𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡 | ✓

22 - Cigarettes & Drinks

3RD PERSON POV

As the couple enters the loud dining room, it all goes silent.

Rumours were circulating in the gang groups about Francis having a woman, but no one assumed that she would stay so long, let alone be given the same curse as him.
It's known that men in gangs sleep around, and it's rare to stick with one woman.

Francis and Valentina walked through the crowd, a small entrance to the bar forming for them as whispers were shared around the room, but the quietness was lifted as Francis glared at the room, not wanting his angel to be uncomfortable.

People in the room resume their normal state of grinding against others, loud music, flashing lights and others smoking and drinking. Valentina was unusual to the setting since she had been at a quiet mansion for so long and even when working she never dared to set foot in a club, thinking of the worse. But now she felt at ease with Francis next to her, to which she clung onto, not knowing what she would do if he went.

Francis was drinking shot after shot, not being affected by the burning liquid going down his throat and ignoring that Valentina still kept her eyes on him shamelessly. She was admiring the sudden change of clothing he wore. he wore an all-black, matching his hair, wings, and her dress. He wore a mask almost identical to Valentina's and the only colour that was in their outfits were their illuminated eyes, the blue of Valentina and yellow of Francis.

The man looked back at her, contacting eyes and she looked away with a blushed face making her admirer chuckle. Francis pulls Valentina closer to him, wanting to place her in his lap but knows that she wouldn't be comfortable with that. Francis knew in the past that he broke her trust by making her like him and he wanted to make up for that and he had to keep his composure.

He chugged down another vodka shot and felt the burn from his throat to nose. It made him at ease as he looked at Valentina's eyes that were wandering the room and froze at someone approaching the pair. It was a tall man, one of Francis's gun dealers, Lorenzo. Francis slowly put down his glass and stood up to greet him, holding out his hand and is taken by the tanned man.

Valentina stayed at the seat, watching the two men talk formally but eventually zoned out as her eyes drifted around the room again and landed on a pink drink that the bartender was making. It looked terrific so the girl asked him for one and was served in a minute, but before she could drink it she felt a kiss pressed onto her forehead and looked up to see Francis.

"I need to go for a few minutes, love. But stay here and I'll be back soon." he smiled and walked away with the blonde as his love resumed her drink, yet to be interrupted again.

"You're so lucky to have a man like that," a girl with bleach-blonde hair and a shiny pink dress, sighs to Val.

"I guess so," Valentina muttered and the girl giggled at her reply.

"I'm Sienna." she introduced, holding her hand out and Valentina shook it cautiously, introducing herself too.
Sienna seemed odd. Although her voice sounded normal, Valentina could tell there was some motive lying in her fake smile and the unreadable glint in her eye.

Valentina sipped the drink that had been put in front of her but immediately pulls back from the drink and makes a grimaced face and Sienna laughs.

"It's so strong" Valentina groans and Sienna nodded. "One of the strongest drinks here!" and that's when Valentina felt her stomach lurch and stood up immediately.

Recently, Valentina had been having sick episodes- a side effect of the wings- and there was no way of determining when they would happen, and now was not a good time.