"You want to drug him?" Valentina asked with widened eyes and a shocked expression.
I shrugged and she shot me a disapproving look. "I think we should just kill him by drug overdose," Anna suggested dryly and I turned to her.
My idea might have been a little extreme but her's was over the top. Valentina furiously shook her head, "No, I am not going to jail for this."
"I like my idea," I gave her a pointed look, she sighed in defeat and gave in.
"I like mine better," Anna rolled her eyes and, both Valentina and I shook our heads in denial.
Currently, we were in the staff room in the back of the club with our earpieces set up, discussing plans.
"Why do you want to drug him anyway?" Christopher muttered into the comms.
"Yeah, I mean how are going to reach Aaron's sister if you drug him?" Alex piped in.
My face turned into one of realisation and I internally smacked myself for being this stupid. Of course first, we have to make sure the girl is okay.
I sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right. New plan."
I pointed to Anna, "You are going to make really strong drinks for the bodyguards or minions the target has." I then turned my finger to Valentina, "And you are going to serve them those drinks and make sure they consume it. They should be wasted by the time we get out of here."
"And what are you doing, Miss Bossy Pants?" Lucas questioned.
"Being the distraction and, I don't know, probably do some spying," I smirked when I heard a very familiar husky voice growl in possessiveness.
"No, you're not," Christopher stated.
I narrowed my eyes even though he couldn't see me, "Yes, I will. Watch me," I smirked.
"See you later, girls," I waved at them and made my way out of the storage room, trying not to look suspicious.
I saw the organizer who was hurriedly rushing to get everything into place for the event. She saw me and nearly broke into a sprint, "You're Bella, right?" she tried to catch her breath while asking me.
I hummed and she scribbled something on her clipboard. "You dressed well, one less thing I need to make sure of, thank you," she let out a breath of relief.
She shook her head and frantically started babbling, "So I hope you have prepared your performance well, we can't afford any mistakes or else they'll kill me before anybody else since, I am the organizer and all that."
I just nodded in understanding not wanting to give her any more of a headache than she had.
"Wow! Never seen you so quiet and obedient, what did you have today?" Lucas scoffed.
"Ask me what I didn't have and I'll tell you how I didn't have to deal with your bullshit today," I rolled my eyes at him.
"Leave her alone, will you?" Christopher growled at him and I could just imagine the hard glare he shot at Lucas.
I just shook my head dismissively and proceeded to settle behind the mini stage set up in the V.I.P. lounge.
I spotted Anna at the private bar set up there and nodded at her in acknowledgement. I then searched for Valentina and noticed her looking around nervously. When her hazel eyes met with my dark brown ones and I offered her an encouraging smile.
"Be careful, I swear, if you die out there today I am going to make you regret it," Christopher grumpily warned me and I chuckled.
"Calm down, I can't die with my dad waiting for me and without meeting my new family," I joked and I heard a chuckle from the comms.
Soon, the bartenders and waiters were ushered in the lounge as guests started pouring in. Performances started soon after and I started fidgeting with the ring I always wear. Nervous habit, I guess.
Mine was the fifth performance and my hand instinctively reached up to my eyelid, trying to make sure my blue contacts hadn't fallen off.
I looked a lot different from the gala Damien had seen me in, the biggest change being the black wig I put on when discussing plans. The contacts were just an addition to the look.
When the fourth performance was almost halfway done, I was checked for any problems and when none turned out, they wished me the best of luck and a reminder not to mess up.
The stage was emptied and the curtains were put up, I carefully took my position in the centre of the dark stage and waited for the music to start.
All other background dancers took their positions and the curtain was lifted up as soon as the beat of Work From Home by Fifth Harmony was blared through the speakers.
All too soon the lyrics came on and I continued to perform my steps from the routine, in perfect sync with the other background dancers.
I carefully searched the crowds for familiar faces and of course, I saw the host, Damien. My eyebrows raised when I saw Xavier sitting at the bar with his elder brother Aiden, intently talking.
I even saw Valentina's father and Aaron's father sitting on a table looking like they would rather be anywhere else than here. My eyes widened on their own accord when they saw Natalie approaching Aiden and giving him a quick peck on the lips. Some more roaming of my eyes even helped me discover Jonathan or my grandfather was here too, not looking too happy to be here.
Whistles and hoots from drunken men intensified when there was a beat drop and all the dancers including me dropped down to the floor and got up while swinging our hips. I could hear Christopher cursing out the shitfaces in the club as Alex tried to calm him down and Lucas sighed in annoyance.
As soon as the song ended and the curtains dropped down there were several 'once more's heard as we scrambled off the stage.
I was pulled to the side by a wide-eyed Valentina, "Did you see him?"
"See who?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Damien Gray," she hissed.
"I did before, why?"
"He took Aiden and Natalie somewhere," I swear my heart stopped beating when I heard that sentence.
"What!? Where?" I asked her frantically while removing my wig and eye contacts.
"I don't know, I was about to follow them when I got caught into the hoards of drunken men," she wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"We have to go," I muttered while grabbing my bag and rushing into the nearest washroom to change out of my uncomfortable dress and into my full black body suit. After zipping up my flat-soled boots I rushed out of the back entrance of the club.
I raced to the black van parked at the side of the street, got in and slammed the door shut after I entered.
Seeing as though Anna and Valentina were already in the vehicle Alex pressed on the gas pedal and we speeded down the road.
I snatched the laptop from Lucas which earned me a sputter of colourful words from him, ignoring him I decided to ping Aiden's phone and trace their location. Upon seeing as though it was in service, I received a red dot on the screen and I gave Alex instructions to turn according to the tracking device.
My phone buzzed in my back pocket and I pulled it out not even checking who is calling.
"Ash-, I mean, Kiara?" Dad exclaimed and I hummed a response.
"Mr McQueen and Mr Reed are missing," he informed me and I was on the verge of yelling out in frustration.
"What!?" I angrily cursed. "Oh my god, I swear I'll strangle this man once I get my hands on him. Bastard." I hung up the phone after telling my dad I'll be safe.
"What happened?" Christopher questioned.
Before I could answer Lucas' phone ringed and after picking it up, we found out his mother was missing.
I opened several tabs to track all of their cellular devices and all of them seemed to advance towards the same direction.
"Guys!" Valentina angrily yelled from the passenger seat and Alex nearly swerved off the road.
"What is going on?" Anna snapped and I sighed.
"Remember how Damien was going to kidnap one member from each family?" Lucas grunted.
"Well, in short, he did it," I huffed.
"Who is missing?" Alex frowned.
"Natalie, Aiden, Mrs Layla, Mr Reed and Mr McQueen," I muttered.
Valentina seemed like she could burst into tears and Alex looked mad as hell.
He pressed hard on the gas pedal and we literally went soaring through the air, "Maybe telling him wasn't such a good idea," I choked out, scared for my life. I didn't want to die in a creepy black van.
Christopher clutched the door handle tightly and smiled sympathetically towards me.
My phone buzzed again, I whipped it out grumbling under my breath and without checking the caller ID picked it up, "What?" I muttered.
"Be careful who you trust, sis," a deep voice murmured from the other side.
My dry lips parted in shock and I barely managed to whisper a name.
Christopher's head snapped in my direction and he mouthed a 'who is it?'
"I don't think that's my name," Cody- oh wait, sorry- Troy chuckled.
"What do you want?" I growled angrily.
"I just want to warn you," he stated nonchalantly.
"About who?" I hissed already annoyed with the smartass.
"Your boy toy."
"Don't even say a thing about him when you don't know anything about him," I warned him.
"Oh, trust me, I know more about him than you do," he chuckled. What is he even talking about?
"What are you even talking about? You know what, forget it. I don't even want to find out," I huffed.
"Why don't you just ask him? I am sure he wouldn't mind telling you. And if he doesn't remember, you can refer to the picture I am sending you."
He hung up the call. Great.
I looked at the blank screen and muttered an inaudible 'idiot.'
"What happened?" Christopher's voice broke my intense staredown with my phone.
"My brother was talking some crap about how I should be careful about trusting you and how you aren't telling me everything and all that. He has lost his damn mind," I babbled and narrowly missed the guilt and worry flashing across his face.
My phone pinged and I sighed, "Now he is even sending me a picture to 'expose' you, if you don't tell me."
"No, don't," Christopher's voice startled me as I was about to open the picture I received.
I furrowed my brows, "Why not?"
When he just guiltily bit his lip, I narrowed my eyes at him at beckoned him to answer me.
"You don't need to know," he said blankly and I glared at him.
"Oh, I do."
Before he could stop me again, I quickly opened the chat and what I saw probably changed everything, not for the better.