❝ Fuck all of the small talk,

give me the real stuff ❞

❦

Kadie leaves for work. She didn't even want me to take her and I don't know whether she's mad at me or ashamed, but I don't know what reason she'd have to be either.

I still don't know what the deal with her is and that bothers me way more than it should.

Jon calls me when I'm sitting at the table with one of the sketches I've been working on for a few days now. "Yeah?" I answer.

"Is Kadience with you?"

I stop drawing. "Why?"

"I think they're planning something tonight."

"Fuck." I rub my eyes. "How do you know?"

"Ante overheard something. Look, I don't know what's going on with you two, I just thought you'd like to know about it."

"Yeah, thanks. She left for work before. I don't think they'll try anything there."

"Not while she's working and not with all the people around. But what about when she finishes?"

Goddamn it all. "Do you think they know where she works?" That might be a stupid question. I know where she works and not because she told me.

"It's not that hard to find out, is it? I mean ... I found it out for you in just a day."

I rub my face again, standing up. "Alright, you're right. Don't worry, I got this."

"Need someone to come with you?" Jon asks.

"Nah. I'll call if I'll need a backup. I have to check out the scene first."

"Alright. Stay safe."

I grin. "Don't I always?"

She needs a long time to notice me. And in that time, I get a chance to watch her work. I don't like what I see. I mean, the outfit is a turn on, of course. And she looks like she can act nice when she gets paid for it so that's good to know.

I don't care about being noticed about her, either. I checked the place. It has good security and there's a lot of people here, so I don't think they'll be stupid enough to try something here. But I can never be too sure with them. They tend to get too brave sometimes.

When Kadie approaches me, she's not happy. In fact, she looks taken off guard. She looks around and then walks to me. "What? Are you stalking me now?"

I grin at her, looking her up and down. "Nah. Just came here for a lap dance. So, when are you free so I can take you to a private room?"

She frowns, not amused. "You're out of luck, buddy. You'll have to ask someone else for that. You can only tell me what you want to drink and I'll get it for you."

I rub my pointer across my bottom lip, still grinning at her. "Oh, come on now. Don't I get special treatment?"

She raises her eyebrows in that challenging way that could make any man fall to his knees and apologise. Most men, at least. I know her tactics by now. "You're not special enough to get special treatment."

My eyebrows raise in surprise. I spread my legs, turning my body so I'm facing her full. "Right to my heart, bee. Could be a little more careful with your words, or I'm not leaving you any tip," I taut her.

"Oh, fuck you, Fai," she grits out in annoyance, wanting to storm out, but I stop her with my hand on her arm.

"When do you finish?"

Before she could even say another smartass remark, a bodyguard is by my side, his hand on my shoulder. "Sir, I'll have to ask you to remove your hand. You can look, but you can't touch."

I look at him and then at Kadie. She looks back with a challenge in her eyes. "You heard him ... sir."

My nostrils flare, but I release her. "It's okay. I'm not looking for trouble."

"You better not or your ass will be out in the street before you know what happened."

I give the bodyguard a dirty look. Yeah, I'd really like to see you try.

Kadie walks away and I just let her because I have a bodyguard on my ass now and I don't want to piss him off and draw any attention to me.

Someone else walks to me to serve me. I keep an eye on Kadie for the majority of the night and she doesn't even look at me once. Well, if she does, it's completely by accident. And it's pissing me off. I don't get a chance to talk to her, so I have to sit here and wait until the club gets closed so I can take her home safely.

The good news is that I haven't noticed anyone that would look problematic to me. There's a lot of middle-aged men here, a lot of them wearing rings on their fingers. And I'm not saying I'm a saint myself, but I do have a few morals left.

"I decided to be generous and I'll give you two minutes to explain why you're here."

I swing my head to see Kadie standing beside me, her arms crossed over her chest. I give her a lazy grin. "I just wanted the promised rounds. You only gave me one."

She rolls her eyes. "Cut the bullshit, Fai. How did you know I work here? Did you follow me or did one of your guys do the dirty work for you?"

"Why does it matter? I'm here. Doesn't matter how I got here."

She's not happy with my answer. "Your two minutes are almost up."

I narrow my eyes. "I have some business to take care of here. When do you finish? I'll take you home."

"Like hell you will," she protests immediately. "I know how to come home by myself, thank you." I feel like she said that thank you a little sarcastically, but what do I know?

Leave it to me to find the most difficult woman to deal with and decide to go after her. "Listen, you should be a little more grateful that I'm here, dealing with your ass when I could just be at home sleeping."

She gives me such a dirty look that it makes me shudder a little. "As if I asked you to come here? What the fuck, Fai. Just go home." She sounds annoyed.

"You know what? Since I'm already here, I might as well just enjoy my evening. You can be kind enough to bring me another glass, though, babe," I tell her, extending my arm out and giving her my empty glass.

She looks at the glass and then at me. She takes it from my hand, harder than she'd need to. "I'm already regretting fucking you," she mutters to herself and goes away.

Someone else brings me another drink and Kadie goes back to avoiding me. My night isn't going like I thought it would, but I knew I was too optimistic thinking she'd just give in easily.

I might as well just enjoy my evening since there's no danger in the sight. I mean, I have almost fully naked girls dancing in front of me and God knows when I'll get another opportunity like this again.

Kadie and I both successfully ignore each other until the end of her shift. She didn't come to tell me when she was done. I had to find it out from one of the girls here.

I couldn't go into the back where the changing rooms were so I had to go outside and wait for her there. I checked the front entrance and the back one just in case. There was no one there.

Kadie comes out of the back entrance and she catches me smoking a cigarette by the door. She stops when she spots me. "What the hell do you want, Fai?" she sounds tired.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" I ask her.

"Because you can't seem to leave me the fuck alone!"

I roll my eyes, throwing the half-finished cigarette on the ground and stepping on it. Just then a shot is heard from the front. My body freezes and I swing my head into Kadie's direction. I push her against the wall.

"Don't fucking move from here. You hear me?" I say harshly, hoping she won't fucking move even an inch.

I take the gun that I hid outside before because they wouldn't let me into the club in the other case. I walk to the end of the building right by the wall. I heard a few screams so I suppose people are gathering around. I look back to see Kadie is where I left her, lighting a cigarette.

I peek around the corner and see people running towards the girl that's laying on the ground. "Fuck," I mutter, looking around.

I know by now that they're gone. I go closer to the scene. I see the girl lying on the floor and people are around, frantically calling 911 and trying her breathing and heartbeat.

I go back to where Kadie is. "So? What happened?" she asks nonchalantly, smoking a cigarette, not looking scared or shocked at all.

"Someone was shot. Look, we have to go. I can't be found here. You shouldn't be associated with it, either."

She tilts her head to the side, not taking the situation seriously. "Is it one of the girls?" she asks me.

"Yeah. We gotta go," I tell her, hearing the sirens.

"That should've been me, right? That's why you're here tonight." She snickers to herself.

"That should be no one," I say pointedly. "Start walking, Kadience, before I drag you to the motorcycle. I'm not kidding, we need to leave. Now."

"Yeah, fine," she grumbles. She takes the cigarette out and throws it away.

We get on the motorcycle and before I drive away, I cast a look towards the scene, now with police and paramedics there.

I take Kadie to my place. She gives me shit about it the second I kill the engine. "I'm not staying with you just so you can play my fucking bodyguard."

"Give me a fucking break," I mutter, stepping off the motorcycle and pull the helmet off, ruffling my hair. I take my phone out and call Jon while walking upstairs, not even waiting to see if Kadie is following. If she's smart and knows what's good for her, she'll come.

When Jon picks up, I go straight to business. "They attacked tonight, outside the club, right after the girls finished. One of them got hurt, I can't say how badly, but it wasn't nice. Call a meeting for the afternoon."

"Shit. So they aren't kidding. Is your girl fine?"

I look back to see Kadie following me quietly. She gives me an angry glare. "She's good," I say, turning back around and twirling the keys in my hand. I unlock the door and let us in. "We'll go over everything in the meeting. Good night."

"Bye, Fai."

I lock the door and throw the keys and the phone on the kitchen table. I go to the bedroom, taking a cigarette out on the way and plopping down on the chair by the window. I open it to let in some fresh, crispy night air.

Kadie sits on the still unmade bed from before. I didn't bother tidying up. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Now what?" she asks in one of her moods.

I just look at her, wishing she, for once, wouldn't give me a headache.

"I'm not staying somewhere between four walls and be scared shitless and you know that, so I hope you have some other plan."

I know pretty well that I couldn't force her to stay at home even if I chained her to the bed. "You're in luck because you might just have to spend some more time with me now since I can't lock you in some room."

"Oh, so you're going to play my bodyguard for real? Fantastic. All I've ever wanted, really," she says with heavy sarcasm, even rolling her eyes for good measure.

I put my elbows on my knees and lean forward. "Yeah, I'm not exactly shitting rainbows about this situation, either, bee, so ... suck it up."

I take a drag of cigarette and Kadie falls back on the bed with a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. "You know how to use a gun?" I ask her.

She looks at me. "Sure."

"You have one?"

"If I had one, you'd be already dead."

"Good to know," I say with a dead tone. I stand up and unlock my safe, pulling out one of my guns and throwing it on the bed next to her. "Use it if you need to. Just not on me."

She sits up and takes the gun in her hands, looking at it with interest. "You're giving me a gun? What a thoughtful gift."

"I'm lending you my gun."

She extends her arm and points the gun right at my head. I notice she has a good aim. She closes one eye, her tongue playfully coming out. I don't even flinch. She chuckles and drops her arms.

She looks at me, her head dropping to the side slightly. "Have you ever killed someone, Fai?" she asks me.

I take a drag of a cigarette. "What's the point of this question?"

She shrugs and looks at the gun. "I think I'd understand if you did. Because there was once someone I'd kill if I had a chance."

I don't say anything for a few seconds. "They still alive?" I ask.

She smiles at the gun. "One yes. One no." She lifts her head. "He did it himself and, sometimes, I'm angry he did it because I was fantasising about the ways I would end his life, only for him to take away this pleasure from me and do it himself."

I shake my head. "And here I thought I was fucked up."

Kadience only smiles as if she hasn't just revealed something so dark about her. 

*

Last update this year! Makes me feel just a little bit nostalgic.

How are you spending NYE? 

This is how I'll be at midnight, watching 2019 die: 

Nonetheless, I hope 2019 treated you good 🥰

Don't forget to follow me on instagram where I post my poems ;) @patriciakauthor