Lucky's (Mis)Fortune: CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"Where are we going now?" I ask, breaking the tense silence that had taken over when Mr. Sawyer came back inside the car, his expression and overall demeanor overly serious and rigid.

He hadn't said a word and if I had to guess, he was thinking deeply about something. I could see that pieces were turning in his brain, trying to work something out. I could only wonder what it was as I waited for a response from him or the other two. Did it have something to do with the man who he handed the drugs to? Well, that had to be it, the way that they had both turned to look at the car and his expression instantly couldn't be read was a dead giveaway. He looked like he wanted to end something, or someone, or perhaps the whole world.

"We're going to one of the clubs Khael owns," Aiden answers.

I see the stiff smile he sends looking through the rearview mirror and I return it. Defeated, I lean back on the seat and look out the window. If they didn't want to talk (which they clearly didn't) then they didn't have to. They don't owe me that, they don't owe me anything.

We arrive less than ten minutes later and Mr. Sawyer still didn't seem to be in the mood to speak. I feel relieved when Aiden comes to my side and puts his arm around me, comforting me from being in this strange place.

I have never been at a club or bar before, between not even being at the legal age to drink yet and not having the time to do that--coming to a club with friends. I was still 17 when my parents passed so I guess I never got to that stage in life when I felt like drinking illegally behind their backs. I  also never necessarily felt as if I needed to come to a place like this, per say. I have been too focused on money and school for the past couple of years that it never crossed my mind.

One step inside and I knew I hated it.

The smell of alcohol nearly makes me gag, since it was too strong and the lights are blinding. The only thing I enjoy is the loud noise, distracting, that's what I like about it but the way that it pulses through the whole building is quick to annoy me.

I wince at all these feelings hitting me at once and step impossibly closer to Aiden as he guides me. I glance back at the slightest, wondering where Eliott and Mr. Sawyer were. They were two step behind us, looking around the place, concern in their faces. It was as if they were expecting something to go wrong, it makes stomach churn and makes me gulp with anxiety.

Not soon enough, we reach a quiet hallway. Although the pulsing of the music could still be felt and the sound was muffled, it was much better here. I scan the rooms around us as we stop, all of them were labeled but not by number, names. There was Britanny #1, Xavier #15, Erika #24, those were the ones around us. Of course, I has to wonder what they all meant.

Mr. Sawyer steps up in front and opens one of the doors, full of authority. I peak inside as the others goin. It was an office; a desk, chairs, a bookshelf just like the ones at the warehouse. This office had more personality to it, more decorations around and it was painted a navy blue. A man was inside too, making some type of annotations in a piece of paper.

He looks startled once he realizes that someone was inside his office but then smiles and stands up at the (what I would assure) familiar faces.

"Khael!" He exclaims before looking at the others. "Eliott, Aiden," then his eyes land on me and one of his eyebrows rise up, looking me up and down curiously. "And?"

I look at the others. Their faces express approval so I respond. "Jordan."

Before the man in tight clothes and red dyed hair can say anything, Mr. Sawyer speaks. "Is there any trouble around here lately, Rowan?"

"Down to business as always, I see," the man laughs, revealing a charming smile accompanied by dimples on his cheeks.

He takes a seat, inviting the rest of us to do the same but there were only three chairs. Eliott and Mr. Sawyer took a seat but for the last spot, Aiden and I fought on who should take it. Eventually, Eliott pulled Aiden onto his lap and I had to take the seat. The action made me blush, flustered but everyone else moved on quickly, finding the event to be normal.

I guess I was the only prude around here who has never had any sort of relationship or has been around anyone with a relationship. Now that I think about it, the last couple I had interacted with were my friends junior year and even then, they were never near as affectionate in front of me as these three often were. Rowan, the man, was clearly used to this behavior though as he easily slipped into conversation.

"No one has come around, the last time was three months ago. I would even say that it was been too quiet, to the point that I'm starting to become concerned." It sounded like something that should be made out to be a joke but he truly did look worried, the quiet was not common in this world, as I have learned. "I saw some scorpions come around once in a while but has stopped for a while, no idea why."

Mr. Sawyer looks at the three of us for a couple of seconds. "Take Jordan to one of the VIP rooms, wait for me to come by," he says. His voice is leaves no room for a discussion, they were simply instructions. The other two instantly do as he says.

They stand up. Aiden gives Mr. Sawyer a kiss before taking my hand and taking me out of the door, Eliott close behind us.

It was weird how he suddenly needed us to leave. It didn't seem like it had been a problem before but maybe the Rowan guy had said something triggering. They probably had to discuss something that I couldn't hear.

I hated being out of the loop, in the dark.

"Rowan is Khael's best friend," Aiden says suddenly as he opens the door to one of the rooms in the hallway, this room being all the way down the hall. There was not a hint of music in here.

It felt weird to hear that. Felt weird to think that there were people in their lives outside of the house, I guess, but of course they had lives outside, lives I didn't know about.

"Cool," I reply, looking around, not sure what to respond. "Um, since when?"

"Well, they were roommates in college so a couple 7 years ago?"

"Mr. Sayer is what, twenty-five?"

"Twenty-six."

"Wow."

This piece of information was surprising. Mostly because I thought that he would be a little bit older, his demeanor giving him off as someone mature, with a lot of experience, an older vibe over all. From his face, although incredible handsome, I could see that he had gone through a lot in his life. However, learning this also made me realized how much I don't know about them, how much we haven't had a real conversation. It was like there was just unspoken understandings between the three of us. I never thought they went to college, I never even wondered how old they were. I just sort of assumed that they hadn't gone to college for what they do and I knew that their age was somewhere in the twenties but I never thought about asking.

"What about you two? How old are you?"

"I'm twenty four and Eliott is twenty five, about to turn twenty six in a couple of weeks."

I wanted to ask more. For example, how had they met? How did they end up with this life? Is this the life they had envisioned since they were younger? How did they meet? Where did they go to college? Where are there families?

Hundreds upon hundreds of questions that I had for them.

Yet, I still wasn't brave enough to ask them. I had decided to trust them and let them in but what if they haven't and all they feel towards me is an obligation to protect me?

"You think too much," Eliott repeats just what he had said earlier and just like before, it brought me out of my overthinking mind.

"Where did you study?" I figured that this question wasn't much to ask, not too personal but rather a quick fact about their background.

"I didn't go to college," Aiden responds cheekily. He seemed extremely proud at the fact. I wasn't expecting this, I thought he was the smartest--Not that the other two weren't smart--but he seemed like the type of person to naturally be smart, do great in class without trying much.

"Aiden was good at school, excellent, actually. He was valedictorian in high school but hated it." Eliott rolls his eyes. "He never got to explore his academic potential, no matter how much Khael and I tried to convince him. Khael and I went to college two hours away. Somehow we ended up here."

"So you guys knew each other when Aiden was in high school?"

"Yep, I was a sad, depressed high school senior when these two came into my life. Their university was close to my school, in my hometown," he shrugs, a wide and cheesy smile on his face, "We somehow stumbled into each other. We were at the same place, at the same time and here we are." I could see him reminiscing their first encounter, a lovesick smile spread onto his face. That look made me envious yet insanely happy at the same time.

I wanted to dig, know more about them, their story and this seemed to be the perfect time but the door opened before I could ask anything else.

A panicked Mr. Sawyer was there and we all stood up at the same time, understanding.

"We need to leave."