Page 10 of Wrecked By a Devil

“I still think we should keep our focus on them,” Elijah suggests. “Maybe we can put them under surveillance?”

“I like that idea,” Malachi agrees. “They’re quite sophisticated, and even without proof, it won’t hurt to remain cautious.”

The memories I have of Ronan Devlin growing up aren’t of rivalry. Ronan is the head of the Devlin family. Back in the day, our families used to be close allies and he was my father’s partner. But then they clashed, turning our families into mortal enemies. My brothers could easily be right about this, the Devlins might be responsible for what was happening.

“We have to be smarter than them,” I get up from my seat and head over to Malachi’s desk. I know my brother’s password, so I log in into his personal laptop with ease. “Where do you keep your Devlin file?”

“Which one?” Malachi jokes, but he quickly comes over and opens a folder with all the files he’s been keeping on the Devlins. There is one for each member of the family and their close allies.

“If we start going through this, we might find something that connects them to the disappearances.” I trust my brothers and I know that they wouldn’t keep anything from me, but I’m a control freak and I double check every file.

“What do you want each of us to do?” Cain asks.

“Malachi and you will stay here and help me with these,” I instruct. “And Levi and Elijah, you should head over to my office and try to find as much as you can on the deals father signed while he and Devlin were still partners.”

Elijah and Levi jump to their feet following my orders. As I watch them walk through the door, all I can think about is if I’m making another mistake.

I didn’t personally know the girls that went missing, but their disappearance made a huge impact on our finances because of the rumors surrounding it. Everyone is blaming us for what happened. I need to make sure that Eden’s image stays intact despite everything that’s been going on.

“It’s ironic how they’re blaming Eden for the disappearances, when the girls at Eden don’t even offer sexual services to our customers,” Cain rereads another one of the news articles that has been openly pointing fingers at us.

“That’s why we have take care of this before things get worse.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Riley

As soon as I step out of the lecture hall, I find myself bumping into other students. The exam had just ended but the day is far from being over, and I struggle to keep my eyes open as I make my way through the crowd.

I can hear the conversations surrounding me. Some students are comparing their answers, others are complaining about the questions or making plans for the rest of the day.

My head is throbbing after spending most of the night studying, and I adjust the strap of the bag on my shoulder.

All I want is a few hours of sleep and to shut my brain off…

But neither of the two are going to happen any time soon. Instead of resting, I have a rehearsal at Eden. A nervous flutter settles in my stomach at the thought.

The memory of last night’s audition is still fresh in my mind. Getting hired should make me feel relieved, yet the reality of it still hasn’t fully sunk in. I still haven’t fully processed the fact that the next time I get up on that stage it won’t be to audition and there will be a lot more than two guys in the audience.

The thought sends shivers down my spine.

“How did you do?” Sofia, one of my classmates, approaches me as I step out on the lawn.

“Not sure, really,” I admit. Usually, I walk out of an exam knowing how I did, but today the exhaustion has turned everything into a blur. “I didn’t have as much time to prepare as I would have liked.”

“Oh, I’m sure it will all be okay,” She smiles. “You always get the best grades.”

“I hope you’re right,” I mumble, although my mind keeps circling back to a handful of questions I wasn’t completely sure about. “What about you?”

“Hmm,” she blushes, looking away. “Not great. I had to redo the middle section so I didn’t even get to finish the last three questions.”

“Sorry to hear that,” I pat her on the back gently. Sofia is one of those students who gets along with everyone, but her social life gets in the way of her grades.

A part of me wishes I could afford to get distracted like that and just spend my college years socializing and making memories that one day will bring a smile to my face. Between studying and the internship, I can barely afford the time to hang out over a cup of coffee with my friends. And with my new job in the picture, I will probably have to say goodbye to that as well.

Yet, I chose this. Everything I’m doing serves a purpose, even when it gets overwhelming. I promised myself I’d build a life I can be proud of. One where I don’t have to depend on anyone. One where I’m free.

“It’s okay,” Sofia says cheerfully. “If I fail, I’ll just retake the exam and do my best.”