Page 43 of Awakened by Sin

“Oh, fuck,” Carmen cursed.

Regal fired wildly and jumped off the VIP dais onto the dance floor. People fell like bowling pins. More shots were fired, and everyone scattered. Carmen climbed on top of her stool as the crowd stampeded like wild animals toward the exit, pushing and shoving at the people they had been making out with seconds before. Angel and Regal were lost in the crowd, but she caught sight of the nerdy man who had been a part of Regal’s party hiding beneath the booth with his hands over his head.

She kept her eyes on Regal’s assistant and moved when he did. She trailed behind him as he tried to shove himself ahead. His eyes darted in every direction like a trapped rat. She made sure to keep him within arm’s length as they poured into the casino. He made his way to the next casino and went out front to grab a taxi. She used tears and a glance down her tiny cleavage to get a taxi to agree to give her a ride. She made a show of seeing Regal’s assistant and waved to him.

“Do you want to share a taxi?” she called and was grateful she still wore her mask. She wasn’t sure if Regal’s assistant would recognize her, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. The assistant hesitated and looked around at the accumulating crowd before he ran toward her. “You don’t mind?”

“No, let’s get out of here. This is scary!”

They ducked into the cab and pulled away from the pandemonium in front of the casino. She waved her hands in front of her eyes as if she were fighting tears.

“We can drop you off first,” she said in a small voice. “I’m not sure where I’m going to stay tonight. I have to call my friends. I don’t want to be alone after that. I can’t stand guns.” She gave an exaggerated shiver.

Regal’s assistant gave the cabbie his address, and they were off. She texted Blade for Angel’s number and got an instant reply.

No.

She was amused rather than irritated. God, she loved Blade. He was like the disapproving uncle she never asked for. She liked pushing his buttons since he had no sense of humor.

He caused a shooting at a club. I have info he needs.

Her phone began to ring. She answered with a tearful, “Hi, Daddy.”

A pause and then Blade snapped, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“T-there was a shooting at Incognito. I wasn’t doing drugs, Daddy, I swear.”

Blade was silent for a moment, and then he hissed, “Where are you?”

She sniffled. “Don’t be mad at me, okay? I wasn’t even drinking.”

“You’re with someone, aren’t you? Fuck, Carmen, can’t you stay out of trouble for a fucking day? Goddamn,” Blade growled.

“I don’t need this right now. I could have died, okay? Have you ever been shot at?” She milked her performance for all it was worth and felt tears trickle down her cheeks. “You’re being so mean. I can’t handle you right now.”

She hung up on him as the cabbie turned on the radio just loud enough to conceal the sound of her pitiful whines. Blade texted her Angel’s number and an order.

Call me as soon as you can.

She replied with,Thanks, Daddy.

She added Angel’s number to her contacts as the driver pulled up to the assistant’s house, and she made a note of the address. Regal’s assistant bailed out of the cab and ran to his run-down home. She gave the driver her mother’s address and texted Shonda and Keenan to make sure they were okay. They replied immediately, saying they went to another club. She gave her apologies and said she’d party with them again soon.

She paid the cabbie and walked up to her house while she dialed Angel’s number. He answered on the third ring.

“Who is this?”

The voice on the other end sounded menacing and definitely not like the man who danced with her half an hour ago. She paused with her keys in the front door.

“Angel?” she asked to confirm.

“Who is this?”

“It’s Carmen. I got your number from Blade.”

A pause and then, “He shouldn’t have done that.”

No charm or clever lines now. Angel was in business mode. This was the crime lord, the heartless asshole. “Didn’t I tell you not to approach Regal?”

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