Devin

 

Devin watched from a distance as Camille and Shayna sat on two chairs at the center of the gallery signing the paintings being bought. He couldn’t have been more proud of Camille. He hadn’t seen it coming or expected it from her, but this had just proven to him that she was the woman for him. She had guts, she was smart, and she was strong. She wasn’t the innocent and naive girl he had assumed she was. Camille Griffin was a force to be reckoned with.

 

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Evangeline’s dress, and Devin was immediately on the move. He weaved through the crowds until he was directly behind her and with one swift movement he had caught her by the arm.

 

“You, come with me,” he said, and tugged at her arm, pulling her roughly through the crowds until he found the back door of the gallery. He knew where it led. It led to a quiet alleyway behind the gallery, where Evangeline used to drag him for a quick fuck when they were dating. He was taking her there for a completely different reason now.

 

“What are you doing? Let me go!” Evangeline squealed, but Devin pushed open the doors and pulled her outside with him, slamming the doors behind him.

 

“What am I doing? What did you do?!” Devin thundered, and Evangeline was wailing again.

 

“How dare you blame me for this?” She was crying but screaming as well, and Devin clenched his fists and took a few steps away from her.

 

“This is exactly the reason why it’s been over between us, Evangeline. Because of shit like this that you pull.” Devin spoke through gritted teeth, and she looked up at him with her scrunched up face. Her tears were spreading down her cheeks, but her makeup remained perfect and un-smudged.

 

“How dare you say that? I’ve done nothing against you. Anything I’ve done in the past is for your love,” she wailed, and her whole body shuddered. Devin stayed away from her; he wasn’t going to fall her tricks again.

 

“Tell me what you did. How you arranged for all this?” he demanded, but Evangeline kept wailing.

 

“Why would you think I did any of this? Why would I jeopardize that poor girl’s career?”

 

Devin gritted his teeth again. “To get back at me for dumping you. Shayna was right, you’re a jealous ex-girlfriend, and I should never have allowed Camille to be associated with you. This is all my mistake.” He was growling, pacing the street, and slapping the brick alley walls with his hands.

 

Devin could feel his rage rising up his spine. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this angry. Perhaps it was with Evangeline.

 

“I don’t have anything to be jealous about,” Evangeline said, suddenly straightening her back from her crouched position. I have everything I need. I have a man who can actually take care of me, and who has more money than you’ll ever have. And who treats me like a queen.” She wiped the tears off her face.

 

Devin rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Why did you turn up at my house then, begging me to take you back?” he asked, taking a few steps towards her.

 

“Because I wanted to tease you,” Evangeline replied, rolling her eyes too. The tears had vanished, and her expression had changed. She wasn’t in a wailing mood anymore. Instead, she ran her fingers through her long, shiny dark hair and started feeling her lips to make sure that her makeup was still intact.

 

Devin scoffed and shook his head. “I wish you’d just give up the act, Evangeline.” Devin looked at her as she slipped a compact mirror out of her purse. She flipped it open and looked at her own reflection, pouted her lips, and got busy with making sure that when she went back in, nobody would find her face amiss.

 

“You’re right, Devin, it is all an act. And I’m incredibly good at it,” Evangeline said after a few seconds of silence. She snapped the mirror shut, slipped it back into her bag, and smiled at him, a broad, satisfied grin.

 

Devin’s face twisted into more hatred. He knew Evangeline was manipulative, but he hadn’t thought that she could stoop this low. She had never admitted to all this before, but he wasn’t surprised by this.

 

“Just stay the fuck away from me, and don’t even think of going anywhere near Camille,” Devin said and just as he took a step towards the door, he felt a sharp thud on the back of his head.

 

The impact made him plunge forward, and his knees buckled, propelling him forward to the ground.

 

Devin felt a little dizzy, but he still hadn’t lost complete consciousness. But now he could sense a male shadow above him, and the world looked skewed. He fought to keep his eyes open, while he sensed someone tugging at his limp arms. He tried to keep his eyes open, but Devin could feel them growing heavy. There was an ache in the back of his head where he had been hit.

 

He kept wondering how he could have been this stupid. How he could have been this unaware of his surroundings. But there was no physical strength left in him anymore; his injured brain had overtaken his body, and none of his limbs would move. Somebody was dragging him towards the back of a car. Where was Evangeline?

 

Then he saw her, topsy-turvy, but he could see her clearly now. She had a smile on her face.

 

“I’ll be seeing your precious girlfriend real soon, darling,” he heard her say, and before he had the chance to even part his lips, somebody had pulled him into the back of a van, and there was pitch black darkness all around him.