The Devil's Game

by Alex Strong

  Damien covered his mouth as he gave a little cough, and though he was suppressing a smile behind that hand, Karina could see it in his eyes.

  “By the way,” Karina said, shifting closer to Damien. “I wanted to tell you that you were wrong about the museum gala last weekend.”

  “Is that so?” Tabitha asked with a frown.

  “Yes, I didn’t find it boring at all.” Karina rested her hand on Damien’s shoulder, and she felt his hand on her lower back. “In fact, I think it was the most fun I’ve ever had at an event.” She looked down at Damien who was holding his chin, focusing on the table. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

  He raised his eyes to her, trying not to laugh. “I’d have to agree one hundred percent.”

  The waiter came back with Damien’s credit card and the slip for him to sign.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Tabitha said, though she clearly wasn’t.

  “It’s been a pleasure as always, Tabitha,” Damien sighed, sliding the card back into his wallet. “But Karina and I are going to head home now.”

  “It’s so early, though,” she pouted. “You really should come join the party in the back. And Karina, obviously.”

  “Obviously,” Damien muttered. “I appreciate the invite,” he said, “However—”

  “Damien Bishop!” someone shouted, and Karina and Damien both turned around so see a man coming their way. “I thought that was you,” he said, shaking Damien’s hand. “What are you doing here?”

  “Gregson,” said Damien. “We were just having dinner.”

  “And who might you be?” Gregson asked, flashing Karina a toothy smile as he extended his hand.

  “Karina,” she said, accepting it before shifting closer to Damien as she noticed Tabitha rolling her eyes.

  “Pleasure to meet you.” Gregson turned back to Damien. “How are you, man?”

  “I’m good,” said Damien. “And yourself?”

  “Couldn’t be better. It’s my birthday party going on back there.”

  “So I heard. Happy birthday,” said Damien.

  “You should come have a drink with me. We haven’t talked in forever.”

  “Thank you, but Karina and I were about to head home.”

  “Oh, come on,” said Gregson. “One drink. You aren’t going to say no to the birthday boy, are you?”

  Damien sighed but smiled.

  “No,” he said. “Of course not.”

  “Excellent.”

  Damien took Karina’s hand, and the four of them walked into the private room in the back.

  “There’s a good reason why he and I haven’t talked in a while,” Damien whispered to her. “We won’t be staying long.”

  The private room was packed with people. In the center was a table laid out with food, and a small bar lined the back wall.

  Tabitha mingled back into the crowd while Karina and Damien followed Gregson to the bar.

  “Can I get three shots of Patron?” Gregson asked the bartender.

  “None for me, please,” Karina said. Straight tequila was the last thing she needed.

  “Come on,” said Gregson. “It’s just one shot.”

  “She said no,” Damien told him firmly.

  Gregson frowned but turned to the bartender and told him only two.

  “Is there something else you would like?” Damien asked.

  “Water would be nice,” she said, and Damien requested it.

  Damien lifted his glass to Gregson. “Happy birthday.”

  “To old times,” said Gregson, and Karina caught the look in Damien’s face. He didn’t care for this man any more than she did.

  Word got around that Damien was in the room, and everyone wanted to say hi. He introduced her to most people, but it was obvious they were more interested in him, so she wandered off, content to just people-watch. As she stood in the corner, sipping her water, Tabitha sidled up next to her.

  “So who are you, exactly?” she asked.

  “Um, Karina Watson.”

  Tabitha rolled her eyes. “How do you know Damien?” she asked. “What’s your angle?”

  “I don’t have an angle,” Karina told her. “And how I know Damien is none of your business.”

  Tabitha moved so that she was now standing face to face with Karina.

  “Everyone knows that Damien is the most eligible bachelor around. You can’t honestly think some nobody like you is going to land him.”

  “First of all, I’m not trying to land him. But if I was,” Karina gave her a patronizing smile, “I’m pretty sure my odds are way better than yours.”

  Tabitha narrowed her eyes. “You little—”

  “Ahem.”

  Tabitha turned around to find Damien right behind her.

  “Do you mind if I borrow Karina for a moment?”

  “Oh, of course,” Tabitha said in the fake sweet voice of hers. “We were just having a friendly little chat.”

  “I’m sure you were,” he said as he reached for Karina’s hand, pulled her into him, and led her out of the room. “What was she saying to you?” he asked.

  “Apparently you’re the most eligible bachelor around,” she told him.

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Damien handed his ticket to the valet and then turned to Karina while they waited.

  “Is there anything else you want to do before we head home?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. Any suggestions?”

  He stepped closer and wrapped a tendril of her hair around his finger.

  “I suggest,” he said, “that we head back to the house and spend the rest of the evening tangled up in each other.”

  The door behind him opened, and out of the corner of her eye, Karina recognized Tabitha walking out of it.

  “I think,” Karina said, pressing her chest against Damien’s, “that’s a splendid idea.”

  A smile spread across his face as he lowered his lips to Karina’s mouth.

  The valet attendant returned with Damien’s car and he released her. Karina caught the look on Tabitha’s face just before the vile woman walked back into the restaurant.

  She knew it was petty, but Karina couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction as she slid into the Mercedes.

  “Why do you even bother with her?” Karina asked as Damien drove.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Tabitha. Why do you allow her to think you two are friends? Why not tell her to, well, to fuck off?”

  He laughed. “Trust me, I’ve been tempted to. Especially tonight,” he said, taking Karina’s hand and kissing it.

  “Then why don’t you? Why the charade?”

  “That’s just the way it is with these people,” he sighed. “We all pretend to get along to get what we want. Take Gregson for example. Two years ago, he poached one of my best VPs. Then three months later, he let the guy go.”

  “Did you hire him back?”

  “I couldn’t trust him after that. Meanwhile, Gregson acts like it’s water under the bridge. Unfortunately, his security systems run off our software, so I have to act like it as well.”

  “But what about Tabitha? What does she offer you?”

  “Tabitha is a gossip who runs in a lot of the same circles. I stay on her good side to keep the rumors to a minimum.”

  “It seemed like you were doing more than staying on her good side at the engagement party.”

  Damien looked at her with a sheepish smile.

  “I have a confession to make,” he said. “I was trying to make you jealous.”

  Karina’s hand flew out at his chest before she even realized what she was doing.

  “Ouch,” he groaned, rubbing his chest. “You know, it’s not smart to attack the driver while he’s driving.”

  “I can’t believe you,” she said, massaging her hand. She’d forgotten how solid his chest was.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, reaching for the hand that had just assaulted him. “It was childish. I didn’t know
how else to get your attention.”

  “That’s the second time you’ve apologized to me today.”

  “Does is still count if I’m apologizing for something that happened over a week ago?”

  “I think that makes it worse.”

  “I’m really sorry, Karina. Can you forgive me?”

  She thought about that night and how jealous she had in fact been, even if she hadn’t been willing to admit it. And it was that jealousy that had sent her into Damien’s bedroom after the party. He’d manipulated her, and Karina wanted to be mad at him. But as she looked at him glancing her way, waiting for her forgiveness, she knew she wouldn’t have been jealous if she hadn’t felt something for him. And wasn’t she just as guilty of trying to manipulate him once she knew what he was trying to do?

  “No more tricks,” she said. “No more games.”

  “Agreed,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze.

  The next several days flew by, no matter how much Karina wanted time to slow down. Damien worked as little as possible, retreating only to his home office when necessary. And there were no more business trips, despite what the itinerary said.

  Tom still stopped by most days to check in with Damien, and Karina could sense his irritation at the whole situation, even though he said nothing to her.

  As the last day drew closer, Karina wondered how she was supposed to say goodbye. She wondered if Damien even wanted to.

  Her room was rarely used anymore—it was mostly just a place to keep her clothes. Even some of those had migrated into Damien’s closet out of convenience.

  And before she knew it, her last weekend in Miami had arrived.

  Damien had to go into work for a few hours that Saturday but was back before noon.

  “What do you say we go grab lunch somewhere near the beach?”

  “I like that idea,” she said ,and the two of them headed out in Damien’s Porsche. They enjoyed a leisurely lunch at a bistro on the water, and when he finally paid the bill, Damien invited her to walk with him along the boardwalk.

  “I have something I want to talk to you about,” he said.

  “Okay,” she replied, worried what it could be.

  He took her hand and led her out to the crowded pavement. Of course everyone was spending Saturday afternoon at the beach. They walked for several minutes and he still had not said anything.

  “What is it you wanted to talk to me about?” she asked, hoping she didn’t regret pushing him.

  “I wanted to ask you about the graduate program you’re applying for.”

  “Oh. Okay, what about it?”

  “I’m curious why you chose—”

  Just then, someone in a jacket and ball cap rushed past them, bumping his shoulder into Damien.

  “Excuse me,” Damien said, even though it wasn’t his fault. The guy seemed not to have noticed, and they continued walking.

  “I wanted to ask—”

  “Damien Bishop!”

  Damien and Karina both turned around to see the same guy facing them, holding a gun, and while Karina would later remember it as having happened so fast, everything slowed down as she registered the gun and Damien’s men rushing toward the attacker. And then all at once Damien was stepping in front of her at the same moment the bodyguards reached the man—just as shot went off and Karina was knocked off her feet by Damien falling against her. She managed to land on her ass, but Damien was on his back next to her, blood soaking the left corner of his shirt.

  “Oh my god, Damien!” she said, leaning over him. “Damien!” She looked around to see that most people had hit the ground at the sound of the gunshot, but some people were still standing, coming closer now that Damien’s men were on the attacker, securing his hands.

  “Someone call 911!” she screamed but quickly realized that one of Damien’s bodyguards was already on the phone.

  “Damien,” she said, looking down at him with tears in her eyes.

  “It’s okay,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Okay? Damien, you’ve been shot!”

  He lifted his head enough to look down and see the red staining his clothes. “So I have,” he said. “That’s annoying.”

  She laughed, which only made her cry more. “Stop being such an ass,” she said. “This is serious. Don’t you die on me.”

  “At least your beautiful face would be the last thing I see.”

  “Shut up,” she scolded. “I would punch you if you weren’t shot.”

  “I appreciate the restraint,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s that bad.”

  He tried to sit up, but Karina stopped him.

  “You are not moving until help gets here,” she told him, taking his hand.

  “How long is that going to take?” he asked just as one of Damien’s men came over, still on the phone.

  “EMTs are on their way, sir,” he said. “We aren’t far from the nearest hospital, so it shouldn’t be too long.”

  “Good,” said Damien with a nod as he squeezed Karina’s hand.

  He seemed fine, but all the blood terrified Karina, and she worried that he was in shock.

  Damien’s bodyguard was right, and sirens could soon be heard. It wasn’t long before paramedics and police officers were pushing through the crowd. One officer pulled Karina to the side while the medics attended to Damien. She answered their questions as best she could—there wasn’t much to say—and watched as Damien was put on a stretcher and wheeled to the ambulance.

  “Where are they taking him?” she asked the officer. “Can I go with him?”

  The officer nodded, and Karina rushed to the ambulance.

  “Can I go with him?” she repeated to the medic as he was about to step into the vehicle.

  “Are you his wife?” he asked.

  “No, but I’m—” She didn’t have an answer for him. Girlfriend didn’t sound like the right word either.

  “She’s with me,” Damien said from inside, and the medic helped her in.

  “Is he going to be okay?” she asked, taking Damien’s hand again.

  “We’ll know more when we get to the hospital,” said the EMT, keeping pressure on the upper left side of his chest.

  Karina frowned.

  “It’s fine,” Damien said.

  The sirens came on again as the ambulance started moving, and Karina gave a little prayer, hoping that he really was fine.

  Final Days

  It didn’t take long for them to get to the hospital, and Karina was left at the front desk while they wheeled Damien into a room.

  “Karina!”

  She spun around to see Tom walking through the doors.

  “Is he okay?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “They aren’t telling me much. Damien insists he’s fine.”

  “Of course he does.”

  A nurse walked up to them carrying a clipboard.

  “Is one of you able to fill out paperwork for Mr. Bishop?” she asked.

  “I’ve got it,” Tom said, taking the board and pen.

  He and Karina moved over to some nearby chairs.

  “What happened?” Tom asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “We were just walking when some random guy pulled a gun on us. He shouted Damien’s name, though, so he obviously knew him.”

  The police officers from the scene walked in, accompanied by Damien’s security, and one of them pointed in their direction.

  “Will you hold this for a second?” Tom asked, handing her the clipboard.

  Karina took the paperwork and watched with curiosity as Tom walked up to them and they all moved into a corner to talk. After what felt like forever, Tom returned and the cops headed down the same direction Damien had been taken.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked Tom.

  “Yeah, it’s fine. That was a close call,” he said. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m terrified,” she replied, staring at nothing. “I’m in shock. Mostly I’m just worried about
Damien.”

  “You and me both,” Tom said as he continued filling out the forms.

  “I think I’m falling for him, Tom,” she sighed, and he sucked in a breath.

  “You can’t say anything,” he said. “I like you Karina, I really do. And that’s why I’m warning you that this can’t end well.”

  “I know,” she muttered.

  “I’m the closest thing he has to a friend, and I can tell you that Damien Bishop doesn’t do…that. I’m not even sure if he’s capable of it.”

  “You can’t mean that.”

  “He’s too jaded. He’s spent his life surrounded by fake, superficial people. People who only want to be around you if you have something to benefit them.”

  “Sounds like he’s not the only one who’s jaded.”

  “It’s our world,” Tom said with a shrug. “Even if I don’t have Damien’s money, I see what it does to people. How it shows their true colors.”

  Karina leaned her head on Tom’s shoulder. “I don’t care about his money. I just want him to be okay.”

  “I know,” he said. “Me too.”

  Tom let her sit like that for a while until a doctor came out.

  “You can see him now,” she said and led them to one of the rooms.

  Damien was sitting shirtless on a table with bandaging around his left arm.

  “He’s free to go home,” the doctor said before walking out.

  “Wait,” Karina called after her. “That’s it? He’s been shot and you’re sending him home already?”

  “It was just a graze,” Damien said, starting to put the bloody shirt back on, then thinking twice about it. “Tom, will you find a shop or something nearby and get me a clean shirt?”

  “On it,” Tom said and walked out of the room.

  Damien jumped off the table and threw the shirt in the bin marked “biological hazards.”

  “Just a graze?” Karina asked. “But there was so much blood. And why were you in here for so long?”

  “The bullet managed to nick a vein. They stopped the bleeding quickly enough, but they wanted to make sure I wasn’t light-headed before they let me go.”

  “And here I was sick with worry out there.”

  He touched her cheek. “You weren’t really that worried about me, were you?”

  “Of course I was! Damien, I watched a man shoot you.”