Chapter 5

The sound of balls hitting balls—or occasionally, wood—filled the otherwise dull room. A ways from where they were, music boomed loudly, making even the walls and floors of the VIP section of the club pulsate with each beat, regardless of the stark contrasting quietude settling in the room.

The room was dark, save for the dim illumination from the pendant lights hanging from the ceiling of the bar and the faux LED flames licking up the walls of the room, casting the space in an intimate orange glow. Music rocked the rest of the club, swarming the building with liveliness, however, only occasional pong noises emanated from the pool table in the VIP room, filling the otherwise light silence.

Gabriel sat, hunched over the bar counter, his hands holding the sides of his head, fingers lost in a forest of dark unruly strands, as he stared unblinkingly at his drink. Minutes idled by with absolutely no movement from Gabriel (not even the blink of an eye) but when the ice cubes in his amber c