His Little Demon

Chapter Twenty

(Astraea's POV)

I didn't like flying.

Vas said I'd like flying if we were on his plane because all the other people wouldn't be there but I disagree. I don't imagine flying of any kind would be fun. Though he also did say I'd enjoy becoming part of some club you can only join while in the air but he wouldn't go into detail about it. He also said I didn't like the flight because it was about 10 hours. He said shorter flights are better.

"If looks could kill you would have killed half the passengers." Vas whispered in my ear, as we exited the plane.

I wouldn't have killed half the passengers. Just all the women who stared a little too long at Vas as we walked by. They needed to learn to keep their eyes to themselves.

Tak and Orion met us outside the airport with Ares by their side. They flew over on a separate plane hours ahead of us.

"Lo has a location." Tak said, holding out a phone for Vas.

"The club?"

"Yeah, said he's been there for hours with no signs of moving."

"We best get going then."

"A c-club?" I asked as Vas, Ares, and I climbed into the back of a rental Tak and Orion had picked up.

"It's a strip club."

"It fronts as a strip club." Vas corrected. "He really uses it for all his...nefarious activities which stereotypically takes place underneath the building."

Our journey in the car didn't take long and soon we were pulling up in front of a building with blacked out windows, two large scary looking men at the entrance, and a long line of people that wrapped around the side of the building out of sight.

"We wait in l-line?" I questioned as Vas helped me climb out of the car.

"Not hardly." He chuckled.

Without saying another word, he leads me in-between the two large men standing at the entrance and right inside the club. People are everywhere. Women dancing on stages and poles half naked or completely naked while everyone else seemed to be drinking, laughing, talking, and doing things that should only be done in private. Ignoring everyone who glances our way, he continues walking until we reach the back of the room where an even scarier man is standing by another door.

"You're one brave son of a bitch." The man tells Vas.

"I know." He smirks as the man then opens the door for us.

"Good luck."

We descend down some stairs where the putrid smell of sweat, booze, and cigarettes singes my nose. The closer we get to the bottom the stronger the smell gets and the louder everything becomes.

"Don't let go of my hand." Vas says right as we reach the bottom where the stairs lead to a huge room that can only be describe as chaos. Bodies clump together, jumping up and down, fists pumping the air as they jeer. Scantily clad women move between the groups of men, some holding drinks, others hanging off a man or two's arm.

I arch my neck, standing on my tip-toes squinting my eyes to get a better look at what everyone is yelling about when suddenly, the whole places comes alive. Everyone jumps to their feet, roaring and screaming their heads off. My blood heats while my skin turns cold. I can barely hear my thoughts over the mixture of people and music... and the smell. This is almost too much for me to handle. There's too much noise, too many people. I need air. I feel Ares brush up against the back of my legs and feel Vas grip my hand a little tighter, as if he can sense my unease.

The bodies in front of us part as Vas keeps walking forward until we are in the front and that's when I see it: a stage. No, not a stage; a platform.

Not just a platform though. A fighting ring.

A fighting ring where a man as big as the bouncer upstairs straddles another equally large man. His fists fly, one right after the other, landing on the other person each time. His hands are up in an attempt to block his face, but it isn't enough to stop the assault. The assault doesn't stop until the man on the ground goes limp and completely stops breathing. The crowd erupts even louder as people scream and cheer, drowning out the sound of a bell ringing.

"The winner is Deimos!!!" A man announces loud enough to drown out the crowd. "Now folks, there has a been a sudden change to the fight card, but do not fear. It is about to get a whole lot more interesting." The man continues. "Next up, we have the undefeated Butcher going up again the one and only O Apróvleptos Diávolos."
(".....The Unforeseen Devil")

Vas freezes mid-stride at those words and turns to look at the announcer, causing me to do the same.

"Welcome back Mr. Amato." The announcer grins.

It takes a minute for it to fully sink in that that man just announced to this crowded room that Vas...My Vas is going to be fighting next. My subconscious and instinct takes hold of me the same time my nerves leave me causing me to bare my teeth and growl at the man. In that same moment, Vas chuckles darkly with the most wicked smirk I have seen yet before he responds, "This won't take long."