Playing with the Devil.

Playing with the Devil.
Ivery Clark POV 

My breath hitched, the ambient quiet of the sanctuary turning into a deafening roar in my ears as my eyes glued to the USB.

Is this the one…?

My hands trembled violently as I reached into the drawer. My cold fingers wrapped around the small, matte-black casing, lifting it out into the dim light.

I stood there, completely stunned, my brain short-circuiting as the reality of holding the exact piece of hardware Elias had talked about hit me like a physical blow.

Suddenly a dark shadow fell over me, blotting out the warmth of the room.

​"What are you doing?” Alrigo’s low, gravelly voice cut through the stillness like a drawn blade. 

I flinched, my entire body locking up in sheer panic as ice flooded my veins.

“I…” I dropped the drive back into the open drawer and spun around, “We... we made a mess last night. I was just arranging your desk.” 

“I see…” Alrigo murmured softly and closed the distance, stepping into my space until my body was trapped between him and the desk. 

“You've been working too hard, ma bella. Leave it. I'll have someone else clean the study.”

I closed my eyes, my fingers instinctively curling into the front of his shirt. “Okay…”

Reaching out, his long, heavy arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest. 

He buried his face in the crook of my neck, breathing me in deeply, his large hands soothingly stroking my lower back. 

I stood stiff in his embrace, forcing my breathing to stay even while my heart hammered like a war drum against his ribs.

“Let's get freshened up," he murmured against my skin, his deep voice vibrating right through my collarbone.

Suddenly a harsh, insistent ring from his phone on the sofa echoed through the room.

His hands stilled on my lower back. The tender warmth between us evaporated instantly, replaced by the rigid, dangerous tension.

He just cast a cold, irritated glance toward the sofa where the screen was flashing in the dim light.

"Stay here," he said, his voice dropping an octave, slipping right back into the unyielding tone of the man who ran everything.

He stepped away, his heavy tread silent against the floor as he reached for the phone, checking the caller ID with a sharp, calculating glint in his eyes.

"Speak," he commanded, his posture instantly coiling tight into the cold, absolute authority of the boss.

He listened for a long, heavy second, but then a visible flicker of shock crossed his features.

“What…?”Alrigo said low into the receiver, his tone dropping an octave into pure ice. "Alright, I'll be there.”

He lowered the phone without another word, offering no hint as to what—or who—he was talking about. 

Alrigo spared one quick glance at me..

"I need to go," he said briefly, stepping past me toward the heavy oak doors. "Freshen up.”

I heaved a frustrated sigh, my eyes fixed on the heavy oak door long after it clicked shut behind him.

The silence hit all at once, thick and suffocating. 

My gaze drifted slowly toward the desk, landing on the small wooden drawer tucked into the side.

No, I told myself quietly, shaking my head. I don't need to worry anymore.

I'll trust Alrigo this once.
.
.
.
Alrigo Valerie King POV 

My boots hit the floor in a slow, steady rhythm, the sharp echo cutting through the nervous chatter of the guards standing along the walls. 

They snapped to attention as I passed, giving me wide clearance.

Valentin stepped out of the holding room, his posture coiled, his face rigid.

“Boss," Valentin said, keeping his voice low so it didn't travel down the hall. "We have enough on Elias. It isn't a full-blown smoking gun yet, but we flagged enough offshore transfers and suspicious movements to move on him. We need to lock him in an interrogation room and capture him before he creates a complete disaster.”

I didn't break my stride, my eyes fixed on the heavy steel door at the end of the hall. 

“Really? How did you get this so fast? Where did the paper trail start?" I asked, my voice flat, dropping like iron into the corridor.

“It didn't come from our sweeps," Valentin said, stepping into my path to force me to halt. “You’ll be surprised to know who leaked it.”

I stopped dead, my gaze cutting straight through him. "Who?"

"It's Rowan.”

Rowan..?

Shock hit like a physical blow, cracking through the cold composure I wore every single day. 

“Rowan, you mean that boy was ready to speak?” I asked, my voice dangerously low.

“We were surprised too, you know." Valentin said, nodding quickly. "At first we thought he must be playing with us, but we decided to find out and it turns out he seriously gave us valuable information which led to these trails.”

I narrowed my eyes, processing the sudden shift. “What..?”

"He says he'll give more if you personally visit him," Valentin added, watching my reaction closely. “What do you think we should do now, Boss?” 

A heavy, dangerous stillness settled over me.

No matter how hard we pressed, no matter what angle we took, Rowan hadn't given up a single syllable. He was a vault. 

And now he's ready to give me all the information? What changed him? 

It wasn't like Ivery had visited him recently. Not after her visit to her mother.

A heavy, dangerous stillness settled over me.

“Right," I said, my voice cutting through the tension as I adjusted the cuffs of my coat. "Let's go then. Let's see what he's got."

Valentin nodded immediately, falling into step half a pace behind me as I turned toward the exit.

“What about Dominic?" I asked without breaking my stride.

"He's currently working on Elias matter," Valentin answered, tapping his screen. "Should I call him in too?"

"No need," I said, my voice flat and final. "We'll go alone.”

Rowan was the kind of soldier who would rather eat a bullet than whisper a single secret. Proud, stubborn to a fault, and fiercely loyal to his gang—he had worn that allegiance like armor.

And now he was suddenly willing to gut his own people and reveal all the information?

Something doesn't fit right.