Sureiyan led Tom through the club, dressed in a crop top and booty shorts. "I'm taking you to a special room," she said. "The club always saves it for me."
"So," Sureiyan asked, "how do you know Maya? I didn't expect that."
Tom remained silent, choosing to ignore her.
Sureiyan sighed. "If you weren't so good at your job, no one would bother with you."
Tom simply shrugged. "I don't care."
They reached the private room. It was dark, and the lights were off. Sureiyan seemed puzzled. "That's odd," she murmured.
Before Tom could react, a figure rushed at him, moving swiftly. A kick came toward his head, but Tom blocked it with his elbow. In the darkness, he couldn't see who was attacking him, but more strikes came quickly.
Sureiyan didn't react. She remained calm, almost as if she was observing a game. Tom began to suspect something wasn't right. This felt like a trap.
The next kick came. This time, Tom grabbed the leg and pulled the attacker toward him, delivering a powerful punch to the stomach. The person collapsed to the ground.
Tom was ready to finish the job, but Sureiyan suddenly shouted, "Stop!" and flipped on the lights.
Tom saw that the person on the floor was a woman in a tracksuit.
"That's my bodyguard," Sureiyan said, almost casually.
Tom felt annoyed, he wasn't interested in playing games.
He turned to leave.
Sureiyan caught up with him, putting a hand on his arm. "Wait. At least hear me out."
She was insistent and managed to calm Tom down enough to get him to sit down and listen.
Sureiyan started , "I didn't order my bodyguard to attack you." Tom didn't believe her.
She then turned to her bodyguard. "Why did you attack him?" she asked.
The bodyguard, still standing, replied, "I was evaluating whether Tom was skilled enough to protect you."
Sureiyan raised an eyebrow. "And how did you judge him?"
The bodyguard paused, then nodded. "He's better than I expected."
Sureiyan smirked, a little amused. "The only reason that fight lasted that long was because it was dark and you ambushed him."
She gave the bodyguard a pointed look. "Next time, don't attack Skyline."
As she spoke, Tom's mind wandered. He was reminded of all the reasons he had never wanted to take Sureiyan on as a client.
Every time there was an arms deal in the city, Sureiyan was involved in one way or another. It made Tom's job harder. Her skill and influence made things more dangerous, often leading to more deaths than necessary.
Tom didn't hate her, he just didn't want to be around her.