09-12-2018, 11:40 AM
"Men. Stare."
The words were new, his voice gruff and unpolished. Ori did not respond to the warning, her chin still tilted up to observe the screen above. The current fight captured little of her imagination. Almaz had its uses, but it still forced structure on the chaos of serving base needs. Her fingers twisted the stem of her drink. "Seems Rafael made an impression on you, sweetheart."
A sharp whistle pierced, then, even through the thump of the music. Kasun stiffened like invisible hackles stood on end, the snap of his gold eyes drawn to the bar. The flick of his lip revealed white teeth, and his fists gripped down flat like he was about to rise. Her attention shifted to behold a familiar face; two of them, actually, though it was curiosity more than ire that greeted the intrusion. At least for the moment.
"You can rip his throat out if you like, Kas; I won't stop you. But security will have something to say. Not that you'll hear it with a bullet in your brain." She spoke to her companion before indulging her attention, not pausing to check the advice had been heeded; mostly because whether Kasun reigned control or flung fury, it suited her purposes. Nothing seemed to stir, though she could hear something of a soft growl low in his throat.
She'd never bothered to learn the stranger's name, but this was the third time his scarred face had ghosted in her peripheral of late. That he knew who she was after Ascendancy's ball was unsurprising given her starring role in the perverse entertainment. "You almost sound jealous. I'm starting to think you have a crush."
She knew what he meant though he left the meaning grey enough for denial. Just enough rope for hanging, though Ori didn't baulk from the noose. The curve of her lips suggested she heard something suggestively explicit in the provocation. He needn't have bothered with the ruse; she had little to hide, at least when it came to the churning secrets of that night.
Her languid gaze cast a net. Appreciation devoured him before, at least until he'd stalked away impotent from confrontation with Mikhail. She studied his face and lower before she found his eyes again. Like she considered the slap of that invitation for herself.
He lounged like a king, but it was a poor throne.
"I saw you. Standing back in the shadows. Doing nothing. A bark but no bite? I'll let you guess which I prefer." Storm-dark eyes moved to his friend, a ripple of amusement in their depth. He barely looked like he'd slept let alone changed, the jacket draping his broad shoulders still the cheap rental. He stuck out raw amongst the luxury; clearly not here on his own tab. "Seems I have been a very bad girl. It's something of a habit. But you'd know about that."
He was a cop, and if he was hanging around with this one he was a dirty one too. The Syndicate held little draw. Yun, beautiful little devil that she was, did not sway easily from business. The Custody's rotten core didn't much interest her anyway; not when it did such a good job of consuming itself.
But it seemed Ori wasn't the only one with a leash.
The words were new, his voice gruff and unpolished. Ori did not respond to the warning, her chin still tilted up to observe the screen above. The current fight captured little of her imagination. Almaz had its uses, but it still forced structure on the chaos of serving base needs. Her fingers twisted the stem of her drink. "Seems Rafael made an impression on you, sweetheart."
A sharp whistle pierced, then, even through the thump of the music. Kasun stiffened like invisible hackles stood on end, the snap of his gold eyes drawn to the bar. The flick of his lip revealed white teeth, and his fists gripped down flat like he was about to rise. Her attention shifted to behold a familiar face; two of them, actually, though it was curiosity more than ire that greeted the intrusion. At least for the moment.
"You can rip his throat out if you like, Kas; I won't stop you. But security will have something to say. Not that you'll hear it with a bullet in your brain." She spoke to her companion before indulging her attention, not pausing to check the advice had been heeded; mostly because whether Kasun reigned control or flung fury, it suited her purposes. Nothing seemed to stir, though she could hear something of a soft growl low in his throat.
She'd never bothered to learn the stranger's name, but this was the third time his scarred face had ghosted in her peripheral of late. That he knew who she was after Ascendancy's ball was unsurprising given her starring role in the perverse entertainment. "You almost sound jealous. I'm starting to think you have a crush."
She knew what he meant though he left the meaning grey enough for denial. Just enough rope for hanging, though Ori didn't baulk from the noose. The curve of her lips suggested she heard something suggestively explicit in the provocation. He needn't have bothered with the ruse; she had little to hide, at least when it came to the churning secrets of that night.
Her languid gaze cast a net. Appreciation devoured him before, at least until he'd stalked away impotent from confrontation with Mikhail. She studied his face and lower before she found his eyes again. Like she considered the slap of that invitation for herself.
He lounged like a king, but it was a poor throne.
"I saw you. Standing back in the shadows. Doing nothing. A bark but no bite? I'll let you guess which I prefer." Storm-dark eyes moved to his friend, a ripple of amusement in their depth. He barely looked like he'd slept let alone changed, the jacket draping his broad shoulders still the cheap rental. He stuck out raw amongst the luxury; clearly not here on his own tab. "Seems I have been a very bad girl. It's something of a habit. But you'd know about that."
He was a cop, and if he was hanging around with this one he was a dirty one too. The Syndicate held little draw. Yun, beautiful little devil that she was, did not sway easily from business. The Custody's rotten core didn't much interest her anyway; not when it did such a good job of consuming itself.
But it seemed Ori wasn't the only one with a leash.