CARNAL

XII

"Damn, are you feeling possessive? This whole display is merely an act – meant to boost these girls' heads. You know my attention is reserved for you exclusively," Siraj asserted emphatically, his eyes locked onto Mijako as she tossed back three shots in quick succession, exhibiting her disapproval with dismissive eye roll.

"I'm here solely for business," Mijako announced vehemently. With a combination of charm and sass, she shot a grateful grin at Javon the bartender, then fixed her gaze back onto Siraj. "Listen, my family is growing impatient. Either you're with us or you're not."

"And if I'm out?" Siraj chuckled darkly.

"Then you're truly out, and this place will simply become another extension of my father's domain," Mijako declared with certainty, "He's not one to accept refusal."

"Are you threatening me, petite one?" Siraj inquired, exhilarated by her fierceness. His eyes greedily consumed her daringly provocative corset, her attire fueling his lust.

"No, Siraj... Merely stating facts," Mijako countered as she smoothly dismounted the bar stool with a self-assured stride. She extended her hands, grabbing hold of his dangling chains that adorned his neck. "It would be vital for you to listen carefully."

With a flirtatious tilt of her head, she sensed the intense energy of Aphrodite within her – commanding effortlessly. The bewitching temptress flashed a wicked grin as she purposely pressed her bountiful chest against his, ensuring their charged contact was impossible to ignore.

Seductively lowering her voice to a whisper, she tantalized him, "Why not abandon your responsibilities tonight and accompany me on an adventure through these streets..."

Siraj's hands tightly gripped her curvaceous rear, exploring every nuance of its shape. His yearning intensified as his arousal made its presence known between them, becoming increasingly difficult to restrain any longer.

He leaned in closer, tenderly brushing his lips against the delicate curve of her ear before playfully flicking his tongue across her earlobe. In a hushed, alluring tone, he murmured into the misty atmosphere, "Why not allow me to lose myself within you."

His eyes widened in surprise, quickly transforming into a cunning grin as he felt her enticing caress gliding downward, applying pressure against him externally. He was captivated by her seductive tone and suggestive words, "You can't wait to fulfill my desires, can you?"

Siraj let out a deep, primal moan that barely reached her ears, lifting her with strong hands clasping her shapely backside as he carried her towards the inner recesses of his office. Bursting through the door, he eagerly placed her on the very edge of his solid desk, anticipation crackling in the atmosphere.

Her mesmerizing gaze fixed on his as she deliberately parted her irresistible legs wide open, disclosing the sparkling, alluring fabric that scarcely covered her most private treasures.

Consumed by an unquenchable yearning to relish in her sensuality, Siraj hastily dropped to his knees, his palms settling on the inviting contours of her inner thighs. His eyes feasted upon the sight of her moving her barely present thong to the side, exposing the shimmering, moist folds that eagerly anticipated his touch.

As he lowered his head, resolved to leisurely investigate every inch, a sudden barrage of gunfire from within the club sent shudders through both their bodies and disrupted their passionate encounter.

Siraj's eyes enlarged with panic as he instinctively sprang up from his position on the floor, his heart hammering furiously inside his chest. Mijako, equally startled, hurried out of the seclusion of his office with him, as they frantically sought to identify the source of those booming shots.

Carefully navigating through the frenzied masses, they caught sight of Dyme's diminutive form at the heart of the pandemonium. An angry snarl marred her typically mesmerizing visage, her pupils expanded and her motions unpredictable – clear indications of her cocaine-induced high. The menacing metallic glint in her unsteady grasp corroborated her culpability for the thunderous gunfire.

As Siraj grappled with the seemingly surreal turn of events, Dyme's frenzied gaze zeroed in on Mijako's petrified stare. Time seemingly decelerated as she hoisted the weapon with a disquieting serenity and mercilessly applied pressure to the icy trigger while Siraj looked on, powerless. In a final harrowing detonation, a projectile hurtled from its confines and barreled into Mijako's torso.

Mijako's anguished wail found its place among the discordant choral screams pervading their surroundings. Collapsing to the beer-sodden floor like a puppet suddenly bereft of its strings, a vibrant crimson lifeblood rapidly saturated his apparel and formed a puddle beneath him.

This acute realization sent a chill coursing through Siraj – within mere instants, an ordinary strip club had metamorphosed into a battleground, leaving all present gasping for air in a whirlwind of adrenaline and despondency. Disorder reigned unchallenged.

Mijako's fearsome siblings – Kissani, Lola, and Bishop – surged with unyielding intensity toward their oblivious target, Dyme. Their piercing stares remained locked on her as they plotted to abduct her from the vibrant nightclub pulsating with mesmerizing rhythms.

Simultaneously, Siraj's heart pounded anxiously as he tended to Mijako's fresh injury, rivulets of blood seeping from her fragile skin. In a bewildering moment that seemed to defy reality, the gash started to heal before his astonished eyes. He gasped in utter disbelief while witnessing the astounding phenomenon.

Her enigmatic eyes gradually morphed into reservoirs of supernatural luminosity. Mijako graced Siraj with a captivating, sly grin that sent chills down his spine. In a calculated, predatory gesture, she submerged her delicate finger into her own blood before leisurely raising it to her mouth. As she savored her lifeforce from her finger, Siraj felt simultaneously repulsed and irresistibly attracted to her dangerous allure.

The scene transitioned back to the throbbing club where Dyme was entirely ignorant of the looming peril. Abruptly, akin to a famished wolf pack, Kissani, Lola, and Bishop pounced on her amid the strobing neon lights and cacophony of music. She was powerless against them; their pitiless grip whisked her away from safety into their unforgiving embrace.

As they hauled her into the frigid shadows of nighttime, their footsteps resounding through desolate alleys, they never spared a glance back. The mission was unequivocal: Mijako's siblings aimed to possess Dyme for whatever malevolent intent they harbored – while leaving the metropolis captivated by the unfolding perilous enigmas.

In a swift and predatory movement, Aphrodite drew near him; her celestial charm masking her dreadful intentions. She tenderly stroked Siraj's tear-streaked face before etching a complex design on his forehead. With each hushed incantation breathed into his ear, any memory of Mijako being shot vanished from Siraj's mind like wisps of darkness extinguishing light.

With a clear objective in mind, Mijako was determined to erase the memory of her being shot from the minds of all those present. Casually gliding through the crowd, her captivating aura had onlookers entranced, their gazes following her every move.

Upon arriving at the heart of the club, Aphrodite unleashed her mysterious abilities. She expunged the memories harboring Mijako's gunshot incident and seamlessly replaced them with a striking memory of Dyme recklessly firing her weapon at an arbitrary target. The scene grew electrifying as club patrons unexpectedly witnessed this baffling display of irrationality.

Pandemonium broke loose as the altered memory took root in their minds. Gasps filled the air, punctuated by screams and panicked cries from those seeking refuge. The charged atmosphere churned with an uneasy blend of bewilderment, fascination, and dread.

Having achieved her goal, Mijako seamlessly merged into the chaos and vanished into the dark night, leaving behind a multitude of bewildered patrons grappling to comprehend the bizarre turn of events.

As dawn approached, the vivid memory of Dyme's haphazard shot became permanently etched in the minds of all those who had been present that night, entirely eclipsing any notion of Mijako's true, yet concealed fate.