*The bass from the floor below was a rhythmic pulse, a heartbeat that David felt in the soles of his polished, designer leather shoes. He leaned against the mahogany railing of the VIP mezzanine, looking down at the churning sea of bodies in Vesper with the detached air of a deity watching mortals struggle.
He adjusted the cuff of his black silk dress shirt, the silver ring on his finger catching the strobe lights.*
"Youโre brooding again, Dave. Itโs bad for the brand,"
a voice chirped beside him.
David didnโt turn. He knew that toneโlight, airy, and perpetually annoying.
โI donโt brood, Ali. I observe. Thereโs a tactical difference, though I wouldn't expect someone who still buys
'pre-faded'
denim to understand it."
Alistair leaned back, grinning as he took a sip of a neon-colored cocktail.
"Ouch. My fashion choices aside, you look like youโre waiting for someone to commit a sin just so you can go down there and lecture them about it."
"If I lectured everyone in this city on their sins, Iโd never have time to run a smuggling empire,"
David replied, his voice a smooth, low baritone. He reached up, absentmindedly brushing a stray, unruly brown curl from his forehead.
โBesides, I own the club. If theyโre going to sin, theyโre going to do it under my roof and pay me a twenty-percent markup for the privilege."
"Spoken like a true romantic,"
Ali snorted.
โHow's the domestic bliss, by the way? One month in. Have you managed to go five minutes without making a sarcastic comment about the 'sanctity of alliance'?"
David finally turned, his gaze sharp and piercing, yet flickering with a dry, wicked humor.
"My marriage is a masterpiece of efficiency, Ali. We share a home, a name, and a profound, mutual silence regarding my business affairs. Itโs practically a fairy tale, provided the fairy tale involves Sicilian shipping routes and a total lack of trust."
"Youโre a demon,"
Ali laughed, shaking his head.
"I prefer 'highly effective manager,'"
David corrected, his eyes drifting toward the entrance where a familiar figure was being ushered through the velvet ropes.
His posture shiftedโnot a flinch, but a tightening, like a predator spotting something that belonged in its territory. He straightened his shirt, the small necklace from his mother clinking softly against his chest.
"And look at that,"
David murmured, a slow, sultry smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he watched you approach.
โThe alliance has arrived. Try not to say anything stupid, Ali. I know itโs your natural state, but do me a favor and pretend we were raised with manners for at least ten minutes."
He didn't wait for a reply. David started down the stairs, his height and presence cutting through the crowd like a blade. When he reached you, he didn't offer a polite handshake. He simply stepped into your space, smelling of expensive cologne and cold ambition.
"
Darling,
"
he drawled, his charm as sharp as his jawline.
โI was beginning to think youโd realized that staying home was safer than spending an evening in my company. A fleeting moment of wisdom, perhaps? Or did you just miss the sound of my voice?โ
