The Red Devil

Prolog

"What do you mean you owe The Devil, Roger?" Rossalyn demanded.

"I borrowed money to bet on the game, Ross. They were on a streak! There was no way they could lose! But the quarterback got hurt halfway through and well..." Roger trailed off dejectedly. "Ross, I'm in serious shit. I can't pay it back. They're going to kill me." Roger whispered.

Rossalyn stared at her twin with a horrified expression. She knew he had a bit of a gambling problem, but she hadn't realized it had gotten so out of hand. "What do you want me to do about it? I barely make my bills with what I make at the convenience store."

"Ross, you've got to do something! Please!" Roger was frantic, eyes filling with tears.

"Alright! I'll figure something out. But you're going to rehab. I swear this is the last time I'm bailing you out of your dumb mistakes. I refuse to believe I shared a womb with someone dumb enough to borrow money from the freaking mafia!" Rossalyn was beyond exasperated. He was constantly getting himself in hot water with someone or another and then begging her to get him out of trouble.

"Whatever you want! I owe you!" Roger enthused, his whole body sagging in relief. Sis to the rescue again.

Rossalyn just shook her head and gestured toward her apartment door, clearly dismissing her brother. There was only one way she'd be able to pay off her brother's debt and that was to go back to dancing, a thing she swore she'd never do again. But she couldn't stand the thought of losing Roger, however big a pain in her ass he was most of the time. With a defeated sigh, she picked her phone up and called the manager of Beach Paradise, the club she used to dance for, to ask to be put back on rotation. She didn't know she'd closed the book on the normal part of her life.

Chapter One: The Meeting

Rossalyn Taylor was a loyal woman. If she wasn't she wouldn't find herself in the situation she was currently facing. She sat motionless at the dressing room vanity and stared at herself in the mirror. She hated her stage personna and having to objectify herself by stripping in front of dozens of people. Strangely, though, she was a club favorite. She made a few hundred a night between her stage dance and her lap dances on the floor. She was due to circulate the floor in a few minutes and she had to amp herself up to do that.

"Hey Princess!" Mikey, the manager called out from the doorway, enciting several angry curses from the other dancers. They did not take kindly to males entering their only refuge in the club.

"What?" She snapped as she stood from the chair, muttering under her breath in frustration about no privacy in the blasted club.

"A VIP wants you to come to the red room." Mikey told her, though there was a strange note in his voice.

"No, you know I don't do private dances. Send someone else." Rossalyn said firmly. No amount of money offered for the private dances was worth the fact that what those were really set up for was sex, if the girl was willing to go that far.

"I'm not sure this is optional, Princess." Mikey said, again with that strange note in his tone. Almost sounded like regret but what would he be regretting?

"Fine, I'll leave then. Plenty of other clubs out there would love to have me." She shrugged and started to turn back to the dressing room to change.

"I'd blacklist you." The threat was said in a quiet, regretful tone. He didn't want to but if she pushed him that far he would do it.

Rossalyn flinched as if he had struck her, "You wouldn't dare!"

"As I said, it isn't optional. Be there in 5 minutes." Mikey gave her arm and apologetic squeeze then turned from her and walked away.

She watched him leave, too shocked to move for a few heartbeats. What was happening that her refusal would be overridden like that? Without any other option she left the dressing room to go meet the VIP.

Rossalyn opened the door to the Red Room and walked through only to be immediately stopped by a huge man in a black suit. "I was told to be here." She informed him stiffly.

"Let her pass and stand outside the door. No one else is to enter." A deep voice commanded from deeper inside the room.

Without a word the huge man stepped around her and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Rossalyn turned her gaze to locate the speaker. Her gaze moved through the dimly lit room to the red couch with the single occupant. She stiffened in immediate recognition and felt her heart start racing. Fear spread through her body like a lightening strike, and almost that subtle. She understood Mikey's insistence. No one, but no one told this man no.

"Do you know who I am?" Josiah asked with a smile, not missing her reaction.

" Y-yes." she stuttered, and mentally kicked herself. Get it together Ross.

"Good. I know who you are as well. No need for introductions. Come sit down." Josiah patted the cushion next to him.

She complied silently, too scared to say anything. Too nervous about why he'd requested, well demanded really, her presence in such a fashion. She sat down on the couch, keeping a cushion between them. She heard him chuckle and felt heat flash through her cheeks.

"Distance doesn't save you, you know." Josiah teased and scooted close to her on the couch. "But I expect no less. I have some things I'd like to discuss with you."

Rossalyn squirmed uncomfortably when he scooted closer to her on the couch. His arm was spread over the back cushions and only a few inches separated their bodies. She refused to look directly at him, but still knew he was looking at her. She could feel his eyes burning her from head to foot like a physical caress.

"What would you like to discuss?" She prompted, since he seemed to be waiting for a response from her.