The Red Room was exactly how Kitty had described it to Lacey. Empty. With dark red and black walls. A large room with no windows. Lacey felt like she was going to faint when she was thrown in it. She wasn't a claustrophobic person, but being in the room with no windows and only one small door in sight, she felt as if she was going to drown in the never ending pool of darkness.
She had fought every step of the way as she was brought into the room. She knew she couldn't have trusted Oscar. They had a deal, a signed agreement, she was only going to be a stripper. Nothing more, she wasn't going to take private dances and she sure as hell wouldn't be going up to meet clients in the infamous Red Room.
She should have trusted her gut instincts more. She had been feeling strangely uneasy all day about the show. She should have called in sick or something, anything to prevent whatever was going to happen to her in the Red room from happening.
She hugged herself slowly as she sat on the bare floor, whatever happened, she had resigned to her fate. If she made it out alive she swore to herself that she was going to quit. She would find another way to pay her father's medical bills.
There was a slight creek and Lacey turned sharply at the sound. A figure walked in slowly, silently almost unnoticeable in the dim light. Lacey's heart began to beat rapidly in her chest.
Suddenly the Red Room lighted up and then it turned into an office. Lacey looked around completely shocked. First she had been standing in an empty dark room now it was a lightly dimmed office with lots of books and shelves. Her eyes travelled back to the figure standing close to the door and she wondered what sick game he was up to.
She still couldn't make out his face since it was hidden in the shadows. But she knew he was wearing dark boots and a black trench coat.
"What do you want?"
She asked in a feeble voice after mustering up some courage to talk.
There was no answer for a while, the prolonged silence made her skin crawl with fear and she blinked back tears.
"Please. Please... Just don't hurt me."
She finally whimpered.
"Oh sweetie."
The man's low and husky voice answered and Lacey stopped whimpering.
"I didn't bring you here to hurt you."
He replied after another long silence.
"Then why am I here?"
She asked as she wrapped her arms around her body, suddenly feeling naked in her flimsy clothing. She was in nothing but matching underwear and knee high boots.
"First. Take off your mask."
The man said and Lacey hesitated for a while. She was going to say a few words and then she decided against it.
Slowly, she reached for her mask and pulled it away from her face. She had grown so used to it that she didn't even remember that it was on her face.
Slowly, light filled the entire room and Lacey could see everything much more clearer. The impeccable details in the Red room that made it look almost like they were in an office setting. It looked almost real. But it was an illusion. Nothing more.
And the man next to the door, she could see his face, at least some of it. She was so relieved that she could finally see much more clearly. Something about that gave her hope.
The man next to the door, he had the kind of face that stopped people in their tracks. Lacey guessed he must have gotten used to that, the sudden pause in a person's natural expression when they looked his way followed by overcompensating with a nonchalant gaze and a weak smile.
He had tousled raven black hair, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerising deep ocean blue, flecks of silvery light performed ballets throughout. His skin was pale and smooth, paler than Lacey had ever seen.
His face was strong and defined, his features molded from granite. He had dark eye brows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. His perfect lips ripe for the kissing. Every other part of him was covered, except for the outline of his slender fingers in the gloves he wore.
Who was he?
Lacey asked herself. He wasn't one of their regular customers nor was he even part of the VIP elite that frequented the club.
Lacey decided that he was either the Owner of the Club or the special guest Oscar had been so nervous to host.
"Dance for me."
The man suddenly said and Lacey's eyes widened with fear.
"Excuse me?"
She asked with a shaky voice and he only shrugged.
"You heard me. I said dance."
He added with a note of finality as he started walking all around the room.
"Dance?? There's no music."
She blurted out and he shrugged.
"Well, you're just going to have to create some in your head."
"Now, dance."
There was a domineering and commanding tone in his voice, it was so strong and compelling that Lacey felt she had no other choice than to completely agree with him.
She started with simple, small movements as she maintained eye contact with him. There was so much that was going on in his eyes that she couldn't tell because he had a blank look on his face.
His face was so blank it made her nervous, but she continued with her little dance.
"Stop."
He said after a minute.
"Lacey Evans right?"
He asked and she nodded.
"Well, today's your lucky day. I have a proposition for you."
Lacey stepped back, she didn't know what the proposition was, but she knew she wasn't quite ready to do whatever he was proposing.
"I have a contract... I only dance that's all!"
The man nodded.
"Yes, Oscar mentioned something like that."
"But, I think this is a proposal you'd want to listen to."
There was a short silence as Lacey weighed in her options. Did she have a choice in the matter? She didn't know. She was more concerned about losing her job than the proposition. And with the force Oscar had used to get her in the Red room, saying no might as well be pretty dangerous for her business.
"What is it?"
She asked impatiently.
"Patience little one. All in due time. All will be revealed."
"If I say no, what will happen?"
Lacey suddenly asked out of the blues. It had dawned on her that whatever he was proposing could be dangerous, or it could be something she didn't want to do. She didn't want to agree to the proposition without knowing what it was.
The man cocked his head in what seemed to be mild confusion and piqued interest in his face.
"Why would you want to pass up on a chance to make more money than you make in a week?"
Money?
Is that what he was offering in exchange? Lacey thought as she gulped hard. She did need money, lots of it. Originally she had thought working as a stripper would make her earn big bucks, but since her job was so limited to just dancing on the poles alone, she earned a lot less than the big earners who went home with at least a thousand dollars a night.
"What is this proposition? You can't expect me to just agree to do something I don't even know about?"
"I know. You can't. I just need to know how bad you want this."
"If you agree. Your fathers medical bills will not only be cleared, but also, I'll put him on a new medical treatment. You get a new house. Your student loans are paid off and you also get a very substantial amount to start over anywhere you want to go."
Lacey's jaw dropped as she tried to wrap her head around all what the man was saying. She had so many questions.
But the first and logical one that came to her mind was who exactly the man was.
"Who are you?"
She asked and the man smirked. It was a beautiful smirk. He really was a beautiful man, but there was an otherworldly air of mystery and darkness that made her uncomfortable.
"Oh Lacey. Sweet sweet Lacey."
He purred in a soft but husky voice and the tiny hairs on Lacey's neck rose at the sound of him calling her name. She felt weak at the knees and struggled to compose herself.
"Do you really want to know?"
He asked and she nodded.
"Yes."
She said as she gulped hard and he nodded.
"Very well!!"
He sighed as he walked close to her. So close that she could see the flecks of silver in his ocean blue eyes. His smell, he smelled of old spice and something else, something she really couldn't place her finger on.
"I'm Aidas Vladimir. I own Ecstasy."
Lacey nodded. That bit she almost figured out herself.
Aidas wasn't done yet.
"Also known as King of the Night Court."
A chill ran down Lacey's back. She had heard of that phrase many times. The King of the Night Court was a popular title in Aron City. Belonging to just one man, who majority had not seen or heard about.
But he ran a chain of illegal and legal businesses. Owned several bars, hotels and restaurants. Each one with their own share of rumours or suspicious activities.
King of the Night Court was bad news.
"And you Lacey you're going to help me."
"Help you? How could I possibly do that? Help you do what?"
Lacey asked and Aidas smiled.
"Take down Hunt Adler."