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I stepped forward and she flinched, reeling backward. I could hear the pounding of her heartbeat from a feet away. She was afraid of me. A lot of people were afraid of me, but I wasn’t sure fear was the emotion I wanted her to feel for me.
“What is your name?”
Her slender throat moved as she swallowed. “Look … I’m sorry, we aren’t supposed to be here and I apologize for that. We were just about to leave.” She turned to her friend. “Weren’t we?”
The friend nodded. “Yes, we were.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “What is your name?”
She exchanged another glance with her friend. “Ma-Mary.”
A fitting name for an angel. “Like the holy Mary?”
“Just Mary.” She didn’t sound intimidated. Most likely because she didn’t know who I was yet. Most people feared me. In fact, the only people who weren’t afraid of me were my family.
My curiosity grew, my interest in this lady piqued. Would she remain this bold if she knew my identity? It was up to me to find out. I would admit it though, having her cower under my scrutiny would be boring.
The whole trembling, sweaty palm and stammering fiasco that often played before me when they found who I was had gotten uninteresting. I used to thrive off their fears when I was younger, but I’m in my late forties now, I needed a good challenge to not get bored.
I smiled, inclining forward. She smelled like vanilla. “Doesn’t sound like your real name.” While it had never happened to me, I assumed girls like her were the type to sayI don’t tell my name to strangers.
She looked away, refusing to continue eye contact. “What’s with you getting to know my name? It’s not like we’re going to meet again anyway.”
“I’m quite offended, you know?”
She narrowed her eyes on me. “What?”
“I was actually hoping we’d meet again.”
“I doubt we will.” She held the other girl’s hand. “It was fun chatting with you. Goodbye.”
The bouncers at the door stood in her path. She hadn’t gotten the drill of the casino yet, it would be fun watching her figure it out.
“Please, let us go.”
Julian, one of the bodyguards at the door, gave her the mercy of an answer. “You can’t leave.” His voice was gruff. He had no idea how not to scare a pretty girl.
She whirled around to look at me. “Are you going to kill us?”
A laugh erupted from my chest. “Kill you? It won’t be that simple, sweetie. You can’t begin to imagine the many things I’d like to do to you tonight.”
Her boldness withered away with every word I said, her brown eyes narrowing with terror. Her breath hitched, her body growing visibly tensed. I wondered at what point she would realize I was only teasing her. “Who are you?”
“You first. Tell me your name, pretty girl. And maybe I’d let you leave.”
“Mariana.” She strangled the name out of her throat as if battling for her life.
“Well, Mariana.” I licked my lips. “No one leaves this casino without participating in the game. You have two options, play with me or option number two.”Which would be mefinding out what goodness is hiding beneath that pretty gown you’re wearing.
She exhaled. “What is option number two.”
“Trust me, you wouldn’t want to find out.” I glanced at my watch. “So, what will it be? I don’t like to wait.”
Dragging her best friend to the side, they whispered to themselves for a moment before she returned. “Fine. Let’s play. But only on one condition.”
Conditions.That’s a first. I’m usually the one giving the conditions. “What is it?”
“I’ll tell you after I win.”
