by Alta Hensley
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to knock into you. Did I hurt you?” By her awkward stance, and the embarrassment washing over her face, I could tell she really hadn’t meant to bump into me. She couldn’t even hold my gaze for more than a few moments before her gaze slid away.
“No, I’m good.” I swiped at my hair that now lay limply against my forehead. I found it odd that I suddenly felt self-conscious about my appearance, but I didn’t want her to think I was a sweaty junkie lowlife.
“You sure you’re okay?” the girl asked again.
This time, she held my gaze, the concern showing in hers. I looked into her deep brown eyes for the first time—clear and not dilated like every other girl in the club—and my heart beat hard against my chest. The laser lights swirled behind the girl, casting her in full light one second and in a shadow the next. I smiled at her petite silhouette. Every time her face lit up, I noticed her eyes first. They were an amazing rich chocolate color, unlike anything I had ever seen. They matched perfectly with her dark brown hair that reflected all the colored lights around her. Thick, full eyelashes curved slightly at the end, providing the perfect frames for such a pair of beautiful eyes. She was a true beauty. The girl stared back at me as she stood there breathing hard.
Her brown hair was up in a loose bun, except for a few strands that lightly rested on the sides of her face and forehead. It surprised me she didn’t seem fazed by my notoriety. Almost as if she didn’t know who I was, which would be impossible unless she lived under a rock. You couldn’t go onto social media or turn on the television and not see my face plastered all over it. She acted genuinely sorry for knocking into me. It didn’t seem like she had done it intentionally, like the game so many others had played in the past. That game had gotten really old.
“I’m fine,” I said, wishing I hadn’t done the coke. My head spun, and the lights swirling around her weren’t helping the situation. I was too high to have this conversation, but I really wanted to. But she was sober and I was not, which was always a recipe for disaster.
“Good.” The girl tucked the loose hair behind her ear and turned to resume her dancing. She didn’t look back or ask anything else. She seemed impatient to be on her way. I watched in fascination as she seductively moved her hips to the music.
With my heart pounding and the overpowering need to see her face again surging, to my own surprise, I tapped her on the shoulder and stammered, “So, I haven’t seen you here before.”
Fuck! I was too high for this shit. I was sounding like a dumb ass.
The girl turned and looked at me without responding. Maybe she hadn’t heard me. I hoped her lack of words weren’t just because she thought I was an idiot. Although I sounded like a fucking idiot.
“I’m Axel, what’s your name?” Trying to keep my cool was as difficult as walking under water.
“Quinn Sullivan.”
All I could manage was a weak smile as I allowed the most alluring name I had ever heard to descend into my soul. High or not, I liked her name. It seemed to fit her perfectly.
“Well, have a good night,” Quinn said, and danced off, fading into the crowd of bodies. She was leaving me, and I really didn’t have a choice but to let her.
Why did I care?
But I did.
I did care.
I reluctantly made my way back to the VIP section to join my friends as my thoughts went back to those brown eyes cloaked in black lashes. Quinn Sullivan and the enticing eyes.
Yeah, I was fucking high.
2
Knight In Fucked Up Armor
Quinn
I danced off, concentrating on trying to be as graceful as possible as I walked back to the bar where Felicity was ordering another drink. I had a feeling Axel was still watching me, and I would die of embarrassment if I fell or stumbled. My awkward nerves were out of control. How could I almost knock the man over? Of all people, it had to be the famous, and sexy as hell Axel Rye. I should’ve said more to him, but I’d been at a loss for words, and thoughts. All I could do was gawk at him like a crazed fan or druggy. I was positive he thought I did it on purpose. He probably expected for me to ask to buy some drugs or take a selfie with him to show off online.
My knees had almost buckled when I realized who I had accidentally danced into. I had no business dancing. I seriously sucked ass at it, and all but appeared to be having a seizure on the dance floor. But leave it to me to dance into Axel Rye! I was so lame.
I had researched all about the great Axel Rye and his drug-dealing clan. Felicity partied at the same hot spots as they did. She desperately wanted to be let into their popular social circle. I had never really grasped everything Felicity told me about Axel and his friends. She made them out to be movie star, drop-dead gorgeous, and after seeing them in person, I would have to agree. But the truth of the matter was what they did for a living was still against the law and wrong. How everyone looked up to them, and practically treated them as Gods surprised me. They were just drug dealers, though alluring ones at that.
Axel Rye was too gorgeous for his own good. My heart thumped wildly as I tried my best not to look over my shoulder to see if he was staring at me. I really wished I weren’t so attracted to that man. But how could I not be? With his messy dark, chestnut brown hair, sexy, mysterious eyes, and lean, muscular body, Axel was a walking vision. The ink of his tattoos beckoned my curiosity. Everything about him teased my senses—his looks, his raspy baritone voice, his tantalizing, sultry scent. And God help me, I was attracted to the fact that he was a bad boy. I shouldn’t be, but I was fascinated by it.
Making my way back to the bar, I looked over at the VIP section where Axel sat with a large group of men and women, most covered in tattoos, piercings, trendy clothes, and looking like the hippest stylist in LA had dressed them all. Axel and his friends seemed to glide in a lingering wave toward a group of girls. They had a mysticism in their actions. In the way they moved. Almost like vampires in a dark blockbuster movie. The women waited, their eager smiles reminding me of teenyboppers at a boy band concert.
Axel wore a tight black shirt that showed off his firm arms. Tattoos marked his entire exposed skin. His black pants clung to his body as if they were designed just for him. I had never seen a more seductive smile on a man. His masculine look screamed alpha. Rough, rugged, and at the same time, handsome. The scar by his mouth had an incredible draw, giving him a lure that pulled anyone in. I watched as one of the slinky-clad women practically lunged into Axel’s arms, smothering the man with her breasts, and then looked around nonchalantly to make sure everyone was watching.
“Is that Axel’s girlfriend?” I asked Felicity as I leaned over to speak into her ear to be heard over the booming cadence.
Felicity glanced over to where the woman hung off Axel and shook her head. “Only in her wildest dreams. That’s Jillian, one of the coke head sluts who clings to that group. She relentlessly tries to convince anyone who will listen that the two of them are a couple. Everyone knows Axel’s not interested in her. I’ve actually never seen Axel with a girlfriend. Not a playboy like you would expect though. He seems to keep to himself. Although, many would volunteer to fill that position in a heartbeat. Just look at him. Yummy.” Hopping off the stool, she said, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to the restroom.”
Hating being alone for even a minute, I took a small sip of the drink I had been nursing and just watched. The group of men Axel hung with seemed so experienced and composed. They laughed and flirted, but still appeared powerful and dominating, even though it was obvious they were drinking and snorting white powder right off the table. They were cool, in a dark and fucked up way. And all I could do was almost knock the most desired person in the room down, and then fumble my way through a hopeless conversation. Even looking at them made me feel unworthy.
Sitting at the bar watching the “cool kids” made me miss home, particularly holing up in my office writing. Maybe I shouldn’t have followed through with this crazy idea.
Moving to LA and writing about something I knew absolutely nothing about. I wasn’t prepared to feel so inadequate.
If Harrison hadn’t talked me into this, I would be home with a glass of wine and a laptop as my only friend. Boring, maybe, but secure. I always listened to that man since he meant the world to me. He had become far more than just my editor. We’d been through so much over the years, last year especially when the nightmare of my sister’s death almost destroyed me. Losing someone I had loved so dearly had left me leaning on my best friend Harrison as he stood by my side. I didn’t really mind being alone with my words and my stories, but I appreciated having a friend who truly got me. Harrison understood my sheltered ways. He understood my past, and would stand by my side as we walked into the future… hopefully promoting a bestselling book. If I didn’t fuck it all up, that is.
When I decided to move to LA to work on this book idea, Harrison and I made a promise to keep in touch daily. I wanted to make sure he helped me stay on task and gave me the encouragement to do something completely out of my comfort zone. So far, since I had made the move, we talked and texted every day, and I had a rough outline on my story already under way. No matter how caught up I got in this partying lifestyle, and then afterward immersing myself in writing the book, I was determined to keep Harrison in my life forever, both professionally and personally. This would be our project, and not just mine.
My goal was to get the info needed and write an incredible story, with Harrison to help edit and polish it into perfection. He then would shop it and find a home for it since I was far from having a literary agent to do it for me. Harrison had a much better grasp of what needed to happen and who to contact than I did.
I already had months’ worth of research, mostly candid interviews with men and women who did drugs, frequented the clubs every chance they had, and with people who worked it like the bartenders and security. Between those and all the social media research, I was close to reaching my goal. I could then get back to the way I preferred my life. Safe, sound, and predictable. Just the way I liked it. LA, this club, and Axel Rye were just stepping stones to a brighter future. If I could land anything with Axel Rye, I was golden. Maybe I was shooting too big. I had only bumped into the man, but if I could dig up anything at all, then my book was all but sold.
My thoughts were interrupted when I felt the warmth from a sweaty body press up against me. I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I attempted to move away. A man with short-cropped hair, lacking a masculine bone in his pathetic frame, reached over to grab my hand.
“You seem like you’re in a whole other world,” he flirted.
“Just thinking. Getting ready to leave, actually.”
He moved closer. “Do you want to go dance?”
I shook my head, not the least bit interested. “No, like I said, I’m getting ready to leave.”
“Do you want to leave together?” he asked. “I’m ready to get out of here, too. I have some good shit I scored earlier we can take back to my place.”
My eyes narrowed, and I leaned back as far away as I could from him. I had no desire to break it to him easy anymore. “I’m not interested. And I don’t do drugs. Sorry.”
The man leaned forward, and the stench of liquor on his breath overpowered my air space. “Well, then what are you doing in a place like this? Maybe you just need someone to show you what you’re missing.” He leaned in, and began putting his arms around my waist.
Feeling violated and disgusted all at the same time, I pushed him away. “I told you I’m not interested!”
Clearly annoyed, the man smirked and proceeded to move forward and force a hug. “Isn’t that why you came tonight? To not be alone? To have some fun?”
“No. And even if I wanted to be with someone, it wouldn’t be you!” I struggled to undo the asshole’s hands that clasped behind my waist. And then, suddenly, the man was yanked off me. It took me a moment to understand what just happened before I realized someone had shoved him out of the way. To my surprise, my rescuer was Axel Rye.
What the fuck? Was this really happening?
“Get the hell away from her,” Axel demanded, his eyes dark with fury.
The man’s face went pale as he looked around to see who was watching. “Just a misunderstanding, dude.” He quickly backed away and disappeared into the crowd without protest.
Axel turned to face me. I stood there wide-eyed and embarrassed by the commotion the incident had caused. “Are you okay?”
A few people noticed the scuffle and slowed as they walked by, but the disruption was not enough to call the attention of security. Thank God. The stares made me want to crawl off into a hole. I hated being the center of attention, especially negative attention. The entire night had just been one fuck up after another, and once again, I looked like an immature and stupid girl in front of the coolest man in the room.
I nodded. “Yes, thank you for being my knight in shining armor.” I attempted to smile and wash away the fear. I was embarrassed to have so much attentiveness shown to me by Axel. I also hoped my boss wouldn’t get wind of this. Off duty or not, I didn’t think he’d be too happy about it. It would just be my luck to be fired in front of Axel to really add to my shame.
He chuckled. “I’ve never been called that before. More like a knight in fucked up armor.” He took a minute to glance back at his buddies before staring at me. “But you are welcome.”
An awkward silence sat between us. But everything about me felt pretty damn awkward.
“I feel bad for getting you involved. You didn’t have to do that. He was just being a little too forward. I could’ve handled it.” I craned my neck, looking for Felicity who had disappeared and missed the whole incident. I was trying my best to play it cool, even though I felt anything but.
“I’m sure you could’ve. I just don’t like seeing men treat women like that. Women deserve respect. Sometimes in places like this, men can forget that simple fact.”
I nodded, shrugged, and started toward the restrooms. I needed to get out of there fast before my failed attempt at small talk made me look like even more of an idiot. “I need to find my friend. I really do appreciate your help.”
Axel followed beside me, walking close. My heart skipped when our hands touched for a mere moment. I tried to refocus my attention on finding Felicity and heading home. The night was long overdue to come to an end.
“Let me help you find her.”
I noticed all the people in the VIP section now stared at us, especially Jillian. Axel seemed oblivious to the group. His eyes were fixed on me now. “No, it’s all right. Really. I thank you for helping, but I don’t want to keep you.”
Axel reached out and softly placed his hand on my arm. The touch sent a shiver through my body. “If you are sure…” He paused and smiled. “I really hope to see you around.”
I nodded, never looking Axel in the eye for longer than a moment. I worried I would say or do something stupid. “Thanks again for helping back there. I really appreciate it.”
Axel
I couldn’t help but stare at Quinn’s eyes. No way was I letting her slip away. This could be my only shot, and I would kick myself if I let her walk away and then never saw her again. From her appearance and her overall vibe, she didn’t seem like a club goer and this night was different for her and completely out of her norm. It was likely I would never see her again unless I did something about it. I don’t know what it was, but something about this woman made me feel the need to be near her. I grabbed her hand as she turned away from me. It was soft and small, her fingers intertwining with my own. My heart pounded as she turned towards me. I tried focusing on something other than her eyes but found it impossible. She had the power to captivate with one simple look, sobering me with her stare.
“Would you like to go and hang out tomorrow night? I need to show up at another club called Gaslight, and if you and your friend want to come, I would love to have you come along. It’s an invite-only party, but I’ll ad
d you two to the list.” I was sweating, nerves a foreign sensation for me. Maybe it was the coke, though deep down I knew my anxieties had nothing to do with what I snorted up my nose. “It’s pretty hard-core, though. So I hope that doesn’t bother you.”
Quinn studied me for a moment, and then her voice cracked as she answered. “I can’t. I’m working.”
“Where do you work? Until what time?”
“I work here until eleven.”
I smiled, loving what I heard. She must be a new hire. “You work here, huh? Well, I guess I’m going to see a lot more of you. I’m at this club a lot. What about after your shift? I don’t usually show up at the other place until midnight, anyway.”
“Okay, I’m sure Felicity would love it, too.” Quinn broke her hand free from mine. “I really need to go, though. So, I’ll see you tomorrow. Gaslight right?”
I nodded. “Yes, Gaslight. I will put you and…”
“Felicity Dexter.”
“Okay, I will put your names on the list and see you there,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm.
She nibbled her lip for a brief moment as if she were contemplating saying something, but then she nodded and left.
I stood staring after her as she walked away. Why did I feel like a love-struck schoolboy? Then it dawned on me. I hadn’t actually asked a girl out in a very long time. I’d always just hooked up with someone at a bar or club since all of them sought my attention. I never had the desire to ask anyone out… until I met Quinn.
3
Drink From The Fucked Up Bottle