Messed Up

9 - Teamwork

Cassandra was oblivious to our presence, she just danced gracefully around the pole on-stage as if we weren't even there. To her, we were just money.

I couldn't help but stare as she danced. The spotlights made her skin seem paler and her hair seem more radiant, almost like a goddess or something. She was quite talented really, if she weren't such a crazy fuck, she might have even been hot.

But even if she was crazy, I remembered working with her, I remembered her saving my sorry ass after I tried to save hers. I owed her one, whether I liked it or not. And now I was about to murder her? It didn't seem right to me.

Fifty thousand dollars sounded sweet and all, but something inside of me was telling me not to kill her, and I decided to follow my gut instinct. But even if I decided not to kill her, one of the other guys would just kill her instead. I could have taken them on, but then I was risking my own life.

I looked up at the Commander, who had slight worry playing on his expression. Our eyes met, and I knew that he didn't want to kill the girl either.

Before I could think about Cassandra anymore, The Commander had already spun around and punched sunglasses guy square in the face. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious as soon as The Commander's fist had connected with his skin. Not that I was surprised or anything, that guy's sheer strength was something else entirely.

The Commander nodded at me, and I took this as my cue to grab Cassandra and get out of there. I ran up the stairs to the stage, and the customers that had been watching Cassandra yelled at me as I took her wrist.

Cassandra's eyes locked with mine, and she looked shocked when she recognized me. She opened her mouth to speak, but I hushed her.

"No time to talk" I said hastily. "You need to get out of here"

I pulled the pretty girl along with me through the club as The Commander continued knocking people out. He plowed through the group as if he were swatting flies. We made our way through the seemingly endless crowds of people before, finally, I caught sight of the exit.

When we were out, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and flipped it open, dialing the only taxi number I knew.

When I had finished on the phone, I shoved it back into my pocket and looked at Cassandra, who was staring up at the stars carelessly as if she didn't just cause the biggest strip-club brawl ever.

"You know someone wants you dead, right?" I asked, in slight disbelief at how chilled she was.

"Really?" she sounded shocked, but I knew she wasn't really shocked at all. "Who?"

"Your ex-boyfriend" I grunted. "Said you robbed him or whatever"

"Oh..." Cassandra sighed. "I thought he'd have forgotten about that by now"

I shrugged and looked down at the ground. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what to do, waiting for a taxi outside a strip club with a hot girl. Should I have made small talk or something? Fuck knows.

Without thinking, I took off my blazer and handed it to Cassandra, avoiding eye contact all the while. She took the blazer from me, but she just stared at it blankly.

"What's this for?" She asked, confused.

"Put it on, you thick fuck" I growled. "It's cold, and you did just almost get murdered"

Cassandra giggled, obeying and putting my blazer on.

"I didn't take you for a gentleman, Shiv"

"I didn't take you for a stripper"

She shrugged.

Just as I was about to ask a question about her stripper-by-night profession, The Commander emerged from the club, out of breath. There was blood all over his knuckles, he looked like he'd dressed up for Halloween or something.

"That was quick" I said to him, surprised. I noticed the taxi I had ordered pulling up next to the club.

"Nothing I couldn't handle" The Commander replied. "What'll you do now?"

"I'll take her back to my place" I grunted. "And then...I'll figure something out. Thanks for your help...uh..."

I was hesitant to call The Commander by his code name out aloud. I didn't wanna seem like a bitch, and I definitely didn't want to fuel the daddy kink I assumed he had.

The Commander held out his hand for me to shake. "Call me Erwin" he said.

I took his hand and shook it firmly.

"Levi" I replied.

I looked at Cassandra, who was grinning like an idiot for some unknown reason.

"Let's go" I said to her bluntly.

The freaky blonde followed me over to the taxi and we both got into the back, sitting beside each other awkwardly. Or at least, I felt awkward. Cassandra however, didn't seem to have a single care in the damn world. A group of men had just tried to murder her and she was acting as if it was Christmas Day.

"Sooo..." Cassandra hummed as we drove through the city. "Your name's Levi, huh?"

"Shut up"