This has been a long time in coming huh? I don't have any excuses other than school. I'm a psychology major, so most of my time goes to homework.

I had some time on my hands and I had some inspiration so this chapter came out. It's pretty raw, I didn't have anyone beta read it, so there might be some mistakes. Thank you to all of you who still read this.

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Chapter 9

I spotted Aubrey immediately.

Even through all the people who surrounded him, I could see him, a beautiful man with a scar over his left eye.

He sat at a table beside the pool tables, his feet braced and his chair balanced on its two back legs.

There was something languid in the way he sat, almost like he could be on his feet at any given moment. He looked dangerous, even though I observed him from a good distance away; I could still feel the power this man had.

I kept my eyes on him and made my way towards his table. I kept my walk smooth and unhurried, the walk of an innocent girl approaching a guy she found attractive.

He didn’t notice at first, he was too busy watching the pool game beside him. I couldn’t help but feel a little smug at the fact that he hadn’t seen me coming, I had snuck up on him.

He turned to face me, and any thoughts of me sneaking up on him vanished. He had simply waited for me to come to him. There was no surprise in his blue eyes, only cold calculation and disgust.

There was so much disgust.

For what though? I didn’t know. The only thing I knew was something inside of me was screaming at me to leave; to run and never look back.

To forget this dark and beautiful club filled with its dark and dangerous people.

Instead I smiled and slide into the chair beside him. My shy smile was fixed into place as I peered up at him through half lidded eyes.

Get close. Get close. Make sure you get close.

Ryan’s words chanted endlessly. But right then it sounded ridiculous, and once again I found myself doubting Ryan. For all I knew, he could be setting me up. This Aubrey might not even be the one who beat up Kieran.

Instead of moving closer, I leaned back in my chair and studied the man in front of me. He held himself tense and ready; he looked like an animal ready to spring.

“I’m going to ask you a question,” I paused. “And depending on how you ans-.”

He moved so fast that all I saw was a blur.

One moment I was sitting in the chair, and the next I was airborne. I felt something give out under me and a sharp pain in my back.

I laid there stunned. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move.

Wood dug into my arm and my fingers had deep splinters. A table, I had landed on a table.

With a gasp I turned on my side and drew in a ragged breath. Sprawled out on the floor, I knew I was vulnerable, but I couldn’t seem to focus.

“Weaker than I thought,” A shiver slid down my spine at the chilly words. “And so easy to break.”

Fear had never been a close companion, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew how to judge and assess my opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. This man had moved too fast, he hadn’t given me a chance to watch him.

Taking a breath, I tried again. “I would suggest letting me—.”

Once again I found myself thrown, tossed aside like I weighed nothing. Only this time I landed on a pool table and it didn’t break.

Pain shot through my body and left me breathless. I rolled over onto my side and curled up into the fetal position.

I concentrated on just breathing until I could lift myself up on my elbow. A bitter taste filled my mouth and I spat out the offending taste. It came out red; it had been a long time since I had seen my own blood. It was a wake up call, one that told me I hadn’t thought this through. I had to get out of here, but before I could get my bearings he was leaning over me.

He lifted me up by my collar. I hung limply, too dazed to put up a fight.

“Pathetic, if you came all the way here you should at least put up a decent fight.” He held me at eye level and what I saw in his face made me shudder. He looked inhuman.

I knew enough to know that I was in trouble, probably the worst trouble of my life. It felt like I was literally looking death in the face.

Beautiful but lethal.

It was enough to snap me out of my daze. I lashed out, my foot connected with his thigh and he faltered – just a little bit – but enough to give me a chance.

My touch was light but accurate; I found the pressure points on his arm and shoulder.

He dropped me and I rolled away. I had to keep my distance from him; if he got his hands on me again it was over.

He watched me warily, he had underestimated me and it wouldn’t happen a second time.

I wanted to make him pay for what he did to Kieran, but I couldn’t do it face to face, it would have to be done from the shadows. Something about this place wasn’t right, I needed to get away and rethink this plan. There was a fine line between stupid and brave, and I didn’t plan on crossing it.

I glanced around, hoping for an escape. I was effectively boxed in, a tall, lanky looking man took up guard in front of the door I came in through, and from my position I couldn’t see any other exits.

In a club this large it was mandatory to have fire exits on every floor. The stair case that led upstairs was clear. It was my best bet out of here.

I didn’t give Aubrey time to make another move. I grabbed a pool stick from its place on the wall and took off up the staircase.

A man stepped in front of me and I brought the pool stick up in an arc. It caught him across the face and I kept running.

I was almost to the top of the stairs when a pull on the back of my shirt brought me to an abrupt stop. A sharp jerk sent me flying backwards, this time I didn’t even have time to catch my breath before I was hoisted up in the air. His hand affectively wrapped around my neck and held me pinned to the wall.

Once again I found myself face to face with Aubrey. His face twisted into a feral snarl.

“You’re more trouble than you’re worth human.” He brought his face closer, invaded my space.

“Now it won’t be painle…” His sentence trailed off and his face lost its ferocity. His eyes widened, as if something clicked into place and he pulled me to him. He buried his nose in the crock of my neck and I could feel his whole body freeze.

“My God.” It was a whisper in my ear, but it sounded like it was ripped from grip softened and he carefully put me back on my feet. He stepped back, his arms falling to his sides. “This isn’t possible.”

I eyed him cautiously. He went from wanting to kill me, to treating me like glass in a matter of moments.

Something was wrong.

Every time someone gets close they end up smelling my hair and freaking out. Aubrey looked like he had been shot, his face was pale and he could barely hold himself up.

I edged away, my eyes glued to him. When he made no move to stop me, I turned and made a dash for the door.

No one stopped me, I was going to leave through the front door and no one was stopping me. I was almost there, just ten more feet and I would be free.

The doors swung open and I skidded to a halt in front of a dark haired, golden eyed man. I knew him instantly and I couldn’t help how my heart leaped at the sight of him.

We stared at each other, and everything else faded away. He was calling to me, no words passed from his lips but something was drawing me to him. It was strong, and I couldn’t help but take a tentative step forward. I don’t know what I would have done if my phone hadn’t started ringing.

The ringing was like a bucket of cold water, it snapped me out of my enthrallment and I backpedaled.

I glared, without words I expressed my displeasure. The tilt of his head accompanied by a lifted eyebrow showed his amusement. It was uncanny, how I could read him. I knew he meant me no harm.

How did I know? I didn’t have the slightest clue; it was something I new instinctively.

There was a shuffling behind me and I turned to face Aubrey. He was slowly making his way towards us, his steps careful and hesitant. I had almost forgotten about him, I had been so distracted by the golden eyed man that I hadn’t paid attention to my surroundings.

He drew closer and I backed away from him, I didn’t stop until I was right beside the golden eyed man.

I should have felt uneasy but it felt natural to be beside him when danger was near. It was crazy and foolish, but I couldn’t help it.

I risked a glance up at him but his attention wasn’t on me, it was focused on Aubrey. His eyes changed, they were no longer gentle, now they were hard and glittered with malice. His jaw clenched and he stepped forward to stand in front of me. There was something primitively protective in his stance and it took everything in me to start inching away from him.

He was a haven I didn’t understand. My mind screamed at me to run away, but everything else begged me to stay.

Finally, I gave into my urge to flee. The double doors didn’t make a sound as I slipped back into the streets.

Running seemed to be my specialty lately.

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An: I've been writing a lot lately, so hopefully the next chapter will be up soon.

Thank you to those who reviewed my last chapter. They make my day.