So hey all! I was so busy writing last night I forgot to actually mention why I'm writing this story. This is my NaNoWriMo challenge. 8D For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo is the National November Writing month. In this month, the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month. So each of my chapters will be approximately 1,667 (the minimum to write each day to reach the goal) to 2,000 words. Because NaNo is the writing month, don't expect this to be very well edited. December is the editing month, this is just the writing month where I kill my hand.

Thanks to Slash and Aywas for actually having great prizes to make me work for my goal. xD

Adding this in because I realise people might like to see the proper summary which is far too big to fit into the space provided here xD

Caillen is a centuries old demon who owns a popular bar aimed at the supernatural crowd in particular. As well as the bar, and business dealings here and there he acts as broker for demons. You want something done, he'll give you the means to make it happen - but expect to give him something in return. While he's by no means 'good', he does have a sense of honour. His powers are off the scale, so most demons (and humans) are terrified of him.

Aislynn is the nosy human newspaper journalist who gets a whiff of illegal activities going on at the bar Caillen owns. Because of all other reporters being too scared to touch the place, after hearing the rumours, she decides to take the story and go down to check it out. She knows exactly what sort of reputation both the bar and Caillen have, but she's too intrigued by a good story to let it stop her. When she's after a story, she's stubborn and refuses to take no for an answer, so Caillen has trouble shaking her off.

While she's trying to get her story, she manages to dig herself deeper in the supernatural side of the world, and uncover plots involving her life, leaving Caillen no choice but stick with her and make sure nothing too bad happens to her (as much as he would like to get rid of her).

Aislynn Cathers wasn't about to let something as small as a few rumours get in the way of what could be her biggest story to date. Who cares if the bar called Paradise, but known more accurately as 'Hell', had gone through more than the normal amount of murders, drug busts and gang related crime than most towns would have in a lifetime. She certainly didn't. She did feel small flutters in her stomach but that had nothing to do with nerves. It was the idea of getting the story. If she actually discovered something, like a story being the murders that had all been brushed aside by the police precincts, she could win a prize. Her mouth watered at the idea of a Pulitzer Prize, like it was some sort of award winning steak. Yeah, that was it. Nerves were not to interfere, not now.

She took her place in line, attempting to hold back her disdain at what some of the women, if you could call them that, were wearing. Aislynn had dressed up, sure. She had on her best pair of stilettos (well only pair of stilettos) and jeans, paired with a sparkly top a friend had given to her for a laugh on her 29th birthday, which honestly looked more like it belonged on a stripper, not a middle-aged newspaper journalist. But that was still better than other outfits she could see here. She raised an eyebrow at the woman in front of her, having to wonder if what she wearing was a belt or just an incredibly short skirt.

Finally, the line started moving. Next time, if there ever was a next time, she would have to find a quicker way into this hellhole. Places like like always had a back entrance.

"You on the list?" Aislynn stared up at the bouncer, who was staring at her with a blank unreadable face.

Cool, calm, confident, she thought. Just stay cool, calm and confident. "I wasn't aware I had to be on the list to get in." Aislynn raised an eyebrow, because that always seemed to help the people in movies. Not that she thought anything people were told in the movies could be considered the truth. If that was the case, she would have her man by now and would be riding off into the sunset. She gave a derisive snort, barely loud enough for anyone standing right next to her to make out, yet the bouncer mimicked her eyebrow raise as though he had heard her perfectly.

It took a few beats of her heart, of her thinking she was about to lose her story - or at least make getting the information for it a lot harder. And then the bouncer lifted his hand, and un-clipped the red velvet rope.

Aislynn brushed past him, muttering a somewhat ungrateful thanks as she went. He laughed after her, the sound dark and sinister.

"You don't know what you're getting into, little girl." She stopped and turned, looking at him before replying, "I have heard the rumours you know?" Not wanting to wait for him to give her what was sure to be another irritating Yoda response, Aislynn spun back around and entered the club, immediately getting a blast of heat and smoke from a machine to her face. If only she could get her story anywhere but here. She hated the smell of sweat, and the almost imperceptible musk of sex. When she got home, she was going to have the longest shower of her life. Or even a scented bath with candles.

She slid onto a bar stool, taking the time while the bartender was busy to take in the club, and the people in it. Most of them looked normal. But she could swear... if she looked out of the corner of her eye at some of them, they blurred and changed to look not so normal. Nothing too different, just longer teeth, nails, weird coloured eyes. Though you could get coloured contacts, so she supposed that wasn't totally out of the ordinary. Aislynn shook her head. The smoke in this place was obviously getting to her head, not surprising. Maybe she shouldn't order a drink after all.

As if hearing her thoughts, the bartender left his customer happy with a drink, sliding in front of her.

"Name's Marcus. What can I get you?"

Aislynn contemplated the man in front of her, wondering if he could give her some much needed answers to this place. After all, bartenders tended to gossip.. didn't they?

"Nothing to drink, though maybe you can help me with something else instead." She flashed the man what she hoped he would consider a winning smile, she needed all the help she could get at this point in time.

Fortunately for her, he flashed a grin right back at her, showing some extremely white teeth and incisors that looked just that bit longer than what would be considered the normal length. Thought it didn't surprise her in a place like this, she was more surprised that there were only a few people with weird little fetishes floating around the club.

"You've come to the right place then. Paradise is where people find, well, paradise. But it's probably a different kind of paradise from what you're used to, doll."

"You work here. I've heard all the rumours. People go missing, never to seen again. Murders, which the police either can't solve or are too scared to solve so they just file them away in the basement, only to get covered in dust and never be seen again. You can't tell me everything that goes on in this.. this place is entirely legal. If there aren't drugs here, I'm a freaking 6ft amazon. So what do you know? I want information, and I'm sure you will have answers that I need."

Within the matter of seconds it took for those words to come out of Aislynn, the smile dropped from his face, and he went from charming and approachable to downright snarly.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to stick your nose in where it doesn't belong, little girl? There's a reason that stuff is left in the dark, and it's nosy people like you who ended up becoming that case file that ends up in the basement, as you so eloquently put it."

Aislynn narrowed her eyes at him. Just because he was about 6'4ft compared to her 5'3, didn't mean he could step all over her and try to scare her into leaving.

"Was that a threat? Did you actually just threaten me? I'm sure the police would love to hear all about that."

"Police won't do anything, and you know it. In fact, wasn't that one of the points you just spouted off? That they're too scared to investigate this place." Smirks at her before tilting his head, "I know you. You're that reporter for that newspaper. Is that why you came here? To get your next big scoop?" Throws a disgusted look at her.

"Maybe that's my cue to leave." She stood up, intending to leave the club as soon as possible, since it was obvious she wasn't about to get her story, or any story for that matter, here anytime soon.

"I don't think so." Marcus nodded at a camera or person that she couldn't see, and Aislynn found herself flanked by two bouncer, who obviously had no intentions of letting her leave. She was pretty sure the flutters were turning into nerves now, not excitement at the idea of winning the award she so hoped for. How was it she was basically being threatened and man-handled by these people, and nobody was ever lifting a hand to help? In fact, none of the people in the club even seemed remotely surprised, as if this was something 'normal' that happened all the time here!

"See, here's the thing." Marcus moved around the bar, stopping when he was directly in her face, "Nosy people we can deal with. They irritate us, and we would rather they don't visit Paradise but we can tolerate them. Journalists and reporters on the other hand.. they are most definitely not welcome here. The boss doesn't tolerate them, so we don't tolerate them. And since you decided to push your luck, you're coming with me to have a little talk with the boss."

He grabbed her wrist, and while it definitely wasn't a rough grip by any means, it was still invading her personal property and she was not happy about it. And the guy had a grip of steal, for god's sake. Even as he dragged her along, she tried twisting her body away and she was barely moving an inch. In fact, if Aislynn wasn't so stubborn, she would realise that she was doing herself more harm then good. She would probably end up with a bruised wrist in the morning, from all the good it did her trying to escape.

"You know.. I think I've learned my lesson. If you let me go now, I won't come back here and bother you ever again. Promise." She would still be running the story, of course. But there was no need for him to know that.

"It's too late now. You should have run while you had the chance, but you chose to stick your nose in where it doesn't belong, so now you can face the consequences."

Aislynn muttered under her breath, now very much regretting ever coming to this stupid place. The things she was willing to go through to get her story.

When they reached a door, he gave her one last grin, completely devoid of humour.

"Enjoy."

And with that he opened the door, all the while keeping his lock on her wrist when she attempted another futile escape. He flung the door open, and with just about the same force, flung her through the door and shutting the door behind her with an ominous click of the lock. Aislynn was still stumbling forward after the door had been locked, trying to find her footing, only to slam into a very solid but also very warm and breathing brick wall.

Well, oh shit.