driving Saint away.

That restlessness inside of me grew, even with Erebus by my side. Harry was as unpredictable as a toss-up. And I had no doubt he would come after me for freeing the bird he’d trapped in his rusted cage. I’d already wired him close to a quarter of a million. The last of which he was going to get.

Body tense and ready for action, I countered his insult. “Harry, I already know you have a small dick. You don’t have to remind me with your energy too.”

“I swear if you keep testing me…” He stepped forward, but this time I matched his gait, prompting him to stop short. One of the things I loved most in this world was watching toxic men lose their hold on power.

“You get within one inch of me, and you'll become the dog's personal chew toy. My wrist hurts from holding him back, don’t make me release the leash.”

Erebus barked at the right time for good measure, and Harry's shoulders bunched with repressed anger.

“Whatever, bitch. I don't have the time to deal with you. Give me the cash, and you won’t have to see me again.”

“You must certainly think I’m dumb.” I cocked my hip. “What guarantee do I have that you won’t come back asking for more?”

“You have my word.”

“Your word means shit to me.” My responses were like rapid-fire, enjoying the agitation before lighting the fuse.

"Get on your knees, and maybe I'll sign a contract." Harry shrugged, carrying the audacity of a failed man.

"You'd jam your dick in peanut butter, so long it gets you some action. No wonder you call women whores. They must not give you the time of day."

He sniffed, proving my theory correct. "If you think you’re going to annoy me, you're out of luck. I've had years of dealing with bitches that were less interesting than watching paint dry. Give me the money, or I'll carve you and your dog up like pumpkins."

"I don't think I will, Harry." I kept my voice loud and clear.

"The price goes up whenever you waste my time."

"I'm not giving you anything," I repeated a strained smile on my face.

Harry glared, calling my bluff by crawling back to his blackmail. "I'm going to release the video."

The smile spread, and I shrugged, strength flowing through my veins. Who knew I'd feel my best in a pair of high-heeled booties and black tights? Every girl had an inner Black Widow, and I was embracing mine to the fullest.

"Go right ahead. See if you still have it."

His eyes turned into thin slits, and I waited as he checked his phone, my grip turning sweaty around my car keys. The deep web was the root of a lot of evils, but nothing was black and white, and not everything illegal was used for bad. If the hacker had done his job properly, Harry should start spewing his venom in… three… two… one...

"You… you whore!" He shouted, his enraged voice echoing on the abandoned parking lot, and Erebus matched his vocals, spittle dripping down his chin as he dragged me slightly forward.

"Really? That word again? Your tiny brain is all out of clever insults, huh?" There was a mocking lilt on my lips, and I thought he was going to rush for me, uncaring for Erebus.

"I'm going to ruin you, Ariadne. I'm going to fucking destroy you." The veins along his neck bunched, and his eyes looked close to bugging out of his sockets. I didn’t pay his fury any mind, lost in the highs of retribution.

"With what? Your word—" I stopped abruptly, baffled when Harry turned to his car, and my legs began a rapid run backward when I saw him reaching for something on his backseat.

"Oh fuck," My breath left my body in a whoosh, and I hauled Erebus behind me, practically dragging him by the collar to the Prius. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”

I'd shut the driver's door when the first shot rang, and I gunned it out of the parking lot at maximum speed. I must’ve had a saint looking over me for not running over anyone in my state of duress the entire drive home.

One thing was for sure, Harry might’ve lost his leverage, but this was far from over.

* * *

A sharp pain pierced my ribs, and I oomphed when someone stumbled over my body in the dark, causing me to roll on my belly as they got their bearings straight.

"Ariadne?" Saint’s bewildered voice found me on the ground, spotting me from the faint light of the flickering stars beyond the sky bridge. "What are you doing?"

With a huff, I turned back around, holding on to my stomach, and glaring at his shadowed form standing over me.

Trying not to hyperventilate after almost dying today.

"I'm stargazing." I settled for an answer that wouldn’t have him throttling me after all the lies I'd spewed.

His throat produced a noise between a choke and a laugh, and he had the gall to probe me again with his foot to make sure I was there. I slapped his leg off, and his laugh developed to a full-blown chuckle that brushed against my skin like peach fuzz, soft and electric.

"No, you're freezing your little ass lying on the floor with no lights on."

I shrugged one shoulder. "You could always join me and warm me up. I know you like to cuddle."

There it was again, that little choking sound that had my hands sweating as he kneeled next to me and embraced my weirdness by flopping back on the floor. I attached myself to him like glue as soon as he was settled, throwing my leg over his waist as he fitted an arm under my shoulders.

"If you rat me out to anyone, I will deny it," he whispered over my forehead before dropping a peck on my brow.

"Your secret is safe with me, pretty boy." I nuzzled my head into his chest, my heart slowing down for the first time since I got home, and tried to wash the remnants of shock off me. It didn't work, my hands and legs still shook from the adrenaline boost, and paranoia lingered in my mind like an unwanted guest.

What if Harry showed up here?

He wasn’t that stupid, right?

Like the moon gazing down on me, a war waged in my mind. One side burned with the need to say something, to seek protection. The one not illuminated by the sun ravaged me with fears of abandonment and shame if Saint found out all of what I'd kept sealed. We were on a trial period, and I didn’t want to jeopardize this tentative ceasefire. Especially when I was discovering the big bad wolf was a puppy in disguise more and more every day.

Caring, funny, generous, and all alpha when need be. The perfect blend of I’ll bend you over the side of my desk and kiss you slow under the stream of the shower.

Thank God, dogs couldn’t speak. I gave poor Erebus some extra treats today for putting him through what I did.

"What are you doing on this side of the house?" I asked Saint, basking in the slow rise and fall of his chest.

“I haven’t seen you since this morning, Spitfire”

“Are you saying you missed me?”

He stiffened. “Came to see if you were still alive, that’s all.”

“You could’ve texted me if you just wanted to check up on me.”

“How would I know it was you that replied and someone hadn’t stolen your phone?”

I laughed at his ridiculous excuse, and his eyes narrowed on the glass roof. Anything to not admit that he did, in fact, miss me. It was okay, I knew from the way his arm tightened against me, pressing every part of me against him like he found solace in my presence after a long day.

Settling back, I stared at the blinking night sky too. "Sometimes looking at the stars makes me feel safe. It reminds me of how small and insignificant I am compared to the entirety of the universe."

“We don’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things, huh?” Saint agreed in a rare moment of clarity. “It’s easy to forget that we’re nothing but matter and bones. There is no grand purpose, no master plan, only to survive and make the best out of what we’re given.”

“What’s one thing you want to do before you die?” I drew circles over his cotton T-shirt.

“You,” he replied, making my stomach summersault, but I pressed for the real answer, and he gave it to me reluctantly. “Make sure my family is well taken care of. That Kill chooses to do whatever he wants no matter what is expected of him, and my mom finally outgrows her demons and insecurities.”

Wasn’t that sweet? And totally more heart-warming than my wish.

“Well, that just called me shallow in about three different languages.”

Saint’s stomach rumbled with laughter. “Why? What would you like to do?”

“See the southern lights.”

“Are the northern lights too mainstream for you, Spitfire?”

“I like that not many people have seen them. There isn’t land close enough to the southern pole, so the only time you can get a peek is under the right conditions, like a geomagnetic storm or if you park your ass in Antarctica somehow.” An idea took shape in my mind, and I bit one of his abs through his shirt softly before staring up at him. “We could always travel to Australia, you know. You could get to meet your long-lost cousins, the Tasmanian devils too.”

“Somehow, you always find new reasons for me to paint your ass red.” I squealed when he reached down and spanked me, giggling when he kept his hand in place, rubbing some of the pain away.

Needing to forget about this shitty day, I pushed up, and straddled him, finding confidence in the dark. I didn’t know if Saint would give the time of day if he read my thoughts about him. They were obsessive, incessant, and full of maddening hunger, drowning me to the point of suffocation. It was scary when you were the first to catch feelings for a person that was an enigma.

“Why do you never talk about your dad?” I asked, wanting in, in that brain of his.

“That’s a story for a different day, Spitfire.” He shot me down, trailing his fingers on the back of my thighs.

I gulped, glad he couldn’t see the vulnerability etched into my features, and leaned down, prolonging a breakdown by feeding off his strength. “Sleep with me tonight?”

“You don’t have to ask for that, baby, just take.” He slowly hardened underneath me.

“No,” I shifted my hands through his hair, and he raised a brow in question. “Sleep with me in my bed. Please?” I pressed a soft kiss to his Adam’s apple, enjoying the way it bobbed under my lips.

A few seconds passed before he hauled us both up in that abrupt manner of his I’d found myself becoming familiar with because it kept me on the edge of my seat. Locking my ankles around his back, I let my husband carry me to an actual bed for the first time.