Valenci: Never Lose Me

Seven

Valenci

Walking inside Sin City Nights in the evening hours, I know Nikolai will already be here.

While I managed to scrape together the last remaining parts of self-control last night and dropped off Rohm in front of her doorstep, I am not sure what time Nikolai left Cherry.

But that's none of my business, and I don't care what he does as long as he doesn't neglect his work with us.

Since it's still early, there are only a few patrons inside the club.

Few and far between, some tables and booths are taken, being served by four waitresses. The music is still on love volume, being more of background noise.

That will change in an hour or two when the main floor will be buzzing with customers and women.

When I get close to the bar, I hear Rohm's loud, beautiful laugh filling the air.

But that sound dies down as soon as her eyes land on me, and the smile on her face is replaced by a deep frown.

She really doesn't fuck with me.

Cherry says something to her and leaves the bar space as I walk closer and place my forearms on the counter, leaning forward.

Rohm tries to look busy, but it's just pretending, and she seems to feel my eyes on her, watching her every move.

It's a tiny movement,  but I can see her rolling her shoulder back before she walks toward me. Her eyes are glued to the counter between us when she speaks with a small voice.

"What do you want?" I shake my head while clicking my tongue.

"Is that how you talk to our customers, too? I may have to rethink you working here" Slowly, she lifts her head to look at me with raw hatred blazing in her dark eyes.

"Last time we had a conversation in here, I wasn't under the impression you were a customer"

"But I still own this place, so I expect a certain amount of respect from the people who work for me, Do you want to try again or ...?" 

I can see the anger twinkling in her eyes when she gulps down her pride and forces herself to look at me. Her eyes appear glassy, and her cheeks display a deep blush.

It's a beautiful sight.

I take a good look at her face as a myriad of emotions cross her face before she makes a big effort to plaster something like a smile on her face.

I am such an ass for enjoying this as much as I do.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"A double bow more. On ice. Please." She shows no reaction before turning her back to me and making my drink.

I have my eyes on her the whole time, expecting her to throw the drink in my face instead of placing the scotch in front of me.

"Is there anything else I can do for you? Sir" I lock eyes with her and only now realize how worn out she looks, and I am sure the bags under her eyes aren't just from one night of staying out late.

The exhausted look she wears comes from weeks of barely sleeping and working too much. When I first saw her name on the list, I thought id only hate the idea of horny, drunk men trying to get handsy with her.

I thought keeping her from dancing, barely dressed in front of them, would satisfy me enough for now.

Once again, I was wrong.

"No" I grab the glass and turn around, making my way to the booth where Nikolai is sitting.

After taking a seat opposite of him, I toast to him before bringing the glass to my lips and taking a sip while my eyes wander back to the bar space.

Nikolai's eyes follow mine, still glued to Rohm, who moves around behind the bar, trying her best to look busy when I know she isn't.

Until a man steps into the bar, and she starts talking to him with a bright smile on her face, which I know is fake. My jaw tightens as I watch their interaction.

"Oi! mate, you still going to pretend you don't have a thing for her?" I glare at him as he lifts his glass to his lips, not losing that stupid smirk while sipping his soda water.

"Leave it alone, Niko" I am in no mood to discuss my misdirected attractions, and if he knows what's good for him, he'll shut the fuck up.

He raises his brow at me before pulling out his phone and putting it on the table. 

"We have more important things to discuss anyway... Satcha is on his way, they were able to trace the fuck who pretended to work under you. He still had some of the product on him"

"Good. Have him -"

"Already done, Satcha is -"

"Satcha is already here my loves," He says before plopping down into a seat and pulling a bag containing four triangle-shaped tablets from his pocket. He hands it to me.

I remove one of the tablets before handing the rest to Nikolai and turning the tablet in between my fingertips.

"It's a good counterfeit, nearly perfect"

"Yes, nearly" All of our pills are embedded with two V's, one upright and one upside down, both melting into one another.

"It's missing one little line"

"A customer would hardly notice the difference"

"No, but they would probably notice a change in the quality. Did the bitch say where he got it from?"

"No, he insists he doesn't know who sold him the stuff" I huff out a breath.

"We'll see if we get him to remember"

"Do you want us to go right now Pahkan?"

"No, let him have a night to think about what he's going to tell us, and have those pills sent to the chemist"

"Yes Pahkan" I put the tablet back in the bag before handing it to Satcha, who pockets it before getting up and leaving to do what I just told him to.

I down the rest of my drink before getting up from the table.

"Still going to pretend you don't have a thing for her" I throw his words back at him as I notice his eyes glued again to where Cherry is giving out shots to a group of guys, obviously having a bachelor party.

He looks up at me with a frown on his face.

"I don't keep an eye on her because I like her but because I don't trust her"

"Why don't you trust her?"

"There's something off about her"

"Whatever, I have some calls to make" He nods at me.

"I'll stay here and keep an eye on your girl"

Dumb ass.