Elise pulled her black dress down as she glared at her colleague and friend, Kai, shooting daggers at him through the mirror. She was extremely uncomfortable in the dress, and as every second passed, she had all the notion of aborting the mission and choosing another path, one that did not have her to dress up skimpily, even if the dress was anything but that.
Kai just winked at her as he pushed his copper brown hair, ruffling it until he was satisfied. "You look hot, Elise. Calm down." He tried, only to stop when Elise picked up the gun in front of the mirror and pointed it at his head.
"You better stop speaking before I put a bullet through your head."
Kai raised his hands in mock surrender and took a step away from her, his smile still intact on his face.
"You are annoying. Remind me again why we became friends and why I even agreed to dress up so...so..." Elise fumbled to find an apt word to describe her attire.
"Gorgeously? Sexily?" Kai prompted.
"I meant horrendously." Elise lowered the gun and looked down at herself, irked to the core to be in such a predicament.
"Oh, come on. You look beautiful and ravishing, and don't you dare comment on the dress." Kai raised his voice when Elise was about to retort. "It suits you and it suits the mission we are going on. Remember your duties, Elise."
"Why do I have to dress up like this? Can't I just go in my work clothes?"
Again, she pulled down her short black dress, ignoring Kai's admiring eyes on her back. Added to the fact that it was backless, it even had a split on her left thigh. Any careless movement and she would be showing her thong to the world. Thank God, she did not have to go commando. Otherwise, Elise was sure that the gun in her hand would be short of one bullet and Kai would be lying cold somewhere.
"Darling, we are going to a club and we need to follow the dress code. Now, come on. We need to leave before you start nagging about your dress again."
Kai did not give Elise a chance to object. He plucked the gun out of her hands and holstered it before he put on his leather jacket.
"You do not need that for the night. I will take care of all the shooting. You focus on finding our target."
Elise did not say a word and walked in front of him, much to Kai's amusement, and he shook his head as he followed her, oblivious to the small smile on his friend's lips.
So what if she did not have her gun with her? She still had her pocket knife in the holster, secured to her right thigh, and that was enough for her.
It did not take long for Elise and Kai to reach the place, and looking at the best club in the city, arguably even in the country, they remained unfazed, especially Elise, who was not at all a club person.
Flashing the fake IDs they had with them, they entered the place, only for Elise to close her eyes immediately. The blaring sound of music, the smell of booze and smoke and sweat, and the unbelievable crowd made her uneasy, nauseous even. But she was on a mission, and she could not leave, not when they had a target to find.
With that thought, she pushed back her disgust and walked beside Kai, who, much to her relief, shielded her from unwanted touches, leading her toward the bar right away.
"Are you alright?" Kai questioned, his eyes glancing at her for a moment before he looked around the club as far as his eyes could reach, concealing his true intentions with fake admiration for the place.
"I'm fine." Elise lied, which she was sure Kai had caught on to.
"Bear with it for some time, honey. We will leave once we find our man." He flashed her a smile before he started shaking his head lightly to match the rhythm of the background music.
Being her friend and colleague for seven years, Kai was adept at reading her emotions, and right now, her body and eyes screamed in agitation. She was highly uncomfortable. She had no choice but to bear with it.
"What may I get you?" The bartender arrived, and Elise put up a fake smile that had Kai relaxing lightly in relief.
"A mojito for me and a whiskey sour for the gentleman here." Elise chirped, making Kai raise his brows at her in surprise.
"That would be a twenty." The bartender looked at Elise, surprising her with his gaze on her, and impressing her at the same time. At least he was not a douchebag who assumed that only a man could buy a lady a drink as she had experienced in a few clubs she had been to in the past.
With a nod and a smile, she passed him a twenty and a five, and the bartender smiled at her before he moved to the next order.
"Well, thank you for the drink, Lia." Kai raised his glass, and Elise followed suit, putting up the act they had decided upon previously, albeit with only minor changes.
"Not a problem, Simon. It's been more than three years since I saw you. It's only right that I buy you a drink as an apology for leaving the country without meeting you."
Elise glanced from the corner of her eye, and as expected, the bartender was listening to their conversation while he had prepared the drinks, the reason for which she did not know.
"How have you been by the way?" Kai queried, his head lowering towards her, his eyes filled with curiosity as though he was deeply interested in knowing about her, and Elise had to stop herself from rolling her eyes on seeing his brilliant act.
"I have been well and I'm back for good. Will start job hunting soon."
"That's cool. Any boyfriend over the years?"
Elise was damn sure that she heard the bartender mumble something under his breath that sounded like 'smooth'.
"Had one. Broke up when things did not work out. Now, I'm single." Elise answered and picked up her drink, trying to delay the conversation as much as possible. Their target was nowhere to be seen, and she and Kai had to make sure they did not arouse anyone's suspicions before he arrived.
"I see." Kai nodded, and he too picked up the drink, his brows shooting up when the bartender showed him a thumbs up, which he reciprocated secretly.
"What's up with you? How have you been?" Elise managed to steer the conversation as she looked at the club, focusing her eyes more on the entrance. Their target should arrive any moment now, and they had to be prepared.
"Just the same. My parents are on a world tour, and my sister... let's say she got her license and she is a doc now."
"Wow, I now know who to approach if I fall sick. I hope she will not kill me for leaving without informing her."
Kai just let out a chuckle and sipped his whiskey sour, both deciding to remain safe and have just one drink for the night.
The music changed, and the lights followed the rhythm. People were dancing their asses off and Kai held out his hand, making Elise stare at it in confusion.
"Shall we dance?"
Elise let out a laugh and placed her hand in his before they got up and started dancing, staying closer to the bar from where they could see the entrance clearly.
"Keep up the good work, darling. You are doing great."
"I know. I hope he comes here soon and we can end this shit quickly. These heels are killing me." Elise groaned but did not show her pain whatsoever.
"What are you saying? You look stunning in those heels."
Elise was just about to riposte when she saw the man they had been waiting for. "Target arrived. Target arrived."
Kai moved their bodies such that they could both see the man. They saw him nod at the bouncer before he was escorted towards a door at the far end of the club that was hidden behind a thick black curtain. And just like that, their target disappeared behind the door before the duo had any opportunity to take any action.
"What the fuck!" Elise cursed under her breath, and Kai let out a sigh, frustrated to have missed the man by a short inch. "What does the door at the back open to?" She probed as they continued dancing, glancing at the black curtains that blended well with the wall.
"I have no idea," Kai muttered, his forehead creasing deeper thoughtfully. "This is the second time I am visiting this club, and it is only now that I noticed the secret door. Maybe, it's the VIP area." He shrugged lightly.
"Well, why don't we find out ourselves?" Elise suggested, and deftly, the couple moved towards the curtains as they continued dancing, making sure to keep a lookout for any suspicious eyes.
"I hope we can sneak inside without getting noticed," Kai mumbled as they reached the curtains after a few seconds of hustling. Although the place was crowded, the area near the curtains was relatively empty. Elise and Kai both realized that their prolonged stay would only raise suspicions, especially from the bartender who had looked at them twice already.
"Pretend as if you are kissing me." Elise proposed all of a sudden, stupefying Kai for a moment, and the man gaped at her like a fish.
"What?" He croaked in disbelief, and Elise rolled her eyes at him.
"I have an idea in mind to test the doors. So, pretend as if you are kissing me."
"Why do I have to pretend? I could kiss you in real." Kai winked at her, and Elise narrowed her eyes in irritation.
"And I could kick you in the balls immediately after. Try me." She spat, and Kai let out a chuckle before he held her cheeks gently, startling Elise with his soft touch. For a moment, it seemed as though he would kiss her for real, especially with the way he was looking, his eyes flickering between her eyes and her lips.
Kai had never looked at her fondly, and Elise was at a loss for words. Either he was brilliant at acting or...
"Elise, focus." The man in question chided her, his lips arching up on one side, and Elise snapped out of her stupor.
Taking a deep breath and forcing all other thoughts out of her mind, she shifted closer to Kai and leaned forward, covering her face and a part of Kai's with her hair. Now, to the people looking at them, it seemed as if they were kissing passionately.
Elise pulled Kai with such intensity that they collided with the door, and seconds after, Elise pushed him away, only to be stopped when Kai held her neck. He shook his head at her and moved their bodies such that they were now leaning against the wall beside the curtains as they continued to maintain the same position.
"What..."
"We do not want the people to suspect us, Elise. Act as if we are eating each other's lips." Kai answered even before she could reprimand him, and that shut Elise up.
"What did you find out?"
"There are no handles outside. The door's locked and it only opens from inside or by using a card or fingerprint."
"Shit, that makes our job difficult now." Kai took a breath as he watched Elise bite her lips until he saw traces of blood on them.
"Elise..."
"What?" She pulled back slightly, and this time, Kai let her go. "If we are acting like we are kissing, we need to at least make it seem real." She winked at him and walked back toward the bar, leaving Kai to rethink his view of life.
"Excuse me," Elise called for the bartender, and the man came to her immediately, his lips arching up into a knowing smile when he noticed her bruised lips. "May I know where the washroom is?"
"It's at the end towards the left, Miss." The man replied with a gentle smile, and Elise nodded at him gratefully.
"That was damn quick." Kai heard the bartender's praise, and he raised his head as he wiped his lips. "Good luck, buddy."
"Thanks." Kai raised his brows playfully at him as he waited for Elise to return.
"Is this your first time here?" the man enquired as he wiped the glasses, and Kai shook his head, not wanting to alert him in case he had seen him on his previous visit.
"I have been here before."
"I see." The bartender nodded and started cleaning the counter.
"Hey..." Kai stood up when he saw Elise return.
"I need to leave now."
"What? Why?" Kai's smile slipped, and he gave her a look of concern.
"I have an important interview scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I only saw the mail now. I'm so sorry," she apologized, and Kai instantly understood what was happening.
"Not a problem. Let me drop you home at least."
"Sure, thanks."
Kai nodded at the bartender and led Elise toward the exit. The crowd was too big, and in the middle, he had to let go of her hand. Amid all the pushing and pulling, Elise slammed right into a hard body.
"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry," she mumbled her apologies, not looking at the man she had bumped into and pushed her way through the crowd to reach Kai, who was already waiting for her.
"I thought you liked the club and wanted to stay here forever," Kai teased as the couple started walking towards the parking lot.
"You must be delusional. Get yourself checked."
Kai just let out a chuckle, and it was only when they hit the road that his smile vanished.
"What did you find out?"
Kai had long deciphered her code words. If Elise had not found any important information, they would not have left the club this quickly.
"When I was in the washroom, I overheard two women speak."
"Wow, as they say, ladies' washrooms are always the best places to gossip and gather more information," Kai exclaimed, and Elise folded her hands, forcing the man to shut up.
"Are you done?"
"Not yet. But you can go ahead."
"Whatever." Elise pushed back her annoyance. "Anyway, apparently, the secret door leads to another part of the club, and to go in, we need to have a membership. Also, it is not just anything simple but a sex club."
"What?" Kai's brows rose in disbelief. "Sex club?" Elise nodded immediately. "I do not believe it. The club is the best in the country. It cannot be a sex club." Kai tapped on the steering wheel as he waited for the signal to go green.
"Unless..." He mused when the realization hit him.
"Unless?" Elise prompted, confused by his sudden excited mood. His mood had shifted within seconds.
"Unless it is a BDSM club." He glanced at his friend, his eyes twinkling like the stars. "Now, everything falls into place."
"I'll ask you one last time. Why did you betray us?" The man on the throne-like chair leaned forward and folded his hands as he looked at his prey in the eye. His forest green eyes were devoid of any emotion. His chestnut brown hair was disheveled, and his dark blue tie lay loosened around his neck.
Even if he did not show any emotion, a dark and dangerous air filled the room, forcing everyone to suck in a deep breath. The beast was about to unleash its wrath, and they could only pray to stay alive at the end of the day and watch the sunrise again.
"Boss, you'll have to trust me." The man who was kneeling in front of the throne-like chair cried miserably. But no one pitied him. He had chosen the path of his destruction, and they could do nothing about it.
"Trust..." The man let out a chuckle all of a sudden and stood up, forcing the kneeling man to scoot further away from him in fear.
"I do not trust anyone in this world, Marco. Anyone but my brother and you..." His smile slipped all of a sudden as he glowered at the kneeling man while resembling nothing less than the Asura from hell. He took slow, agonizing steps towards the man and kicked him in the chest, sending him howling in pain.
"And you just happened to target him. What should I say?" He clicked his tongue and sighed lightly, not even caring about the man he had just kicked. "Either you are brave or utterly foolish."
"Reuel." The door opened suddenly, forcing everyone to look at the intruder in horror. Who in their sane minds would even enter the room when their Boss was handling matters? Only an idiot who did not cherish his life and wanted a quick death.
All the men stiffened suddenly when they saw who had entered the room. Although he seemed brighter than the sun with his sunshine smile, only they knew how dark and frightening he was. It was truly their unlucky day to have been in the vicinity of two menacing men when they were filled with rage and vengeance.
The man in question remained unfazed, and he walked in, more like he limped inside as he stared at the kneeling man.
"What are you doing here, Azael?" Reuel ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh as he waited for his brother to reply.
"Is he the one?"
"Yes."
"Then, why are you even keeping him alive?" Azael looked at the man as though he were nothing but dirt he would never step on. "It's not like he is gonna lay golden eggs."
Reuel did not even have the time to say a word when Azael pulled out his gun and shot the man right in between his eyes. The man didn't even have the chance to scream. His body collapsed immediately, his blood splattering on the walls, dying them red.
"Let's go. I'm bored."
"Azael." Reuel shook his head, allowing his twin to drag him out of the room, towards the parking lot. Although he was still worried about his younger brother, he did not stop him and allowed him to take the passenger seat.
If it were any other time, Reuel would not have entertained such an action from Azael. Since he knew it was all momentary and his brother would come down from the high of getting out of the mansion after a week, he let it go.
"Where do you want to go?" Reuel started the car, not caring about the dead body that now lay in the basement. His men would take care of it.
"I have been dying to go to the club. Let's go." Azael smirked, and Reuel let out a chuckle.
"You lasted longer than I thought."
"What did you have in mind?" Azael raised his brows playfully.
"A day or two max. You lasted a whole week. Now that you are back, get your ass working. I'm tired of handling your work." Reuel gritted his teeth, and Azael yawned loudly.
"I will. I got a break after a long time. Lemme cherish it for a few more days." Azael winked at his brother, who just rolled his eyes in return.
Reuel did not force him on that, allowing him to take his time to return to work. If not for the accident, Azael would have continued to work his ass off and tormented himself to exhaustion. The accident had served to give his brother a break while, at the same time, trap the moles in their empire.
"If only we had a submissive to..." Azael commented all of a sudden after some time, and Reuel glanced at him for a moment as he too pursed his lips.
It had been months since they started searching for a submissive, with no results. No lady caught their eye, one who could please them both at the same time. Although the women came to them of their own accord, hoping to gain a lavish life in return, that was far from what the brothers wanted.
"We will find one, Azael. Do not worry." Reuel assured him, although he was unassured himself.
Silence hung over the constrained space, and it was not until the duo reached the private parking lot in the club that they let out a breath of relief.
"I need to have a word with the bartender down here. You may go in first." Reuel handed the car key to the already waiting guard, who took it from him without a word.
"Sure." Azael started towards their private entrance, only to stop suddenly. "And Reuel, keep an eye around you. What if we find the perfect lady for us today?" He winked at him before he entered the elevator that led him to the top, while Reuel entered the corridor that led him to the entrance of the club.
Finding a submissive here, at this part of the club, was tough luck, and Reuel let out a chuckle as he nodded at the bouncers before entering the place. It was just like usual, crowded, sweaty, and noisy.
Pressing a hand on his forehead, Reuel sucked in a deep breath as he took a step inside. However, before he could make it to the bartender, he collided heavily with someone. A flood of mild and soothing fragrance assaulted his nose. The scent of lily of the valley. But before he could take a good look at the lady, she had apologized and vanished from the place.
All he could see was the exposed back of a lady, and Azael's words returned to his mind immediately.
"What if we find the perfect lady for us today?"
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