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CHAPTER ONE
The door slammed shut as the last of the drunken crowd left the club. Without missing a beat, I threw my head back and downed a shot of vodka. It burned as it slid down my throat, easing my throbbing head from tonight's chaos. The club was a mess from the usual Saturday night partygoers. The tables all held stacks of glasses, there were all sorts of liquids on the floor and the smell of sweat, alcohol, and unnameable bodily fluids lingered in the air.
"Have fun cleaning up tonight Salem." I jumped back at the sudden scare and gave Pete, my co-worker, the finger. He had his leather jacket slumped over his shoulder and keys in his hands. He gave me a flirty smile, showing off his perfect white teeth, before shutting the door behind him.
I sighed. This was my usual Saturday night. Tolerating drunk, entitled men looking for the next, poor woman to leave unsatisfied. Then dealing with said men's messes and bruised egos. I absolutely did not get paid enough for this.
Grabbing the mop, I began to clean away all traces of any events from the night. I didn't mind cleaning. I did, however, mind cleaning up after other people, especially those who were delirious and couldn't make it to the bathroom in time.
Tonight hadn't been so bad, but it didn't change the fact that I craved to be in bed.
Hours passed by as the night's events were swept up and forgotten. Sweat was breaking on my forehead by the time the room had been cleaned to perfection. The bright lights illuminated the once-dark room, to show off the now pristine floors and tables.
I despised the end of the night, where the only thing left to do, was to empty the bins. It meant I had to lug the stacks of rubbish into the dark alleyway, which made my hair stand on end. What if someone was lurking around, watching me? I wasn't afraid of the dark, but I was afraid of what was lurking in it.
The cool breeze welcomed me to the secluded streets. Eerie silence echoed through the dark night and I struggled to not shake with the cold air. A single street lamp flickered, right above the lone bins, the only source of light that illuminated the dark alley. Goosebumps were quick to rise on my skin, and I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around myself. I pulled the heavy bags of rubbish through the door as quickly as I could, trying my best not to make a sound, to go unnoticed as possible.
The sound of the heavy door slamming shut behind me, made me jump. I dropped the bags and raced over to it, pulling on the stubborn handle.
It was locked.
Crap.
The door handle rattled beneath my palm. I willed it to open as a chill slid down my spine.
I grew frustrated kicking the door with my foot, regretting it instantly.
Shuffling came from behind me, and I froze in my steps.
"Salem..." came an unearthly whisper.
I started pounding my fists on the heavy door, begging that someone would hear. It didn't matter to me that no one was inside. My heart began to beat ungodly fast, my breaths coming out labored.
"Fuck!" I shouted, forgetting my fists and kicking the door with my foot. If no one was letting me in, I'd force my way through the door, one way or another.
Raising my foot to kick once more, the door opened. I stumbled through, losing my balance and into something hard. I didn't have time to compose myself before I turned and slammed the door shut and flipped the lock.
I leaned back against the cool metal, eyes closed. My breaths were heavy and were the only noise that echoed through the room. I hadn't even noticed the dark figure that stood not even a foot away from me.
I slowly opened my eyes. A man stood before me.
His tousled, dark hair fell over his equally dark eyes. He loomed at least a foot over me, looking down with curiosity in those green eyes. I tried not to notice his broad shoulders and the way his suit hugged his body. Everything about him radiated sensual grace.
He had opened the door, but I didn't recognize him. There was no way I would forget a face that looked like that.
"Hi," I calmly said, not taking my eyes off of his.
His lips curved up into a sly smirk. It told me he didn't hear the word 'no' often.
He looked towards the door, raising his eyebrows for an explanation. I'd almost forgotten the terrors behind the door. Almost. I shivered, trying to not think about what might've happened if the door hadn't opened.
"There was something out there," I whispered.
A few moments of silence went by.
"How did you get in here?" I asked.
"I'd hope I'd have the keys to my own club," he answered dryly.
I had never met the infamous owner and I hadn't had any desire to. As long as he paid my bills and was flexible with my hours, I didn't care. My main priority was college, but it didn't fund itself. As I stood before the man who sent out my paychecks, I wondered if I had just gotten myself fired.
His deep, eyes didn't stray from mine. We stared at each other in silence for what felt like forever.
I cleared my throat and finally tore my eyes away from his. I headed toward the bar to grab my jacket and keys. "I'm finished for the night," I spoke, not daring to look towards him again. I could feel his eyes burning a hole through the back of my head.
Turning towards the front door, my keys twirling in my hand, "the bins need emptying," I said in a sickly-sweet voice and slipped through the door.
