I was in Brooklyn at night, and I was at a bar with a heavy and broken heart.
I was wearing a tight red dress that complimented my body so well and my perfume was seductive as the red lipstick on my full lips. It seemed like a normal night in the club, but little did I know that my entire life was about to change.
I was drinking a glass of whiskey as a man sat next to me. His presence was dark and commanding and I had no choice but to look at him. I won't deny the fact that I was already lightheaded from the alcohol, but I was someone who could hold their liquor well.
At least that was what I believed.
The man smirked and gave me a small nod. "Daniel…my name is Daniel." His voice was thick and strong.
I lifted my brows and scoffed. "Did I ask?"
He seemed amused by this. "No, but you need to know the name of the man you are about to be entangled with." It was obvious that he must have had a few drinks of his own too. His breath was thick with alcohol.
Entangled?
That word woke up something in me and I turned fully to him, feeling a bit intrigued. My body was yearning for a man's touch. It had been months since my boyfriend had died. And since then, I have not even touched myself.
But right now, my mind was foggy and all I wanted was sex.
"Uh-huh," I encouraged him as I took another sip of my drink, maintaining eye contact with this mysterious man.
He got a bit closer to me and his cologne made my insides tingle. His hair was jet black and his eyes were green. "I need you, Claire."
I was a bit taken aback that he knew my name. I swallowed and got a bit skeptical. I pulled away and asked, "How do you know my name?"
"I know you, Claire. I know what they did to you. I know that they stole your entire life from you in just one night. I know that you have so much pain and hurt in you. I know you want revenge. And I know you're a natural killer."
His words stung me deeply and a bunch of memories came flooding into my mind, torturing me. I took in a deep breath and let out a shuddered one as I stood to my feet. "Don't talk to me." I turned to leave, my body shaking.
"Wait!" He followed me, making sure to talk above the music. He touched my shoulder and pulled me back gently, locking eyes with me again. "I can help you. Let me help you."
Tears filled my eyes as I tried my best to get the memories out of my head. "How do you know about that night?" I asked. I needed to know.
"I know because I have done my research. Your boyfriend had proposed to you that night. He was all you had. Your parents died years ago in a car crash and you're an only child who has taken care of herself since then. You did not go to college and you have a sh*tty job as a waitress. But there is a pain in you that just won't go away."
Hot tears flowed down my face and I wiped them away quickly. I still had the glass of whiskey in my other hand. "What do you want from me?"
"I want to help, Claire. Let me help you, that's all I'm asking. Your boyfriend did not just die, he was killed and you and I know this very well. The difference is that you don't know why and who killed him, and I do know."
I wanted to laugh in his face and walk away to another part of the club to enjoy my time alone. I have been doing this almost every night after work. I lived in a small trashy apartment in the city and made little to nothing from the restaurant where I worked.
My entire life had fallen apart since my boyfriend had died…or was killed. And honestly, I just did not know how to live anymore. I was just on auto-pilot since that day.
Coming here at this club was an escape. I could watch people that I did not know have fun and do stupid things. Then I would get really drunk. I would at first get an expensive glass of liquor and the rest would be cheap shots until I felt too lightheaded and would just walk and go home.
But this guy…he had captured my attention. He knew way too much and the fact that he just said that he knew why and who had killed my boyfriend had my heart racing and my body itching to know.
I stared at him for a few seconds, and then brought the glass of whiskey to my mouth and drank the rest, my throat burning as the liquor slid down. Then I sighed, but due to my shaky hand, I mistakenly dropped the glass to the floor, causing my heart to skip a beat.
It had slipped. I really did not mean it.
I expected it to hit the ground and break, but my instincts quickly kicked in and I caught it.
It didn't break, but I did not care even if it would have.
"Keep talking," I encouraged him.
He smiled, danger lurking behind his eyes. "As I said, you're a natural killer."
"What the f*ck do you even mean by that?" I furrowed my brows and shook my head slowly.
"Your father was in the CIA, Claire. I know that. He had trained you and you have all it takes. You're a natural. Your father was a good agent, and I'm sorry to say, but killing is in your blood."
He knew even about my father. What did this man not know? I did not know whether I should be afraid or not. But I felt glued.
I chuckled dryly and then hooked some strands of my blonde hair behind my ears. "Heh, you know quite a bit."
"As I said, I did my research." He smirked.
"So who killed him? Who killed my boyfriend, and why?" This was the million-dollar question. The one that had kept me up for so many nights since the day he was taken away from me.
"Damion Kingston, the CEO of Kingston Inc."
I doubled back, confused. I chuckled weakly and shook my head. "You know what? Stay away from me." He was obviously lying. I turned to walk away and this time when he grabbed me, it hurt.
"Don't f*cking walk away from me, Claire." He said harshly to my face after turning me back to himself. "Damion needs to pay for what he did, and only you can do that."