The Predator and His Prey

Chapter Thirty-Four

Jade smiled at her customers as they slipped out of the lounge, the night slowly coming to an end. The lounge was rarely full until 2 am like the rest of the club was, most of the guest leaving earlier in the evening. Tonight was no different as the lounge slowly became sprinkled with bodies who were still not ready to face life outside. Jade had only two men left in her section, one she had seen more times in the three weeks since she had worked there than any other of her customers.

She moved to the table to check on them, the dark-haired man pushing his shaggy hair from his eyes as he spoke quickly, the words unheard to Jade's ears over the music. She could see the way his mouth moved, fast and hurried, his hands almost frantic in movement as the other man beside him looked calm. She had taken note of everyone she ever saw with the man, the man with blonde hair slicked back dramatically was a new face to her. His suit that hung off his body perfectly looked in place with the rest of the lounge, but she had never seen his sharp-edged face before.

"Can I get you gentlemen anything?" She asked as she neared the table, the words still missed on her ears as Shaggy's lips kept moving quickly. Both turned their eyes on her, lips stopped moving instantly.

"No, we are done." The blonde spoke for them both, throwing a large wad of money on the table before starting to stand. Jade stepped back to allow the men room to move so she could clear the table, but what was not expected was the quick hand that grabbed the arm of the blonde.

"We are not done, Paxton." Shaggy said, the words low and dark that made Jade shiver from it. She saw the flash of something in the eyes of the other man, the shift of light before it was gone and his eyes turned to the hand on his arm, but he stayed calm. Jade retreated, slowly moving from the table, her eyes looking back at them slightly as she watched lips move lighting fast from them both.

She leaned against the bar, trying to calm herself, the energy at the table had been tense and dark. There was something about the air between them that made her whole-body tense and fear snake down her spine.

"Jade?"

A hand on her back sent her jumping, a low yelp of shock as she spun on her heels. Branden stood in front of her with wide eyes, taking in her stance and both hands lifted palm out in surrender to her. She took a deep breath and tried to force a smile.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?" Jade nodded to him, her eyes darting back to the table with the two men.

"Yes, I just," She didn't finish, Branden turned back to where her eyes were locked, watching the two men as Shaggy gripped the blonde by the lapels of his suit. She gulped as she watched, the feeling of fear snaking up her spine more and making her grip the bar. There was something that made her, warned her, to stay away.

"I will be right back." Branden didn't have that same fear, striding over to the table in total confidence.

She watched, his back erect and solid much the same way Dominik often walked. She watched as he slammed a hand onto the shoulder of Shaggy, pulling him back into the chair and leaning in close to his ear. She couldn't see lips move, couldn't hear anything with the music in the room but she could see the way Shaggy's eyes went large and his hands released the other man. The other man didn't seem scared or worried, fixing his suit and standing up, striding away with total confidence and not even asking what Branden said to Shaggy.

Jade watched the man, tall and lanky with blonde hair cut short just above the collar of his suit, pushed back from his forehead to expose the long slope of skin. He walked with a confidence that circled around him, a danger that knocked Jade right in the center of her chest. She swallowed as she watched him, her heart racing at just watching him move around the lounge to the exit. But it was his eyes, his head turning to look back at her at the bar and eye contact made that made her feel fear. The kind of fear that she hadn't felt since she was 11 and her step-father held a knife at her throat.