The neon sign above "The Rusty Anchor" flickered, casting a weird sickly glow over Blair Nolan's black tank top tucked into a high waisted jean, with her faded denim jacket slung over her shoulders, beneath were her boots that ached on her feet for hours for working. It was just 2:00AM in the heights,the part of the city people avoided. Blair wiped the bar counter,her hands steady but her heart racing. She didn't have a choice as she needed the job.
A man slumped at the end of the bar, smelling of cheap tobacco,said, "One more, sweetheart. Don't skimp on the pour".
Blair recognized the desperation in his voice. She'd seen it before. "I've had enough, Jerry", she said softly. "Go home and sleep it off".
Jerry laughed, a wet sound. "House always wins, Nolan. You'll learn".
Blair watched him stumble out into the rain. She wished she could tell him he was wrong,but she knew the truth. Survival was a grind. She locked up, slipping the keys into the pocket of her jacket and started the walk home. The rain poured down, making the streets slick. She took a shortcut through an alley, her first mistake. A black sedan appeared,silent as a predator. Three men stood in the rain, wearing suits that cost more than Blair's life. Amongst them stood Keon Wesley,the man she had seen on the news earlier, "the reclusive architect of finance", as it has it titled on the TV screen,the billionaire who had bought half of the waterfront and turned it into a fortress of steel,his eyes dark and searching.
"We have a witness", one of the men said, reaching for something.
Blair held up her hands "I didn't see anything. I'm just going home".
Keon's eyes locked into hers. He stepped closer,his presence overwhelming. "Your name", he commanded.
"Blair, Blair Nolan", she stammered as she was quite terrified.
Keon studied her face,his gaze lingering on the bruise on her cheek. "You're trembling, Blair Nolan", he murmured.
"I'm cold", she lied. Keon raised an eyebrow.
"You're lying. You saw what happened here".
Blair looked into his eyes, seeing the darkness there, she knew she just had to clarify that out despite how terrified she seemed to be at the moment. "I saw a car. That's all".
Keon's lips thinned. "In my world, seeing a car is enough to get you killed. But you, there's something about your look that draws me in. The look of someone who has nothing left to lose".
Blair snapped, "I have my life, I'd like to keep it".
Keon smiled,a ghost of a smile. "Then you've just made a bargain Blair. Your life belongs to me now".
Blair's heart sank as keon's men led her to the sedan. She was trapped. The drive to keon's penthouse was a blur. Blair's ears popped as the elevator rose. When the doors opened, she gasped at the view. The city stretched out before her, beautiful and distant.
Keon stood by the window,a glass of amber liquid in his hand. "Sit", he said, gesturing to a velvet chair.
Blair stayed standing. "Why am I here?. If you're going to kill me, just do it".
Keon turned,his eyes cold. "I don't kill out of boredom, Blair. I kill out of necessity. You just happen to be lucky".
Blair's fear spiked as Keon approached her. He stepped close, his breath warm on her skin. "I am surrounded by people who want my crown,my money,or my head. But you,you look at me with genuine terror. And beneath that,a desires to survive".
Blair's voice trembled. "Is this a game to you? Picking a girl off the street to play with??".
Keon's eyes flashed. "It's a promise Blair. You saw something you shouldn't have. If I let you go, you'll be dead by dawn. My foes don't have my restraint".
Blair scoffed, "so you're 'saving' me??"
Keon leaned in,his voice low. "I'm claiming you. You stay here,do as I say, and you'll be untouchable".
Blair looked into his eyes, seeing the darkness there. She was trapped, and the only way out was to surrender. "What do you want from me?". She whispered.
Keon's eyes gleamed "Everything".
As she stood there frozen in fear, Blair couldn't help but think that this was all starting to get similar to one of those novels she'd read earlier, "Beauty and the beast". And this was probably going to end really badly,she thought to herself.