Chapter 6 : The Gaze

Grace

 The Dark Elite Club felt like stepping into a different world. One where every shadow hid a secret and every glance meant something more. 

I gulped the lump formed in my throat and shifted uncomfortably on the high stool at the bar, my leather skirt riding up just a bit as I crossed my legs. The air was thick with expensive cologne and low murmurs, the red lights casting everything in a sultry glow that made my skin prickle. 

Everything here screamed wealth and power but what made me uneasy was … the danger that lingered in the air. 

I glanced around, trying to shake off the weird knot in my stomach. The moment I had stepped into THE CLUB, I had been feeling this uneasy feeling that I have been watched but- 

It must be my mind. I sighed and turned to divert my attention somewhere else. 

Laila and Kristy were already owning the dance floor, laughing as a couple of guys in sharp suits circled them like sharks. They looked effortless out there. So pretty, confident, the kind of girls who always drew eyes.

 Laila tossed her hair back, flashing a flirty smile at one of them, while Kristy moved her hips to the beat, completely in her element. 

Part of me envied how easy it was for them.

Michelle and Stella were right next to me at the bar, chatting with the bartender as he mixed their drinks. I sat beside Stella, my fingers twisting the hem of my crop top, nerves buzzing like electricity under my skin. 

Ever since we walked in, I’d felt it- this heavy, lingering gaze on me. Like someone was watching every move I made. 

I scanned the room again, but all I saw were clusters of people in suits, sipping whiskey, girls leaning close with secretive smiles. No one looked obvious. But the feeling wouldn’t go away. It made my heart beat a little faster, my palms a little sweaty.

Stella patted my thigh suddenly, snapping me out of it. “Look at Michelle go,” she whispered, nodding toward our friend.

I turned. 

Michelle was leaning over the bar, batting her lashes at the bartender. He was a cute guy with a sleeve tattoo peeking out from his rolled-up shirt. “So, what’s in this one?” she asked, voice all playful. 

“Something strong enough to make me forget my name?”

The bartender grinned, sliding a bright blue cocktail her way. “Only if you tell me yours first.”

Stella and I exchanged a look and burst into giggles. It was classic Michelle. So bold, effortless flirting that always worked.

The bartender caught my eye next and his smile turned friendly as he pushed a glass toward me. “And for you … virgin mojito. No alcohol, but still packs a punch.”

 He winked. “Can’t have a pretty girl like you sitting here without something refreshing.”

I smiled back, a polite but genuine grin. “Thanks. I’m pacing myself tonight.” I took a sip. The mint and lime exploded on my tongue, cool and sweet. Perfect for me and for the night.

Before I could say more, a deep, raspy voice brushed against my ear from the other side, making me jump in my place.“A pretty girl like you sitting here already sets my heart on fire.”

I turned and my breath caught a little at the low voice that somewhere sent tingles down my spine. 

He was handsome. His blonde hair swept back, piercing blue eyes, black suit hugging a lean frame. A charming smile that screamed confidence without trying too hard.

I blinked, surprised but not uncomfortable. “So, what do you think I should be doing instead?” 

Stella glanced over, smirked, and scooted her stool away a bit. “I’ll leave you to it,” she whispered with a chuckle, giving us space before I turned to the handsome stranger. 

He extended his hand. “Frederick Benjamin. And you are?”

“Grace,” I said, shaking it. His grip was firm, warm. “Nice to meet you.”

Frederick’s hand was still warm in mine from the handshake, and he didn’t let go right away. Instead, he turned my palm up slightly, thumb brushing the inside of my wrist like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Grace,” he repeated my name slowly, like he was tasting it. “Fits you. Soft. Elegant. But there’s something… dangerous under there too, isn’t there?”

I laughed, a little surprised at how easily it came out. “Dangerous? Me? You’ve got the wrong girl.”

He tilted his head, blue eyes sparkling under the red lights. “Oh, I don’t think so. Girls who look this good in leather and still manage to blush like that? That’s the most dangerous combination there is.”

My cheeks heated up instantly. I could feel the flush creeping down my neck. “Smooth,” I said, trying to play it cool. “Do lines like that work on every girl you talk to?”

“Only the ones worth talking to.” He leaned in just a fraction closer, voice dropping lower so only I could hear. “And you’re definitely worth it.”

I bit my lip to hide a smile. “You’re bold.”

“Guilty.” He finally released my hand, but his fingers trailed lightly along my wrist before pulling away. So deliberate, teasing. “But I’m also honest. You walked in here looking like you could burn the place down, and yet you’re sitting at the bar sipping a virgin mojito like you’re too sweet to handle the real thing.”

I raised an eyebrow, playing along. “Maybe I just like control. Maybe I don’t trust myself with anything stronger.”

His grin turned wicked. “Control, huh? That’s interesting. Because from where I’m standing, you look like the kind of girl who could make a man lose every ounce of his.”

I laughed. A raw real chuckle this time which even surprised me because this man was so good with his flirting. “You’re trouble, Frederick Benjamin.”

“Only the good kind.” He shifted closer on his stool, knee brushing mine under the bar. 

“Tell me something real, Grace. What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this? You don’t seem like the type who comes here to be seen.”

I glanced down at my drink, stirring the mint leaves with the straw. “My friends dragged me. Said I needed to live a little. I’m… not really the club type.”

He studied me for a second, eyes softening just a touch. “And yet here you are. Looking like sin wrapped in leather. Makes me think maybe you’re exactly the club type tonight.”

I met his gaze again, feeling a little bolder by his words and maybe the drink. “Maybe I just needed the right incentive.”

His smile widened into a slow, appreciative one. “Careful. Keep talking like that and I might start thinking you’re flirting back.”

I shrugged one shoulder, letting my hair fall forward a bit. “Maybe I am.” He let out a low, amused sound in his throat. “Dangerous girl confirmed.”

The silence surrounded us as I took a sip of my drink and glanced around. He felt like a nice company and the conversation …. It was… nice. Normal. A distraction from the creepy feeling crawling up my spine. Couples around us started moving closer together on the dance floor.

 “Dance with me?”

My head turned towards him, the moment he said and I hesitated, smiling. “I’m not sure- ” Suddenly, he leaned down, close enough that I could smell his cologne. 

So clean, woodsy, expensive. “I won’t let you deny me. Not when you look like that.”

My heart skipped. The way he said it wasn’t pushy. The way his hot breath fanned by warm skin and the way he said, it was confident, playful, like he already knew I’d say yes.

I chuckled, the warmth from the drink and his charm making me bold. “Okay, fine.” I placed my hand in his and let him lead me to the floor.

His hand settled on my waist and mine on his shoulder. We moved to the slow, pulsing beat - not grinding, just swaying. “You’re a natural,” he said, voice low. “And that blush? Killer.”

My cheeks heated up even more. “Stop, you’re making it worse.” He laughed, spinning me gently. “That’s the point.”

But halfway through the song, I couldn’t focus. Not anymore. That gaze- the one I’d felt since we walked in- it was back. Stronger. Like fingers trailing down my back. It felt frightening and … Frustrating. 

I glanced around, frowning, trying to spot the source while Frederick kept talking but I could not focus anymore. “You okay?” he asked, noticing. I shook my head. “Yeah, just… thought I saw someone.”

I tried to shake it off, smile back at him, but it wouldn’t leave. The uneasiness only grew and my heart picked up speed. A mix of annoyance and unease twisting in my gut. Who the hell was staring so hard? Jerk!!! 

Then, finally, my eyes lifted- to the balcony above the dance floor. And there he was. The source of that frustrating gaze- 

Leaning against the railing, elbows braced on either side and  a glass of dark liquor dangling from one hand. His grey eyes locked on me like lasers. Burning, darkened, intense, unblinking and unrelenting. 

He wasn’t smiling. Wasn’t moving. Just watching. Possessive. Like I was something he’d already claimed and was waiting for me to realize it. Who was he? I frowned slightly because the way he was staring did not feel like ‘ not claiming. ‘ 

Suddenly … something flashed in my mind- he looked familiar- but how?

I could not seem to divert my gaze from him and the way his eyes pierced mine, made me shiver. 

He looked like shadows given form. A black suit tailored to perfection over a broad frame, dark hair slightly tousled, a faint scar along his jaw that only made him more dangerous. 

Not the kind of man who enjoyed a night out but ….. The kind who owned the night. 

Who made people disappear if they crossed him. Ruthless. Controlling. The air around him seemed heavier, like gravity bent toward him.

And the red right of the club made him look like The God of Hell had stepped down from his throne himself. 

My breath hitched. I couldn’t look away. My steps faltered in the dance. Frederick noticed. “Grace?”But I barely heard him.

Because that devil straightened slowly, set his glass down, and started toward the stairs.

Coming for me.