Chapter 2 - The Shadow on the Velvet
Under the table, the world was reduced to shadows, the scent of Julian’s leather boots, and the frantic, deafening beat of Maya’s own heart. She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands gripping her silver vest so hard her knuckles turned white.
The heavy drapes of the booth suddenly rattled on their brass rings.
"Excuse me, sir," a voice said. It was Derek. He had bypassed the staff, ignored the VIP signs, and pushed his way into the most exclusive corner of the club. "I’m looking for someone. A waitress. Have you seen her?"
Through the tiny gap where the tablecloth met the carpet, Maya could see the bottom of Derek’s black trench coat, dripping dirty rainwater onto the pristine rug. The sight of his shoes—the expensive leather loafers he always wore when he wanted to feel powerful—made her stomach twist into a tight, painful knot.
Julian did not move. He slowly picked up his glass, the ice clinking softly against the crystal.
"You are trespassing," Julian said. His voice had no anger in it, only a cold, flat certainty that made the air in the booth feel ten degrees colder. "And you are dripping water on my rug."
"Look, pal, I don't care who you are," Derek sneered, his voice dripping with the arrogant confidence of a man who believed his money and his hired muscle could buy him passage anywhere. "I’m looking for my property. She thinks she can run away and hide in a fancy place like this. Her name is Maya. Now, did she come through here or not?"
Beneath the table, Maya trembled so violently she had to bite her own hand to keep from crying out. She knew Derek’s moods. She knew that tone. It was the tone he used right before he threw a glass against the wall, right before his fingers clamped around her wrist like a steel trap.
"I will count to three," Julian said, his tone entirely conversational. "If you are still standing inside my drape on three, my associates will remove your legs."
"Are you threatening me?" Derek laughed, though the laugh sounded slightly hollower now. "Do you know who I am? My father is—"
"One," Julian said.
A heavy silence fell over the booth. Maya heard the soft rustle of coats outside the drape—Derek’s two guards shifting their weight, preparing for a fight.
"Two," Julian continued.
The sound of a gun's safety being switched off echoed from the shadows behind Julian’s chair. Maya hadn't even realized one of Julian's men was standing in the dark corner of the booth.
Derek took a step back. His leather shoes clicked against the hardwood edge of the platform. "You’re making a mistake, mister. She’s my girl. She belongs to me. I’ll find her, with or without your help."
"Three," Julian whispered.
May you like
The drapes swished closed. Footsteps hurried away, retreating toward the main entrance of the lounge.
Inside the booth, the silence returned, thick and heavy. Beneath the table, Maya let out a ragged, trembling sob she could no longer contain.
