Checkmate

by Lindsey Powell

  She had a hold over my heart before, but now… Now I can’t let her in. I can’t give into her, and I can’t open myself up to her again. I’m too smart to fall in love. Learnt the hard way. Paid my dues. Pushed my fucking pain to the side and trampled over any motherfucker that stood in my way. Yeah, Paige fucking Roderick broke me before, and there is no way that she will do it again. I may have been the one to pull the plug on us, but she took my goddamn heart and ran with it. It’s not been the same since. Scarred, black and fucking lifeless. The heart is just an organ, makes the blood go round. There is no room for love. Love is dangerous, love is stupid, and love is the root of all fucking evil.

  “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” I warn her as I push my body against hers. She lets out a low groan and I have to silently send signals to my dick to stand the fuck down.

  “Oh, I do, Joey, and make no mistake, I will take you down, I will reign supreme, and you will end up as nothing but a pawn to your queen. I came here to play, and the games have only just begun,” she says in a sickly sweet voice.

  I take a moment, letting my eyes roam over her face, committing every part of this moment to memory.

  That groan she let out, I know it was the real deal. A quick flash of want in her eyes showed me her weakness. Me. I’m her fucking kryptonite, and I know exactly how to fuck up her game.

  The battle lines have been drawn, and I will remain the king of the playing field.

  I step back, adjust my suit jacket and smile.

  “I await your next move, Paige. Don’t leave me hanging.” It’s the last thing I say before I turn my back on her and walk out of the door.

  Chapter Seven

  Paige

  Ugh. Fucking Joey. Getting in my face. Touching my body. Making me remember what we were like together.

  He left the room a few minutes ago, and now I sit back at the table, Donovan sat in the seat that Joey was in, both of us with a shot glass in our hands and a bottle of tequila sat in the middle of us, waiting to be poured.

  “So?” Donovan asks, waiting for me to fill him in on my meeting with Joey. He’s going to be waiting a long fucking time.

  “So what?”

  “What went down just now?” he asks, and I feel my irritation spike.

  “Since when do you question me about what the fuck went down with anyone?” I fire back at him, my eyes trained on his.

  “I’m not questioning you, Paige.”

  “Well, it sure sounds like you are.”

  “Don’t mistake my worry for fucking nosiness, Paige,” Donovan replies, his eyes hard.

  “Worry? Why the hell would you need to worry?” I ask him.

  “I’ve known you for the last three years, pulled you from the fucking streets, helped you get where you are today. Yet, I’ve never seen you as unnerved as I do now,” Donovan says, straight-faced.

  He watched me interact with Joey at the party, and he’s watching me now, assessing me, finding a chink in my armour.

  I need to shut down this shit, and quick. If Donovan is questioning me, then it won’t be long before others do.

  “Unnerved? You think that I’m unnerved?” I say as I sit forward in my seat, keeping my face blank, needing to make Donovan back the fuck up. “There is not one bone in my body that is unnerved, Donovan. I am in control, I am playing the fucking part that I need to. All you need to worry about is whether you can pull off your part in the motherfucking game. Joey goddamn Valentine isn’t going to know what’s hit him by the time I’m finished. We are going to ride this wave and come out on top. No one is going to stop me. No one is going to dissuade me, and no one is going to sit in front of me and question my fucking actions. Do I make myself clear?” I don’t back down. Far from it. I am here to rule, and I will be the fucking queen of the underworld. Every person will know who I am, regardless of whether I want to ride Joey’s dick or not.

  “Crystal, boss,” Donovan says with a smile on his face. This is how he knows me. Raw, honest, and ready to take on anybody. He doesn’t know about my history with Joey. No one does. They don’t need to. And if they ever found out that I used to be in love with the guy, it would completely ruin all that I have built.

  I’ve said before that love makes you weak, and once others see it, you’re screwed.

  My guard will remain high.

  Joey will not make his way into my heart again.

  I am a ruthless woman, and I want to be at the top of the chain.

  Men will bow to me. They will fear me.

  I will reign supreme.

  And tonight, I started the ball rolling by calling Joey’s bluff. I saw the slight flicker in his eyes when I mentioned him wanting to leave this life behind. A lucky guess on my part, and one that I now know is absolutely fucking true. He forgets that I used to know him, he forgets that I used to be able to see deep inside his soul and get answers before he ever told them to me. He never said anything out loud, but his ice blues always gave him away. The subtle eye rolls, the stifled groans and the tension that would radiate throughout his body when he was called away from me. I clocked it all, and my lucky guess just solidified the answer I always knew. He wants out. My plan to take his crown may be easier than I thought.

  Donovan opens the bottle of tequila, pours the liquid into the shot glasses and pushes one towards me.

  I lift my glass up, Donovan does the same.

  “Here’s to taking down Joey Valentine,” Donovan says as he raises his glass in the air.

  I nod my head, eyes hard, lips in a straight line.

  Yes, here’s to taking down Joey fucking Valentine.

  Chapter Eight

  Paige

  “What the fuck is this?” I ask as I wave the invitation around.

  “Well, I’m gonna take a guess and say that it’s something that you’re not happy about,” Donovan says as he sits on the seat on the other side of my desk. “Who’s it from?”

  “Joey Valentine.”

  “Really?” Donovan says his eyebrows raised.

  “An invitation to his new club opening on Saturday night,” I tell him.

  “I see.” Donovan scratches his jaw seeming unfazed that Joey has requested my presence at his damn club.

  “I basically tell the guy that I want to take his fucking crown and he invites me to one of his events.”

  “He’s cooking something up,” Donovan says, confirming what I already know.

  “Damn straight he is. But what exactly? I mean, I am his direct competition. I am ready to hand his ass to him, so why the hell would he want me there?” I ask out loud.

  “To show everyone that he is in control,” Donovan says.

  “To make sure that I know my place,” I add.

  “Exactly.”

  “To try and show the underworld elite that he is still the top dog.”

  “Without a doubt,” Donovan says. “Make no mistake that Joey will be wanting to cement his status. You came out of nowhere, stayed hidden for a long time, unveiled yourself and then let him know that you want what he has. A man like Joey will always have an ulterior motive, Paige.”

  I swivel from side to side on my seat, thinking Donovan’s words over.

  Of course Joey will want to show me that he can’t be taken down.

  Of course he will want to show every other fucker in that room that he is going nowhere.

  “Well,” I start, sitting forward in my chair, bracing my elbows on my desk and resting my chin on my hands, “I guess I’m just going to have to put my secret moves into play sooner than planned.”

  “And what secret moves is that, boss?” Donovan asks me.

  I smile and shake my head a little. “Oh, Don, don’t you know by now that I have a certain way of getting men to listen?”

  Donovan chuckles as he registers what I’m saying. Granted, my certain way is usually threatening them until they cave like the pussies that they are, but with Joey, I’m going to use a different approach. No need to tell Donovan
that though. It’s none of his God damn business.

  It’s not going to be easy, but then, nothing that I have ever done has been easy.

  And with mine and Joey’s history, it shouldn’t take me too long to crack his exterior.

  I’m not in the habit of using my womanly gifts to cloud a man’s judgement, but on this occasion, I’m going to have some fun whilst doing it.

  I’m about to up the ante. Raise the stakes.

  Make Joey think that he is wearing me down.

  Make Joey think that my heart is letting him in.

  And then when I have him where I want him, I’m going to cut him at the throat.

  Chapter Nine

  Joey

  The club is packed, a successful opening night so far. It’s the third club that I have opened within the town, but this one is exclusive. Only the elite get in here. All the fucking gangster wannabes can go party at one of my other spots. Club Valentine is a private members club, and most of them are only here because I invited them.

  Of course there are a couple of men here who have brought their mistresses with them, but those mistresses won’t utter a word about this place to anyone. They would be too damn scared to. Hanging off of the arm of some of the toughest bastards around is seen as a privilege to some, and they certainly won’t want to give up their fully furnished apartments and monthly spending allowance.

  The club is heavily guarded. I want these people to feel like they can relax here. The more they are comfortable, the more they will come here and the more they will line my pockets.

  The main room has a stage area to the back of the room, straight across from the bar. Stools line the bar area, booths run along the far left wall, and the dance floor is in front of the stage.

  The deejay booth is set at the left side of the stage, and a cage hangs either side of the stage for when the girls go in there to dance. And by girls, I mean the ones that have been hired to work here, to please the eyes of the men that will be acquainting this place.

  Has no effect on me, but if it helps bring in the business, I’m all for it.

  There is an upstairs where you will find tables that are well-spaced, so no one feels cramped, and a small bar to save anyone having to bother to walk down to the main room to get a drink.

  Then we have the rooms out the back. One for the staff, one for the club manager, one for my own personal use, and the room where deals and poker games are played in the basement below, which is soundproof, just in case any motherfucker tries to start shit and it needs to be dealt with.

  I stand on the top floor, my hands braced against the balcony that overlooks the dance floor. A couple of people are using the tables behind me, talking quietly, but I have no interest in them right now. The only person I have interest in is the one that just walked in.

  Paige fucking Roderick.

  The motherfucking goddess, stood there in tight leather pants that look like they’re painted on, a black vest top and studded black boots. Her hair is hanging in loose waves around her face, and she wears red lipstick that stands out from a mile away. Absolute perfection. Such a shame I’m going to have to kick her ass to the curb again, eventually. I can’t have people thinking that she has an effect on me, but I can have some fun before I crush her dreams of taking over my spot.

  I invited her here tonight so that I can put my plan into action. Reel her in, make her want me, then push her away harder than I did before.

  She thinks she’s dangerous, but she’s got fucking nothing on me.

  I see her right hand man, Donovan, is following closely behind her. Her invite only allowed her a plus one, but I know that she will have others waiting outside for her. She would be a fool not to, especially with all the names in here tonight.

  “Boss,” I hear Raymond say as he walks over and stands beside me. “Miss Roderick just arrived.”

  “I know.” Everyone here knows that she just arrived. She commands attention without even trying.

  “Want me to get her up here?” Raymond asks. He knows that I have something planned for her, but he doesn’t know what exactly. Keep your cards close to your chest, never show your hand.

  “Clear the floor, then invite her up.”

  Raymond goes to walk away but I stop him.

  “Just her, not her puppet,” I say, referring to Donovan.

  “You got it, boss,” Raymond says before he tells the other guests to move to the bottom floor, and then descends the stairs to go and tell Paige that I want to see her. I’m pretty sure she isn’t going to come willingly but then, she may surprise me. Fuck knows she’s done that more than once since popping back into my life.

  I watch as Raymond walks over to her. She eyes him suspiciously. I smirk.

  Always on her guard. Always waiting for the bomb to drop.

  She’s going to be waiting for a while for this bomb to detonate.

  I’m going to feel her out, get in her head and make her so fucking hot for me that she won’t be able to focus on anything else.

  I can do that. I did it once before, I’ll do it again.

  Raymond starts to walk back to the stairs, and to my surprise, she follows him, her head held high. I watch her hips sway and I notice the men lusting after her as she gets to the bottom of the stairs that will lead her up to me. Raymond gestures for her to go ahead before he looks up at me and nods. I nod back, and Raymond stands at the bottom of the stairs, Antonio joining him to stop any one else trying to come up here.

  The music pumps through the sound system, the bass gently vibrating as I sit down at one of the tables and wait for Paige to emerge.

  When she reaches the top of the stairs she looks around, assessing her surroundings before her eyes lock with mine.

  I stop the smile from spreading across my face as she saunters towards me.

  Fucking stunning. Fucking ruthless. And about to be fucking mine.

  “Well, Mr Valentine, the invitation didn’t say anything about a private party,” she says, stopping at the table and taking the seat opposite me.

  “If it had, would you have still come?” I ask her, my eyes boring into hers.

  She smirks. “You know me, Joey, always curious.”

  “You know what curiosity did, don’t you?”

  “Killed the cat,” she answers before adding, “But I’m no cat.”

  “No? Then what are you?”

  “I’m the motherfucking viper, baby,” she answers, and this time I can’t stop the smile from spreading over my face.

  “Yes you are,” I say quietly, but she hears me, even with the music pumping away.

  “What’s the matter, Joey? Scared I’ll bite?” she taunts me.

  “Not at all. In fact, I can’t wait for you to sink your teeth in,” I reply. Her eyes give her away briefly, igniting with lust. She shuts it down just as quickly as it came, but I saw.

  I see you, baby, you can’t hide from me.

  “So,” I begin, leaning back in my chair. “What do you think of my new club?”

  “It’s all right,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders.

  “Just all right?”

  She makes a show of sweeping her eyes around the room.

  “It’s tasteful, the music isn’t bad, and I can see there are plenty of hidden corners. Tell me, is that for shady business deals or for when the customers can’t control themselves and they have to have a quick grope before fucking their mistress in the back room?”

  She quirks an eyebrow and I can’t help the laughter that falls from my mouth.

  “Do you really think that I would let people conduct themselves in that way in my club?” I question.

  “I wouldn’t put it past you, Joey.”

  Her comment annoys me and my laughter fades. It shouldn’t bug me, but it does.

  “I wouldn’t allow anyone to be disrespected in this club, Paige, and people fucking in the corner would be just that. Disrespectful. As for the fucking in the back room, that will only be done by me, in my private
room, away from the beady eyes that see everything.”

  “But money talks, right? The right amount would persuade you.” She’s goading me, trying to push my buttons. And it’s fucking working.

  “Is that what you do? Give up your morals for money?” Her eyes narrow on me and I take that as a win. Yeah, baby, I can give it right back to you. Come at me, let me see what else you got.

  “I make my money without giving up anything,” she says, eyes blazing. “I don’t need to bow to a man to make it in this world, and I sure as hell don’t open my legs to turn a profit.”

  “You sure about that?” I ask, baiting her. “You haven’t fucked your boy Donovan? Isn’t that why he’s always hanging around?”

  “Does that mean you fucked Raymond?”

  “Touché,” I reply. She knows Raymond is my right hand man, just as I know that Donovan is hers.

  “Speaking of fucking,” she starts, her eyes twinkling. “Where’s your piece of skirt, Joey? I haven’t seen one hanging around, and don’t most big, bad, gangster men have a hoard of women ready to trail them around like a lost little puppy?”

  “I don’t like puppy dogs.”

  “Maybe not, but who’s taking care of you, Joey? Tending to your needs, making you feel like the powerful fucking king that you are?” she says, and fuck if I don’t want her to make me feel like a goddamn king right now.

  “There’s only ever been one woman that can handle me,” I reply, my gaze fixed on her. I don’t fail to notice the slight intake of her breath at my total honesty. She probably thinks that I’m messing with her, but I have never meant the words more than I do now.

  “Oh yeah? What happened to her?” she asks me, even though she is fully aware of the answer to that question. But we’re here to play, so play I will.

  “I had to give her up, push her away, make her think that I hated her.”

  The silence stretches between us.

  My words sinking in.

  “Why?” she asks, her voice quieter than a moment ago.

  “To save her.”

  “Pfft,” she scoffs, but I can almost see the cogs turning in her head. “You don’t think she could have decided for herself whether she was safe or not?”