Written in the Scars (The Damaged Souls #1)

Reagan

“Who is the guy, Doll? Seems like I walked in on something here.”

Nathan drones on, getting a little too close for comfort, I step back trying to create more space between us.

“Like I said Nathan, he was returning my ID.

I don’t even know his name and please stop calling me Doll, it’s not appropriate in the workplace”.

I hate it when he calls me Doll, it makes me feel dirty and not in a good way.

“Well, if he isn’t anyone of importance, we won’t see him around here again, right?”, he sounds possessive, I can feel the rage heating up my skin, “We could always take an early lunch, .”

He has me backed up against my desk, his hand reaching to tuck a stray curl behind my ear.

“Thank you, Nathan,”

I slither to the left making my way to my chair.

“But I’ve got to dig more into this story you have me working on, I’m not getting much sat at the bar.”

Sitting straight in my chair trying to hide how sick he makes me feel.

“If you say so, Doll, but you’ll cave eventually!”, he says with such arrogance as he walks out the room, the air feeling less sharp in my lungs now.

Staring at the screen of my laptop, I can’t bring myself to concentrate on anything but the gorgeous stranger who sat across from me, screaming internally at how much of a bitch I was to him.

Guzzling my replacement coffee, trying to cure the desert in my mouth.

That goddamn snake is still at the forefront of my brain, wrapping round my bare thighs as its tail bobs between my legs.

Throwing myself back into the chair, I indulge my imagination, the heat rising from my core.

, you’re at work!

Quickly packing up my laptop into my bag and grabbing my purse, I head to the elevator.

I need some fresh air, maybe I’ll work from Ben’s or just head home and work from there.

The fresh autumn air fills my lungs and already I feel more relaxed.

Retracing my steps home, without stopping for coffee, I get the same feeling I did last night, goosebumps coating the back of my neck.

I stop to look around, overwhelmed by the feeling I’m being watched.

Nothing and nobody stand out to me, so I pick up my pace.

I’ve seen the movies, read the stories.

Christ, I’m a journalist! I’ve studied and authored the stories.

Reaching my building in what feels like record time, I dig out my keys, dropping them to the ground.

“Hey, Doll!”, a shiver rolls up my spine, as I turn to see Nathan leaning against his oversized black SUV.

Overcompensating for something much.

“Nathan, what are you doing here?”

Now I’m pissed, was he following me? I didn’t tell anyone I was going home.

“Now, Doll, when Lisa said you had left so suddenly, I wanted to make sure you were ok!”

he creeps towards me, invading my space.

I can feel his breath on my skin, his overbearing aftershave filling and stinging my nostrils.

“I’m fine, thank you, Nathan, just thought I’d work from home.”

Bending to pick up my keys, he matches my movements, grabbing them before me.

He's holding the keys towards me in a tight grip, staring at me.

“In that case, shall we discuss this story a little more in depth over a coffee?”, he lifts his chin towards the door of my building, with that perverted smirk on his face.

“Erm, maybe another time.

My flat mate is home, and I wouldn’t want her earwigging on the details”, I'm trying to sound genuine, of all people I don’t want this man ever entering my home, or anything else for that matter.

“Earwigging on what details?”, the familiar symphonic voice rings out.

Oh, Selene, your timing is perfect! I wrap my arm around her waist. “Just boring work details, wouldn’t want to bore you to sleep”, I mask my irritation of Nathan with giggles, and she gets it.

“We’ll talk tomorrow at the office, let me know if you come up with anything”, he’s obviously annoyed by the interruption, but hands me my keys and heads off without another word.

“What’s that guy’s deal?”, she questions as we head into the flat.

“Don’t get me wrong, he’s hot, but what boss just shows up at your apartment?”.

She’s not wrong, the day Nathan took over from Victoria, I had a major crush on him.

He made me all nervous and, well, I used the idea of him between my thighs to get myself off, until I got to work with him.

“Oh, he is definitely a creep, doesn’t understand personal space and gives out the worst nicknames.”

We both slump into a corner of the sofa, tucking our legs under a blanket and cuddling into our coffee mugs.

“So, are you in for another night on the town?”

she giggles out, while wiggling her eyebrows at me.

“Yeah, but you don’t have to get me ready, I think I’ve got the idea of what’s expected of me to fit in now”, I chuckle, bringing the mug to my mouth.

“Oh, I’m thinking we could make it a girl’s night!”

she giggles, as she knocks my knee with her foot.

While usually I prefer to work alone, the idea sparks a little excitement in me.

Within an hour our mugs are replaced with glasses, music fills the apartment, as Selene dances around so confidently in her red laced body.

She really is a walking goddess.

“So, which one tonight?”

She holds up two dresses, both as shameful as last nights, but I’m drawn to the dress that shimmers gold.

I’m immediately taken back to my office, staring into the mysterious guy’s golden-brown eyes.

“This one!”, I replied quickly.

Something in my voice has her giving me a questioning look, but she doesn’t pry.

I admire myself in the grand mirror we have in the corridor of the flat, this dress has slightly more material than last night’s choice.

Two thick gold straps hug the tops of my arms, joining low in the center of my cleavage.

It clings to my body, emphasizing the curves of my hips and thankfully finishing in the middle of my thighs, instead of just under my ass.

Slithers of black in the gold of it remind me of the black snake coating the naturally tanned skin of the stranger from earlier today.

A name would have been extremely helpful, at least then I’d be able to actually research him.

You can’t just type “gorgeous man with snake tattoo”

into a search engine, it would explode! Not that I’ve tried, but we live in a world of people covered in artwork, so it would be a dead-end attempt.

Orion

After a very lengthy phone call with Chuck, I finally talked him down.

He was pretty pissed that I’d missed the meeting, but it was nothing he couldn’t manage himself, plus I get bored of all the numbers talk.

As long as everybody is doing their job correctly and business is doing well, I’m not really needed.

This is why I got Chuck in, to be me, within reason.

He deals with the day-to-day running’s and management of Glass, keeping me in the background and dealing with the messy bits of business when the time calls for it.

I continue to scroll through the Embrace website, reading ’s articles and the little information they provide about their journalists.

I could ask Frank to look into her for me, but that just opens me up to personal questions I don’t want to share.

On the other hand, I don’t want to share this woman with anyone.

I’m going to have to do this the old fashion way and do some courting, now that I may need to get some advice on.

Who am I kidding? I close the laptop and head to the wardrobe, a quick change before heading down.

I only wear suits to meetings.

As great as they look, I find them too constricting, you never know what scenario may occur when on the street or in a bar.

It is best to be prepared and I’m always prepared for the worst.

It’s drilled into you when you're raised in a corrupt family.

Not that I’d call them family. A group of people who'd raise you to take over the family business of drugs and murder just didn’t sit well with me, so I did what I had to do, to make it on my own and then disappeared.

Looking in the wardrobe, I appreciate the sharp contrast of the crisp white against jet black, memories try to push forward.

I’m not in the mood for memories.

Taking a white polo shirt and a pair of black jeans, I change quickly.

The ring of my phone fills the air, letting out a sigh as I buckle my belt.

“Yes”, I answer with a little too much irritation in my voice.

Before I can say anything further, “Orion, great news!”

Frank's voice echoes through the speaker.

“There’s a dramatic drop in their accounts and it doesn’t look like it will last much longer.

If you and Chuck move forward with your ideas quickly, you guys will have no issues taking it on!" He's excited about the prospect of another bar, he knows it will increase his workload and his payments.

“Thanks Frank, send me the information you have, and I’ll go over it with Chuck tomorrow”, I sense his impatience, but stop him before he says anything more, “I’m taking the night off, we’ll talk tomorrow”, I hang up and head for the door.

I watch the flow of people cascading into Glass, as I sit at the end of the bar, nursing a glass of Johnnie Walker, admiring its vibrancy in the glow of the low light.

That’s how I designed Glass, whisky.

Low warm lighting and crystal glass everywhere, it's simply like walking into a glass of whisky.

The idea came from my mothers’ eyes.

My father always compared them to a glass of Macallan.

He wasn’t wrong, her beautiful amber eyes, with flecks of deep brown were breathtaking and, also, my inspiration.

“It looks like it's going to be a busy night”, Chuck pats my shoulder, as he takes the stool next to me, giving him a nod as I take another sip from my glass.

“Did Frank call you? I think we…”

I'm stopping him before he says anything else.

“Not here, Chuck, not tonight.

I told him to send me the details and we will discuss it all tomorrow.”

I rub my temple, “I’ve got the details…”

Again having to interrupt, I insist, “Tomorrow, Chuck!”

He stops pressing and waves a finger to the bartender.

“How about I head over, scope the place, enjoy a glass there?”

his face is suddenly taken over by a huge grin.

He hasn’t won, I just know if I stay here, he will keep going on, so I’ll show some enthusiasm.

I throw back the last of the amber fluid, relishing the burn in my throat, leaving Chuck with a pat on the back and exiting Glass.

There is enough security to keep the Whitehouse guarded.

Derek flags down a taxi as I exit the door, he holds out his fist waiting for me to tap it with my own.

It’s a gesture that baffles me, but I indulge him anyway.

“Evening.

Where to, sir?”

I’m taken by surprise, very few drivers are this polite.

“Crawl, please.

This place is getting a little too loud”, I let out a low chuckle.

Crawl isn’t too far from Glass, and I could have easily walked.

It takes no more than seven minutes before the taxi pulls to the curb outside.

I leave the driver with a generous tip and before I can close the door, three very intoxicated women jump in, singing to him. “Have fun!”, I wink and close the door as he shakes his head at the intoxicated rendition of “It's my life”.

Crawl is much quieter than Glass, its regulars are the upper-class businessmen and women, here to drink through the guilt of whatever corrupt maneuvers they have pulled that day, week, or month.

It’s a never ending shit show and I can’t wait to change that.

I head straight in-side, the bouncer stepping aside swiftly, entering the high-ceilinged room decorated with exquisite chandeliers hanging low, glistening off the mirror walls.

It’s brighter in here, I look around and admire the décor.

It’s not my first visit, I just didn’t pay much attention until now.

I’m stopped in my tracks when my eyes catch sight of the stunning black haired beauty walking through the center of the room like she owns the place, the gold fabric clinging to her body.

That’s when I realized she was the woman in the skimpy little black dress last night.

Gold is more her colour.

It’s been half an hour since we arrived and it's already so much busier than last night, yet still not packed out.

Selene used her womanly charm to get us a booth, luckily, I’ve still got a great view of the bar and entrance to keep my eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.

She keeps telling me to relax and enjoy, but this is still work for me.

“Where has that waiter gone, we need more drinks!”, she whines, looking around the nearby tables.

“It’s busier tonight, I’ll head to the bar once we have finished these.”

Silently trying to slow our pace, she pouts at my response but I’m not giving in to her, I can’t drink at her pace.

We sit, enjoying the privacy the booth gives us, chuckling between ourselves as we watch people around the room, giving those that stand out made up background stories.

We’ve managed to clock several well-known government officials and a small group of actors.

Not majorly well-known actors, but still their work is appreciated.

Majority of the guests tonight are male, which doesn’t surprise us, given most of the staff on tonight are female.

The women that have stood out to us we suspected to be escorts.

One definitely was, as we watched her lead an older gent out the front door.

Selene’s nails tap around her empty glass, her way of prompting me to get fresh drinks “Ok, ok.

I’ll go over now.

Just don’t move, we don’t want to lose this spot”, I toss her a wink as I finish my drink and make way for the bar, trying to avoid the swaying drunks and dancing bodies.

Managing to squeeze through the group of sleazy gents, I feel that familiar sensation of goosebumps on my neck yet again.

I’m putting it down to the group currently calling out perverted comments.

Aiming straight for the empty space at the bar, I flash a smile at the bartender who mouths that he’ll be with me in one minute.

Glancing around the room, I see some guy chatting to Selene.

She doesn’t look impressed, but she doesn’t look uncomfortable, so I don’t worry.

I've seen that woman hold her own in worse places and situations.

I can still feel eyes on me.

“You’re back, what can we get for you tonight?”, his blue eyes dropping from mine to my chest.

Clearing my throat, they jump back up.

“Two Manhattans, please”.

Pulling out my card, he waves it off.

“Your drinks have been added to a tab tonight”, he says and confusion hits, as I look around for any inclination who’s tab it could be, but no one gives up.

Leaving a tip, I take the glasses and make my way back to the booth, the guy talking to Selene has taken a seat at this point, it could be his tab.

Taking a less crowded route, careful to not spill our drinks, I continue glancing around, and spot a group of women, the kind of women you hear before you see them.

They seem to be celebrating something or other having arrived and taken over the dance floor, men gather around watching as they gyrate with each other, every now and then letting out a “Wooo!”.

Not exactly the spot you would expect to encounter a group of woo girls, but who am I to say where woo girls go out?

My glasses smash to the floor as I feel a hand ride up my dress and grab my bare ass cheek.

My body jerks round, ready to slap the owner of the hand, when my eyes meet with the tiger's eye gemstones I met this morning.

He stands there holding some other guy by the front of his shirt.

“Are you ok, Ace?”

he asks sincerely, his eyes filled with rage as he clutches the man, I presume he's the one who grabbed me.

“I… I’m sorry, I was just fooling around, I didn’t realize she was your girl, the wandering hand owner blurts out in a rush of nerves and panic.

“I’m not…”

he interrupts my correction as I watch the snake covering his hand dance with the tension of his muscles beneath the skin.

“I think you should leave now, keeping your hands to yourself as you do”, he lets the guy go, giving him a push towards the exit, the frightened dude stumbling on his feet, as he makes a swift exit.

A waitress appears next to me, cleaning the broken glass around my feet.

It's then I notice how people have created a circle around us, not paying us any attention, but I feel like there’s all eyes on me.

“Thank you!”, my nerves pick up, as he closes the space between us.

“Are you sure you're ok?”, he whispers, the snake coming towards my cheek as his thumb slowly glides across my flush skin.

“I’m fine, thank you, again!”, flashing him a smile, as I step to the side, heading back towards the bar.

I can’t return to Selene empty handed.

Yet, he follows, staying close to my side.

Waiting for the bartender to get to me, I turn to face him, my entire body burning from his heated gaze.

“Really I’m fine, I really appreciate your help, but you should go back to enjoying your night”.

He watches me intently as I talk, his hand making a waving motion towards the bartender.

“Who’s to say I wouldn’t enjoy the night spent with you?”

his voice deep and seductive, I can spot a playful glint in his eyes.

The heat coursing through my body is near unbearable, I turn to order my drinks when I see they’ve already been made and placed on a tray.

He reaches out, picking up the tray.

“Show me the way!”

he says, lifting his chin away from the bar.

“Orion!”, he whispers in my ear, the feeling of his breath on my skin sends electricity down to my core.

I go to respond when he interrupts “.

Yes, I remember.”, he gives me a cheeky grin and, my God, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed.

We reach the booth, Selene’s gaze shifting from her company straight to me “What took you…”

she stops when she sees Orion come from behind me, her jaw dropping.

“Oh, , you found yourself a treat!”.

My cheeks go red hot and I can only imagine I’m the shade of a tomato.

Sitting down, I see there are already fresh drinks on the table, as Orion places down the tray.

“A waiter showed up, so we ordered.”

She shifts her gaze between me and Orion, as he glides in next to me, a childlike grin plastering her face.

“Orion.

encountered a little trouble on the way back, thought I would return her in one piece to you.”

Selene reaches her hand out, her delicate fingers wrapping across the snake on his hand, and I feel a sudden jolt of jealousy.

“Selene, the flat mate and best friend.

Very knight in shining armor of you to save our girl”, Selene flashes me a wink and I slowly sink into the back of the booth trying to hide all my embarrassment, as I tip the glass to my mouth.