Page 239 of When We Fall: Part One
“Of course,” I muttered. “I can’t escape the mob. There’s one of you in every club on every damn corner, it would seem.”
His blue eyes glittered at my words. “Lorenzo owns four clubs in the city. Five next month, from what I’ve heard.”
I raised my brows at that information. I hadn’t known that.
“Does he not tell you, or do you not care?”
“Probably a bit of both.” I took another drink. “There are some things I don’t want to know.”
“Naturally.” He finished his drink and refilled both our glasses. “Alessio and I run most of the clubs Matteo owns. Tonight, I am at this one. Tomorrow, it will be Alessio.”
“Lucky you.”
He said nothing as he studied me.
I finished off my fruity drink and frowned. The hard stuff he ordered us was going to get rough.
“Do you smoke?” Klaus asked, pulling out a tin from his suit pocket.
I stared at the white stick he pulled out and frowned.
“Is that… sugar?”
He winked at me. “It is. I’m sure you’re familiar with it.”
“I-I thought you hated the horsemen. Why would you buy Ethan’s products?”
He shrugged. “I do not discriminate when it comes to good products. The Sugar Daddy knows what he’s doing, and I appreciate that. Non-addicting. Smooth. Mostly inexpensive. A lasting high. There’s no downside to it.” He handed me one of the sticks I knew Ethan had touched probably only days before sending it off to be sold.
“And you just buy it off the street?”
“Yes. You have to know the right people. We do.”
I stared down at the stick in my hand.
Klaus lit his lighter and held it out to me. “Unless the hummingbird is afraid.”
“I’m not afraid,” I said fiercely, my pulse thundering in my ears.
“Good. I admire bravery.” He lit the stick for me, and I inhaled deeply, knowing I was going against everything I believed in, but I was pissed off and sick of everything. I needed a night away.
The high hit me immediately.
“Oh my god,” I choked out.
Klaus sat back again, his keen eyes surveying me as I stared in wonder around me. This was wild. I took another drag and coughed some more before slurping down my drink.
Yeah, I was wasted.
“Where are you going?” Klaus called out to me as I stumbled to my feet moments later.
“I-I’m going to dance.”
He didn’t try to stop me. Instead, he followed me down to the dance floor, where I wasted no time swaying to the music, letting the sugar take me away. Several songs later, after two more drinks and a finished sugar stick, those warm hands stopped my fall. I turned and saw Klaus staring down at me.
“You are quite unwell,” he said, his lips brushing against my ear. “We should go.”
“Mm, take me away, you old grouch,” I said, laughing loudly and throwing my arms around his neck.
