KADEN'S UNDERWORLD CHOSEN QUEEN

WINTER'S POV This was all Jane's idea. Getting into a high-end club like Mallaw was impossible. But Jane had a knack for knowing a lot of people. She flashed her charming smile at one of the handsome bouncers, whispered something to him, and he let us in. This was my first time going to a club. My father would have never allowed me anyway. But tonight Jane said, "F*ck it, Winter. You've been through a lot. Let's party till we drop." And she took me to Mallaw. Just a few days ago, I was attacked by two local gang members who wanted to drag me off somewhere to pay off my father's gambling debt. Just imagine! As if being miserable wasn't enough pain. We got into the club, it was loud and rowdy, but in a way that was peculiar to rich people only. Jane held my hand and led me to the bar, where we got a drink. I looked around, and I felt the shared energy in the air start to get to me. "How are you?!" Jane yelled over the music. I nodded and smiled. We watched the dancers on the floor, attractive men and women throwing away all caution and having fun. I so longed to join them, but the shyness in me won't let me. I drank more and more. Jane cheered me on, her voice was louder than the music. As time went by, I noticed that a pair of eyes were watching me. I looked up and saw a man standing on the balcony. His face was hidden by shadows, but I could make out the sharp angles of his face. I want him. The man that stood afar off, started walking towards me, which caught my attention, hooking me with his glare of need. I wanted him. The perfect distraction. "Hello!" Jane snapped her fingers in my face. "How long do you intend to stare?" I snorted, the loud club music filling my ears. As I doused another glass of drink, her eyes moved to where I had been staring. "He's hot." Was all she said before she sighted another male beside the bar and scooted over to him with a wink in my direction as he led her to the dance floor. Gulping down another drink, then another, I tried to clear my head from everything and thought that had led me here. Trying to ignore the slight bruises that still remained on some parts of my skin. My mind drifted to how livid my father would be if I made it back home late, but with every shot I gulped down, the thought and feeling of guilt seized, and I was left under the influence of alcohol and the loud club music. I hopped to my feet from the stool I had been perched on as the man approached me. "Hello, I'm Kaden." My vision blurred for a moment before it focused on the hypnotic eyes that's staring at me. I looked him from top to bottom before settling my gaze on his face, a lazy smile spreading across my lips. He's so freaking hot. He towered over me with his height and the body of a Greek god. He was dressed in a simple black shirt and pants, by the way the material of the shirt clung to his body left nothing to the imagination. His hair was tousled, in a careless but messy way. Like he just rolled out of bed and looked this perfect. My eyes drifted to his lips, full and sensual. The kind of mouth that knew how to please a woman. Just what I needed right now. "You're hot, just like Jane said." I screamed above the loud music. He seemed to not understand what I meant but the hell. "You wanna dance?!" I said again over the loud music, turning my head to the beat of the music. He bent his head a little at me, a slight grin on his face, before handing his glass over to one of the barmen, then we moved to the dance floor. The loud music drowned my senses. Making me feel alive again. Making me feel whole as I danced with the stranger whose hands were on my hips, moving me with grace to the music, a smile spread across his lips. I let the music drown away the pains of my miserable life. The knives that pierced my heart each time I was reminded of my mother's death and the fact that she died while trying to save me from that fire. The sorrow that crept to me each time my father stole my savings to gamble and squander. Each time he hit me for one reason or the other. The accusations he threw my way. I let the music drown out all of them. Kaden spun me—drunk, clumsy me, almost losing my footing. He caught me in time. I flipped my hair as our faces met, placing my lips on his. He stilled not returning the kiss. When I was about to pull away, he grabbed my waist, forcing me to part my lips for him to explore. Tonight, I wouldn't think of my father or of the part-time job I did to cover my expenses that always couldn't be covered. When we pulled away from the kiss, we locked our gazes, no one wanted to break eye contact. Damn, was he hot. Tonight I'm going to indulge myself in this extremely sexy man in front of me. My life be damned. My hands went to his hair as I stroked gently. This night, just this one night, I was going to be irrational, going to think about myself and take what I wanted for myself. He kissed the back of my hand, his eyes never leave mine. I was so drunk I didn't know what color his eyes were anymore. The room spun as a wave of excitement and dopamine hit me as the music changed to something more up beat. I swayed my hips to the music, moving towards the stranger—Kaden, who watched me with a smile on his face. I screamed along to the music, perching on the stage to dance for him. He looked at me, a look of surprise on his face when I began dancing replaced by a look of awe. And did I see worship in them? Whatever. I walked down from the stage, still facing him as I threw myself in his arms. F*ck it all. I hissed inside of me. Let's do this. I balanced my legs around him as his hands held me by the waist. What time it was, I didn't know. But I never stayed out this late... Never. Until tonight. I kissed Kaden again, this time he returned the kiss filled with hunger and longing. He kissed me back so passionately that I thought that I'd melt in his arms at how overwhelming the kiss was. Maybe it was because I was too drunk to think straight other than think about what I wanted at the moment. I leaned into his ear, whispering my intents. "What do you say?" I said with a grin that reached my ears. He set me down, dragging me away from the crowd to a secluded area. He crashed me into the wall, all passionate behavior about him thrown to the wind. He kissed me with such hunger that I gasped from the sudden change. His hands moved under my blouse, tracing lines in my stomach, then it went to my back, unhooking my bra. I helped his hand, meeting his eyes as the hunger and longing between my legs were eating me alive. "Somewhere... more private." I said to him, giving him a gentle tap on the tip of his nose. "Like..." I leaned in again. "A hotel?" He carried me up, never breaking eye contact, leading me to the door and into what I assumed was his car, and we zoomed off. Strangers were dangerous. The alarm blared in my head. But I had seen dangers to last me a lifetime. They were a part of my life... Every single day. He pulled me towards him as we pulled to a stop in front of a hotel that was close to the club, extending a hand to help me get out of the car. I gave him a drunken smile, staggering as the cold air hit me. Intentionally falling into his arms before giving him a coquettish grin. Suddenly, it hit me that he looked familiar. But in my drunken haze, I couldn't place where I had seen him before. And honestly, I didn't care.