Gangsta Mate (A werewolf/gangster romance)

Shailene

SHAILENE

I gripped the gun harder in my grasp as I reached towards the red curtains with my free hand. Those red curtains led to the VIP lounge, where Caden said Lennox and Jude were. You can do this, Monaghan. But before my hand could touch its velvety surface, a corner of the curtain was raised and someone slipped out from the end. I gasped when I noticed his features, the gun suddenly felt too heavy to hold. I automatically, without a thought, backed a step away. It was him. I had seen him before, not here, but someplace else, another club. He was one of them, a Slasher. Wherever was Jude, he was always there. And now he was watching me, I gulped. His pupils were dilated, hiding most of the deep cobalt color of his eyes. Deep red hair fell over the harsh features and sharp edges of his face. He was seeing me at last, after all those times I’d sneaked glances at him when I shouldn’t have, when I should have been keeping Lennox safe.

“What are you-” He swallowed in the rest of his question, as his eyes perused me. His gaze made my body tingle with awareness, especially in all those delicious places where his gaze lingered. Before I knew, he was standing right in front of me. He was tall, taller than Jude and that bodyguard. I stood face-to-face with his muscled chest, whose hard planes his tight black t-shirt was doing nothing to hide. I took an unsteady breath and I instantly regretted it. Smell of pine and musk filled my senses, infiltrating my thoughts, distracting me. I took another involuntary step back, even though my senses screamed to do just the opposite.

He reached out a muscled arm and wrapped it around mine. He walked past me, pulling me along with him with his tight grasp. I stumbled as I tried to pull my arm back. When I realized I wasn’t going to escape his grasp without his wishes, I tried to catch up with him before he could tear my arm out of its socket.

He went straight for the back door of the club and brought us – more like dragged me - out into a dark alley. He pulled me in front of him and pushed back, my back colliding against a brick wall. The back door of the club slammed shut, cutting down the loud music to barely audible muffled noise. He interrupted my view of the door by lowering his face to my level, staring right at me with anger. Dimly, I felt the hard, metal body of the gun in my left hand and the stark numbness in the right as he cut off the blood supply by still clutching my arm too hard. I dared not even let out a breath as I stared right back.

“What’s your name?” He asked in a rough voice. Automatically a list of fake names went in my head. Olivia, Grace, Susan, Kate, Sarah, Jenni-

“Answer me!” He spat out loudly.

“Shai-” I squeaked out before I clamp my mouth shut. This man was able to both turn me on and freak me out at the same time.

“Shay, what are you doing here, at such a place?” He asked in a tone that implemented that it was juvenile to be here. I am eighteen so he needn’t worry about that. Wait, worry? I doubt he would worry. He’d rather shoot me. Shoot i.e. gun. I gripped the gun in my hand harder. You can do this, Monaghan.

“No-none of your business.” I stuttered out. Since there was barely any space between us, so when I raised my hand holding the gun, it was adjacent to his side. I haven’t shot someone before, how can I shoot him? Before I could come to a decision, his hand wrapped tightly around my left wrist. He squeezed my wrist hard. With a yelp, I loosed my grip on the gun and it clattered on the ground. All the while, he stared at me blankly and I couldn’t help but stare back.

“Answer my question.” He said as if he just didn’t disarm me.

I turned my head to look at one end of the alley. What were the chances that someone would come here and would save me, if he could. Strong fingers caught the sides of my chin and turned my head back to face him.

“Answer my question.” He said again, this time impatience was evident in his features.

“What is your name?” I asked in a momentary rush of bravery. I started struggling against him. With my right hand, which he wasn’t holding by the wrist, I slapped him hard. My fingers curled at the last moment so that my sharp nails could scrape his skin. Long, red marks stretched across his cheek.

I tried to free my left hand from his grasp as I pulled my other hand back to slap him back again but this time he caught it with the same hand he had been holding my chin before. He dragged my hand, putting the back of it on his cheek, right over the red marks lining his cheek. Slowly he rubbed the back of my hand against his cheek as if stroking it.

My breath caught in my throat as I felt the heat of him on the back of my hand. I looked at my light skin against his tan one. But my eyes widened when I noticed red marks on his cheeks lighten and heal with each stroke of my hand. I shifted my gaze to him, question in my eyes. Even though shadows and his silky red hair fell over his face, yet I could see that his eyes were darker than before, almost black, as they kept on staring at me. I gulped audibly. What is happening?

“H-how?” I strangled the word out. A smile lifted a corner of his lips. Blood rushed to my brain at the wickedness of his smile.

“Nick.” He whispered, leaning close to my ear. He was so close now, I couldn’t have moved even if I wanted to. He backed away suddenly, freeing me of his hands. Without the pressure, I fell back on the ground on my ass, my gaze falling on the ground in surprise. I instantly looked back to where he was standing but all I saw was the club’s door and the brick wall opposite to the one I was leaning against. He was gone. I turned my head around to look at both sides of the alley to see him. But saw nothing. He was really gone.

I shouldn’t have felt so alone and bereft. I should have felt relieved. But I didn’t because I let my way to Lennox just vanish away. It wasn’t time to play games or having a crush. I looked down at the back of the hand that had stroked his cheek. Was it a trick of my eyes? Doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am not leaving you so easily…Nick.