CHAPTER 2: DEVIL

ANGEL'S POV:

The club was wild.

Even wilder than I had realized.

It took me awhile to navigate my way from the regular section of gyrating sweaty bodies, cat-callers and drunks, to the reserved VIP area of The Pavilion.

Thanks to Nadia and her first-class privileges, we all had VIP passes for the evening. Although Sage had insisted that we stayed down at the regular just cause 'it was more fun.'

However, once the heavily built bouncers let me through the threshold that separated the VIP section from the rest of The Pavilion, I inwardly cursed Sage for keeping us away from this city of pure luxury and sin.

The whole room was cast in low red lighting, toned down music that vibrated lightly, and high-end architecture that screamed finesse and wealth. My jaw dropped at the type of magnificently dressed people lounged gracefully on couches, reeking of arrogance and an air of superiority.

I almost cowered in their presence. Like if I breathed the wrong way, they'd all realize that I didn't belong.

Like my target, Mr. Odd Suit Guy, the men in these parts of the club were all clad in expensive suits, each either entertaining the sensual appeal the strippers offered or drowning in liquor.

I swear, I caught a glimpse of a man openly having his 'instrument' sucked off generously by one of those strippers.

And no one in here batted an eye.

I was appalled.

However, before I allowed myself get carried off into a world of sex, alcohol and seduction, I reminded myself of the reason I was even here to start with.

The dare to kiss a complete stranger.

Mr. Odd Suit Guy.

I drew in a breath as I squared my shoulders, stilled my shaky fingers and urged my thumping heart to shut up for one darn second.

I let my feet direct me toward the path I'd spotted him sitting grandly on his throne that reminded me so much of a bored king, serving out judgement to his poor subjects.

That actually cracked me up and I found myself smiling lightly at the idea of it.

But it only took seconds of getting to the entrance of the said stranger's location to completely wipe the smile off my face. Same with the measly confidence I'd somewhat built.

I came face to face once again with another heavily built bouncer, even more scary looking than the last one. Not to mention the intimidating black gun he was armed with, directed at me the second I came too close.

"Whoa, whoa! Big guy! I'm one of the strippers. Calm down." I blurted in an instance, surprising even myself.

Where the hell did that come from?

The bouncer didn't budge, only cocked an irritated brow at me as he probably regarded my odd attire for a stripper. I was clad in a black leather body con that emphasized my ample curves and revealed way too much than I was comfortable with.

Which was still way too much covering for a stripper.

I put up my hands in defense, subtly drawing closer when I saw that the bouncer was slowly lowering his gun.

"I know, I know, I'm way overdressed. But it's part of the show. You know, innocent before butt naked? It's a kink thing. Your boss would know." I dared to wink, allowing my fingers to lightly trail down his chest.

By now, I was standing right in front of the bouncer and my head hadn't been blown off, which was really more progress than you'd think. Trust me.

The hardened man didn't share my humor because he literally tore my fingers away from his body and fixed a murderous glare on me. I shrunk back, half convinced that this was the moment I'd be joining my mom in the grave.

My heart drummed painfully.

But the bullet was never fired.

Instead, he said gruffly in an accented voice, "You wait."

The bouncer turned his back on me and disappeared into the curtained entrance of my target's location. Mr. Odd Suit Guy must be ranked quite high on the food chain if he really had a private corner for himself and the scary bouncer on his tail.

Fancy and scary.

Just my type.

Not.

The bouncer was back, and I found my heart picking up it's pace at an unhealthy speed once again. I plastered on an extremely cheery smile when I met the fury of his glare again. I was so screwed.

Completely finished-

"Go in." He stepped aside.

"W-what?" I gasped, eyes wide.

"Go in." He gritted out, gun up and directed at me again.

"Hey, ever heard of being a gentleman?" I glared lightly, rolling my eyes slightly before dreadfully walking into the private corner that openly gave an elevated view of the club.

On getting in, the first thing that caught my attention was the teary man on his knees, pleading desperately at the foot of whom I assumed to be Mr. Odd Suit Guy.

"Plea-please! Please, Sir! It was a mistake! I w-would take it back if I could. Show me mercy. I'd do anything for it! I-I can work for you. I swear, I'd do any-anything. Just...just forgive me!" He cried out, shaking visibly before this man, pale as a ghost.

Like he'd seen one.

What was going on?

Perhaps in another situation, I'd have run to this man's side, eager to ease away whatever his pains were. However, with the 4 body guards rooted at the four corners, armed and vicious, I knew better than to blink the wrong way.

Cold and unbothered, a deep chuckle erupted from Mr. Odd Suit Guy, filled with a sinister amusement that drove goosebumps up my skin. It was morbidly inviting, like a predator's call to its prey, yet I knew better than to get lost in its appeal.

"Forgiveness? Not even the devil can save you from my wrath, Mr. Daniel." His smooth baritone, alluring and sharp-edged, was the perfect mask for calm and collected.

However, it brought a cold shiver down my spine. Maybe because of the undertone of danger that lingered behind his every word.

I was genuinely scared for the crying man.

But not as petrified as I was for myself who was clearly about to kiss him.

The pleading man crawled closer to Mr. Odd Suit Guy, his despair and brokenness evident in his eyes and the helplessness in his voice.

"No, no, no! You're not listening to me! I said I'd do anything! Anything you want! Don't be a monster! Just-just give me a second chance. Please. Please!" He screamed, getting more hysteric by the moment.

The man only flicked his wrist, kicking his legs away from the man's desperate grip before two of his guards took hold of the wailing man, roughly dragging him up against his will.

"No! Get away from me! I-I don't want to die. I don't want to die, you monster! Fuck you, Christian! You're nothing but the devil you speak of. And if I rot in hell, you will too!" The man had gone from crying to maniacal screams, fighting against the restraints and lost in a terror-driven frenzy.

"All made men must burn in hell, Mr. Daniel. It's a small price to pay."

When the deranged man was dragged past me, his red bloodshot eyes met mine, filling me up with fear that grew rapidly from the pit of my stomach. His teary gaze held disgust at my sight.

"Slut! You must be a fucking a swine if you let that monster fuck you. I'd run if I were you though, cause who knows? You just might be dead by morning." This time, he laughed, a sound that plunged my racing heart to their depths.

Dead?

What?

Even when the guards had successfully hauled the crazy man out of the private corner, I was frozen in place, fingers cold and goosebumps littered on my skin as my gaze left never the place he'd just been dragged through.

What the actual fudge did I just witness?

"Ti spaventa?"

His deep-toned voice, rich in that sexy accent I couldn't quite place, startled me, snapping my focus back to the main reason I was even here.

Him.

My breath hitched instantaneously the second my gaze locked with his cold gray ones which lazily swept over me, assessing and speculating every inch of my being. They were as intense as they were bored.

Unnerving, in fact, and for a brief second, I considered bolting right out that room, never to set eyes again on the intimidating man before me.

However...

However though, I stood my ground, eyes clouding with confusion as I said my next words.

"What?"

"Does he scare you?" His calculative eyes never left mine.

Not as much as you do.

"I...haven't quite decided." Contrary to my pounding heart, my voice was leveled, calm, deceptive.

"Hmm." If my answer pleased him, he didn't show it. In fact, his expression was the perfect mask of indifference, revealing nothing at all. "You know, I hate liars."

"W-what? I swear, if he scared me, I'd be peeing my pants right now. Oh wait, not that I do that regularly. Or at all. Well, except that one time in grade 12 when I failed Calculus. It was a B, but yeah, I did pee my pants cause of..."

My voice ceased the moment I realized just where exactly I was, and who exactly I was speaking to. What the hell was that? Rambling about peeing? Oh my god, Sage would mock me for an eternity if she was here.

Mr. Odd Suit Guy didn't seem fazed, not even by an inch. Well, except for the brief flicker of amusement that danced through his eyes, heavily contradicting his empty expression.

"I meant about you being my stripper. For a fact, I never invite strippers. Too clingy. Too sloppy. Too unsatisfying. You're a terrible liar. And I'm concerned that you might be insane too." He drawled out, gaze now hardened with suspicion.

Not the good kind.

He stared at me like I was a potential threat, which also made the guards in there slowly raise their guns, eyes fixed on my every move.

My heart paced again.

"No, no, no. Well yes, I'm not a stripper. But I'm also not an insane Alien girl trying to abduct your soul. I'm just...Angel." I tried for a sweet smile, one I'd practiced to be flirty.

I bet the result wasn't. Maybe I even looked constipated with it.

"Angel." It sounded delicious on his lips, like an exotic word that deserved to be tasted exclusively by him. "You have exactly sixty seconds to convince me on why I shouldn't have these men bury a bullet into your skull."

Fudge.