✰✰

"𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬"

I entered the club. My gaze was drawn to the low multicoloured lights and the various bodies that surrounded the floors.

As I began travelling through the impermeable room, the overpowering stench of weed, booze, and sweat struck my senses, causing me to cringe inwardly.

People parted paths for me unwittingly as I navigated through the crowd, until I arrived at my regular destination.

The bar.

If the mission was at a club or restaurant, I always made sure to order myself a beverage; trust me, it was necessary.

While leaning against the counter behind me, I politely ask the bartender to get me a gin and tonic.

I placed my elbows behind me and leant back entirely. I twirled a curl around my finger as I let my gaze fall over everyone in the room. Eyes were on me, though the ones I needed to be on me, weren't.

Chris, the objective for tonight, was seated at a table in the far corner of the room. Dressed in a plain white shirt with the top buttons undone and paired with black slacks.

Between his full lips was a large cigar, and only a greedy man's eyes could be seen.

He wasn't old; according to the information, he was twenty-four years old, albeit he appeared to be much older. Chris laughed and joked with the older males at the table, primarily about the women and how they were going to get 'lucky' and drag them into their so-called 'pleasure' realm.

Fucking pigs, some were.

And, just as I had anticipated, my keen observation of the man had been noticed. Chris's mate on his other side, a considerably older man, had smirked and nudged his arm.

Christ laughed and turned to the man, who nodded his head in my direction while I maintained eye contact. Chris's gaze was drawn to me, and his blue eyes locked on mine.

His lips curved into a smirk, and I smiled and bit my lower lip seductively before turning away from him.

I politely thanked the lady who handed me my drink. I could feel the man's gaze on my back, or more accurately, my ass. He was most likely assuring his men he'd be 'back,' which was code for 'I'm going to fuck a bitch and won't be returning.'

These types of males deserved to suffer in the depths of hell, they were absolutely disgusting, but they were easy targets, their sexual needs were their only weakness, they wouldn't care to fuck a lady in front of a full club, no, because their dick was more important to them.

I sipped, or rather, gulped, my beverage. Thankfully, I wasn't a lightweight. I could drink a fair amount of alcohol before becoming tipsy.

One single drink would simply boost my ego and make everything seem more bearable.

A large hand fell on the curve of my waist and another on my ass, the palm making smooth soothing motions along one cheek.

Anddd, he broke the one rule.

I gasped and spun around to face the target.

"Well, hi," I say, biting my lower lip.

The man hums deeply, his gaze moving down my body, from my full breasts to my clenched thighs.

He leant in close to me, allowing the foul odour that enveloped him to seep into my senses. He smelled foul, almost filthy.

God, the least he could do was smell nice to make this easier for me.

He whispers into my ear, "You're very beautiful."

"Thank you, sir," I reply.

"I think you're quite a handsome man yourself." I place my hand on his shoulder and stroke it over his shoulder repeatedly.

"How about we take this somewhere else?" He whispers huskily.

I nod, sensually focusing my gaze on him. My hand reaches down from his shoulder to his hand, which I take and quickly spin around to lead us to the restrooms.

I felt his hungry gaze on me from behind as I let my hips sway.

Only a dull, red light contrasted in the corridor as we walked towards the hall that housed the bathrooms.

I took us over to the unisex single restroom, passing a few giggling girls, I let my hand slide over the doorknob.

I led us inside by pulling the door open, and not surprising me, the man's hand let go of mine, slamming the door behind him and trapping me against the door.

He inhaled deeply as he pressed his wet lips on my neck, providing the ideal distraction as I ran my hand through his hair and the other beneath my slim dress to extract my very pretty blade.

Before he could press his lips to mine the blade pressed against his neck, enabling blood to flow freely.

"Don't scream, or your head will be removed from your body faster than your dysfunctional dick can be shoved into anything."

He gulped and his eyes widened visibly.

I stood strong, he towered over me due to his huge stature, but that didn't change the fact that I was in power.

I backed him up against the wall, the only thing I could hear was his rapid breathing and the click of my heels as I moved closer to him.

His hand had gone from behind him and taken out his own blade, pushing it on my neck, which surprised me.

"Not so smart, little one." He chuckled.

"Really?" I asked, smiling innocently.

He grimaced, but then distorted his face into a confident expression.

I felt blood draw from my neck as the blade brushed against my skin.

The slight sting irritated me, but it wasn't anything I couldn't take.

Chris has a lot of guts, which was new.

The blade against his own neck had edged deeper into his skin and then slashed through his flesh, and I smiled sinisterly.

The knife on my neck was released, but it managed to make a large gash across my cheek as his hand managed to slip to my cheek, but then it dropped as I pushed my blade into his chest.

He collapsed on the ground, a crimson red liquid gushing from his disfigured body. Lying flat on the ground as he choked up blood from his mouth, blue orbs remained open as I watched him slowly die an agonising death.

I felt blood connect to my lip as it slipped down from the side of my cheek; I deliberately ignored it and stepped over Chris's lifeless body.

I opened the bathroom door, my father's men were on their way to collect his corpse. Until then, I posted the out-of-order notice on the door that had been tucked beneath the single leather chair adjacent to the restroom.

I turned around and started walking out of the club.

As I moved through the crowd of drug or alcohol-addled bodies, a body from the other side collided with mine just as I opened the entrance door.

I stumbled a little from the contact, but as soon as I regained my composure, I looked up at the individual and was taken aback by who I saw.

Roman.

Of course, it had to be him.

His cold, piercing gaze fell on me.

"Roman." I smile up at him.

I realise I was in his way when he nodded briefly at me. I hastily moved to the side and let him pass.

I expected him to walk away, but instead, he stood in front of me, running his hand through his already dishevelled hair.

My gaze was drawn to his attire, which consisted entirely of black. A plain black dress shirt with the first few buttons undone, revealing the concealed tattooed skin beneath the perfectly fitting shirt.

The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular arms and hidden tattoos that ran all the way to his biceps. He then paired it with plain black jeans that were ripped at the knees.

My gaze returned to him, only to find his eyes locked on my cheek.

I saw his gaze quickly land on what I assumed was the minor cut on my throat, and then it moved to the second, much larger cut on my cheek.

His hand unexpectedly reached for my chin, and he firmly shifted my head to the side, meticulously examining the wounds. As I saw his amber eyes darken, I subconsciously bit my lower lip.

His face hardened as his jaw clenched.

"He's dead," I casually inform him.

His gaze returns to mine, "Good." he replies in a gruff voice.

"Come with me." He says as he pulls his hand away from my chin.

"Why?" I enquire curiously, my eyes wide with perplexity as I glance up at him.

He rolls his eyes, "Fine, your cuts can get infected." he nonchalantly retorts and begins to walk away from me.

I smile sheepishly before going up behind him and following him to wherever he leads us.

I'm fairly sure he knew I was following him, even though he didn't show it as he breezed through the club.

Everyone was staring at him, including the prostitutes and regular women who surrounded the club. The way their thighs squeezed at the sight of him, or the way they bit their lips looking at him desirably.

In an attempt to attract his attention they raised their breasts, pushing them higher to be noticed or straightening their hair.

For a brief moment, all focus was diverted away from the men they were with, causing the males to gaze at Roman with envy and irritation. Roman, on the other hand, either didn't notice or did. Either way, he hadn't paid any attention to it.

He was primarily focused on his direction, and the power and authority that surrounded him were literally rippled off of him.

He exuded power and radiated an alluring aura about him. Dragging, pulling everything and everyone he wanted right into the palm of his hand.

Oh, and the hopelessness with which he was dragging me in. And, regrettably, I was completely unaware of it.

We landed in a quieter portion of the club, and I surmised that this was the location of the club's offices. We went by deserted workspaces, where the music had faded to a faint thumping against the walls.

My footsteps were now audible as well, so if he hadn't known I was behind him, he did now.

We made it all the way to the end of the hall, to the creamy-colored door at the very end.

Roman opened the door and let me in first, I passed through, giving him a small smile.

The lights came on automatically, revealing the space. It was quite basic. A brown wooden desk and a brown leather chair were placed in the centre.

On the side, some white drawers are arranged against the wall.

Roman walked over to the drawers after closing the door behind him. I walked over to the empty desk and sat on it, my feet dangling from the bottom.

I looked about the room with an innocent gaze; the walls were bare, with only one lone frame containing some random ass image of a tropical location I couldn't identify.

I watched Roman open the first aid box as he approached me. His fingertips glided over the products with delicacy.

He took a cotton ball and dipped it into the rubbing alcohol. He set the cotton ball on the table and pre-did a few more before picking one up and bringing it up to my face.

"Look at me." I complied with his cold demand.

I turned to face him as he ran his fingers under my chin and gently tilted my head up to gain access to the cut on my throat. The cool rings on his fingers made my skin tingle, rippling through my body.

I clenched my teeth tightly when the cool liquid made contact with the cut.

I truly hope Chris is rotting in hell, this bitch hurts.

I took a deep breath and decided to strike up a conversation to distract myself from the pain.

"So, do you like own this club or something?" I ask him.

He gave me a quick glance before returning his attention to the cut, and the feel of his cool fingertips brushing against my skin sent enormous pits of butterflies swarming all over my body, something I was not used to.

"No." He responds flatly.

"How do you have access to the room then?" I frown.

"I don't."

"The woman who owns it works for me." He clarifies.

"Oh." That is all I say as he continues to dab my wounds.

We fell silent for a bit, and I kept an eye on him. Nothing stood out against his stunning features more than the way he stayed apathetic. As he concentrated on cleaning the cut, he had a little crease on his forehead telling me he was focused.

He took a bandage and placed it over the wound, gently pressing his fingers over it to keep it in place.

His hands travelled to the table, where he grabbed the next cotton ball and drew it to my cheek.

My cheek cut was larger, but it hurt a lot less.

He began dabbing at the wound and carefully dragged the cotton ball down my cheek, wiping away the blood that had trickled down. His hand then moved to my bottom lip, where there was still some blood, and the soft skin of his thumb brushed across it, forcing me to take a deep intake.

My gaze was drawn to his, and he was drawn to mine as well; we locked gazes for a fleeting second before he withdrew his hand and returned his attention to the cut.

The tension was extremely fucking high; fortunately, my tongue could be a blabber, so I decided to strike up a new conversation.

"Why are you here tonight?" I ask him, my gaze fixed on his features.

"Business," He answers without looking at me.

"Hm, what kind?" I ask further.

As he grabs the second bandage, his jaw flexes.

"None that concerns you, Ella."

I sigh and glance up at the white popcorn ceiling.

"What were you doing?" He inquires.

"Business, none that concerns you, Roman." I reply blankly.

As he applies the bandage on my cut, his lips turn up into a small smirk, and I could smell his tempting cologne, which only draws me closer to him.

He drew away from me as he finished it, making me miss his presence.

I got up from the table as I watched him walk over to the bin. I drew my dress down since it had riled up, and Roman was standing in front of me again before I realised it.

He walked up to the door and opened it, then stood to the side to let me go first, which I did.

I walked through, and he was soon walking alongside me. I followed him back into the corridor and down the club's staircase.

The club was revealed when he pushed open the door. It was still as crowded as before, if not more so. College boys had their hands against the girls' hips as they rubbed against each other. They were either high on drugs or completely wasted.

We proceeded towards the entrance, and as we exited, the fresh air filled my lungs, causing me to sigh deeply.

We stepped out onto the sidewalk together, and I stood next to him as he leant against the wall.

"Need a ride?" He asked, pulling one hand into his pocket.

"No, I'm good," I say, turning my gaze to my car, which is parked further down the street.

"Thanks for helping me." I smile as I glance up at him.

He shrugs and pulls out a cigarette, which he easily lights.

As he inhaled and released the smoke, his gaze shifted slightly to the road behind me.

"Want?" He asks, his cigarette held out to me.

I shrug and take it from his grasp, placing it to my lips and inhaling the smoke. When the smoke entered my lungs, a strange sense of serenity washed over me. I felt much better after blowing it out again.

I returned it to him with a faint smile.

I only smoke when I'm in need of a release. Nicolo, on the other hand, smokes more than I do, so I'll just borrow one from him when I'm in need.

"Well, I'll see you around," I said as I took my keys from my purse and turned to Roman.

He finally linked his eyes with mine; the amber colour was slightly darker due to the dim illumination, but it was still evident.

"See you, Arabella." He says with a nod.

His accent made my name sound like absolute royalty as it flowed off his tongue.

Before walking out to my car, I gave him one final smile.

To hold my emotions at away, I had to take a deep breath; the way he says my name was pure sex to my ears.

I go into the driver's seat and start the car up before speeding down the street.

Personally, I enjoy driving. It gave me a rush of adrenaline and excitement. I also loved driving wherever I wanted to go; I could practically leave the city and start a new life, just like in those rom-com movies.

But I wouldn't do that; I'm satisfied with my amusing life.

I was able to return home without difficulty, passing past the black gates and into the garage.

I went to the kitchen to get something to eat after I got back into the house.

I spotted Nicolo and Mum seated at the counter as soon as I stepped in. "Hi guys," I said as I proceeded to the refrigerator.

"Hey, baby. How did it go?" Mum asks.

Turning around, I take out some already sliced fruit and place it on the table.

"Yeah, it was fi-

Two loud gasps cut me off, I frowned and looked up, my mother gazed at me in disbelief, her eyes on my neck, and my brother looked visibly angered.

"What?" I wonder.

"Did he do that?" Nicolo asked nodding his head towards my neck.

"Uh, yeah," I say as I shove grapes into my mouth.

"What the fuck." Mum mumbles and rushes over to me, grabbing my chin.

"Bastard." Nicolo mumbles.

"It's all right, he's dead." I shrug.

"Did you look after it?" Mum asks me inspecting the covered cuts.

"Mhm, I bumped into Roman, he helped me," I tell her as I stuff more grapes into my mouth while she continues to examine me.

"Be careful next time," Mum said as she leant down and kissed my cheek.

I nod before continuing to eat, and across the counter, Nicolo gives me a disapproving look.

Mum exits the kitchen, leaving only Nicolo and myself in the room.

"Yes, Nico?" I tilt my head to look at him.

"Nothing." He mutters.

"You on your time of the month or something?" I ask, sarcastically.

"Smartass," He mumbles as I strut over to him.

I playfully smack his shoulder, but before I could flee, his arm wrapped around my waist and began tickling me.

I shrieked and kicked my feet, launching them upon his stomach. He groaned and immediately let go of me.

I stood up and watched as he did the same; his eyes slowly locked on mine, and I knew I was screwed.

I giggled and began running through the house, with him hot on my trail.