Bullet ✔️

Chapter 21

"You wanted to see my world," Damian said as he held his hand out for me to help me out of his car. "Let me show you my world."

He'd parked outside a very busy place. Upon further inspection it looked like a nightclub, and the line was so long it rounded the corner at the end of the block. I had no idea what we were doing there, or what it had to do with his world, but I guessed I'd figure it out soon enough.

Holding my hand, he gave his car keys to a bouncer, and nodded as a greeting to the other, as the doors opened for us. People in the line boo'ed, but as soon as Damian turned to face them, they shut up. Did they know who he was? Probably. I decided to not question anything we were going to do that night, and just keep an open mind. This was his world, and I wanted to know about it—to know if it was worth it.

Inside, it was packed. Lights in neon colors filled the crowded place, music boomed through the large speakers mounted everywhere, making the floors shake. The darkness where there wasn't a pink or green or yellow light made it hard to see anything other than black silhouettes of people, so I clutched Damian's hand a little harder than probably necessary, so I wouldn't get lost.

We entered a quieter area after Damian greeted another bouncer and was let in. There were lights on in there from tall, extravagant, golden chandeliers, and the music was almost completely muted once the doors shut, leaving only a soft tune coming from a grand piano in the corner. Everything around us was suddenly covered in red velvet—like the hotel we went to. It hit me that Mr. Strac probably liked red velvet, and this was one of Damian's family businesses.

I jumped when someone put their arms around Damian in front of me, and a whiny, "I missed you," came from a familiar voice I couldn't quite place. Damian tugged on my hand and I took another step forward, resulting in me seeing the familiar face. Her blonde hair was in waves around her soft face, the tiny nose and puckered lips making me wonder where I'd seen her before, when she looked at me and said, "You. Still no dress."

It was Elina's sister—Nina. Her eyes went down to Damian and I's interlaced fingers, and she narrowed her eyes slightly, before pressing her hands into his chest, batting her eyelashes at him with a mischievous smirk on her lips. "I thought you'd forgotten about me and our...arrangement." Her eyes flickered to mine for a split second, while her fingers walked up his left peck, and towards his shoulder.

It was all I could do not to gag. And to his credit, Damian grabbed her hands with his free one, and pushed her away, glaring at her, instead of swatting it away. "I told you it wasn't an arrangement, Nina," he said, his dark voice sounding more threatening than ever. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got business to attend to."

Nina smiled at him, giving him a nod of understanding before she turned to me and sized me up. If she didn't share Elina's pretty features, I wouldn't have believed they were sisters for one second. When Damian started to walk, Nina leaned in and whispered, "If you think he'll fall in love and be forever yours, you've got another thing coming."

It sounded rude, but the way she smiled at me and waved me off when I followed Damian through the lounge told me there might've been more to the story. Maybe he'd been burnt by love once before as well. Maybe that was why he took this chance I gave him to show me everything, so I'd either be gone or jump in with him, knowing it all.

Damian pulled me closer, leaning in to press a kiss to my temple, but instead his low voice gave me instructions. "I need you to cling to me, sweetheart," he said, "and act bored and impatient." I could do that. I'd been in acting classes in college, to get some more credits. "I'm going to say a lot of things in the next few minutes, and most of it will be lies."

That caught my attention a little more, and as I looked at him he pressed a kiss to my lips and smirked, before pretending like the conversation never happened when a man stood up from a corner table and said his name loudly. I clung closer to him, resting a hand on his upper arm, even though he still clutched my fingers.