The Devil's Game (Rhodes to Hell Book 1)

by K. B. Saint

  “Well then I guess it’s a good thing you have me,” she chuckles as she finishes pouring her own water as I set mine down on the window sill by Ruby’s bed.

  “I guess,” I chuckle under my breath before driving back into Ruby’s lips.

  After a few more groans from my sister Ruby pushes me back with a laugh. “I need to use the bathroom anyway, who wants to help me get there?”

  “You two are on your own,” my sister tells us both, “as payback for making me watch you make out when I’m as single I am. It’s unfair.”

  She’s pouting and scoots up to the head of the bed as I help Ruby up and I just laugh and shake my head at her. The cast on Ruby’s leg keeps it straight as she swings it toward me and once she has her good foot and the casted foot on the floor, she uses me to pull herself up. She’s as thin as a rail so it’s probably not very difficult but I still steady her myself once she’s up and leaning on her right leg.

  “I’m so ready to get this shit off my leg,” she grumbles as she reaches for the crutches she’s been using.

  “I’ll carry you,” I tell her, stopping the crutches and putting them back up against the wall. I scoop her up with the casts on the outside and walk her to the door before leaning down so she can twist the knob. We go out into the hallway and to the bathroom directly across from her room.

  The door is already open and when we walk in it smells like orange peels and vanilla ice cream. She leans against the wall and once I have the door closed I help her pull her shorts and underwear down over her cast and then hold her hands as she hops to the toilet.

  Once she’s sitting I go to the sink and look at myself in the mirror. My hair is still damp from the shower I took before we came over and my curls are starting to shrink up as it dries.

  “You out late last night?” she asks as she finishes on the toilet.

  “Yes,” I say, not offering anything else.

  “You ever gonna tell me?”

  “Not if I can help it,” I tell her honestly, but still don’t offer any more.

  “You piss me off so much Messiah Clarke,” she tells me before doing her best one handed attempt of getting her underwear and shorts back up over her ass while she’s still sitting on the damn toilet.

  I shake my head and step towards her. “Stop, baby, I’ll help you.”

  The hard look in her eyes doesn’t fade as I help her to her feet and pull her underwear up and then her shorts. I know she just wants answers, but there’s no way I can tell her without bringing her in fully and it’s the last thing I’d ever want for her.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she balances herself on her good leg and the big cast and just stares at me. I chuckle at her tiny little self trying to look so intimidating and she doesn’t like the fact I’m laughing.

  “You know I worry,” she tells me, the anger in her voice apparent. “I worry all night long while you’re out doing fuck knows what. When Cece is in my bed instead of you because you have better things to do in the streets. Messiah, I’m not a controlling person, but giving me anything is better than what you’ve given me so far. I know nothing, Si.”

  “And it’s all you can know, baby. Please just trust me. I’ll always come back to you okay?” I tell her and in this moment I mean every word I’m saying. I love this girl and it’s wild as hell to me. “And one day we will get out of this place, together.”

  “Messiah, you can’t honestly guarantee either of those things to me, can you,” she asks, finally letting her stare soften some as she meets my eyes.

  I hold her stare but don’t respond to her question as I open the door and scoop her back up into my arms. She doesn’t need to hear the answer to know what it is but there’s nothing I can do about any of it now.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  HOLLIS—PRESENT

  As I walk with Elijah and Salem, I listen as she asks us every question under the sun about Ruby. She wants all of the tea and if she says it one more time I might toss her in the Red Room with Ruby and leave her there all night.

  "Salem, we will all know everything tonight, but if I'm being honest, you'll like her," I tell her, trying to shut her up. She looks over at me with a grin, her messy blonde hair blowing in the wind as we walk to the clinic.

  "But why was she in my clothes from when I was in high school," she asks.

  "She came with nothing but a bloody dress, and she needed something to wear. She obviously can't fit in the spare men’s clothes," I explain and she sighs.

  "They fit her well," she reasons. "She's cute too. Cute like a honey badger. "

  "I'm sure she'd love for honey badger to be her nickname," Eli says with an eye roll. "She's so wild, and stubborn as fuck."

  I don't respond to him because even if I agree, I don't want to be talking or thinking about her. I can’t help but to think about what she's doing right now or what Messiah's probably doing to her to make sure she's ready for tonight. He doesn't disobey orders from Preston, no matter how bad his attitude is which only means Ruby is going to get exactly what Preston wants her to get. Wet and prepared.

  "So why do we have to go see the friends again?" Salem asks, looking at me again.

  "Preston wants them gone as soon as she's healed. They'll slow Ruby's progress."

  "If they're anything like her, they won't leave easily," Elijah points out as we get to the clinic's front doors.

  “Then let’s hope they’re not like her.”

  The doors slide open and we all walk in together. I lead them to Tasha's room and the girls are both up and watching TV when we get in the room. Their eyes fall on us immediately.

  "Where's Ruby," Tasha asks.

  "She's busy," Elijah tells her, stopping next to me. "Do either of you have anyone who could take care of your gunshot wound?"

  The emotional girl, whose name I can't remember, stands from the chair she was in quickly and her eyes are worried. "Are you making us leave?"

  "Not immediately," I say, but her worry doesn't fade.

  "Is Ruby leaving with us?" Tasha asks, already reading the situation clearly.

  "No," I tell them honestly. "There are a lot of mouths running right now and she's safest here for the time being. And we don't know if Benzo's people will come for her."

  Tasha shifts in the bed and I take notice of the uncomfortable look on her face. "They won't come for her. They wanted him dead too."

  This gets Elijah's attention. "What do you mean?"

  "I was only with Benzo to get information on him," she confesses, and I see Salem's eyes go wide. "They couldn't kill him yet, but they won't be mad Ruby got to him first."

  "How do you know this?" I ask her, taking a step closer and watching as Lucky turns to her too. This must be new news to her as well.

  "Because I was helping them plan to kill him... " she says, clearly getting an attitude. "Did you not just hear me?"

  "He fucking heard you," Elijah snaps and her eyes move to him. "But how are we supposed to trust what you're saying?"

  "If I had my phone I'd call Juice now."

  "Damn," Elijah says, sucking in a breath. "His own right hand ... wanted him dead."

  "Benzo is a horrible person," she defends.

  "We aren't arguing against his character," Elijah says. "We know what shit he dealt in. He is scum. Juice gonna pick up where he left off?"

  "I'm not into all of what he dealt with," she says, holding her hands up. "I just love him, I don't get into his business, but I know he’s not like Benzo and wanted him dead more than any of you did."

  "Let's hope he decides to ditch some of Benzo’s affairs," Elijah tells her and the other girls eyes go wide.

  "What affairs is he talking about?" she asks, looking at us and then back to Tasha.

  "Lucky, they do all kinds of horrible shit," Tasha admits, "I don't ask about it. Don't ask, don't tell type of shit."

  Salem scoffs from beside me. "Stupid as fuck. How do you know what to look out for in life? You just walk around like you ar
en't involved in something as dangerous as this world?"

  "I'm not involved. I live a regular life and pay for all of my own shit," Tasha snaps, "I just so happen to be fucking the leader of the Nightmares."

  Salem just shakes her head and I can tell Lucky is not comfortable with any of this shit. She doesn't seem like the type to have been exposed to much, and based on what Ruby told me after we got here, it seems like the truth.

  "We will get in contact with Juice and now we know you're one of them we're going to have to get you to them. They have their own facilities," Elijah tells her and she nods.

  “Okay, Ruby can come?”

  “Ruby stays. The Nightmares aren’t her only worry. They are sniffing around everywhere. She’ll be here and you two will go.”

  I don’t say anything else before turning and leaving the room. Elijah and Salem follow behind me and when we get out to the driveway Nicholai is finally pulling in. We all head for his car and when he gets out Elijah’s the first one to piss him off. Typical.

  “Where the fuck have you been, Salem got here a while ago.”

  “Shut the fuck up, McKane. I had to go get my dick sucked before I came and was forced to deal with you all night,” he says, fucking with Elijah just like he always does. They do nothing but fight together.

  “You bring us back any free guns, we are meeting up with the Nightmares to drop some mouthy little shits off later,” Elijah taunts, one of his eyebrows raised.

  “There weren’t any guns to take, actually,” Nicholai tells us, sounding upset. “Fucking prick moved the shipment.”

  I look to Salem. “Your intel was wrong?”

  “No, not wrong,” she says, eyeing Nic. “Just not completely right. If he would’ve fucking listened to me, we would have the bodies and the guns already.”

  “We’ll get the guns,” Nic assures, turning towards the house. He’s late and no attitude or not, Preston will have fun reminding him why tardiness isn’t tolerated. Nic’s been pushing his card lately and I know for a fact Preston won’t let it go on for long.

  We all continue walking back into the house together through the back and Preston meets us outside. He’s alone, which isn’t completely abnormal, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen him without a guard.

  We all stop and instinctively Nicholai steps in front of Salem, but it’s not her he has to worry about, she was on time. He is the one in deep shit.

  “I thought I heard your loud ass truck,” Preston says, the grin on his face telling us all how pissed he still is. “You know, when I say be here at one time … I don’t mean come when you want.”

  “I had something to drop off,” Nicholai tells him.

  “Yes, I heard. You dropped your nut off in some whores mouth,” Preston tells him, slowly shaking his head as he steps closer to Nic. “I’ve told you so many times to stop pushing me, boy, and you’ve pushed one step too far this time and now? You get to drop your nut off in your baby sister's mouth.”

  Salem’s eyes go so wide from behind Nicholai and she looks at me with her eyebrows stitched together. I don’t offer her any help, but she knows I would if I could. What Preston says, goes, or people die. Even us.

  “What?” Nicholai asks, frowning deeply in Prestons direction. “I’m not doing shit to her.”

  “Either you will, or I will make you watch while I do it,” Preston tells him, always offering choices so we feel like we have some kind of control over our fucked up ass lives. “You come when I tell you to.”

  Nicholai clenches his jaw and I can tell he doesn’t want either to happen because he knows what Preston will do to Salem. Salem is Nic’s weak spot, she always has been, and Preston has always used her to keep him in line. It’s been a while since he’s been reminded which is why he’s been so messy lately.

  This will fix all of it.

  Elijah looks over at me over Salem’s head and I can tell even he doesn’t want to be watching this. Salem isn’t new to this life, and we all try to protect her when we can, but just like with Ruby earlier, there are time where our hands are tied. Even Nicholai knows it.

  “You better choose fast, or I’ll make her suck us all off,” he teases, his tongue grazing his bottom lip. “Tick, tock.”

  Nicholai is frozen and honestly if I had to make this decision for my little sister, I’m not sure which one I’d choose either. Most guys don’t want their little sisters sucking their dicks, even if she is only a half-sister, but no one should ever want Preston anywhere near their little sister when he’s got a point to prove.

  This is a lose—lose situation, but Nicholai doesn’t have to choose because it’s Salem who makes the decision for him.

  She pushes him off to the side and keeps her eyes low as she comes around in front of him. She faces Nicholai but his eyes are glaring in Preston’s direction.

  “Better get hard for her, son, or I just won’t feel like she’s been used enough to fully punish you,” Preston reminds him, and I look over at him as he smiles, “and then I’ll be forced to use her myself anyway.”

  I look back at Salem and her eyes are closed tightly. It reminds me of when Nicholai first brought her to meet us. She was so little back then. She’s not little anymore though, ten years definitely changes a person. She’s not the scared little nine year old anymore and she’ll choose Nicholai over anyone any day, so it makes sense she feels safer to do this with him.

  Preston is a wild card and to him everyone is fair game.

  “We have to do this right here?” Nicholai asks, his voice low and angry as hell.

  “Get on your fucking knees Salem or I will break his,” Preston orders and she doesn’t hesitate at all. Good girl.

  I hate watching this shit, but I’d rather see her suck Nic off than have to shoot her in the head on Preston’s order. He’d make me do it, no doubt.

  Nicholai looks down at his sister on her knees and I see something in him break, again. He just stands there watching as she tugs his joggers and briefs down. His jaw is clenched so tight and Salem’s eyes are closed as she brings her lips to the head of his limp dick.

  “Do you need my help getting hard,” Preston taunts, breaking Nicholai’s concentration on Salem.

  He looks over at Preston and if looks could kill, Preston would be six feet deep already. He doesn’t respond but when I look back to Salem I can see her mouth is working overtime against Nic’s mind and his dick is growing in her grip. She sucks him in and out of her mouth, and it’s not long before he’s rock solid.

  “Feels good to have a whore at the tip of your dick, right,” Preston asks, his smile genuine now. “Let me see you fuck her face.”

  I cut my eyes at Elijah and his eyes are on Salem and he’s pissed.

  “Show me what you do to whores, Nicholai.”

  Preston crosses the area between him and them and stops just behind Salem, his legs straddling her feet. He removes her hand from Nicholai’s dick before bringing his hands to either side of her face. Tilting her head up, he raises his eyebrows at her.

  “Open.”

  Salem pops the suction on his dick and holds her mouth open wide. Preston positions her perfectly and waits. Nicholai is staring right into Preston’s eyes when the order comes again. More serious this time.

  “Fuck. Her. Face,” Preston grinds out, his hold on Salem’s face tighter than before. He’s definitely hurting her, and I watch as tears spring to her eyes, but she doesn’t make a sound.

  Nicholai looks down at his baby sister but starts to move in and out of her mouth. I cannot imagine what’s going through their heads right now and the selfish part of me doesn’t ever want to know.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  RUBY—PRESENT

  The red lights are starting to make my eyes feel weird, but as I sit in front of Messiah I can’t help but to ask him the question that’s been sitting on my tongue for a while.

  “How long are we going to be sitting here?”

  “You heard him just like I heard him,
Ruby,” he tells me, never looking up from his phone.

  “It’s been so long,” I groan, sliding down on the couch. “You aren’t even preparing me like he said.”

  “I don’t think you need much more preparing after how we acted when we got in here,” he tells me, still not even looking up at me.

  I don’t understand what he means, but more than wanting to understand, I just want his attention. I want him to look at me, to want to talk to me, or something. He’s shown me over the last few hours he doesn’t want to do any of me. He’s been engulfed in his phone the entire time and it’s wearing on me already.

  “What does what you’re saying even mean?” I ask him, standing to my feet and walking around the couch I was sitting on. There is all kinds of weird artwork on the wall but I can’t say it’s all bad because even though some of the images are graphic, they’re all cool.

  “They don’t know who you are and tonight they will. I bet Preston already has your file built. I bet he already knows about your parents … and your grandma … and Crystina. He will know it all,” Messiah explains, finally looking over at me. “We all will.”

  “I didn’t kill her, Messiah. She was my best friend.”

  “Whatever,” he says, standing abruptly not sparing me another look before leaving the room and locking me inside.

  I shake my head at him and move over to the pile of wood from the table we broke earlier. I’d noticed a shattered glass bowl filled with peppermints during the boring time we were waiting, but Messiah wouldn’t let me get one. He had no reasoning behind not letting me, he’s just an asshole.

  I scoop one of the peppermints from the pile of wood and rip off the wrapper. The peppermint soothes my stomach instantly and helps my throw up breath too. I take my place back on the couch and wait for Messiah to come back, but he never does. After a while I start counting to sixty over and over until I hear the lock of the door click from the outside.