Queenpins of the Underworld

The Game of Masks

The air in the club was thick with smoke, the bass-heavy music pulsating through the floor like the heartbeat of the city itself. Vee stood at the edge of the room, her eyes scanning the crowd from behind the tinted glass of the VIP section. The dim lights cast everything in hues of red and gold, giving the space a surreal, almost dreamlike quality. It was a world of illusion, where power and danger danced hand in hand, where secrets were traded in whispers and every glance held a double meaning.

This was their world—a world they had fought to control, to dominate. But tonight, it felt like it was slipping away from her.

Dani was at the bar, her laughter rising above the music like a melody that drew everyone's attention. She looked radiant tonight, her skin glowing under the dim lights, her smile wide and infectious. Vee couldn't take her eyes off her. There was something magnetic about Dani, something that had always drawn people to her. It was a quality that had made their rise to power possible, that had allowed them to gather loyal followers, to inspire fear and admiration in equal measure.

But tonight, that magnetism was directed at someone else.

Dani was talking to a woman Vee didn't recognize—a tall, statuesque beauty with skin the color of rich mahogany and eyes that sparkled with mischief. She was dressed in a tight black dress that left little to the imagination, her posture relaxed and confident as she leaned in close to Dani, her lips brushing against Dani's ear as she whispered something that made Dani laugh again.

Vee's grip on her glass tightened, the whiskey inside sloshing dangerously close to the rim. She took a slow, measured sip, trying to calm the storm brewing inside her. She didn't have the right to feel this way, she told herself. Dani was free to talk to whoever she wanted, to laugh and flirt and... whatever else. They were business partners, best friends, but that was all. That had always been all.

So why did it feel like someone was ripping her heart out of her chest?

She watched as Dani and the woman moved closer together, their bodies almost touching now. Dani's hand rested on the woman's arm, her fingers tracing the curve of her bicep as she leaned in to say something that Vee couldn't hear over the music. Whatever it was, it made the woman smile—a slow, seductive smile that sent a jolt of pure, unfiltered jealousy straight through Vee.

She tore her gaze away, forcing herself to look anywhere but at Dani. She needed to get a grip. She needed to remember who she was, what she was. Vee didn't let emotions rule her—she had learned that lesson the hard way, had buried her feelings so deep that sometimes she wondered if they were still there at all. But tonight, they were clawing their way to the surface, refusing to be ignored.

"Vee, you alright?"

The voice startled her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She turned to find Tyrell standing beside her, a concerned look on his face. Tyrell was one of their most trusted lieutenants, a man who had been with them since the early days, back when they were still finding their footing in the underworld. He was a solid presence, someone Vee knew she could rely on no matter what.

But tonight, his presence grated on her nerves.

"I'm fine," she snapped, more harshly than she intended. She saw the flicker of surprise in Tyrell's eyes, the way his posture shifted slightly, as if he was bracing for a fight.

"Alright," he said slowly, clearly sensing the tension rolling off her. "You just seem... off tonight. Everything okay with the deal?"

Vee forced herself to take a deep breath, to push down the rising tide of anger and jealousy that was threatening to overwhelm her. Tyrell didn't deserve to be the target of her misplaced emotions. He was just doing his job, just trying to make sure everything was running smoothly.