We both look around as if we’re trying to find what activity we want to participate in but we make quick work scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary. Beckett speaks in our ears that they haven’t seenhimyet and we decide to make ourway to the love seats. Dancers come over to us giving a dance and we blend in looking awestruck by their performances.
The DJ announces the big show and next thing you know a female descends from the ceiling, absolutely captivating. Once she meets the floor, she moves with such grace and seduction, it has me sucking in a breath. She’s impeccable, something about her seems familiar and when her eyes look up from her prowl, I can’t help the gasp that leaves my lips.
What the hell is she doing? She’s in disguise but those eyes have the same fire from earlier and she doesn’t hesitate and sways over to Alaric, worshiping him as long-lost lovers and whispering unknown promises. She’s going to fucking blow our damn cover.
Once she’s finished with him, she moves behind me, brushing her fingers, causing a chill to run up my body and her mouth is a breath away from my ear before she speaks.
“If you ever get close to him like that again, you better pray that we never cross paths alone.” Her voice is venomous with no threats but a damn promise to end my existence. Before I can defend myself, she leaves to the next guest and finishes off the performance before disappearing once again.
We both sit in silence for a moment, trying to wrap our heads around what just happened. Alaric takes a couple deep breaths as if trying to gain his composure again. He enjoyed himself way too much in those moments but now he’s fuming from seeing others look at her with pure desire. I mean I can’t blame him for that and if I were him, I would have flipped my shit from the stunt she pulled. Regardless of her position, she didn’t prepare him for it and we both know damn well that she doesn’t partake in the performances. The crowd was wild and eating up the new dancer, which also confirmed that this wasn’t a normal dancer who works here.
We can hear Samason and Beckett in our ears going onabout the performance and how much they wish they were inside. I wince as these stupid idiots have no idea who that woman is and they are knocking at death's door right now.
“Don’t you have something better to do than obsess over my girl,” Alaric growls into the earpiece, which shuts them up right away.
He’s fighting so hard to keep it together, I don’t miss the look in his eyes. Something dark, so unnatural for him.
“What the hell is she up to? She just put a huge target on her back and there’s no doubt he didn’t watch that performance and was absolutely fuming from it,” I comment before noticing the man from earlier get up from his seat and head towards the smaller bar. He looks agitated and I notice a slight shake in his hands.
“I don’t know what she was thinking but maybe it was meant to help us. There’s too much security for him to take action here. The guy from earlier who was watching us, have you seen him?” Alaric gets up from the loveseat and I follow him, making our way to the poker tables.
“He moved over to the smaller bar. He looks way too uncomfortable for someone who willingly came to a strip club. Let’s play a game while we keep an eye on him. Samson, see if you can get a good visual of his face and run his identity,” I murmur my response.
About an hour and a half later, we find ourselves back at the bar getting drinks with the couple we beat from earlier. Celeste hasn’t made another appearance since the show and we haven’t seen her out mingling with her guestseither. Maybe she’s watching from a distance, planning my undoing.
The guy from earlier remained alone, having little interaction with anyone and looking down as if avoiding any cameras. Samson wasn’t able to get a good scan on him and he hasn’t done anything to warrant us to take him into custody. So when he gets up and leaves, there’s nothing for us to do but remain and hope the undercover outside gets a good look at him and where he might be going.
Looking over Alaric's shoulder, I notice someone weaving through the guests by the back exit and she pauses looking in our direction. Celeste stands there as if she’s contemplating something and in deep thought. She doesn’t notice my staring but before Alaric turns around to see what I’m staring at, she moves and slips through the back door. She’s still in her wig but in comfy clothes, not appropriate for the scene. Is she leaving?
“Excuse me, I have to use the ladies room really quickly. Will you get me another drink, dear?” I ask Alaric and give the couple a sweet smile before I slip away.
I head towards the bathroom as I know Alaric is watching and once he turns away, I quickly avert and head to the backdoor, slipping out to follow Celeste. She’s wearing a sweater, holding her bag to her chest, walking weary down the alley. I follow her, sticking to the shadows against the wall. She makes a turn and I count to five before I proceed forward turning the same way. My footsteps echo and I slip behind a dumpster before she whirls around to see who’s behind her. I wait a few minutes before I come out from my hiding spot when I notice she disappeared.
I make quick work trying to catch up to her looking down the different alleys noticing they are empty. How the hell did she get away from me so quickly? I choose the next alley andwalk quickly down it until I make it to the end. I notice a black van with no windows and double doors to the back that are closed. Something about the van makes my blood run cold. This part of the area we wandered deep into isn’t the best part and I wonder why she came back here alone. Is she making some sort of drug deal? She’s still nowhere to be seen. In fact, I don’t see anyone around and no movement from inside the van. Someone surely would have come out if they’d seen me. Something doesn’t seem right and despite all my senses alerting me to get back to the damn club, I don’t.
I make sure it’s clear before I cross the small road to the other side to get a better look at this weird van and hear footsteps coming from the opposite side of it. I can’t see who they belong to but something in my gut tells me I need to get the fuck out of here and report back to the team. But if I try to speak in low whispers into the earpiece, I might be heard so I keep quiet.
I wait another minute or two before I peek around the corner when my eyes collide with a solid figure in front of me. I freeze and true terror rolls through me. Of course my weapon isn’t quite accessible at this moment as it’s tucked underneath my dress. He’s too close and when my eyes look up to the mystery person invading my space, it’s the guy from the club.
“Hello, Agent Monroe. So nice to see you again.” My eyes go wide and before I can react, I’m slammed against the building wall with a cloth over my mouth. Everything goes blurry and I lose myself completely.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CELESTE
“It is best to keep one’s own state intact; to crush the enemy’s state is only second best.” - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Imoan at the ache that consumes my whole body and the pounding to my head. My eyes struggle to open, feeling like mounds of sand were shoved into them. I try to move my hands to my face but I quickly realize they’re bound together. Peeling my eyes open, I notice that I’m lying on a wet concrete floor and the smell of mildew hits my nostrils.
I go to move my legs but they’re also bound in a tight, itchy rope. Every slight movement causes the rope to rub and I wince with irritation. The next thing I notice is that I’m no longer in my hoodie and outfit I left in. A thin white material clings to my body and my feet are bare. Moving my bound hands to the side to push myself up, a sharp pain in my arm causes me to collapse back down.
“What the fuck?” I whisper to myself. I try again and in a quick movement I’m sitting on my ass and back up against the wall. Looking over at my shoulder, there's blood staining a bandage that’s taped to my skin. What the fuck did he do to me?
“Hey,” I hear a whisper from across the dimly lit room. “You need to lie back down before he gets back. He won’t like that very much.”
“Who’s there?” I call out, a little too loudly than I meant. I look towards the direction of the voice and there’s a silhouette on the opposite side of the large room curled up on the floor.
“Shhh, he’s listening. He’s always listening. Stay down and quiet. He’ll punish you. He’ll punish both of us,” she pleads, almost manic.
