Page 16 of Sinful Addiction
Going back to the casino, I keep a vigilant eye on the patrons and make sure the croupiers are happy, then find a vacant booth and sit down.
Moments later a drink is placed in front of me.I never ordered this so I look around the room trying to see who might have.Standing at the bar is a woman with long, silky straight brunette hair with her tits hanging out of her dress and cherry lips to match, forming a sensual smile.Normally I would be out of my seat and halfway over to her, but not today.Instead, I stand, push the drink away from me and walk back in the direction I just came from.I don’t need a repeat of earlier.
Silas’ office is nice if you were around in the eighties.The guy has no fashion sense at all.I mean, it looks like someone vomited every tone of brown and orange imaginable along with a kaleidoscope of floral patterns.It’s cringe worthy.
The only decent thing in here is the hard oak desk that I know Xander gave him.Fuck knows what he was thinking when he decided to change the wooden floors to that dreaded shag carpet then added hideous matching furniture.
As I pass by the desk, a piece of paper catches my eye.Familiar eyes stare at me.A face I haven’t seen in many years.A face I never want to see again.One that only means horrible things are coming.
Darius.
I reach for the printed camera footage to see it’s dated a week ago.But how?
There’s no writing other than the date and time above the photo.His features are rougher with age, but there’s no doubt it's him.
Memories from my past start festering inside my mind.Memories I’d rather keep buried or, better yet, forgotten.My body has now gone into fight or flight mode because there is only one person on this earth who is scarier than me, and I’m not talking about Xander.
I pull the little silver tin from my pocket with shaking hands.I’m on edge and need to gain control.The only way to do that is by snorting a fat line.Fuck that, I lick my pinkie finger instead ready to dip straight into the bag.As I pull my finger from my mouth, the brunette from the bar walks into the room then pulls a gun on me.
I knew she was bad news.
A smirk forms on one side of my lips, lifting my brow with it.“I didn’t think you would be this offended that I declined your drink.Had I known you were into kinky shit I might have introduced myself.”I wouldn’t have, but she doesn’t need to know that.I’m only trying to disarm her.
“I have a message for you.”She’s not messing around with idle chit chat.
“And what would that be, sweet cheeks?”I change my tone to one ofgive me your worst.
“Darius will see you soon.”Her words are ice cold.
The air turns thick, and the room spins as I press my palm against the burning sensation on my shoulder.I don’t know what’s worse.The fact Darius could be out of prison, or that she just shot me on the same shoulder inches from my fresh wound.
I hiss through my teeth, not giving her the satisfaction of seeing how affected I am by her words or the bullet she just put in my arm.
If it wasn’t for that damn name rooting my feet to the ground, I’d have her blood already on my knife.But I don’t do that.Instead, I let her escape.She’ll be out of the building before anyone finds out what happened.No one will be any the wiser because she had a silencer on her gun.
Note to self, chicks can hide anything under a dress.
“Fuck…” I roar into the office space once I’m able to move and take a quick look outside.I slam the door with my foot in defeat; no one has ever made me this edgy or incompetent in my adult life.I manage to dip my finger back into the bag I dropped on the desk earlier and lick it clean.I need the biggest distraction right now and this white shit is not my first choice.I needher.I need to bury myself inside her to get rid of all the memories resurfacing with that name.I need someone to take my frustrations away.More importantly I need someone who can tame the beast.For the time being, the high will have to suffice.
Now that Darius is back, my need to protect Lacey is stronger than ever.He ruins everything he touches.He’s a thousand times the monster I am.That’s all the reason I need to go after her once and for all.
“What the fuck happened in here?”Silas demands as he walks toward me.“You’re getting blood all through my office, fucker.Get out of here and get yourself cleaned up!Honestly, Xander told me he shot you, but I’d expected you to be cleaned up by now.”
I clench my fist and swing my good arm toward his face.My fist connects with his nose causing him to take a few steps back, then he tumbles over his chair.The bitch is whining while he cups his nose with his hands.Only when he looks up with a rage infused expression do I know we’re about to have an old-fashioned brawl.Fuck the shoulder, I’ve got enough pain meds on board to throw a few more punches, surely.
As soon as Silas stands, Xander strides in.His impression goes from one some would describe as resting bitch face to homicidal fury.
“What the fuck is going on in here?”
Silas is quick to reply.“The psycho punched me for no reason.All I told him was to clean himself up and stop bleeding in my office.”
He makes me laugh.It’s the kind of laugh where you don’t find anything funny other than the pathetic spiels coming from his mouth.“Have you looked in the mirror?You’re making more of a mess than me!”I shake off the bullshit then focus on Xander.
“How come you didn’t tell me he was here?”I look into Xander’s eyes and hold his stare.He knows exactly who I’m talking about, yet he’s making no move to tell me anything.
“A woman was in here not that long ago.She had a message for me right before she shot me in the same arm you did merely an hour ago.How could you keep this from me, Alexander?I thought we were family.I thought you had my back.Now, he’s out and roaming the streets, coming in here and God knows where else, leaving his mark all over again.You should have told me!”The more I yell at him the closer I step toward him and to being in his face.Each step is like a granule of sand in an hourglass, slowly counting down until my time runs out.
“Silas, get out.Now!” Xander’s voice shakes the room with his demand.