The Devil's Bargain

They say the Devil doesn't bargain. I'm here to tell you that he does - but sometimes the price is still way too high. n nn nAvan nI'm in trouble. Deep, deep trouble.n n nn nI never meant for it to happen, but my ex is dead-and I'm the one who pulled the trigger. Whether he deserved it or not... whether anyone will even miss that jerk... it doesn't matter. Joey is dead, and I have to figure out what to do before I get caught with a corpse on my hand.n n nn nEnter Lincoln Crewes.n n nn nAfter the way we ended, I swore I would never turn to him again. But we were kids then, and in the fifteen years since I've seen him, he's gone from a scrappy fighter to one of the most powerful men in Springfield's seedy underbelly.n n nn nIf there's anyone who can help me right now, it's Link. With his power, his money, and his connections, I could put this all behind me.n n nn nAnd all he wants in exchange is my soul... and my hand.n n nn n nn nLinkn nAva, Ava, Ava...n n nn nShe's the one who got away. The reason I've built my entire empire, and the only person I'd burn the whole entire world down for.n n nn nI've done things I'm not proud of. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and that's my life story right there. I wanted to show her that I could be the man she wants-the man she deserves-and, by doing so, I became the worst thing for her.n n nn nI became the Devil.n n nn nSo I kept my distance, though I always kept my eye on her. If I can't have her, I could at least keep her safe, right?n n nn nWrong. She nearly got hurt, and it's all my fault.n n nn nWhen she comes to me, she has no idea that I'm responsible. I'm not about to tell her, either. This is my second chance. My do-over.n n nn nAva is mine again, and no matter what I have to do to keep her, I will. Even if I have to force her to marry me in exchange for my protection.n n nn nBut who will protect her from me?n