The lights in the VIP section of club desire grew dimmer, and the music louder.
From across the room, a man dressed in all black, with a hoodie covering his face, keenly watched the girl seated in the center of four other girls, drinking shots like it was water.
''It's not her," Ares said, disappointment heavy in his voice.
"Well, that's Hades' daughter though. La bella ragazza.''
Ares scoffed. He had seen prettier women walking along the streets of Russia. In fact, the woman who saved him from her father just a week ago, was better looking than her. It didn't matter that he didn't clearly see her face. He just knew she had to be really brave to do that.
It was the reason he wanted to find her. Perhaps, they both had a vendetta against Hades.
To him, Hades' daughter only had that reputation because she was very blonde, and very skinny. He preferred his women with more meat.
''How many men did you say are watching her?" he asked his underboss, who was also his best friend, Xander.
"Two inside. Three outside. Four in the streets."
"And she's none the wiser?"
"Her father loves to let her think she lives a normal life."
Ares returned his attention to her. She had her head back in laughter. The bones in her clavicle rattled as she laughed. If she had stopped laughing just a second before she did, she would have seen her friends look at her with pure disgust in their faces.
In just ten minutes of watching the copper blonde, he had read her like a book. Spoiled, bratty, and very obnoxious. It was no wonder even her friends didn't like her.
"Alright Angel, one more shot since you swear you're such a big drinker," one of her friends said.
"I'll really do it,'' she said in her valley girl accent.
It irritated him how far he was from her, but could still hear her voice. Those kinds of women, the loud kind, were always the worst.
"Do it! Do it!" her friends began to chant.
She picked up the shot, and very cunningly, they grabbed her purse, and emptied every dollar bill in it, into their pockets. He shook his head. If he had a heart, he would have felt sorry for her.
"I've seen enough. Bring her to me. "
"But---"
Like the swiftness of traveling light, Ares disappeared out of sight before he could get a word in.
He sighed, and turned to the girl. Her friends were swindling her, by feeding her with alcohol. A total of ten, maybe even more men were keeping an eye on her. His boss wanted her. This mission was already proving to be very interesting.
Xander waited for the drunk Angel to make her way to her car after her friends dared her to drive a distance, wasted as shit.
''Hey, you're drunk." He walked up to her, as she searched for her keys in her purse.
She lifted her swaying head, and looked at him. "Why do you look like you could be two?" she asked and burst into a feat of laughter.
"Because I am indeed two!" he humored her drunk self, and she cracked up again.
"Oh my God, You're so funny!"
"I know right? What do you say? The funny guy drives you to your destination?"
"But that's cheating," she pouted. "It's not good to cheat."
"I know, but sometimes, bad is good."
She laughed again, and tossed her purse to him. "Okay!" she shrugged.
He blinked at how easy that went. Looking around, he sighted one of his boys. A thumb was raised, signaling a clear road. He quickly found the key, and pushed her into the back seat.
As soon as Angel fell into the soft seats of her car, she closed her eyes, and fell unconscious. Xander looked through the side mirror at the sleeping girl, and shook his head.
''Always listen to your mothers,'' he muttered under his breath, as the car roared to life.
When Xander arrived at Kolasi, two men were already waiting for him. Together, they helped lift Angel out of the car, before he carried her his arm.
He followed through the dark tunnels connecting the hidden entrance and exit point of Kolasi, and it led him to its halls.
His confidence reflected in the boldness of his walk, because he knew unless assigned, no one would be strolling casually through the hall. It didn't mean they weren't watching though. One of the most important codes in Kolasi was to always be alert.
He stopped at a door, painted all black, and two guards beside the structure slid it open for him to walk through.
The room, darker than an alley, welcomed him as he entered. Many paces ahead, a throne stood, occupied by the heavy presence of Ares.
He was in his usual all black attire, and his head was bowed, just like it was back at the tower. The only light in the room came from a window directly facing the throne.
In the day, it allowed for just a trickle of light directly on the throne. But at night, there was artificial light placed in that exact same spot, so that when it reflected on the throne, it formed a hollow ring above Ares head.
Angel opened her eyes, just as Xander reached the throne. She moved her body, drawing his attention. Swiftly, he brought her to the ground, and placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her, until she was well adjusted.
Her eyes widened, and then slowed when she saw him. ''Funny guy?"' she pointed, with a gentle stagger.
''sure.'' He made a sound at the back of his throat, then lifted his head to the boss.
Curious to see what had his attention, she followed his eyes. Her body froze for a few seconds when she saw the person on the throne.
"Mr. Unicorn?' she suddenly blurted.
Slowly, Ares began to lift his head. As he did, her eyes widened more and more.
When it was completely upright, she gasped. "Mr Unicorn!"
She dashed towards him, her mouth hung open. ''It's really you,'' she said, walking around him like he was a spectacle. ''I told Lisa unicorns were real. She simply refused to believe me. Who is the delusional one now?" she clasped, and threw her head back, as she burst into a feat of laughter.
Confused, but also intrigued by her reaction to his presence, Ares kept a watchful eye on her.
''Thank you so much Mr. Funny. Thank you for bringing me to a real unicorn. Can I sit on it?" she questioned behind her shoulders.
Xander looked at Ares for confirmation. ''Sure,'' he replied after a brief communication with their eyes.
She jumped giddily, and dropped to his laps. "'Oh my god! A real pony'' she screamed, and began to straddle him.
Xander held on to the laughter threatening to spill out from his throat, as he observed the boss trying his hardest to stay composed.
He didn't like people invading his personal space, so this had to be very overwhelming for him.
"Quickly Mr. Funny, take a picture of us. I need to show Lisa so she can see I didn't lie when I said unicorns existed.''
''This unicorn doesn't like pictures,'' Ares said before Xander could even make an attempt to move.
He was almost sorry to burst the intoxicated girls bubble, but this wasn't how he had envisioned the night going. Definitely not a drunk girl saddling his crotch.
''He speaks too! Wow, that's even more unicornic! See what I did there?'' she threw her head back, and began to laugh again.
Ares frown deepened as he stared through her to his underboss who was seconds away from laughing his heart out.
Xander quickly composed himself when he caught his glare, and cleared his throat.
He shook his head, wondering if his plot to take revenge on the bastard who had not only killed his father, but also almost killed him, was worth it. However, before he could make a decision, Angel's hand went to his face.
''Unicorn? Please
kiss me,'' she said, and his stone cold heart skipped a beat.