Page 46 of Ferocious Nightmare

Our eyes met.

A chill prickled the hairs on the back of my neck at the deadness mirrored in his gaze.

I'd once thought Coulter to be cold and heartless. Now I understood that he felt just as passionately as any other, if not more. I saw glimpses of it here and there. However, he hid it deep within the depths of his soul, unwilling to show them to just anyone.

But this man, his heart was cold and uncaring.

An uneasiness skated over my spine.

He would kill me if it fit his pleasure, or his schedule, and I made a mental note to stay far away from his attention.

After a cold assessment, his eyes skittered to Marie and, at the recognition in his eyes, I suddenly regretted agreeing to this.

If this was the man she was meeting with, I was putting her in the direct line of a hitman with no heart.

I stepped in between his line of sight to her, the only thing keeping my courage intact, was the thought that there were too many people around, and that this was King territory.

His eyes snapped back to me and I tilted my head upwards, motioning towards Coulter in the darkened mezzanine, who I knew had eyes on him.

Following my lead, the man looked upwards and I knew the moment he saw Coulter.

His face hardened, his fingers ticking at his side, and I guessed he was itching to grab the gun probably hidden somewhere on his body.

My heart pounded, fear making adrenaline burst through my veins. I could feel the air pushing through my lungs in spurts of lightning. His darkness permeated the atmosphere around him, like smoky, black fog.

I only breathed easily when he moved quickly through the crowd, headed towards the room Coulter indicated, his men spreading out behind him. They melded into the crowd but shock coiled through me at the sight of a young girl moving alongside them.

Before, they’d crowded her to hide her presence, but now I could see her clearly. She had long, straight, black hair, stark blue eyes, and was about seven or eight. I caught a flash of her, then she was gone, led by a hand into the crowd.

Grabbing my tequila, I downed the shot in one go, gathering my liquid courage.

A few minutes later, with the Senator leaning against the bar, so drunk that he was shamelessly flirting with the bartender, Coulter appeared by my side. His presence was like a lightning storm to my senses, though he came and left as quick as the strike of one, creating chaos in his wake. "It's time." The sound of his voice vibrated through me, perking all my senses, then melting deep into my bones.

He disappeared as quickly as he arrived, and Marie didn't seem to notice him, so I had to grab her arm to get her attention.

"I need to pee," I bounced up and down. "Come with?"

She laughed, the alcohol running through her making her light and easy. "Sure. Why not?"

She leaned into her husband to tell her where she was going and he only nodded, kissing her lightly on the cheek before turning back to the bartender.

I gripped her hand, guiding her through the crowd of people, the smell of their sweat and perfumes filling my nose.

It was strangely lit inside the club, bright enough that I could easily see where I was going, so there was no sense of impending panic as we made our way towards the back rooms.

"I thought the bathrooms were over there," I felt Marie gesture in the opposite direction but I ignored it, pretending I hadn't heard her over the loud music. I hesitated at the door briefly, glancing at her. She gave me an innocent smile, not even noticing that the door I was about to open wasn't to the bathroom.

Only my trust in Coulter made me swing the door inward. We stepped into a large room that looked like a mini stadium, with rows of empty space that lead to a single stage.

She stepped inside, putting her hand to her purse to rummage through it. "I was thinking next weekend, we could go--"

"Hello, Marie," a dark voice bled into our ears.

She stilled, her hand frozen on her purse.

“Mama!" a voice called out, and Marie’s face snapped upward.

The little girl I'd seen earlier was struggling against the elderly man, his grip like a vice, stopping her from running to her... mother? What the hell was going on?

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