Demon's Game

by Katherine Bogle

  Patchwork Press

  Copyright © 2020 by Katherine Bogle

  http://katherinebogle.com

  Cover Design by Katzilla Designs

  First Edition — 2020

  No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information browsing, storage, or retrieval system, without permission in writing from Katherine Bogle.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 1

  Join Kat’s Readers & Rebels

  About the Author

  Also by Katherine Bogle

  Chapter 1

  If this guy touches me one more time, I’m going to fucking lose it.

  My fingers tapped impatiently against the sleek wooden surface of the bar as I stared down the lecherous fool sitting across from me. He wasn’t the first to hit on me tonight—not by a long shot. Working at a bar in downtown New York City wasn’t an easy gig, but it was helping me pay my way through school.

  Now if only this guy would order his drink and get out of my space, I could go back to stressing about my final project.

  “Clarrera,” the drunkard slurred. He hadn’t been able to say my name right for three drinks now, and if he didn’t get his hand off my wrist, he was going to wind up losing his front teeth. Then he’d really have trouble pronouncing my name.

  “It’s Clara,” I said, forcing a pleasant ‘I-want-to-keep-my-job’ smile. “What can I get for you, sir?”

  For the third time in as many minutes, I tried to pull my hand back. And again, his sweaty fingers tightened on my wrist. I winced. His grip was starting to hurt. I was definitely going to have bruises in the morning.

  The drunkard leaned in close, pulling me as close as I could get while still having my feet on the ground. His hot, whiskey-heavy breath bathed my cheeks, and turned my stomach. No, no, no! This was way too close. Way too fucking close!

  “What’s a pretty girl like you doing behind the bar?” the man asked. He stared pointedly at my cleavage, which due to the awkward position he’d forced me into, strained against my black work-shirt. “You should have a sugar daddy taking care of you.” He chuckled and grinned so wide he flashed yellow teeth. “Why don’t you let daddy take care of you?”

  I shivered. “Sir, I have a job to do. If you’d release me, I can get you another whiskey.”

  He frowned; probably irritated that I was ignoring everything he said. “Clarrera, come here—”

  “Clara!”

  My heart skipped and my tensed body finally relaxed a fraction. I’d never been so happy to hear Eli’s singsong voice in my life. My favorite co-worker appeared at the door to the back, a brilliant smile on her gorgeous, tan face. Eli beamed at the drunkard pulling me halfway across the bar. His eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped open. Eli had that affect on men—and some women too.

  While he remained in a stupor, I took my chance to extract myself from his hold. Once I was free, I backed up until my ass hit the display against the wall, sending rows of wine glasses rattling.

  “Oh, you’re with a customer!” Eli gasped with fake surprise. Her cherry lips popped into a small ‘o’. “I’m so sorry, sir! I’ll let you finish with Clara-dear.” Again, she flashed a smile that could light up the whole room.

  The drunkard still hadn’t recovered, though his eyes were definitely roaming down Eli’s curvy body. Even in a polo, slacks and a matching black apron, Eli could still stop traffic. Maybe it had something to do with her flaming red hair.

  A sliver of jealousy twisted in my gut. I could only dream of having curves like Eli. My slight figure, straight black hair and grey eyes were boring in comparison to the fiery vixen.

  “It’s no problem,” the drunkard finally managed.

  I took a deep breath to gather myself before pouring the man a whiskey. As soon as my obligation was fulfilled, I excused myself.

  Eli raised an eyebrow at my approach, and I quickly pulled her toward the back door. We’d worked together long enough for Eli to know when I needed a minute.

  “You good?” Eli whispered. She took my hand and squeezed firmly. Though she had an innocent, flirtatious vibe only moments ago, the rage in her blue eyes spoke danger. If that man had hurt me, Eli was about to go all ‘hell hath no fury’ on his ass.

  I forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.”

  Eli let go of my hand. “Anytime. You know I’ve got your back.”

  “I know.”

  Eli glanced over my shoulder as she pushed open the swinging door to the back room with her ass. “Enrique, can you handle the bar for a few?” she called inside.

  An answering grunt confirmed our fellow bartender would cover for us.

  Eli flashed a cheeky smile as she grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the break room. The smell of pizza sauce and burnt dough filled my nostrils. Enrique must have blown up another pizza pocket in the microwave.

  I bit my tongue on a groan. Guess who was going to have to clean that up? Definitely not Enrique.

  Once we were inside the break room, Eli threw herself down on the worn brown sofa, laying her arms over the top of the cushions. “What’s up, girl? I haven’t seen you in a few days.”

  I sat down on the armchair closest to the door and ran a hand through my long hair, tucking it behind my ear. “I’ve been busy with school. My final project is due next week.”

  Eli rolled her eyes. “It’s always work with you. Do you ever take a break?”

  My lips pressed into a firm line. We’d had this conversation many times before. “I’ll take a break once I’m done the semester. I have to be on my A-game, or I’ll fail this project and have to retake the entire year.”

  Eli leaned her head back against the couch and groaned. “Clara, you know I love you, but you have to learn to chill out. Being high strung is only going to raise your blood pressure.”

  I bit my lip. “Like I said, once the semester is over—”

  “Are you off tomorrow?” Eli sat forward, leaning her elbows on her knees.

  I blinked in surprise at the sudden change in topic. “Yes…” I replied slowly. I didn’t like where this was going.

  “Great!” Eli bounced off the couch and grabbed her gold clutch from her locker. When she sat back down, she held out three black envelopes with golden script on the front. “You’re going to take these off my hands then.”

  I looked between Eli’s face and the cards. Eli pushed them forward, waving them around until I plucked them from her hands. “What are they?”

  “Three invitations to an ultra exclusive party outside the city.” Eli grinned wickedly and wiggled her eyebrows meaningfully. “I work tomorrow, so I can’t make it. I want you to have them. Use them. Invite two of your girlfriends along and make a night of it.” She leaned back against the couch and crossed one leg over the other, looking far too pleased with herself.

  “Eli, you know I can’t. I have to work on my project.” I turned over the invitations in hand. I knew Eli meant well. She always did. But Eli was a free spirit. She didn’t understand commitments or work ethic. I sighed and set the invitations in my lap. I pulled one of the cards from its envelope. The invitation was beautiful, the same matte black as the outside with a crisp golden border. I scanned the invite for the location, but I didn’t recognize the address.

  “Clary,” Eli said, using her nickname for me to try and sway me. “Please? I don’t want
these to go to waste. You’ll have all day to work on your project, and then you can take a town car to the party. It’s already paid for.”

  I chewed on my lip. “I don’t know. I really wanted to hunker down tomorrow.”

  I’d been working on my final project for weeks—or at least I’d been trying to. I still haven’t come up with a final design for the pretend start up company I was supposed to be creating a media packet for. If I didn’t finish the logo design soon, I wouldn’t have time to complete the rest of the material required.

  “It’s one night.” Eli raised her eyebrows as she leaned forward and took my hands. “You’ll be back to work by Saturday morning. You’ll have loads of time to finish before your shift on Saturday night.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. Though Eli had asked if I worked tomorrow night, she’d already known—especially if she knew I worked Saturday. Still, it did sound like fun. The invitation said to dress to impress. There was an open bar and free food. What more could I ask for?

  “Fine,” I said.

  Eli’s eyes went wide. “You’ll go?”

  “I will. But you have to promise me you’ll lay off after this. No bugging me to chill out until after finals.” I glared at the petite woman.

  Eli held up her hands in a defensive gesture. “Of course! No more nagging, I swear!” She motioned a cross over her heart, and grinned from ear to ear. “I’m so excited for you!”

  “Yeah, yeah.” I rolled my eyes. She just thought I was going to get laid. That was another one of her issues when it came to my social life. If I wasn’t getting any, then I wasn’t really living—at least according to Eli.

  “Call your friends! I’ll head back out there.” She hooked a thumb at the door and stood, adjusting her shirt and slacks.

  “Thanks, Eli,” I said, driving as much sarcasm into those two words as I could.

  Eli snickered all the way back out into the bar. Only when the swinging door closed did I relax.

  My co-worker was right about one thing: I could use a break. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d done something besides work, or go to school… and work some more. Damn, was my life really that dull?

  I sighed as I slid down in my chair. I took a few minutes to collect myself before I yanked my phone out of my pocket. Once I keyed in my passcode, I flipped over to my contacts. There were four names on my most recent list: Eli, my mom, and my two best friends: Gloria Hernandez and Jamie Winslow. The three of us had been BFFs since we met in junior year of high school. Though we’d all gone on separate paths since, we all stayed in New York and tried to schedule weekly hangouts.

  Come to think of it, it had been awhile since I’d seen the girls. Maybe I did need to get out.

  I dialed in Gloria’s number and conferenced Jamie into the call. On the third ring, they both answered.

  “Clara, as I live and breathe, you’re alive!” Gloria gushed into the phone. It might have come across as sarcastic if it were anyone else, but Gloria was the world’s biggest sweetheart. I don’t think she even knew how to do sarcasm.

  “Oh, the graphic designer graces us with her presence,” Jamie said. Now sarcasm was definitely part of her repertoire.

  “I know, I know. I’ve been busy,” I said. My cheeks heated with embarrassment. It sounded like a terrible excuse, and it was.

  “Oh, hush, JJ,” Gloria huffed. “You know our girl has that final project coming up.”

  I groaned. “Actually, it’s due next week.”

  “Shit,” Jamie said. “How far are you?”

  “I’m… getting there,” I said.

  “You know what that means.”

  “She’s stalling out. Too stuck in her head.” Gloria sighed. “How can we help, C?”

  I smiled. I missed the affectionate way Gloria always used our first initials as nicknames. With her slight southern accent, it always sounded like molasses falling off her tongue. “Well, I’m actually not calling about a project. I’m calling to invite you both to a party.”

  Silence rested on the other line.

  “Wait, you’re serious?” Jamie asked.

  “A party?” Gloria gasped.

  “I didn’t think that word was in your vocabulary,” Jamie added, sounding both impressed and confused.

  “Oh shut up!” I hissed. “I can have fun… on occasion.”

  “Ri-ight,” Jamie drew out the word.

  “When is it?” Gloria asked, her voice bubbly with excitement.

  “Tomorrow night. My co-worker Eli gave me three tickets to a party outside the city. She says she has a town car set up and paid for in advance, but I was thinking we could take Mr Jeep,” I explained. Mr Jeep was Gloria’s nickname for the old hunk of crap Jeep she’d bought right out of high school. It worked fine, for the most part. Either way, I’d be way more comfortable taking it than taking a town car with no way to escape should we decide to ditch early.

  “Oh good idea, C!” Gloria said, beaming right through the phone. I swear you could hear her smiling.

  “This is very unlike you, Clara,” Jamie said. “Are you sure you’re up for it?”

  I steeled myself. “Yeah. I need a little break. I can get back to work on Saturday. Plus, I have all day tomorrow to figure out a logo.”

  “We’ll come over early and give you a hand,” Jamie offered.

  “Oh, yes! We can grab pizza on our way,” Gloria added.

  I smiled and closed my eyes. Warmth bubbled inside of me. “I love you girls.”

  Jamie chuckled softly, while Gloria snort-laughed.

  “We love you too, C!” Gloria said.

  “Now get back to work,” Jamie said. “You’re at work aren’t you?”

  I groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

  “We’ll see you tomorrow!” Gloria singsonged.

  “See you.” I hung up the phone and leaned back against the old sofa. What have I just gotten myself into?

  Chapter 2

  Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. By the time dinner rolled around, I still hadn’t settled on a final design for the logo. Between pulling my hair out and screaming into my couch cushions, Gloria and Jamie arrived. Despite how helpful they tried to be, neither of them were artists. After an hour of them trying to help me decide between mockups in my sketchbook, I tossed the black book aside and determined it was time to get ready.

  We chowed on pizza and sipped on sodas while we prepared for the night’s festivities. The invitation said dress to impress, so that’s exactly what we did. By the time seven o’clock rolled around, it was time to head out. The party started at eight, and it would take us at least an hour to get there.

  “Are you sure you don’t want your hair curled?” Gloria asked. She tilted her head cutely, her tight black curls bouncing around her heart-shaped face. “Your hair looks so pretty when it’s curled.”

  I sighed inwardly. “No, I’m fine.” I’d rather be on time than have curls that would fall out before we arrived. “We should get going.”

  “Haven’t you ever heard of being fashionably late?” Jamie smiled deviously as she parked herself on the windowsill in my tiny one bedroom apartment. She smoked out the window, a cigarette held delicately between her fingers.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ve heard of it. I just don’t think it’s polite.”

  Gloria sighed dramatically and flopped onto the couch. “Fine. Next time I will get at that hair of yours!” She narrowed her eyes at me, looking way too serious to be my Gloria.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said on a gulp.

  Her beaming smile returned and she hopped back up. “All right, to the Jeep-mobile!”

  The three of us laughed as we clambered out of my apartment and locked up. We were on the road a few minutes later, heading outside Manhattan, and right through Brooklyn.

  Gloria cranked the latest Top Forty over the radio, singing along with the voice of an angel. I smiled to myself and stared out the window, watching the twinkling lights of the city pass by.

  A l
ittle over an hour later, we pulled up to what the GPS said was the right address.

  “Is this it?” Jamie asked, sounding suspicious.

  My eyes widened as I craned my neck to look out the window. A huge, modern mansion rose in front of us with floor to ceiling glass windows, a large patio, and an actual valet out front parking cars.

  I pulled one of the invitations out of its envelope and read the address twice before checking the GPS on my phone for the fifth time. “Uh, yeah. This is it.”

  Gloria eased Mr Jeep into the long roundabout driveway, following a red Mercedes. Dozens upon dozens of sleek sports cars and old-fashioned muscle cars were parked to the right of the main drive, while the other side was occupied by hedges trimmed into the shapes of different animals.

  “Eli is one seriously amazing co-worker,” Jamie said, awed. “You’ve got to thank her for us. This is… this is beyond co-worker friendship.”

  I nodded silently, still unable to believe my eyes as we pulled up in front of the modern manor.

  Three well-dressed valets stepped up to our doors; opening them for us the second Gloria quieted the engine. My valet offered me his hand, and I quickly slipped out of the car onto the driveway. I stepped away from the jeep, and he closed the door behind me. Gloria and Jamie joined me on the walkway to the front door, looking just as shocked as I felt.

  The couple from the Mercedes walked by, looking ready for the red carpet. The woman wore a form fitting red gown, and the man sported a black tailored suit. They could be movie stars, or foreign royalty for all I knew.

  “Should we go in?” Gloria asked.

  We all exchanged a wide-eyed look.

  “Hell yes, we should!” Jamie said. “I want to see what this mansion looks like inside.”

  I smiled as excitement bubbled inside me. Maybe this was going to be a great night after all. Though I felt a little underdressed in my purple gown with a slit up the thigh, and bare shoulders, I followed my best friends up to the entryway, eager to find out what came next.