Checkmate

by Lindsey Powell

  Closer it creeps, less time to stop. I want to scream, I want to shout, I want to grab the damn wheel from him, but I don’t. It’s Joey Valentine in the driving seat, and he’s showing me that he has complete control right now. Fucking bastard.

  I breathe a little deeper, grip the seat a little harder, squeeze my legs together ever so slightly, and just when I think that Joey is going to plough us straight into the fucking wall, he brakes, the car lurches, his hand flies to the handbrake, the car skids, turning, and Joey looks completely at ease, but then it’s my side of the car that will hit the wall first. I watch, I wait, and within a couple of seconds the car has stopped, ending up lengthways along the wall.

  My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest. For a moment there I was scared. More scared than standing in a room full of underworld assholes, more scared than having a gun held to my head. I turn to look at Joey and find that the bastard is smiling. Fucking smiling.

  “What the hell was that?” I ask before I can stop myself. Joey slowly turns to face me, and I can see the excitement in his eyes. He got a rush out of that shit. He enjoyed every second. Again, bastard.

  “That was exhilarating,” he replies, still smiling.

  “Well, I’m glad you gave yourself a thrill, but what was the point of it?” I can feel my anger building at the fact that he went completely off course just to get some weird high. I get the rush of adrenaline in certain situations but driving a car at a wall just seems fucking stupid.

  Joey turns his whole body so he’s facing me, his eyes locking with mine.

  “You really want to know?” he asks.

  “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” I retort.

  “That is how I feel when I’m around you, with you, near you.”

  “What?” I say, shocked that he is choosing now to try and have a meaningful moment.

  “That rush, that fear, the adrenaline pumping wildly, you do that to me, Paige.”

  “Right,” I say, not really sure why he is telling me this. I don’t want to listen to his words, but damn do they make me miss the Joey that I used to love. “So, you’re telling me that being around me makes you want to drive into a brick wall?”

  Joey just looks at me, his jaw clicking. I can’t help but screw with him. Sarcasm is my default mode when I’m being forced to deal with shit that I don’t want to deal with. I wasn’t prepared for this. I never expected for Joey to change the fucking game this dramatically.

  “You remember when we first met?” he says, throwing me off once again.

  “How could I forget?” I say with the sarcasm that I love so much.

  “You need to let go of that fucking rage you hold for me, Paige,” Joey says.

  “Oh really? You think it’s that easy to let go when I’ve done nothing but hate you ever since you threw me away?” I reply, wishing that I hadn’t said any of that. I’m letting him know how much he hurt me, and it’s not part of the plan. In fact, none of my plans have worked in regards to Joey, and I went to him for help. Me. Just me. He didn’t come knocking on my door. I brought Joey into the loop when I should have kept him at arm’s length.

  “Hate is a strong word, Paige,” Joey comments.

  “Yeah? So is love and I gave that up a long time ago.” I stare at him, never letting my gaze waver.

  “You sure about that?” he questions.

  “Positive.”

  “You don’t need to keep fighting me. I’m not your enemy,” Joey says, and I really can’t be fucking dealing with this right now.

  Instead of answering him, I open the car door and get out, slamming it shut before I walk back the way we came. Being near Joey is bad for me. It wears me down, makes me fucking weak. I won’t be weak. I won’t be the girl that I once was.

  “You can’t run away from this, Paige,” Joey shouts from behind me. I don’t turn around, I don’t want to engage in whatever he is trying to do. I need to clear my head, get back to what I do best, and crush the assholes that try to take me down. The trouble is, I don’t think I’m going to be able to crush Joey, and I don’t even think that I want to. It had been my goal for so long; take him down, reign supreme, but he’s flipped everything.

  His words, his actions, they speak loudly. How do you get over someone that still has your heart? It pains me to admit it to myself. I focussed on revenge, blocked out the way he used to love me, cherish me and make me feel like I was at the centre of his world.

  If you open yourself to another and they let you go, is there really any way of getting over that?

  I feel his hand snake around my arm; didn’t even hear him coming up behind me.

  I whirl around, ripping my arm out of his grasp.

  We stand there, staring at one another. Seconds tick by, thoughts swirl around my mind. I remember his touch, his hands, his fingers. He knew how to extract every single emotion from me back then, and as much as I try to hide it now, I fear that he still can.

  “What are you running from?” he asks.

  What am I running from? From you. From the pain. From the heartache. From the possibility of being crushed all over again.

  “Paige,” he says quietly, stepping forward and placing his hand on my cheek. I close my eyes for a moment, savouring the feel of the last time that I will let him put his hands on me.

  My eyes open, and his ice blues have me wanting to be the weak one. To give in, to allow myself the chance to try again. It would be easier to forgive, would be less confusing, but it would also be the end of everything I am.

  “Coming to you for help was a mistake,” I say.

  His hand drops from my face. His eyes losing some of the hope that I saw there only seconds ago.

  I’m strong, I can walk away. And that is exactly what I do as I turn on my heel and put some distance between myself and Joey. This time I don’t hear him come for me. I don’t even hear the roar of his car engine.

  I’m drawing a new line. A line that I won’t ever cross again. Joey Valentine makes me a weaker woman, and the power that I have focussed on for so long is still within my grasp. I just need to get my head back in the game, play to win, and forget that I ever went crawling to Joey fucking Valentine.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Joey

  “Donovan just arrived, boss,” Raymond says, informing me that Paige’s right hand man is here.

  “Send him in,” I reply, my eyes not moving from my computer screen. A screen that has countless photos of Paige and I together. Happy photos, a simpler time, before the shit hit the fan.

  I didn’t follow Paige last night. I let her go. She needs time to come to terms with the fact that we still want each other.

  “Joey,” Donovan says as he enters my office at Club Valentine. I close down the photos on my computer and turn my attention to the man that is closest to Paige. Lucky bastard.

  “Donovan, take a seat,” I say as I gesture to the chair on the other side of my desk. Donovan walks over and sits down. “What can I do for you?”

  “Paige wants to know when you are going to release the Morgan brothers to her,” Donovan says. His eyes watch me inquisitively.

  “When does she want them?” I ask.

  “As soon as possible,” he replies.

  “And why is Paige sending you to ask her questions?”

  “She’s busy with business,” Donovan says, although I can tell that he isn’t convinced by the answer that Paige has so obviously given him.

  “The Morgan brothers are her business,” I say.

  “That’s why I’m here, to tie up any loose ends.”

  To tie up loose ends. Is he sending me a fucking message? Does he know more about my past with Paige than he is letting on?

  I survey the way he sits, like he thinks he’s got one up on me. He’s not scared of dealing with a Valentine, but if he thinks that he has got the upper hand here, he is sadly fucking mistaken.

  “Tell Paige to give me a call and I will make the arrangements,” I tell him.
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  “With all due respect, Joey, she sent me to make the arrangements,” Donovan says, leaning forward in his chair slightly.

  “And I’m telling you that she needs to give me a call.” I won’t back down on this. He comes in here, thinking he can handle business when he can’t handle shit.

  “Why? I’m here, we can deal with it now,” he replies.

  Donovan Marshall. Paige’s number one, demanding answers from me. Shit just got a little more messy.

  “Donovan, don’t forget who you’re fucking speaking to,” I warn him. “If I tell you that Paige needs to give me a call to make the arrangements, then she needs to give me a fucking call. You don’t get to question what I say.” I swear, if he thought that he could shoot me in the head and get away with it, he would be doing that right now. Turns out though that Donovan isn’t as badass as he tries to make out.

  “What is the deal with you and Paige?” he says, and I can instantly see that he knows he shouldn’t have said that out loud. Clearly she hasn’t told him anything. I don’t know whether that’s a good or a bad thing. Then again, I haven’t told anyone about our history, so I can see why she would want to keep it quiet.

  “Have her call me,” I say sternly. I don’t need to carry on a conversation with him, there’s nothing more to say.

  He gets up, knowing that he has been dismissed and stalks over to the door. Before he leaves, he turns back around to me.

  “Joey, I respect what you do here, I respect who you are, and I respect that you have worked for everything that you have. But if you fuck around with Paige, make no mistake that I will come for you.” His words are meant to install some terror inside of me, they do nothing of the sort. But his words do show me that Paige means more to him than being his boss.

  “Are you threatening me, Donovan?” I ask, a smirk on my lips.

  “Yes.” No hesitation, straight forward answer. This fucker is in love with her. You don’t put your ass on the line for nothing short of love in this world. He’s showing me his weakness, it’s just a shame that it’s the same fucking weakness as mine.

  “Does she know?” I ask the question that I don’t need to explain. His jaw tightens, and I know from that movement alone that she doesn’t have a clue about Donovan being in love with her.

  “You can leave now,” I say, dismissing him completely.

  Donovan gets up, walks away, closes the door behind him, and I sit back in my seat. In the last twenty-four hours I’ve had more insight into Paige’s world than I thought possible.

  Donovan is in love with her, I still want her, and Paige is trying to block her feelings. Am I being blind? Does she still want me? That kiss last night tells me that she does, but does she have feelings for Donovan? Is he the reason that she is pushing me away? Or is it all down to me and my past mistakes?

  I’m Joey Valentine and I run the motherfucking game. Except in this instance, it feels like the game is running me, and I have no idea how to stop it.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Paige

  “He is getting on my last fucking nerve,” I shout as Donovan relays that Joey won’t release the Morgan brothers unless I call him.

  “I tried,” Donovan says looking defeated. He hates being beaten and not getting his own way. He’s not the only one. Joey seems determined to intertwine himself into my life. I need to shut this shit down.

  I stand up from my desk and pick my keys up. I need to put an end to whatever mind game he is trying to play with me. He wanted my respect, he got it. He didn’t ask for anything more, so I shouldn’t have to be made to deal with him any longer.

  “Where are you going?” Donovan asks as I walk out of my office and head down the hallway.

  “I’m going to get the Morgan brothers, and to let Joey know that I’m not playing around.”

  ***

  “Paige,” Raymond says as I walk through the doors of Club Valentine.

  “Raymond. Joey around?” I ask, not even smiling at him.

  “He’s in a meeting,” he informs me.

  “An important one?”

  “All meetings are important, Paige.” Raymond smirks. “Why don’t you grab a drink and go and find a seat. I’ll let Joey know that you’re here to see him.”

  He speaks to me like a silly little girl that doesn’t know what to do with herself. Or at least that’s how it comes across.

  I nod and head to the bar, ordering a vodka and coke. I don’t ever need liquid courage, but I’m pretty sure that an alcoholic drink will help keep me at ease whilst I wait for Joey to finish up with whatever he’s doing. My drink is quickly placed in front of me and I take a long sip of the cool beverage.

  My eyes sweep around the room. Not many people have arrived here yet, but it’s still early and the real assholes don’t come out to play until later. Until they have appeased their wives before picking up their side pieces who will entertain them for the evening. Ugh.

  I look to the doorway that leads to the back offices, and there stands Joey, with some woman in front of him. Her back is to me, her long blond hair sweeping down her back and ending just above her ass. An ass that is barely covered. Her long legs are left bare, and her sky scraper heels give mine a run for their money. She has one of her hands on her hip, and the other is on Joey’s chest. He’s looking down at her, but he looks unamused. His eyes almost dead of emotion, until they look up and see me, and the fucking spark that shoots through me is like nothing else.

  Joey has in front of him a blonde, who is clearly willing to do anything to get his attention, but his focus is on me. Am I fool for enjoying the power that seems to give me?

  Joey seems to dismiss her and the blonde walks away, her shoulders drooping more than they were a few seconds ago. I know how it hurts to be turned away by Joey Valentine, but I doubt the woman has felt the same level of rejection as I have at the hands of the most handsome man to ever walk the fucking earth. Her pride will be hurt more than anything, whereas my heart is damaged beyond repair.

  Joey nods his head to me and I take that as my cue to walk over, drink in hand, hips swaying as I go. Joey watches my every movement, something he seems to do a lot. Is it just to try and decipher everything about me so that when he comes for me I won’t be able to defend myself? Or is it because he is telling the truth and he genuinely is sorry for what went down between us all those years ago?

  See what you did to me Joey? You made me fucking doubt everything. I don’t know what to believe anymore. I used to have it figured out, thought I was rock solid, but he’s smashing apart the foundations that I built around me.

  I need to hold onto my anger, channel it to push myself to the top. I did that for so long, and I need it back.

  Joey holds the door open, letting me pass by him before closing it behind us. No words are exchanged as he goes ahead of me and leads me to whatever room he uses back here for business matters.

  We pass by three doors until we get to the one at the very end of the hallway. Joey opens the door, moving aside once again for me to go ahead of him. When I enter the room I am momentarily blown away by the beauty of it. It’s not an office as I thought it would be. It’s like a mini fucking apartment in here.

  To the right there are large, cream sofas, a big screen television on the wall and an electric fireplace commanding attention. The fireplace glows dimly, which goes with the low lighting and the deep purple walls. Not a colour I was expecting Joey to have chosen for his private quarters within Club Valentine.

  To the left is a kitchen area with marble worktops lining the walls and a glass table in the middle of the room, four chairs sitting around it. The most impressive bit is the giant bookcase lining the back wall, hundreds of books lining the shelves.

  The floor is part wooden floorboards, part carpet, and it looks every bit as plush as I would have expected, if I had had any expectations at all.

  “Can I get you a refill?” Joey asks me, nodding to my half empty glass.

  “No thanks,” I
reply as I watch him walk over to the kitchen area and open a cupboard where the glasses are kept. He takes out a tumbler and then pours himself a scotch from the lonely bottle that sits near the edge of the worktop.

  He takes a sip. His lips glisten from the liquid and my mind recalls a time when I used to lick the scotch from him, tasting him and the drink all at once. It used to be one of my favourite things to do; intimate, sensual.

  I quickly put the thought to the back of my mind, needing to keep my focus on the business that I came here to discuss.

  “Shall we take a seat?” Joey says, already walking over to the plush sofas. I feel like I should take my shoes off, not wanting to get any dirt on the pristine cream carpet area. I don’t though. If he wants me to take my shoes off, then he can damn well ask me to. He doesn’t, and he sinks down onto one of the sofas. I opt to sit on the other one, facing him, not being near enough for him to touch me in any way.

  “So,” he begins. “You’re here to talk about the Morgan brothers, I presume?”

  “Who was the woman?” I say before I can stop myself.

  Joey eyes almost bug out of his head at my question.

  “The woman?” he asks as he sits forwards so he’s on the edge of the sofa.

  “Yes, the woman. The blond one who was pawing at you like a desperate feline,” I say, and I can’t hide the distaste in my tone.

  “Desperate feline?” Joey says not bothering to hide the fucking smirk on his face. So much for showing him that I was fully in control. I can’t even sit here and deny that I felt a fucking pang of jealousy at seeing the woman touch him.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t call her that. I mean, for all I know, she could be your girlfriend, fiancée, whatever, and the fact that you kissed me last night means that you have put me in a difficult position.” I don’t ever want to be the other woman, I wouldn’t do that for anybody. I see it all the time. The wives that are unaware at home, thinking they’ve got it all. And then there are the wives that do know and decide to remain blissfully ignorant whilst being eaten alive inside with the pain that their husbands are inflicting on them.