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"Yes, sir," Eldon called.
The pit of need in Arden’s belly grew at Eldon calling him sir. What was his problem? He never felt the tingle of electricity dance across his skin when one of his old hosts said it. So, why now? And why were these men able to draw out such latent desires and make them burn?
Arden made his way through the bar to a quiet area beside the kitchen. He picked up the phone and put everything else away besides his professionalism when it came to running PGD.
"Arden speaking. How can I help you?"
"Arden. It's been a long time."
The man's blood ran cold at the voice on the other line. Immediately memories he'd long since shoved down came flooding back. He gripped the phone tightly, his claws cutting into the soft meat of his palm. Blood dripped to the floor and the smell of it made Arden's heart beat faster.
"What do you want?" Arden growled.
"Your help."
"Don't call this number again."
Arden slammed the phone down. It began to ring again immediately and he picked it up before slamming it down again and again. The phone broke and pieces shot off in different directions, decorating the floor.
He was never going back.
Never.
No one ever noticed Gamble;he made it his life's purpose. Years of being excluded, he'd learned to blend in with his surroundings even when he wasn't using his magic. And he was grateful for that as the phone disintegrated into a thousand pieces. Watching Arden lose control was eye-opening.
Gamble stuck to the wall and waited until the big dragon boss walked away. Man, he was terrifying. Gamble couldn't help but respect the man. Arden handled his own, but above all else, he had power, and no one could do anything without it.
"Gamble," Zeek called; he was part-time security; he and his wife switched nights sometimes. They weren't regulars working at the bar, but Arden was a fucking saint around the city, and people seemed to continue to work for him even when they'd moved on.
Gamble headed back out the door and to the line. "What’s the problem?"
Zeek glanced over to the group of women. Each one looked more annoyed than the next.
"They said they booked a group for tonight but their names aren’t on the list. I have already informed them the bar is open and any host not booked will be with them shortly."
"And we told you that isn't happening," the woman interjected. She placed a hand on her hip and moved closer, her eyes shimmering gold with power. Gamble could tell she was some kind of shifter. "We booked well in advance to have both Micha and Eldon be at our table. I personally scheduled a three hour session and paid half up front." She waved her hand. "This is preposterous. I want to talk to the owner. Now."
Gamble wanted to roll his eyes, but he'd learned working this job that he got a better reaction when he turned on the charm. He hadn't needed it before working in the mafia where showing any emotion was frowned upon. Maybe that's why it didn't work out for him. Gamble shook the thoughts away. It wasn't time to think about the one place he wanted to be but didn't belong.
"Well Zeek, I can see why she is upset. Micha and Eldon are highly sought after and I know for certain they enjoy having large groups so there must be some mix up,” he said with a warm smile.
The woman visibly relaxed. "Exactly."
Zeek cocked a brow at Gamble as if saying,but their names aren't on the list. Gamble tried to communicate with his eyes that Arden was hanging on by a fucking thread, and if they brought this bullshit to him, he was bound to electrocute them. Zeek, being a vampire, might survive, but Gamble would be cooked turkey.
"Why don't I show you and your party to a table, and I will check on the reservation? I'm sure we can fix it," Gamble said, his smile growing to grease the wheel.
The woman blushed along with her friends, and it went from hostility to openly flirting. She placed her hand on his arm, and he made sure to wink at her as he led them inside.
"You got everything handled out here?" he asked Zeek.
Zeek waved him off, looking thankful that he didn't have to deal with the unruly woman. Now, Gamble was stuck with her. He couldn't wait until all the new people started.
He showed them to an empty booth and waited until everyone was seated. "While I look into this, would you all like something to drink? On the house, of course."
"Oh such a gentleman," one of them cooed.
"You should really look into becoming a host," another said.
