Chapter Seven
✺ Amira's POV ✺
Once I'm dressed, I meet Leo downstairs, who's watching tv on the couch. He's changed his shirt to a black silk one with gold detailing and fitted black jeans cover his tall frame. Wherever we're going tonight, it must be nice. I guess it's good I wore this blue dress. It's nothing fancy and pretty basic, but it'll do for tonight. I didn't pack many dresses, considering I didn't think I'd need them.
"You ready?"
"Yep, where are we going?"
"You'll see," he smirks, and I'm suddenly already regretting this when he grabs my hand and yanks me out the door.
The whole way there, Leo wouldn't give me any clues on where we were going. If I didn't know any better, he could be taking somewhere to kill me, and I easily fell for it. Of course, I know that's not the case, but it sure feels like my impending doom is upon me.
We park in an alleyway adding to my suspicions that death is knocking on my door. What the hell is exactly his plan? I know how to defend myself, and if he tries anything, he's a dead man. Leo unlocks the car getting out, and I do the same, keeping my guard up.
"What are we doing here?"
"Ssh and just follow me, would you."
Oh yes, gladly, even if you're going to kill me.
Regardless of how I felt, I followed because this alley was starting to give me the creeps. I haven't told anyone this, but I'm terrified of rodents, and this place is crawling with them.
Leo stops just outside an old shop called Blue Book. Why the hell are we dressed like this if we were going to a bookstore? This was his idea of a night of fun?
When we walk in, it's indeed a bookstore and not some weirdly named club. It's nearly nine. I didn't think shops like this were open past seven. It smells like old books and coffee with multiple bookshelves lined up on the left, while the front counter is on the right with a small coffee machine and mugs with it. It's a cute store, and I want to browse the books, but it's not exactly what I had in mind tonight.
"Leo, why are we in a bookstore?" I finally ask.
"You're so cute. This isn't just a bookstore." What now? I'm confused. What the hell does that mean?
"Ah, good to see you, Leo. And you brought a friend," a man probably in his early thirties says, coming from the back room.
"Hey, Robert. How is it tonight?"
"Fantastic, better than usual."
I have a weird feeling they're speaking in code. It's the way their eyes look while talking to each other.
"Great! I'll just look around," he winks. Oh, I know definitely that this is code for something, and I'm starting not to like it.
Leo grabs my hand as we walk through the maze of bookshelves. He stops at one that looks more battered up than the rest. It's a nonfiction section, and the books on this one are all grey except for one it's blue. Leo reaches out and grabs it, and the shelf slides open, revealing a dark staircase.
No way this is something straight from a scary movie. But it's also so fascinating. The name Blue Book is also starting to make sense. Leo laughs at my surprised face and starts to walk down them.
"C'mon, you haven't seen anything yet."
I follow behind and close the bookcase. The stairwell lights up, making it much easier to see and far less intimidating to walk down. At the bottom of the stairs is a blue door. My palms start to sweat, nervous yet excited to know what's on the other side.
Once Leo opens the door, a blast of music and chatter tingles my ears. This area must be soundproof because I couldn't hear a thing a minute ago. Leo grins, wiggling his brows, waiting for me to walk through.
My eyes dart around to the funky pattern walls and decor. A bar is in the corner with a bartender wiping glasses. Men and women scatter around tables with cocktails—some people dancing in the corner to the music. I go to an empty table with a blue book on it. Every table has one. I open it, and it's cut out after a couple of pages, and a menu is on the side of it. There are all types of cocktails and other alcoholic beverages listed, along with some entrees.
Hold on, is this a speakeasy?
I've been to one once, but this one is very different from the one I went to. The speakeasies today are actually legal and just have the aesthetic of an old one. However, this one certainly has some illegal activities going on. And I bet it's happening all behind the red curtain. There's a sign at the top "enter for the VIP experience."
Leo grabs my attention, telling me to come with him behind the curtain. I follow him yet again, curious as to what's behind it. The first room is a decoy with small round tables and a coffee stand. They really thought this place out. I'll give them that. On the way to the second room is a red door that separates the two. Leo leads me through a long hallway until we reach a room exactly what I expected. This area has dancers on poles, but they're decently clothed, smoke cascades the air, and the red lights beam down, illuminating the whole room in a sinister way.
There are people doing every type of drug imaginable in here. Marijuana, Cocaine, Pills, Heroin, you name it. As everyone is high off their shit, I look to Leo, wondering why he'd bring me here. I don't do hard drugs, just smoke some weed from time to time.
"Go on, sit over there. I'll get us some drinks," he points to an empty booth, and I do as he says. My feet were starting to hurt anyways from all this walking. Though the idea behind this place is incredible, I don't see myself going behind the red curtain often. The very first room you walk in is honestly enough fun for me. I don't need all this stuff to have a good time.
Leo comes over with a couple of drinks, all looking delicious. "What is this one?" I ask. It reminds me of a snow cone except in a large cocktails glass.
"Just try it, Amira. You ask too many questions."
"Well, sorry. I don't trust a lot of people. Who knows what you did to these drinks."
"You think I'm trying to poison you. I'm just trying to have fun. You can let your guard down tonight. We're not on duty." The soft look in his eyes makes me know he's telling the truth. However, it's hard to let my guard down because I feel like the minute I do, something terrible always happens.
"Okay, I'll try," I say before taking a sip of the drink. I hum, loving the sweet taste it has to it. It's cold and refreshing too, which I needed my mouth was seriously parched.
After a couple of drinks, Leo pulls out a small bag full of blue pills, "have you ever tried ecstasy before?"
"No, and I don't think I want to."
"C'mon, live a little. Try it this once, and if you hate it, I won't pressure you to do any drugs again," he begs. His eyes go soft, and his lips poke out like a five-year-old. However, I can't say no to his puppy dog eyes, and I give in to him. If I have a bad trip, it's his fault. I take the pill putting it on the tip of my tongue, and push it down my throat. I don't know when it'll take effect, but I try to remain calm. Maybe nothing will happen, and I'll be alright when morning comes.
I sit at the table, gripping the corners, scared of what may happen. "Just relax and enjoy the ride," Leo coos as he leans back against the booth. I try to do as he says and watch the dancers distracting myself. One props her legs up around the pole and twirls around so effortlessly. I watch her do it over and over again until everything starts to feel like it's going in slow motion. I no longer see a woman, just a blur of colors twisting and turning.
Minutes go by, and I can't feel my fingers or toes as I stumble around the bright red room. The music roars in my ears, and I sway back and forth, letting it consume me. I'm so relaxed it feels as though I'm floating, and my feet are standing on puffs of clouds instead of a slick tile floor. I'm in such a trance I start to see things like my pet bunny, daffodil. She died a long time ago. Then I saw the old green carebear my father gave me when I was five. I carried Good Luck Bear everywhere with me, thinking he actually brought me good luck.
The green slowly turns into familiar vibrant green eyes that haunt and fascinate me. Just like the person they belong to. There's darkness in them that can scare anybody, and yet I see a shimmer of light in them that I just want to ring out. He annoys the hell out of me, and yet I can't help but wonder about the mystery behind him. Something pulls me into wanting to know him, but I know that's a dangerous game. If I get close to him in any way, one of us will get hurt. So ignore the curiosity that pulls me to him and try to only look at him at surface level. Anything more, and I'll be sucked in, that I know for sure.
The high feels like it's gone on three days, not three hours the time I finally come down. Still buzzed on the drugs and alcohol, I make a sober decision to go home. Leo stays, saying he's going home with one of the dancers. He tried to make some advances on me, but even in my intoxicated state, I knew sleeping with him would be a bad idea. He didn't seem upset by it and found someone else to pass the time with.
I get an Uber to take me back to the headquarters or, more like, close to the headquarters. I got in trouble last time for letting them drop me off so close. I walk less than half a mile or more like stumble around until I reach the headquarters.
My feet nearly give in when I get through the front door and fall on the couch. I think I'm going to rest here for a bit. My eyes feel heavy, and I blackout.
I don't know how long I was out, but when I came to, it was due to a loud crash by the front door. My whole body jumps up at the sound. I frantically look around the den. I get up, picking up my phone looking at the time, 5:56 am.
I grab anything I can use as a weapon and slowly lean against the wall, ready to attack if I have to. I hear a low groan and feet dragging against the floor. My nerves start to get the better of me, wondering who's coming in at this hour. It has to be an intruder, right? Just as I'm about to smash the vase over their head, I stop when I see Harry, and it looks like he's been hit by a truck. He has wounds and bruises all over. But what really concerns me is the bullet wound in his abdomen.
"Oh my god! What happened?"
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Thanks for reading loves. So I think I'm going to try to update every Tuesday and Thursday for the rest of October. Letting you guys know ahead of time.
Vote or leave a comment, reading them makes my day.
Ily❦