Page 85 of The Secrets of a Sin

Without me.

Was she with Annalise?

Infuriated and raging with intent to kill, I rush around to grab my keys and head for the front door.

Me: Keep an eye on her.

* * *

My driving is reckless and negligent, but the thoughts swirling around in my head are far worse. I was fucking murderous with a bleeding heart, and I intended to put her over my knee for her brash behavior. Beyond livid, I park directly in the front of the jam-packed building and run towards the entrance, not giving a single fuck about having onlookers. The bouncer eyes me from far away and lifts his heavy chin in intimidation as I approach him.

“Line’s back there.” He nods towards the crowd of people behind me. “Just because you drive a fancy-ass car doesn’t mean you’ll get special fucking treatment.”

I almost laugh at his foolishness and attempt to bully me. Little did he know my madness had completely taken over every rational bone in my body. Anything and everything that got in my way was the enemy. An obstacle that needed to be destroyed to get to Charlotte. So, with lethal eyes, I scour the length of his fat body.

“I wonder what your boss would say about the special fucking way you’re turning me away?” I scowl, reaching into my pocket and pulling my phone out.

“The boss isn’t here now, is he?” He raises a brow and laughs like a hyena along with the other bouncer beside him.

“Probably not.” I shrug, scrolling my finger across my screen. “He likes to spend most of his nights with his wife Cynthia, my associate. But don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let them know the fat fucking pig at the entrance of their club turns their colleagues away.”

His eyes instantly widen in fear and confusion. Cynthia was the curator for my art galleries. So, over the five years that I’ve known her, I became somewhat close with her husband, Preston. The owner of Club 69. So, it was only in my best interest to let him know his employee was ignorant.

“I uh… Go on inside, sir.” He quickly sidesteps, giving me the room to enter the club.

That’s what I fucking thought.

Not bothering to speak another word, I brush past him and make my way inside the overly crowded club. Multicolor lights flash everywhere, and a large disco ball hovers over the center of the dance floor. Once upon a time, I came here to find an easy, vulnerable woman that I could sink my claws and cock into for the night, but now the thought just sickened me. How I so easily let myself use and abuse the bodies of women who enjoyed the pain.

How they would let me do everything and more to them until they all left with a broken piece of me. They knew I was never going to settle. So, as I took from them, they took from me.

My impatient eyes scan over the sea of strangers, hoping to find Charlotte somewhere stuffed in the crowd, but I don’t. So, making my way around the perimeter of the club, I scour for the person who greedily owns my soul. Every brunette I find is unsuccessful. Not one of them is the woman that makes my heart batter painfully.

“Arsen!” A voice shouts, and I quickly shift my head around until my eyes land on a redhead. I couldn’t for the life of me remember her name, but I knew who she was. Dressed in a pair of tightly-hugging blue jeans and a white crop top, she takes me in with hungry eyes that are dazed with inebriation.

“Where is she?” I snarl, skipping the question of how she got my number and how she knew about Charlotte and me.

“Woah.” She chuckles while messing with her long curly locks. “Calm down there, buddy. She’s fine. I promise.”

I wasn't in the mood for her drunken state or the little games she was trying to play. My one goal was to grab Charlotte and drag her out of here and to the fucking school.

“I’m not fucking around.” I take a step towards her, causing her sea-green eyes to glaze over. “I’m not interested in touching you, fucking you, or anything that involves your pussy. So, it would be in your best interest to tell me where she is.”

Waiting for fear to strike her or even tears, but they never come. Instead, her red-painted lips tilt up into a smirk.

“A lucky girl, Charlotte is.” She chews on her lower lip. “It’s a shame she doesn’t value you as much as you do her.”

What the fuck does that mean?

Glowering into her eyes, all I can see is the resemblance to Annalise. The mind games, the fucking devious smiles. They are one and the same, and they both want to get to me.

“Quit trying to fuck with my head, and just tell me where she is!” I shout, trying to use the minimal amount of sanity I had left to tell me she’s lying.

“Drink this, and I’ll tell you where she is.” She shoves the drink in her grip into my face, and I repel.

“I’m not drinking that.” I snarl, glaring at the clear drink that’s still in her hand. I was half-tempted to smack it out of her hold, but she scowls right back.

“Drink it, or you can fuck off and find her yourself.” She snaps with fire in her tone. “I’m sure Annalise is keeping her company right now.”

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