Estranged • h.s.

06

I'm on my feet to follow him down the stairs. He leads us through the club, the stage now lit with another simple strip number. He leads us to the back hallway I noted earlier, Saints and Sinners. The music fades the deeper we get, body guards littered against the wall all the way down.

I look at each of them, trying to decide how much I'll have to change my clothing. New pants, maybe, not sure if jeans will cut it. The suit jackets annoy me. Tonight my black button-down isn't far off, although the extensive amount of chest may not roll. Zayn slips into the last door, holding the door open for the three of us.

Once inside, I scan the room from head to toe. There are two loveseats on either side, with two chairs in the middle of the room. The walls are black, making the room very dark. The only source of light comes from soft lights beneath the furniture and soft lights lining the ceiling. There's a minibar, stacked full of all the alcohol anyone would want.

"What is this?" Louis asks, sitting down on one of the couches. Niall follows suit, sitting on the one opposite of him. I continue standing, staring at the hard to miss window facing another room. Zayn pours himself a drink, chuckling to himself.

"Tonight, we're saints. We get to watch the sinners through the window."

I study the view, realizing it really is another room we're looking at and not a reflection.

"My people love to put on a good show, and anyone is welcome to put their name on a list to be a saint or a sinner. Eris rarely allows anyone in her saint's room, but we get a special pass tonight."

My brows pinch, my head turning to Zayn. "Eris is the boss? Eris is the one who needs us for clean up and backup?"

Zayn sips from his drink, sitting down in one of the chairs. "She's got a special guest tonight, someone who she's been eyeing for a while. We get to watch her in action, and if she needs you, I'll send you in."

I stand still, stunned to the core. Niall and Louis talk, clearly just as surprised as me.

"Can they see us?" Niall asks, looking through the window to the currently vacant private room. Louis is on his feet, fixing a drink.

"No, not unless one of them opts for it. There's a button below the window on the other side that makes it a regular window. Eris won't use it, and she sure as hell won't tell the man it's an option."

I shake my head in thought, even more perplexed. This is turning into the most surprising job. We have to watch this girl essentially seduce and kill a man.

I dig in my pockets, igniting yet another cigarette as I sit down in the chair next to Zayn. "It's easy, really. They rarely put up a fight. She sucks them in with her big brown eyes and perfect hips and slits their throats the second they catch on." He laughs, holding his drink to his lips. "I love it." He sips his drink and I roll my eyes.

"How long has she been doing this?" Louis asks, walking by me and handing me a glass before sitting back down.

"A while, she's patient and determined. Never gets greedy or sidetracked. Her best strength is how calm she is, it's amazing. Doesn't hurt that she's strong in general, could probably beat the shit out of all of us."

I laugh, inhaling smoke before exhaling it into the room.

Zayn speaks again. "I'm serious, boys. Don't underestimate her. You'll want her on your good side if you want her help when it's time for your next move."

I eye Zayn before looking at Niall, his face saying it all. If she's as good as he says, we may actually want her. I focus back on the window, taking in the other room. It's not much. A couch, bar, stereo system, and a large platform in the middle for whatever.