The Devil Within (Devil Series Book 3) by Stacy-Deanne Page A
Authors: Stacy-Deanne
* *
“Wait a damn minute.” Alexis almost jumped out of her skin. “Is he really falling for this or is this too good to be true?”
“He knows Base is the safest person to confess to if he wants to get things off his chest,” Leo said. “Like Base said…who would listen to what he says about Grant?”
“God.” Alexis held her breath and rocked. “Come on, Grant. Say you killed my father. Just move your fuckin’ lips and say it.”
* * * *
“You remember what you said to me?” Base smiled. “You said I reminded you of yourself.”
“You do.” Grant leaned up. “You’re smart. From the first time we met, it’s like you understood things before I even had to explain. I’m too complicated for a lot of people to get to know like that.”
“I know the real you, Grant. We’ve bonded, and we both got dirty laundry we wanna keep hidden. I know you want to let it out.” Base touched his leg. “You can tell me what you did. I probably understand you more than anyone will.”
“I know you do.” Grant shook Base’s hand. “I feel so ashamed.”
* * * *
Alexis held her breath.
* * * *
Grant exhaled. “I…”
The doorbell rang.
* * * *
“What the hell?” Alexis jiggled in the seat. “Someone’s at the fuckin’ door! Are you kidding me?”
Leo leaned his head back. “Jesus.”
Alexis hit the dashboard. “I don’t believe this!”
* * * *
“Good evening, Mr. Reed.” The doorman allowed Kevin inside. “Mr. Copeland is in the living room.”
* * * *
“Shit!” Alexis hit her forehead. “It’s Kevin.”
Leo scowled. “What the fuck is he doing there?”
“No telling, but he’s probably suspicious of Base being there. Shit!”
* * * *
Kevin made it to the living room. “Uh…”
Grant and Base stood up.
“Am I interrupting something?” Kevin stared at Base.
“I didn’t expect you,” Grant said. “Is something wrong?”
“I came to talk about the merger…” He kept his gaze on Base. “But if this is a bad time it can wait.”
* * * *
“Damn it,” Alexis whispered.
* * * *
“No it’s not a bad time.” Grant turned to Base. “Will you excuse us, Base?”
“Uh, yeah.” He smiled at Kevin when he passed him. “Goodnight.”
* * * *
“I don’t believe this.” Alexis sighed. “I was this close, Leo. He was gonna confess.”
“We don’t know that. I think Grant was playing him.”
“I’ll probably never get another chance to catch Grant.” She stroked her forehead. “I love Kevin, but his timing’s fucked up.”
Leo raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t tell him you were doing this?”
“No.”
“Why? Is it because you don’t think you can trust him?”
“I need to keep some things a secret for both our benefits.”
“I haven’t been in a relationship in a while.” Leo put his hand on the steering wheel. “But one thing I know is that nothing kills relationships like a lack of trust.”
“I trust Kevin.” She laid the phone down.
“Then tell him the truth.”
Chapter Fifteen
Leo, Alexis, and Base waited twenty minutes until Kevin’s car drove toward them. Leo blew the horn and waved out the window.
Kevin drove through the intersection. He looked straight at Alexis with a shocked yet annoyed expression.
“Shit,” she whispered.
Kevin drove to the back of Leo’s car and came up beside Alexis. “Wow.” He shook his head, chuckling. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
She leaned out of the passenger’s window. “I know this looks bad.” She glanced at Base in the backseat. “But what did you expect me to do?”
“What did you do?” Kevin hung his arm out the window. “Did you bug Base or something and sent him in there to set up Grant?”
She flinched. “Kind of.”
“I can’t believe this.” He held on to the steering wheel. “How could you do something so stupid?”
“It didn’t sound stupid to me. In fact, it probably would’ve worked before you showed up and ruined it.”
“Bullshit it
“Wait a damn minute.” Alexis almost jumped out of her skin. “Is he really falling for this or is this too good to be true?”
“He knows Base is the safest person to confess to if he wants to get things off his chest,” Leo said. “Like Base said…who would listen to what he says about Grant?”
“God.” Alexis held her breath and rocked. “Come on, Grant. Say you killed my father. Just move your fuckin’ lips and say it.”
* * * *
“You remember what you said to me?” Base smiled. “You said I reminded you of yourself.”
“You do.” Grant leaned up. “You’re smart. From the first time we met, it’s like you understood things before I even had to explain. I’m too complicated for a lot of people to get to know like that.”
“I know the real you, Grant. We’ve bonded, and we both got dirty laundry we wanna keep hidden. I know you want to let it out.” Base touched his leg. “You can tell me what you did. I probably understand you more than anyone will.”
“I know you do.” Grant shook Base’s hand. “I feel so ashamed.”
* * * *
Alexis held her breath.
* * * *
Grant exhaled. “I…”
The doorbell rang.
* * * *
“What the hell?” Alexis jiggled in the seat. “Someone’s at the fuckin’ door! Are you kidding me?”
Leo leaned his head back. “Jesus.”
Alexis hit the dashboard. “I don’t believe this!”
* * * *
“Good evening, Mr. Reed.” The doorman allowed Kevin inside. “Mr. Copeland is in the living room.”
* * * *
“Shit!” Alexis hit her forehead. “It’s Kevin.”
Leo scowled. “What the fuck is he doing there?”
“No telling, but he’s probably suspicious of Base being there. Shit!”
* * * *
Kevin made it to the living room. “Uh…”
Grant and Base stood up.
“Am I interrupting something?” Kevin stared at Base.
“I didn’t expect you,” Grant said. “Is something wrong?”
“I came to talk about the merger…” He kept his gaze on Base. “But if this is a bad time it can wait.”
* * * *
“Damn it,” Alexis whispered.
* * * *
“No it’s not a bad time.” Grant turned to Base. “Will you excuse us, Base?”
“Uh, yeah.” He smiled at Kevin when he passed him. “Goodnight.”
* * * *
“I don’t believe this.” Alexis sighed. “I was this close, Leo. He was gonna confess.”
“We don’t know that. I think Grant was playing him.”
“I’ll probably never get another chance to catch Grant.” She stroked her forehead. “I love Kevin, but his timing’s fucked up.”
Leo raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t tell him you were doing this?”
“No.”
“Why? Is it because you don’t think you can trust him?”
“I need to keep some things a secret for both our benefits.”
“I haven’t been in a relationship in a while.” Leo put his hand on the steering wheel. “But one thing I know is that nothing kills relationships like a lack of trust.”
“I trust Kevin.” She laid the phone down.
“Then tell him the truth.”
Chapter Fifteen
Leo, Alexis, and Base waited twenty minutes until Kevin’s car drove toward them. Leo blew the horn and waved out the window.
Kevin drove through the intersection. He looked straight at Alexis with a shocked yet annoyed expression.
“Shit,” she whispered.
Kevin drove to the back of Leo’s car and came up beside Alexis. “Wow.” He shook his head, chuckling. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
She leaned out of the passenger’s window. “I know this looks bad.” She glanced at Base in the backseat. “But what did you expect me to do?”
“What did you do?” Kevin hung his arm out the window. “Did you bug Base or something and sent him in there to set up Grant?”
She flinched. “Kind of.”
“I can’t believe this.” He held on to the steering wheel. “How could you do something so stupid?”
“It didn’t sound stupid to me. In fact, it probably would’ve worked before you showed up and ruined it.”
“Bullshit it