~ Daniella ~

Thirty minutes passed by after Vincent’s call. When I returned in the cubicle, my friends were already there waiting for me including Ericka and Mason. They didn’t ask me what’s up and they didn’t even show any curiosity with regards to my phone call. They probably thought it was just my mom asking for a report about yesterday.

Different topics were brought up while we drank our margaritas, but most of it was all about the company’s possible next wedding events. I can see in their eyes that they love their work. Well... I do too and enjoy it very much. I could never see myself working in another job other than this.

As I look around the dance floor, I saw something very odd. The people who were with us in the dance floor were more hyped up than earlier. Their dance moves were wilder and for me, I think it bordered on ridiculous. I haven’t been in clubs that much, so I found these scenes a bit odd.

“Hey, boss,” Jiezel, one of my prettier team members, caught my attention, “You should try this one. It’s good.”

She handed me a cocktail glass that contained a cloudy blue liquid. On the rim, there was a slice of peach and watermelon instead of lemon.

“Thanks,” I said and sipped on it a little. She was right. The liquor tasted good.

“Did you order this one? What’s the name of this drink?”

Jiezel shrugged her shoulders. She looked a little bit tipsy to me, but can still manage her own movements. “No, I didn’t order it. The bartender gave me seven cocktail glasses earlier and said that it is on the house. It’s called Blue Lotus.”

“Wow, that’s generous of him,” I remarked, smiling, and then sipped on the blue liquid again.

“I need to pee,” proclaimed Ericka suddenly. She stood up but then tumbled onto Mason’s careful arms.

“Hey!” I exclaimed, “Ericka, you’re drunk!” She gave me a lopsided smile.

“Mason, I think you need to take her back to the château now. She looks ready to hit the bed.”

I’m no older than my friends, but I believe I have a more mature way of thinking. I know when to quit drinking if I feel tipsy and I have an innate sense of what is happening around me. My friends call me the voice of reason in our group not because I’m their boss but because I act as a leader whenever it is necessary — exactly like what is happening now.

“I think so too, boss,” agreed Mason. “We will just take a cab.” Ericka was clinging onto his neck like a koala when he stood up and half-guided, half-carried her out of the club.

“How about you guys? Do you want to leave?” I asked my remaining members once my two close friends left.

“We’re still good boss,” my bespectacled Clarice answered. She looked tipsy too but nevertheless, still can move normally.

“Right,” I sighed. Looking at the time in my cellphone screen, it read thirty minutes past twelve o’clock. Most partygoers would probably say that it is still a young night and I couldn’t agree more. Midnight is just the start of the party where anything can happen. Anything...

And anything for me started with a call in my cellphone for the second time.

An unknown number again? I remarked after glancing on the screen. It doesn’t look the same as Vincent’s number earlier. From who is this?

“Hey guys, I should take this call,” I informed them whilst raising my phone.

“Go ahead boss,” said Jiezel with a smile.

Seriously, if this is a prank call I’m going to lose it. It’s not easy managing a sea of people while passing the dance floor in order to get to the exit door you know. I just hope that this call is important; otherwise, I would turn the damn thing off so that it wouldn’t bother my momentum of partying.

I was still halfway on the dance floor, trying to wriggle myself out of the dancers all the while my cellphone rang. It seemed that the caller is a persistent person huh?

Once I was able to pass by a couple grinding on each other, I suddenly felt a hard object poke on my bare back. Take note, my party attire is a black body-hugging dress with an elegant drape on the back. I wore it because of Ericka’s insistence telling me that I might get lucky tonight with it.

I noticed at this moment, the phone call ended.

The object felt like a tip of something. It made me jerk upon the cold contact. On instinct, I whirled around to see what was poking me and who did it, but as soon as I did so, a hand came up my left shoulder and then a voice whispered in my ear, “Don’t move.”

Alarmed, I did the opposite and turned to look at my captor.

“I said don’t move,” the voice said and gripped on my arm tightly to steady me.

My heart immediately drummed like crazy. I guess my luck had run out.

The voice was from a man, slightly familiar but I couldn’t really tell since we were still surrounded by the loud techno sound.

“Who are you?!” I shifted from his hold, but it tightened even more as a response.

“Act cool and walk straight,” was the man’s only reply, not even answering my simple question.

Although I was beginning to get scared, I did as he ordered. We walked towards the exit with him behind me and my arms on each sides. I could still feel the hard object poking on my back. In my mind, I had a definite clue as to what it is: a gun.

“Good girl,” he complimented, but I just rolled my eyes.

“What do you want from me?” I say acting calm, but deep inside I was nervous as hell.

“Continue walking,” was his only reply.

My God, help!

This man could be anyone with a degree of Bachelors in Murder and Rape or even a salutatorian with honors in serial killing. I certainly don’t want to be his next victim, but with him holding the deadly object, I don’t have a choice but to be obedient until I get a good opening of escape.

We were out of the dance floor and were now managing the narrow hallway towards the entrance -slash- exit stairs. I remember that there was a bouncer standing guard on the opening, so with that in mind, I devised a quick and clever way of escaping my captor.

“Is that a gun?!” I loudly stated just as we were about to pass the bouncer. It was loud enough for him to hear. Surely it would raise a warning in his mind. But...

“Shhh...” I heard the man’s snaky response.

“Please don’t—”

“Keep your mouth shut or you’ll regret it,” he threatened.

I did so obediently as the fear of the unknown got through me. My clever plan was subsequently forgotten. When we passed the bouncer, I saw him nod on our way, but I noticed that he was specifically nodding on the man behind me.

Figures. So the scary-man knows who my captor is huh? Are they like partners in crime or something? This was bad news for me. My clever plan didn’t have a success rate since the beginning.

As we reached the sidewalk, clean air immediately filled my lungs. It was an advantage for me since I do not smoke. However, being outside didn’t calm me at all since my captor was still poking his gun on me and holding my shoulder.

He pushed me into the road where I could see a red Ferrari directly in our path.

Figures again. Most serial killers are known to be awfully rich right?

When I stood right in the passenger seat, I heard him order in a stern voice, “Get in,” and this time, I couldn’t hold back myself anymore.

Between fight and flight, I chose fight. Like I said, I do not want to be this man’s next victim even if it kills me with the gunshot wound now (that’s if he so luckily pulls the trigger on me, but I’m hoping beyond hope that he wouldn’t).

“The hell I would!” I shouted. I whirled around to face my captor ready to make an uppercut (the only self-defense I taught myself) and saw his appearance finally.

The man was tall, like six feet tall. I was only five foot eight, but I’m wearing heels. He was wearing a baseball cap and night sunglasses. If I was far, I wouldn’t have recognized him immediately, but our faces were inches apart and his damnable lips were the most obvious telltale sign that this man was the President of the Fancy Pants Club.

“Daniella. Inside. Now!” Erik groaned just as he opened the car door and pushed me inside.

I was stunned speechless of course, but that didn’t take long when Erik rounded and slipped inside the driver’s seat.

“The hell? You almost gave me a heart attack!” I punched his right arm as strong as I could for I couldn’t keep my anger in check anymore. His methods of working with me are just downright unorthodox! Goodness! It would have been better if he had just dragged me out of the club than acting all psychopathic, murdery on me!

“Thank you for being obedient, Ms. Rosecraft.” He produced a grin. He produced a sexy grin! He freaking produced a sexy grin! What the hell?

“Gods, Erik! Why did you do that? And why do you have a gun?!” I eyed the mentioned object peeking under his black jacket and pointed at it like it had herpes.

“I said I would get you out of that club remember?” he simply stated, then turned the car ignition on.

“By acting like a hostage taker?” I huffed in frustration. “You sure are weird. Is that gun—”

“The real thing?” he butted in, looking at me under his sunglasses, “Yes.”

I arched a brow.

“Seriously, do you think that a gun is the only way for me to do your bidding?”

He smirked then, contemplating over something.

I instinctively pressed my stilettos hard on the floor as the car sped in great speed out of the parking space of Lotus Spade. After a minute of silence, he spoke but his eyes were still on the road, “I don’t think so Daniella. There are far better and interesting ways to make you do what I want you to do. I am just bringing a gun for our protection.”

“Protection?” I gave him wide, confused eyes.

He glanced at me briefly and released a sigh. “Do you know that I just seriously broke a protocol tonight because of you?”

Hmmm... he doesn’t seem intimidating at all with his sunglasses on. Lucky for me.

“What are you talking about?” I say, but then I suddenly remembered something. “Oh God.” I frantically searched for the car lock in my side but found none. “Stop the car Erik and open this door! I’m going out!”

I glanced at him with pleading eyes but I was only awarded with an insensitive face. “I’m afraid I can’t do that Daniella.”

“Hey, I just realized that my friends are still in the club! They will think that I am being kidnapped if they notice that I’m gone too long.”

“They are already taken care of by my associates,” was his reply and that made me stop fretting. “They’ll be kept in a safe house where they will be detoxified.”

“Detoxified?” I echoed.

He released a sigh again, but one that looked heavy with responsibility and stated in a grim voice, “I’m going to think that you are asking that because you are innocent and not dumb, Daniella. Do you know that the blue liquor you have been drinking contains a serious illegal drug?”

My mouth dropped.

“Well, obviously I don’t know, because if I did, I wouldn’t have drunk it!”

“Now you know,” he lashed. The car increased its speed and brought us in the highway.

I suddenly felt very concerned, no, not because of his overspeeding, but because of those people I saw in the dance floor earlier. “Is that the reason why those people in there are acting strange?”

“Hmmm...” He released a pleased groan. “It’s good that you are observant, milady. It relieves me to know that you are using your head.”

I scowled at him. Yeah, go on ahead. This is definitely a great way to start an argument, Mr. President. Who could actually forget the barb in your mouth?

“Shit,” I face-palmed myself. “Are you kidding me?!”

“No, I’m not kidding you,” he answered, still looking at the road.

“I drank half of it in a cocktail glass!” I exclaimed, feeling suddenly puking inside his beautiful car.

“That’s why you need detoxification too.”

“Then drive me to where the safe house is. I want to be with my friends. They are under my care. My mom is going to be hysterical if she finds out we were drugged!”

And then it hit me again.

“Wait. Oh God. Ericka and Mason—”

“Are also in the safe house,” he informed.

“Then take me to them!”

In my desperation, I grabbed his shoulder with both hands. Since we were in the middle of a stop sign, he turned around to face me and although, I couldn’t see his eyes, I could feel it burning through me. A respiratory pause he did but it is with difficulty. He pressed his lips and I found myself staring at the sinful curves like a child staring at a cake in a display window.

I don’t know what hocus-pocus was in between us but I seriously feel like we were both in an attraction spell. Or at least that’s what I felt. I couldn’t read the expression on his face properly since he still had his damn sunglasses on.

But then his right hand touched my chin, tenderly. I could feel my lips quake in response. A lightning of delightful tingles shot through me with just that gesture alone and I froze.

This man couldn’t possibly be capable of gentleness right? Right?

His lips parted and leaned slowly towards me. Dammit! I can’t believe I am actually anticipating for his kiss!

A honk of a horn however interrupted us, luckily. I cleared my throat and shifted my head towards the side window just as he pulled himself away from me. He immediately drove the car again after seeing the green light.

“No, I will take you to the château,” was his reply to my earlier demand.

My heartbeat sped like the Ferrari I am inside. If whatever twisted spell surrounded us seconds ago, I earnestly hope that it would fade for good for I can’t see myself getting mushy with a spawn of a devil.

“I am not a VIP you know. I need to make sure my friends are safe,” I expressed as I watched the road outside. Judging from the familiar signage on the stores, we were almost in the Beverly Hills district.

“They are safe Daniella, trust me,” he said in a low voice, “You will see them tomorrow morning. I give you my word as a president.”

That seems fair enough.

So in the end, I surrendered.

“How is detoxifying me done anyway?” I questioned as I didn’t have a clue what procedure I am to undergo later.

“Do you hate needles?” he asked straight-to-the-point.

“You’re serious?” I blanched.

“I am.”

“Oh God,” I face-palmed myself again. “What have I gotten myself into?”

I don’t hate needles. I dread it. I have been subjected to endless needle pricking while I was in a hospital a year ago in Monaco, France, the birthplace of my mother. I was in a ventilator that time as I almost died due to a gunshot wound on my right upper abdomen. A part of my liver was damaged but luckily, my family doctors were able to salvage it through a long, grueling procedure. Numerous laboratory exams and a cocktail of intravenous drugs were introduced on me. Thank God, I was given a second life, but because of it, I came to fear needles — quite a lot more than with guns.

The detoxification process, unfortunately, uses a needle, and because I innocently ingested an illegal drug, I had to undergo the damn cleaning whether I like it or not.

“Vincent and I did warn you earlier right? We told you to leave the club but you didn’t listen,” Erik pointed at me, but I was in no mood to argue with that. This time, he had the upper hand. I instead asked him a different thing.

“How did you know about the drug?”

I turned to look at his profile and saw him furrow his brows. “I prefer not to answer that question Daniella.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a classified information.”

Wow. I gaped. What is he an undercover spy or something?

Aware that this conversation wouldn’t lead us to an understanding, I just shook my head and went back to watching the houses -errr- mansion that we passed outside. Since the châteauwas on top a hill, we had to pass by curved roads and numerous intersections.

I remained silent for the remainder of our drive. It was a good choice to make, since I began to feel woozy and lightheaded, and my eyelids were beginning to fall...

“Hey,” I jerked up when I heard Erik’s voice.

“What?” Massaging my head, I glanced at him.

“You are starting to feel dizzy and sleepy.”

He really didn’t have to state the obvious.

“Yeah, I can feel that,” I said.

“Your fingers will soon shake uncontrollably too,” he glanced at them.

“Are you a part-time soothsayer, Mr. President?” I clasped my hands.

“No, but I know the effects of the drug when ingested. The amount you drank earlier is enough to give you some of its side effects.”

My mouth formed an ‘oh.’ That made me anxious all the more.

“But don’t worry, we’re almost in the château. You will feel better in no time once I inject you the counter drug. Just close your eyes.”

I don’t know if I should feel at ease with what he said, but I guess his words were acceptable enough. I just shrugged my shoulders and for the first time ever, I did as he ordered with no coercion, no glaring blue-green hazel eyes and no gun against my back.