Page 28 of The Devil's Dilemma

“God, I’m sorry, Joel.”

“God won’t help you. You’d be better off asking the devil for help.” I winked at him and smiled.

He took a shaking breath and aimed again. He seemed calmer this time, although his outstretched arm shook as he took his next shot.

Joel screamed, and I thought he’d done it this time.

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Austin fell to his knees and dropped the gun. “I’m done. No more. I’m not doing it anymore.”

Disappointment sat heavily with me. He’d not killed Joel, and that in itself would have been a fitting end, but the revelation that Austin was indeed more than he seemed pleased me.

What he didn’t know was that I’d loaded the gun and had added two blanks. How on earth had he found them both times? Did it suggest he was as lucky as they said?

Now I had a dilemma.

A devil’s dilemma.

I couldn’t allow Joel’s words to go unpunished, and as Austin had done what I’d asked of him, it would have been cruel of me to kill Freddie.

Wouldn’t it?

“Please just let us go. I promise we won’t do anything like this again. We’ve learnt our lesson.” Austin looked at me pleadingly.I believed he was sorry, but I still couldn’t let it go. I held a grudge. What could I say?

“I’m sorry, Austin. I can’t do that.”

I clicked my fingers, and Joel went silent, his head slumped onto his chest. I had no choice but to show them who was the boss, that they couldn’t do what they’d done and think it was okay.

The room was eerily silent.

“You may think you can win, Austin, that the odds are in your favour. But remember this—the house always wins.”

Conrad removed Joel’s body. He’d dump it somewhere, sending a message to his uncle that I wasn’t one to be messed with. They’d think twice about trying that stunt again.

That left me with Austin and Freddie. Austin was back in his chair, arms bound behind him. Neither said a word, but Freddie cried quietly.

“Who the fuck are you?” Austin finally asked after glaring at me for the last ten minutes.

“I’m your worst nightmare.”

“Why did you kill him?”

“If you don’t know now, you’ll never understand. You think this is all a gimmick?”

“I don’t care. You’re a murderer. You murdered him in cold blood.”

“Did you think I’d be lenient? He’d confessed to his sins.”

“He didn’t fucking sin. His worse trait was listening to his fucking uncle, and now he’s dead.”

As much as Austin wanted me to feel bad, I didn’t have a conscience or any remorse for someone who was out to steal from me, especially as I didn’t know them.

Freddie, I had a little more compassion for. He seemed the type to be easily led, taken advantage of. Yes, I’d threatened his life, but he’d never been in any danger. I’d known Austin would do as I asked.

I’d been testing Austin, testing his resolve, and testing his talents. And he had many. Talents I wanted to know more about.

So I couldn’t let him go. My ego wouldn’t allow me to release him without finding out his inner secrets.

“You mess with the devil, you suffer the consequences.”

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