House Empty Like My Heart

Chapter 20

I instantly turned back to see my captor's face.

The creepy guy leaned towards me and whispered into my ear:

"Be a good girl for me and tell Mr. Flynn that Michael sends his regards" I got chills when I heard that.

The hit of adrenaline made it possible for me to get away from that man, or maybe he just let go of my hand himself. I didn't know nor did I care at that moment. I was running away. Through the crowd, I didn't care who do I step on or push I just wanted to get away as soon as possible.

To my desperation, someone else stopped me from advancing further.

"Girl, are you crazy? Do you know who you were about to bump into?" the man explained pointing out at the person whose path I was about to cross.

I looked at the man he was pointing at.

People moved just to make a space for him. It was instantly clear that he was someone very important. I noticed that some people glanced at him with a mix of fear and respect. He was handsome like a model or an actor.

He was wearing a black suit, he was tall and muscular, he had black hair two bald men were wearing black uniforms were walking behind him, they looked like bodyguards.

"Sorry, I have no idea who that person is. But thank you for your help"

"You don't know who he is? Are you a tourist? Wait, no. How old are you?"

The person who asked me that was truly contrasting with a man I just described. The man who stopped me had red hair and an ugly orange shirt his brows furrowed as he looked more closely at me, he was trying to see something in the dark which wasn't that easy admittedly but I would prefer if his face wasn't so close to mine. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked noticing just now that I'm trembling which was the result of my last encounter.

"Get the fuck off my sister"

All I've heard was Dan's angry voice and then the strange man has violently pushed away from me, unfortunately, he was still holding my arm and when he let me go I already lost balance and fell into someone's strong arms. I looked up at the figure towering over me and my heart stopped when I realized that the person who stopped me from falling with their body was the same person whose path shouldn't be crossed.

Fuck.

Dan was probably experiencing a heart attack as he watched me in the embrace of yet another strange man and quickly tried to grab my hand and drag me towards himself and free me from the stranger's arms.

Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple.

Before Dan was able to take a step he was grabbed by the back of his shirt by what I assume was this scary man's bodyguard.

I trembled in fear for my brother's safety. I tried to say something to stop them.

I looked up ready to start yelling my apologies but then I felt how grip on my arm tightens and the man I was trying to speak to is leading me somewhere. It didn't hurt but I doubted I would be able to get away. I was so scared I couldn't say a word.

I was not the only one being escorted, both Dan and the red-haired man were grabbed by the bald bodyguards. We were advancing towards the entrance hidden behind a crimson velvet curtain, there the stairs were leading to a private room. The furniture here looked different than in the rest of the club it seemed to be even more luxurious.

The man who brought us here sat at one of the chairs as everyone was standing before him and it felt like a king was giving an audience to his peasants, I felt a little like a peasant in his presence and I'm sure I wasn't the only one.

"Now, it's quieter here, isn't it? Gentlemen, I've brought you here to remind you that violence is not a way to treat a lady" he probably thought one of them pushed me. He was scolding them as if he had the right to do so with so much confidence in his voice. "Is there a problem we can solve? I would have people having a bad experience at my club" he asked as if we were clients who came to him with complaints.

"Not a problem sir, just a small misunderstanding," the red-haired man said quickly and laughed nervously.

"A misunderstanding? Yes, I can see that. Underage children creating disorder at my nightclub is very serious misunderstanding" the scary man spoke in a calm leveled voice but it was laced with something dark, for some reason his voice made me feel afraid as if he was threatening us but what he was doing wasn't treated at all. He just took a sip of whiskey that appeared in his hand the waitress appeared from a thin air and quickly left as if she was never in the room.  Who was he?

Soon a person joined us, it turned out to be a club manager.

"Tell me, Neal, since when have we opened a kindergarten?"

"I-I'm afraid I don't understand, boss"

Neal was clearly terrified.

"Those are children. Obviously. What are they doing at my club, who let them in, find me the answers now" he said slowly as he was trying to explain the difficult matters to a child who has trouble with understanding words.

Neal muttered something like yes and then tried to apologize but in the middle of his pitiful attempts to start a sentence he just gave up turned around and probably left to get find answers by questioning his staff.

"Sweetheart, how old are you?"

"21?" I guessed in high pitched voice. Smooth, Ellie.

"Don't lie" he didn't like my answer, what can I say. And I was awful at lying.

"16"

"16. And you boy?" His voice was less gentle when he asked Dan.

"17"

"Marco" he pointed at one of his goons "will show you the way out of my club. I better not see you here again until you're legal. I'm only letting you leave because of your age" his cold gaze stopped for a long while at the man who tried to stop me from bumping into him.

"Yes sir thank you," Dan said quietly.

As for you, we will continue our conversation without the kids present, yes?

What about the red-haired man?

"Wait"

"Ellie shut up!" Dan said terrified for my bold attempt to speak.

"Wait but he really tried to help me and then it was all just an accident my brother jumped to the wrong conclusion I'm really sorry we bothered you"

"That's very nice of you to say. Marco" the man dismissed what I said completely.

Marco escorted us this time towards the main entrance of the club. Without a word of goodbye left us. Thank God. I felt sorry for the red-haired man but at least I tried to help.

But of course, I couldn't enjoy the freedom for too long. Dan started yelling.

"Are you crazy? Are you insane? Speaking when that man after he allowed us to leave? You know I'm one step away from telling father myself"

"Telling me what?"

Dear Readers,

I'm sorry for another cliffhanger I hope frequent updates make it easier for you to forgive me 😭❤️