My Protector | Meliodas

19. Poker

I jumped from the last two stairs and landed on both feet with a grunt. I was humming a song to myself as I rounded the bend of the staircase toward the kitchen. My humming turned into a yelp as I almost bumped into two tall men, who had shut the door behind them from my father's office.

One had purple hair, and the other had red and silver hair, but both had black eyes which burned holes in my skin. My eyes flickered between the two of their faces, fear spiking inside of my chest at the sight of them. The one with purple hair cracked first, a little smirk settling on his lips as he folded his arms and leaned down to get a closer look at me.

I struggled to take a step back, but never took my eyes off them.

"And who might you be?" His voice was smooth, which softened my nerves. I knew this was just the halo effect in the flesh, but it truly helped.

"Y/N Liones," I said quietly as if my last name would make them back off a bit. Both of them grinned like Cheshire cats, only they had sharp canines which could have easily drawn blood.

"Oh," the other one said, "so you're Bartra's daughter?" I hesitantly nodded, the unsettling feeling in my stomach increasing.

"Excuse me, the door is this way," a butler interrupted us, his eyes widening when he saw how close they were to me. He managed to step in between us and held out his arm in the direction of the exit. Both of the men peered over the butler's shoulders to get a final look at me before they left.

The employee sent me a worried expression before darting after them. I frowned at them, and after checking my heart wasn't palpitating, I continued my journey to the kitchen.

~

Closer to the end of the day, I had started getting ready to leave for the club. I had settled on a silky grey dress that fell just below my knees with a black purse and heels. My makeup was very simple with a black wing while my hair was styled in an updo.

I could smell my perfume when I left the bathroom to grab my phone. I opened my bedroom door to leave and almost screamed when I saw Meliodas leaning against the hallway wall. I held a hand to my heart and laughed as the adrenaline subsided and I stepped into the hallway.

"You scared me," I smiled at him, which faltered slightly when something in his jacket caught my eye. I opened his suit jacket and gasped when I saw the gun that was strapped there.

"What the hell?" I whispered, pointing to it. My eyes were wide as he moved the material from my fingers and began buttoning it up. That was when I noticed the firm look on his face.

"Come on," he tried to soften his features when he caught my eye, but I wouldn't let it slide that easily.

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly as we made our way down the stairs, my brain half-focused on not falling and the other on him. His posture was stiff, which made me anxious.

"I'll tell you in the car," was his response, and I nodded curtly. My nerves began to increase as we reached the bottom of the stairs, crossed through the foyer, and left out the front door. The sky was dark, with faint stars, but despite the chilly air, I felt hot.

"Evening, Miss Liones," Chandler greeted once I slipped into the warm car. I smiled grimly and watched Meliodas round the vehicle before he slid in next to me, without a glance in my direction.

My palms had begun to sweat as we left the estate and made our way to the club. I found myself trying to focus on my breathing as my brain began to create scenarios.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Y/N, just a safety measure," his tone was final, and although I frowned at his words, I didn't question them.

Was it about my father's business? More enemies?

Meliodas seemed to approve of my silence.

Fleeting lights filled the car as we drove through the city. Before I knew it, Meliodas had opened my door and held out his hand. I mumbled a goodbye to Chandler as I climbed out of the car and fixed my dress.

The loud bass of the club could be felt under my heels as we neared the building. It was tall, with several verandahs overlooking the street. Colorful lights illuminated out of them as people sat at tables clinking glasses and laughing.

We joined the small queue, and I fought the urge to hold Meliodas' hand. He was still tense, and I didn't think it would have been a great time to be affectionate.

"Y/N!" I heard a voice call from above us, making me flinch. I craned my neck to peer up and felt my body slump in relief when I saw Diane and Merlin leaning over the verandah directly above us. I laughed and waved shyly as Meliodas held the small of my back and lead me inside with the bouncer's approval.

The music was much louder at the top of a few stairs, and the smell of sex and booze was thick in the air. I felt myself relax completely at the familiar vibe, throwing a smile at Meliodas over my shoulder.

His smile was genuine as he moved beside me and pulled me closer with an arm over my shoulder. My smile was accompanied by a blush at his actions, but the nerves were still fluttering in my stomach. Meliodas's dark green eyes roamed over the club as we headed over to the bar for drinks.

Along the black bench were several spinny stools, most of them occupied with people either slouched over a drink or spilling one on the person next to them. I smiled at the bartender as we slid into two vacant seats.

The burly-looking guy nodded and fetched us two drinks quickly. I sighed as I sipped at the cool liquid through a straw, the fruity flavor addicting. I had to stop myself from chugging the entire thing, knowing I made a promise to never drink again.

I would at least take it slow. And not too many.

Meliodas glared over my shoulder at something as he held a black drink from his fingertips, swirling it.

Why is this a classic man move?

I tore my eyes away from the only man in the room I cared about, to the group sitting in a round booth by the corner of the club.

Six men circled a game of poker, a few women between some of them. They all looked rather shady, and I concluded that they were who we were taking precautions against.

"Is that them?" I said, still staring at them over my shoulder. A man with blonde hair tousled on his head caught my eye and grinned wickedly. I frowned and turned back to face Meliodas, who looked beyond pissed.

He raised his glass to his lips and downed the whole drink except for the ice, which was left spinning slowly at the bottom. His hand basically slammed the cup back on the bench, but it didn't catch any attention.

I thought he was going to get up and shoot them all in the face, but he didn't. Meliodas kept his cool as he motioned the bartender back over for a refill.

"You okay?" I leaned closer to him. My hand automatically fell to his forearm in a comforting gesture, which seemed to catch him off guard. He didn't look at me, but I saw the small smile grace his lips.

"I'm okay Y/N," he said, barely audible over the music. I flickered my gaze between both of his eyes when he turned his head to look at me, my eyebrows drawn together.

Those guys really bothered him. Even though he seemed a little better now, he was still stiff. I rubbed my thumb on his jacket with a gentle smile, tilting my head downwards.

"We can go if you don't want to be here," I said. He shook his head and frowned, but before I could question him further, a squeal sounded from behind me. I almost spilled my drink.

"There you are!!" Diane cried as her thin arms enveloped me, her breasts squished against my back. I gasped and choked at the contact, but laughed at her. She was clearly drunk, and even Merlin seemed amused.

I struggled to pry her off of me, and when I did, she spun my chair around to face her so fast I almost flew off. I gripped the seat and yelped.

"Let's dance."