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WHY did people like this?
Loud music that promised permanent damage to my ears, yelling over the tables, obnoxious laughing, the stench of sweat. From time to time, I felt someone accidentally push me, as our spot was close to the dance floor. People were grinding against each other, almost having sex in the middle of the club, and not a single person was sober.
The neon lights were flashing nonstop. I tried blinking, harshly, to prevent my eyes from throbbing, though it was in vain. I was no stranger to clubs and nights out; however, the places I usually frequented were a little…cleaner.
The club—Lunax—was located in one of the sketchier parts of the city, where no rules existed and safety was an alien concept. My friends had wanted to visit—they’d heard ages ago that if you needed any drugs, this was the place to get them.
It was laughable.
I had access to any drug they could think of, on speed dial, but I’d thought this might be a good change. Our table was filled with empty bottles, glasses, and cigarettes. The music was blasting, each second seeming louder than the previous one.
The songs that were played were unknown to me. Aside from my tedious hours at university, my family didn’t allow me any opportunity to listen to music as a hobby. By the time everything was done for the day, I wanted nothing more than to sleep. And I liked to sleep a lot, at least ten hours.
“You’re too stiff,” Tiana yelled in my ear.
I took a step back, adding distance between us. My personal space was not to be invaded, by anyone, at any given time. People had lost their lives over much less, and until this point, Tiana had been good at following the rules.
“I think I just need to get some fresh air,” I stated, keen to avoid any further argument.
She wanted to speak, but I grabbed my lighter and the pack of Dunhills I’d brought. Tiana’s mouth closed when I walked past her, shutting down any possibility of her coming with me.
I could see everything, all the strangers having the time of their lives, and many of them got in my way as I moved towards the back exit of the club. I felt myself growing upset with the situation but, after a moment, reminded myself that I wasn’t able to control it, therefore there was no point in getting agitated.
A few slow breaths slid past my lips as I pushed away a man who wouldn’t move out of my way. He was standing directly in front of the door , and since he was four times my size and wasn’t alone, I was unable to walk around him and his buddies.
Also, why was I supposed to go around him? He stood at the exit—he should’ve been more observant of his surroundings—but given his attitude, body language, and clothes, he was someone semi-important around here and obviously didn’t feel the need to bother with anyone else. His watch was expensive-looking and his aura told me he was trying to assert dominance.
I tapped his shoulders twice, then pushed him out of the way when he continued to ignore me.
I used all my strength, and although it did nothing to hurt him, it moved him four steps and would definitely leave a bruise or two. He seemed surprised to see me standing behind him once he recovered from the blow. His left eyebrow rose slightly, and he grinned, showing a row of crooked teeth.
I rolled my eyes, knowing damn well what hideous thoughts were running through his mind. For one, he was a man. No man ever saw a pretty girl in a club and didn’t think about fucking her. And besides, I could see his erection from a mile away. Disgusting pig.
The moment I stepped outside, a chilly night greeted me. I took a deep breath, my lungs burning slightly from the cold December air. I shivered, and goosebumps rose all over my body. I’d forgotten to take my coat with me and was suffering the consequences.
I took a few steps towards a dark alley on the left. The club was soundproof, and the evening was quiet. I grabbed a cigarette and brought it to my lips, using the other hand to light it. The moment the nicotine was in my body, I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes when I felt my muscles loosening.
It was my own fault for indulging Tiana’s fantasies about becoming more social, and also for agreeing to come to this place. Instead of having a great night’s sleep, I was outside a trashy club after midnight with nothing but a minidress on.
I was easy prey, and I knew it.
Five days ago, it had been my twenty-fourth birthday. Tiana wanted us to spend the day at a spa or shopping, then have a nice dinner before hitting a club. She was more than disappointed when I told her I had a ball to attend instead, since my three brothers wouldn’t allow me to spend the big day in a club.
She was mostly disappointed about not receiving an invitation to said ball. How was I supposed to tell her that my oldest brother is the Pakhan of the Russian mafia, the middle brother the biggest arms dealer in Russia, and my twin a drug trafficker? And that the majority of the guests would be bribed politicians, more mafia men, and general criminals?
It was only an excuse. I hadn’t been home for a long time, and each year, they held a ball in my honor. Tiana didn’t know that though. I didn’t want to reveal that part of my life and certainly didn’t want her to pity me. And when I’d told her she wasn’t allowed to come, after begging to go for over a week, she’d finally caved and stopped asking.
It wasn’t a safe place for her, and her blood wasn’t something I wanted on my hands, at any time. Unless I killed her myself. It wasn’t because I would’ve felt remorse; more because she was yet to do anything inconvenient.
I got bored of people easily, and thus far, everyone had understood that I didn’t want to have them in my life for long. Tiana was an exception, as she was handy to have around, and she told good jokes. I considered that a win-win.
My train of thought was interrupted by a sudden noise. I pushed myself off the wall, exhaling the nicotine-laced smoke in a series of nine circles. I chuckled to myself upon realizing that I’d just beat my previous record of eight.
I began to walk in the direction of the noise, but it took me a few seconds to understand that I was hearing human pleas, screams of agony. I blinked and paused. Was this truly something I wanted to get involved with?
I sighed and turned back around. I had no strength to deal with half-dead people, nor the desire to do so. However, I was curious as to who was doing all this work on such a cold night. I returned to my previous spot and lit another cigarette, patiently waiting for someone to come marching out of the dark alley.
