THE TAYLORS [H.S]

2.

Anna

I had lost Greg by the bar, as soon as I threw my coat at him to hold. He had stumbled back out of shock and I scurried off, getting lost in the middle of the crowd before he even had a chance to say boo. I knew I didn't have too long, given Greg's anxious attitude and the fact he had lost me within twenty seconds of being alone, meant he was about to call Jerry and Sam in to find me and drag me out - or even worse, he would call Trent directly. I didn't know if Greg was still a kiss ass after all these years of working for my brothers, but I wasn't about to stick around and find out.

I zig zagged through the crowd of people. With the flashes of the bright white lights above us, everyone looked like they were moving in slow motion. As I moved through everyone, I could easily distinguish the party goes from the people who were here to do business and business only. The party goers danced like nobody was watching, not seeming to have a care in the world about what was going on around them. The business people stood tense and sober, seeming paranoid of everyone that passed them. They stuck out like sore thumbs. They were dotted across the club, spread apart so they looked like strangers but dressed as expensive as each other. If the party goers weren't as hammered as they were, they would of spotted them out easily and questioned why people who were dressed so formal were in a dirty club like this. I guess being high on anything you could imagine and drinking until you can't see, would make you pretty oblivious to the corrupt world around you.

I got a few greetings by those who recognised me as a Taylor, though it was nothing more than a subtle nod or a quick eyebrow raise in acknowledgement. I flickered my hand in some sort of wave as a response but kept my eyes straight for the most part. Just because I was a Taylor and these men paid my family to be able to do business in our club without getting caught by the law, didn't mean I was about to shake hands and be all buddy buddy with them. These businesspeople were nothing more than that, so they didn't know that I wasn't suppose to be here. It was something that they would use as a weakness towards my family. It was like knowing I was the weaker link, and that I needed protection while I was out. It was true in the eyes of my family, but I failed to see how it was. My family always reminded me to be careful of who you gave your trust out too, because it was unlikely they would give it back to you. Despite these people paying my family to do their dirty work here, didn't mean that they were on our side for anything. Given they were paying us, meant that they were lower on the food chain and boy, did people throw anything to the piranhas so they could climb up that ladder faster.

I scrunching up my nose as the party goers swayed against me, trying to pull me into them for a dance, shouting something over the music that I could barely make out and really had no interest in listening too in the first place. I pushed them off, telling them to get fucked before I continued on my way to the back of the club, shoving and elbowing people as I did, ignoring the complaints I got as I did it.

As if everyone thought that I wouldn't be able to handle myself and that I needed to be escorted through the club to my brothers, I laughed to myself.
These people could barely stand straight, worst case scenario was that someone groped my ass and I give them a swift kick to the shin. It was nothing I couldn't handle.

As I made my way to the back of the club and up the stairs, past the velcro rope and the guards who eyed me with caution as I passed, I noticed that the VIP door was being guarded by an unfamiliar face. He had his arms laced together at the front of his body, eyes lowered, trying to look intimidating as he scanned the room in front of him every couple of seconds, muttering something into his head piece like it was of real importance. He looked way too young to even be in the club though. If it wasn't for the facial hair, I'd think he was only seventeen. His face was a permanent scowl, and I rolled my eyes at him. He was guarding the room like it was made out of gold.