"I promise I won't say anything. Please, just let me go." I cried as the blonde stranger pulled me into the elevator. "Please, I don't want any trouble."

"Shut it." He growled, pushing the big button inside the lift with the number twenty on it. He was still holding onto my wrist quite tightly, and before I knew it, the elevator doors were opening in front of me on the top floor. I looked out of the elevator and saw a long hallway with black walls and gold trimming. The floor was marble, and it had a red carpet running up the middle. There was one door at the end of the dark hallway, made with what looked like steel or metal. The air was still and cold, but I could smell a hint of jasmine as I was pulled out of the lift and onto the blood-red carpet. I hated the smell of jasmine, I have no idea why, but it always made me sick to my stomach.

"What is this place? I thought this was a place of business?" I called to the blonde stranger as he pulled me towards the large steel door.

"It is," he mumbled not looking at me. "Vinnie, is the boss in?" He said to another guy standing by the steel door. This guy was taller and thinner looking than the blonde guy. He had a shaved head and a huge scar running from his ear to his mouth. His eyes were green, and his eyebrow was pierced with a silver ring.

"Geez Jake, you know I hate it when you play with your food. Just fuck it and eat it already, man. Dispose of it like the rest of us and move on. Have some respect, bro." The man named Vinnie called back to him as he shook his head.

"Fuck you. Where is the boss?"

"Inside. What's wrong?"

"We have a problem. I caught this one snooping downstairs claiming she has left her phone in her office and then she saw you and Kyle in the foyer after you had eaten."

"We had Italian," Vinnie smiled. "And she was delicious."

"What?" I gasped trying to pull my arm away.

"Shut it," Jake growled at me. "Move, asshole," he said shoving Vinnie to one side. "Stay here in case she tries to make a run for it." Vinnie just nodded as he looked me up and down with a smile.

"She's a pretty one; can I have her when you're done?" He raised an eyebrow at me and blew a kiss. I closed my eyes and turned my head away from him.

"No," Jake said as he pushed opened the huge steel door and pulled me into the dark room. "She's not for you."

"Oh, come on, man......" Vinnie yelled as I heard the door slam shut behind us.

A tiny desk light came on in the darkness in front of me, and I realised we were standing in someone's large office. The desk was black, and so was the huge leather-looking chair behind it. This room had no pictures or photos on the white walls, and there are no windows here. Why are there no windows? Geez, it's freezing in here. It feels like a walk-in refrigerator. I held my body tightly, trying to keep myself warm.

"Sit," Jake commanded, pointing to a black wooden chair in front of the desk.

"Please, I just ..."

"SIT!" he bellowed loudly cutting me off. "I have better things to do than fucken babysit you." He was furious at this moment. My heart started to beat even faster as panic took over my body. I quickly sat in the chair and wiped the tears falling down my cheek. "Don't move," he said, walking past me.

Then there was silence. Nothing but deafening silence filled my ears as I sat on the wooden chair in the darkness of this room. My head fell to my hands, and I sobbed as I didn't know what else to do.

What is happening right now?

"Miss Summers, I presume?" A husky, deep unknown voice said calmly in front of me suddenly. I looked up to see the most handsome man I had ever seen in my entire life, sitting in the huge black leather chair behind the desk. His hair was jet black and styled perfectly on his handsome head. He was pale just like Jake, but his lips were the perfect shade of red and his eyes were so perfectly aqua blue they looked like they had been painted on his sculpted face. He was wearing a black, obviously tailored suit, a white shirt and a blue tie. I couldn't take my eyes off him.

"Are you deaf?" The handsome mystery man said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"No."

"Then, why did you not answer me?"

"I didn't know. Sorry, it's been a rough day." I said, taking a deep breath.

"I see, and you are..." he lifted a piece of paper off his desk and stared at it. "You are Ebony Jane Summers?" His eyes were back on me.

"Yes," I whispered nervously.

"You work for.." He looked back at the paper in his hand. "Mr Smith, on the tenth floor?" He looked back at me.

"Yes," I whispered as his eyes were almost burning into my skin as he looked at me from across the big black desk. I felt my fingers tingle, and my body flushed with heat as his eyes trailed over me. "Am I in some sort of trouble?" I stumbled out.

Jake returned to my view and whispered something into the handsome man's ear. The man's face did not change in expression; he just kept staring at me with his cold eyes.

"Do you know who I am Miss Summers?" He said, sitting forward and resting his arms on the desk.

"No sir, but I'm guessing you're Mr Morgan, CEO of Midnight industries,"

He smiled slightly. "My name is Carter Morgan, and yes I do own this company and many more just like it. So, tell me, Miss Summers, how long have you been working at this company?"

"Ummm, two years now."

"Two years? Well, that is quite an accomplishment. Most people don't even last a year around here." he smiled, and I noticed he had slight dimples in his cheeks. "You must be very good at your job?"

"I try sir." I bit my bottom lip nervously.

"What exactly do you do for Mr Smith?" He sat back in his chair, but his eyes never left mine.

"I'm his assistant." I started to fidget in my chair as the feeling of both their eyes on me right now was making me feel extremely uncomfortable and vulnerable.

"His assistant, of course. He told me just the other day how wonderful you were. In fact, he told me he would be lost without you." He nodded his head and pressed his lips together. "Is this true?"

"Oh, I don't know about that. I do my job the best I can and ...."

"Miss Summers, we have a problem," he said, cutting me off and tapping his fingertips together.

"We do?" I felt sick at his words.

"We do. I run a very tight ship around here, and I also have stringent rules to keep my business at its best. I make these rules very clear to all my employees to keep things like this from happening. You have worked here for two years, so you should know the rules?"

"I do, but ..."

"What is the main rule?"

"Ummm, no one is allowed in the building after dark."

"That's right. Now you seem like a smart girl, so I'm intrigued to know why you thought you could just break my rule because you felt like it?" His voice was almost growling at me now.

"I didn't mean to disrespect you or your company. I just left my phone in my office and was going to ask someone to help me get it. Honestly, I wasn't looking for trouble."

"Did you or did you not call Mr Smith just before you came here?"

"How do you know that?"

"And did he explain to you that no one is allowed in this building? NO ONE!" he yelled standing up and slamming his hands on the desk.

"I'm sorry; it won't happen again." I pleaded.

"And now because of your mistake tonight I must deal with this. I have better things to do than deal with you right now," his eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the room as I squirmed in my chair.

"I know, I'm sorry. I promise I won't say anything. I don't even know what is going on. Please, let me go, and I promise on my life I won't say anything to anyone."

"On your life?" He repeated calmly. "Do you mean that Miss Summers?"

"Yes, yes, of course. I won't say anything,"

"On your life," he sat back in his chair and tapped his fingertips together again. "I have a proposal for you, Miss Summers."

"A proposal?"

"Yes, you see I am in desperate need of assistance around here you see, and I would like to hire you. I can't get a lot done during the day, and I need a capable person to help me out. Mr Smith has informed me you are quite a capable person and I need someone like that on the top floor."

"Mr Morgan, I don't think I'm quite the girl you're looking for. I appreciate the opportunity and all but ...."

"Here is my proposal," he continued utterly ignoring me. "You work for me and tell no one about what you saw tonight and what you might see in the future or.." he stopped talking and nodded to Jake who was standing beside him.

"Or?" I whispered nervously.

"Or I kill everyone you love and everyone you have ever met in your entire life. I will hunt them down and slaughter them in front of you, and then I will lock you in a room with Vinnie out there and let him have his way with you and trust me when I say, no one wants that." Jake chuckled at Mr Morgan's words.

"He's so fucked up." Jake laughed to himself.

Tears run down my cheek, as my heart pounded in my chest. "Please, sir ...."

"Choose Miss Summers, or I will choose for you," he said, looking at his watch impatiently.

"Mr Morgan, this is insane. You can't threaten me like that..."

"I don't threaten people, Miss Summers, I just get to the point. I don't have time to bullshit you. I run a business that depends on me and my decision-making skills. You broke the rules here not me. You now have a choice to rectify this situation or pay the price for fucking with me." He banged his fist on the desk making me jump. "I'm offering you a generous deal that quite frankly I shouldn't be doing."

"Mr Morgan, you can't be serious?"

"I am very serious." He said not taking his eyes off me. "What is your answer?"

I looked at him through the darkness of the room for what felt like an eternity as his eyes stared at me like a lion watching its prey. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I just sat there as tears fell down my cheek.

"Is she simple or something?" Jake said suddenly breaking the silence in the room. "Just say yes you stupid idiot." He yelled at me slowly waving his hands in front of my face. "I think you broke her boss."

"Miss Summers, you answer now please." Mr Morgan said calmly standing up from his chair.

"What are you?" I almost whispered at him.

Mr Morgan smiled at me like he was pleased with my fear of him. "Oh, come on now, you're an educated girl. I'm sure you can work that out for yourself." He laughed to himself quietly.

"Tell me what you are, and then I will tell you, my decision."

"I told you, boss. Stupid." Jake said shaking his head and scoffing.

"You are a very strange girl but ok, if you really want to know." Mr Morgan almost purred at me with his deep voice.

"I do," I was shaking with fear as I felt my heart race inside my chest.

He raised his eyebrow at me and rested his finger on his perfect lips as he considered my request. "Here is the truth. I am a four-hundred-year-old vampire. I started this company over one hundred years ago, and it is now the world's number one choice for global transportation and business practice."

"You're a vampire? No, they don't exist."

"That's right, and as far as anyone else knows outside of this floor, we don't, and it is going to stay that way. Let's get one thing clear. I have no problem at all in killing you, but it just so happens I need someone like you right now. Is it fate that brought us together? Maybe, but I like to think it's because I always get what I want. So, tell me, do we have an understanding?"

"Will I still be able to live a normal life outside of these walls?"

"To a point yes, you will need to be available to me at all times but other than that I really don't care what you do but like I said, if you break this agreement then there will be consequences for you and the people in your life. Do you understand?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Great, I'll get Jake here to draw you up a new contract, and you can sign it tomorrow at 6 pm." Mr Morgan said calmly completely dismissing me.

"Tomorrow is Saturday." I protested.

"And?" He said raising his eyebrow sharply.

"Nothing, I'll be here." I sighed looking down to the floor.

"I can tell that you have a lot of questions, but right now is not a good time for me. I'm dealing with an employee who took it upon himself to betray me, so if you will excuse me." He stood up and adjusted his tie and walked past me to the door. "Oh, and Miss Summers, a word of advice. I have eyes and ears everywhere so if you even think about telling anyone what went on here tonight, it will be you who I deal with next. Have a wonderful night." He disappeared into the hallway.

"Here's your phone, now get out," Jake said as he threw my phone at me. "I'll pick you up at Five-thirty. Do not keep me waiting," he said, walking past me.

"Oh, I don't need you to pick me up."

"Oh, I'm sorry but did I start that sentence with, if it pleases your royal highness? Five-thirty on the damn dot," he said at the door. "Now, get out before I lose my temper." I nodded and said nothing as I followed him down the long dark hallway towards the elevator.

"Bye, pretty lady, see you soon." I heard Vinnie say as we walked into the elevator.

"Fuck up Vinnie," Jake called back, flipping him off as the doors closed. "Go straight home and speak to no one. I'll be watching," he mumbled as the elevator went down.

"Am I going to die?" I said as we reached the bottom floor.

"Well, that is entirely up to you isn't it but if I'm honest, Yes, yes you will." he pushed me out of the lift and smiled as the doors closed between us.

"Well, I'm screwed," I said as I walked towards the front doors with my heart in my throat and my stomach in my ass.