Running With The Gang Leader

Twenty Five

I stared in the mirror as the hair and makeup team left. They'd done an amazing job at fixing my blotchy face.

I wore a pretty red, lace dress that had spaghetti straps and a slit up my right leg. I had silvers heels, studded earrings and a silver choker on. My dark hair was parted to the side, curled and draped over my left shoulder, which complemented the silver and black eye makeup and the nude lip.

I sighed and turned, picking up the silver clutch that held my phone and my lipstick, before heading to the door. I pulled it open and found Jason, with his hand outstretched, ready to knock. He stepped back and lowered his arm.

"You look beautiful." I halfheartedly smiled at his kind words, looking towards Zamon's room. He noticed the movement.

"He's already done stairs."A pause before, "I'm assuming he told you?" He held his arm out, gesturing to link our arms. I placed mine under his, and closing my door behind me, began walking with him.

"He did, last night." I told him briefly. We stayed quiet as we waited for the elevator. We stepped inside the metal box, with him pushing the button. Just as the doors began closing, he asked "Do you love him?"

I inhaled, keeping my eyes to the floor. I answered the question for the first time with honesty. "Yes."

He grabbed my shoulders and turned me towards him. "Then I will do everything in my power, everything, to stop this." I gave him a weak smile as my eyes began to water. He placed a fatherly kiss on my forehead as the doors opened, officially starting the night.

***

The massive ballroom was bustling with activity. People stood socializing with each other, men and women alike, of all different cultures and classes. Expensive suits and beautiful dresses swooshed around on the floor, colors so bright I found it hard to focus. The atmosphere brought a smile to my face.

"Remember, this is business. If a man asks you to dance, you must accept. If a woman speaks to you, you must converse. Don't be rude, be polite and don't get into trouble. Do you understand?" The loving Jason was gone, replaced by the harsh gang leader. I nodded as he began walking toward a group of people. I followed, trying to spot Zamon in the room, an impossible task.

As soon as Jason introduced me, I was asked to dance. Feeling his watchful gaze, I accepted the arm of the older man and began to dance. As we spun in complicated shapes, I kept my eye out for dark hair and pretty eyes.

I danced and danced, moving from one man to another, with a few women in the mix. Sweat accumulated, my feet began to hurt, and as my current partners hand began to slip lower then my back, the song finished. I quickly excused myself from his touchy hands, using the bar as an excuse.

I huffed and puffed as I dodged people, my mission, a cold drink. Hell hath no fury like a woman that's thirsty.

My mission was debunked as I caught sight of the bar, and who was at it. Zamon stood with a group of men around his age, with a drink in his hand as he laughed. I stared at him as he did so, his eyes crinkling and his smile wrinkling. He was beautiful, in every aspect of the word.

His friends quieted down as they noticed me standing there like an idiot. He frowned, before turning to me. We stared at each other for a few seconds, before forcing myself to look away and continue to the bar.

"Just a glass of coke please." I told the bartender as I saw Zamon pull away from his friends. I chewed on my lip as the man took forever to get my drink. Zamon began walking towards me as I anxiously tapped my fingers on the surface. What would I say to him? What could I say to him?

Just as the bartender finished preparing my 1 ingredient drink, Zamon tapped me on the shoulder. I spun around, coming face to face with him. His eyes traveled the length of my body, before stopping at my face. Feeling like a deer caught in headlights, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"I love you."

Both of our eyes widened at my words. He blinked, his mouth open. I waited on his reaction, my eyes searching the room, trying not to meet his gaze.

He swallowed, and just as his mouth began lifting at the sides, the doors to the ballroom were thrown open.

I gasped and yanked myself away from Zamon as I stared at the 3 hooded figures. I quickly slipped behind a group of older women, my eyes finding Zamon's a second before I twisted deeper into the crowd. The room was silent, staring up at the dark cloaks.

If that was Tilly, and she'd seen me so close to Zamon, then I'd literally be dealing with the devil incarnate.

I leaned against the wall behind me as I stared up at the statue like trio. I struggled to breathe as I realized what I'd just said to Zamon. I focused on the middle person as they lifted their hand and drew back the hood. I suppressed a groan as Chad stood, proud and scary, then actually groaned as Tilly de-hooded herself, as well as a random man.

The blonde bombshell searched the room until her gaze settled on Zamon. She smiled, a Cheshire grin, as she descended the stairs in his direction. Chad and the other man headed for the center.

I creeped along the back wall as Tilly grew closer, until I was hiding in the far corner, behind a stone pillar. I stayed there for nearly an hour as the crowd went back to normal. The atmosphere was different to the beginning of the night, it was darker, as if the newcomers had poisoned it.

I stood with my phone in my hand, ready to text Jason and tell him I was going to flee back to the safety of my room, before a familiar squeal erupted and the crowd grew silent again.

I stepped onto the pillar to see what was going on. My heart stopped. In the middle of the room, Tilly stood with tears falling as she stared down at Zamon. He was down on one knee, with a ring box in his hand, proposing to her. It was now official. I was too late.