KING OF THE UNDERWORLD: Lucien and Scarlett (Earthbound Series Book 1) Read online

  "Have you changed yet?' The irritated voice at the door broke through my thoughts with a bang on the door, 'do I have to remind you that Mr. Sinclair doesn't abide lateness,"

  I rolled my eyes. 'Yes, sorry I'm coming,' I called out as I hurried over. Thank heavens that I wouldn't have to see the woman after today; she seemed to be a right dragon.

  'Well …. I suppose you'll just have to do, just make sure you're on time tomorrow,' the woman told me as she flickered her gaze up and down my body before turning on the balls of her feet head held the high nose up in the air as if she'd smelt something distasteful, walking back the way she must have just came. Realizing with a start that she must want me to follow. I hurried to catch up to her, praying I didn't slip over. As I came up behind her, I realised that she was still talking. 'You're being placed on the second floor tonight. No one will make any inappropriate advances towards you,' she stopped turning towards me, as a sly smile twisted her lips' as long as you have the choker on, of course. Lose that …….' She said with a shrug, a smirk coming upon her lips as she pulled her hand out of her pocket, handing me a thin velvet black and red choker with a single row of five diamonds across it "well, let's just say you might not like the outcome."

  What the hell did she mean by that? The smirk plastered across her face wasn't reassuring me at all. Taking the choker out of her hand, and I placed it around my neck. I had the feeling that she was doing her best to frighten me, and from the look in her eyes, she was getting off on it. Err the dirty bitch.

  Freaky bloody woman, she was really giving me the creeps. There was something not quite right about her. Maybe it was the fact I knew she wasn't human. I just prayed that she wouldn't have anything else to do with me while I was here.

  "Suzette is waiting for you, she'll take you to the next floor'' she told me, indicating towards a woman that seemed too appear from thin air with a flick of her hand, 'unless you're told to do so by myself or Mr. Sinclair. Do not under any circumstance, go to any other floor than you'll be working on. Suzette will show you what the job entails and go into more depth of what's expected of you', she informed me before giving me another glance over before swiftly turning on her toes and walking back the same way. I now wanted to know more than ever why the other floors were out of bounds. We already knew that certain pleasures were available for a price, now I wondered what else Lucien Sinclair was hiding. Maybe a little more wandering around was required. I knew I'd have to be extra careful; I didn't want to be caught. I just hoped that I found out what had happened to Megan while being here. I looked at the young woman who came to stand beside me. Her hair was cut short to her head and dyed a deep purple she was petite standing under five foot tall. Together we watched her walk away. With her head cocked to one side, she told me in a hushed tone, 'Avoid her as much as you can and for god's sake whatever you do don't get on her bad side,' she paused a frown appearing upon her face as if she was pondering if she should tell me more. Then deciding to dismiss it 'come on I'll show you what your duties are' she told me, pushing the button to summon the lift, "by the way, I'm Suzette,"

  Not able to stop, as I met her gaze, "I'm Scarlett," I tell her, "why are you warning me?' I asked I didn't know her from Adam, so why would a total stranger give me a heads up.

  She chuckled, shrugging her shoulders, "you're new. I'm just giving you a heads up. She's a right bitch and being Mr. Sinclair’s…." she stopped as if thinking over her thoughts before carrying on 'well let's just say they're very friendly if you get my meaning' she told me with a wink as the lift doors opened 'she doesn't like anyone paying too much attention to him. So, if you do happen to see him, then it's best not to have much contact.' She told me as we stepped into the lift, 'if you want to keep your job, don't cross the cow. She can be a right nasty bitch,'

  Oh great, that's all I needed a jealous, crazy ass of a woman who thought every other female was trying to get with her boss now I would definitely have to try to avoid the freaky cow. There was no way in hell I had any intentions of seeking out Lucien Sinclair. I wanted to avoid him at all costs no matter what my dreams told me; I wasn't staying on after tonight.

  'Well, she has no worries in that department,' I told her with a smile, 'I'm not here to try to have any kind of fun with anyone. That includes Mr. Sinclair. I'm here to do a job, and that's it,'

  "Then you should be fine," Suzette replied, returning my smile 'come on. I'll show you the ropes," she told me as we walked out of the lift and down the long hallway. On one side, the walls were painted in a deep red, the other, the walls were black and gold. There were five wooden doors, two to one side, three the other. The furthest away had black writing on it.

  "The job isn't mind-blowing, it's pretty simple really. Once a room has become vacant, go in and get it ready for the next couple. You will be with me, the first few hours, then you will be on your own. Always make sure to keep your choker on. If you lose it, leave the floor straight away and report to Len. He is one of the guys who oversees the security around here. I will introduce you to him later. I'll warn you now you will see vampires feeding off others from supernatural’s to humans. They are all willing. If you must go up to any of the other levels, remember you'll see more extreme scenes. The higher the floor level, the more extreme the pleasure. Remember, this is basically a sex club where anyone can act out their darkest, dirtiest desires and pleasures. Nothing is forbidden, Mr. Sinclair does not allow rape deaths, etc., if anyone breaks the rules, and then they are severely dealt with. There will be the odd time you will come across a few that are overly friendly. If anyone starts to get out of hand, make sure they know their advances are unwelcome, and they are stepping out of bounds and are making you feel uncomfortable. Let Len know, and he'll deal with it." She continued talking over her shoulder as she pushed open the door that had been furthest away from us. Private Staff Only was written in bold black letters across the entrance.

  Bloody hell, what have I gotten myself into. I was like the helpless sheep going into a den of hungry wolves. It didn't matter that I knew I could protect myself to a certain degree. We had all been trained in self-defence, the other option was to use magic. I just hoped I wasn't put in a position where I had to use it. I needed to stay under the radar as possible. I didn't want anyone realising that I wasn't like any other human. That would be disastrous for every single witch, human and supernatural we knew.

  We walked into a large room; its walls were bare and off white in colour. It was empty except for a large wooden table with wooden chairs placed around it. In one corner stood a coffee and tea maker with a selection of different sandwiches. The other side held a fridge, and cupboards filled the other wall.

  "This is where we grab the cleaning supplies as well as where we take our breaks. The drinks and food are for all staff members to use. Mr. Sinclair employs both humans and supernatural’s. Don't freak out if you happen to see a vampire or any other supernatural feeding in here,' she warned me.

  'Thanks for the heads-up,' I replied, giving her a small smile, hoping my face wasn't showing her how I was really feeling. How was I meant to remember every bloody thing she was telling me? I was trying to keep my face clear of any expression. My stomach was rolling around as if I was on a roller-coaster. I felt so sick I was sure I was going to throw up all over the uniform I had been given. I was out of my depth, which didn't help the overwhelming feeling of dread I was getting. Something terrible was going to happen, the emotion was so bad it was causing me to want to turn and run as if the hounds of hell were at my feet. I had no choice but to carry on. I had to remember that my family depended on me. Most importantly, though she didn't know it, so was Megan.

  I watched as Suzette opened one of the doors, grabbing an assortment of cleaning equipment and filling a cleaning caddy before handing them over to me. Oh, great, I'm a cleaning lady. The cleaning part wasn't the problem, it was what kind of cleaning I would have to do.

  "The main doors to this level open in thirty. It lets all the clien
ts who have pre-booked a room enter first. The others wait in the private booths that are placed discreetly around each chamber until their room becomes available. Please try not to panic if you see something that might be shocking to you. You do get used to it once you have seen it a few times. We have got to give all the rooms a quick looking over before the punters start rolling in. Oh! Before I completely forget. Mr. Sinclair's private residents are on the top floor. He has his own private team, who deal with any of his own needs. His office is on the floor below that. Rarely will we be called to deal with anything, but it has been known on a couple of occasions,"

  I feel myself nodding, I feel like that nodding dog that you see in people's cars. My poor head was whirling around, trying to take everything in. I had thought downstairs had been bad enough. I had known before I had gotten here that every level was more extreme than the last. Hearing and seeing it was an entirely different matter. I prayed that I wasn't called to deal with any problems that might arise in his own quarters. I needed to get out of this situation as soon as I was able, I didn't want anyone taking notice of me. The glamour wasn't going to last forever, and I had to be out within four hours. Not knowing how long the spells were going to last was a huge problem I need to get my bloody ass in gear and start searching for any sign of what had happened to Megan. The only problem was I couldn't do that until I was on my own. I hadn't noticed any cameras, that didn't mean there wasn't any. They wouldn't be in plain sight for everyone to see. I could not get caught; if that happened, our plan would have to change, and we would have to think out of the box. The human police were a waste of time and energy. They had not been any help. It had been a waste of our time telling them that Megan had been on Lucien Sinclair's property when she had gone missing, and yes, she had been there willingly, and they hadn't given a shit. It hadn't mattered in their eyes. We had been so angry when we had been told as Lucien was a Supernatural then it wasn't down to them to look into it. That the Supernatural's own police force would deal with it. Spineless dicks!! We had tried to get hold of the Supernatural’s police force, to no avail.

  How could someone just disappear, and no one realise! We were determined to find out what had happened. If I stayed longer than we had discussed, the appearance I had now would be gone by early morning, if not before. All the spells we had placed would slowly disappear. If that happened, it was a possibility I would have to use my powers. The magic spells we use are mostly old, handed down from our ancestors.

  One generation to the next. A few years ago, Melissa had started to develop her own spells. She was the real spell caster and the one who grew the herbs that are needed to cast any spells. We also use the herbs to heal. Each of us was connected to the earth. We were all connected in some way to each and every one of the elements. We all had other abilities. If I touched an object or person, it would bring up images of that person. It was that power that would help me in finding out what had happened to Megan. The quicker I could do that, the faster I could get out of here. The only problem was that I had this sinking feeling that the longer I stayed, the more I would be sinking in quicksand.

  CHAPTER THREE

  LUCIAN

  I sat there wondering what the fuck was wrong with me. I felt …. Off. Fuck even my Demon was unsettled. No matter what I’d tried to do, the feeling hadn’t disappeared. The women who I had asked to meet me in my office had not helped as they normally would. I had hoped they would distract me. I had fucked them, until they couldn’t do anything else, but lay there exhausted. I had let them rest for an hour, before waking them and sending them on their merry way.

  That feeling was still there, it had gotten worse as each day passed. I always listened to my gut and it was telling me something was coming, which was going to change the lives of many. My own included. I did not need my life to change, I was more than happy with how it was. I was feared throughout my territory and beyond. With my reputation, people tended to think twice before crossing me. I thought nothing of killing someone whether they were Human or a Natural. If you didn’t cross me then you would live a happy fulfilling life. If someone requested to see me, asking for my help. I was more than willing to do so. Debts had to be paid either in weekly payments or in full, with interest. Some never learned. No matter the outcome, they had to realise that it all came at a price! I was not a charity! How many times this had to be said was boarding on lunacy. There were no excuses, they knew what they were getting themselves into. I made sure of that before they placed their signature on that dotted line. Some just never took heed of my warning. That in my eyes, was their downfall. I did not trust easily, those I did had proven their loyalty. They showed their allegiance to me on more than one occasion. Those I knew I could trust were protected and looked after.

  Then there was my bloody Demon. He had been getting too close to the surface on more than one occasion and it was getting harder to keep him back. If he managed to break free, then all hell would break loose. I would find it hard to gain back control. Then there were the fucking crazy dreams. It was the same woman. In some she was beckoning to me, asking for my help. In others it was plain that we had carnal knowledge of each other. Whoever that female was, she was going to be my downfall. The dreams were so bloody fuzzy I couldn’t even make out her features. I knew her body was curvy, and full busted, and that she wouldn’t quite meet my shoulder if she was standing next to me. The only way I would be able to recognise her was by a small birthmark which looked like the crest of the moon, placed inside of her left thigh. The woman would become so important to me, I would do anything in my power to protect her. She was one of the reasons that the changes were heading my way. She was going to be the weakness I couldn’t afford to have, and there wasn’t anything I would be able to stop it from happening. No matter how much I tried.

  Earlier in the day one of my informants had gotten in contact with me, a human woman had gone missing, from my night club Fallen Angel. It was as if she had just vanished. The human police would not get involved as it had happened in my territory. It was down to the Naturals own police to deal with it. I doubted that they would even bother. I had told Damien, my second in command, and who was the closest thing I had as a friend, to get one of the other men to investigate. If I found out that someone had been taken while in one of my clubs or in my territory, then I would make sure it was dealt with. It was a well-known fact that I wasn’t fond of humans. There were just a handful I could tolerate. Other than that, I didn’t need the fucking hassle. I had enough problems.

  A loud banging came from behind the wooden door interrupting my thoughts, I knew that knock from anywhere. Damien. I growled; shit I didn’t need this. The door swung open, ‘’Boss,’’ came the deep gravelly rough voice, as the toffee coloured bald headed figure of Damien entered the room.

  Shit.

  ◆◆◆

  Damien

  Earlier

  The crazy bitch was back. Why, she had come back so quickly baffled me. I had left her in Lucien’s own living quarters. I couldn’t deal with her shit. I would end up killing her. My Demon shared my feelings. I had left two men that were in my squad outside the entrance, giving them strict instructions that she wasn’t to leave. If they disobeyed me, then they would be punished. She was one of the most beautiful females I had ever seen. You know the saying ‘beauty is but skin-deep?’ it fitted her to a T. She made my flesh crawl. Leaving her there had been the only option, while I went to inform Lucien that she was back.

  She walked around as if she owned the damn place. Lording it over everyone. She hated that it didn’t work on me. Why would it? She forgot I knew what and who she was. Lucien tolerated her and gave into her whims. As long as he didn’t except me to do the same, I didn’t give a shit. My hate for her ran deep. She had always been dangerous. She had tried more than once to seduce me. Even though she was meant to be Lucien’s. It pisses her off to know that it doesn’t work no matter how many times she tries.

  She ran one of the smaller regions o
n the outskirts of Lucian’s territory. Lucien had entrusted it to her many years ago. He had never mentioned, why the hell he had even given it to her. At the time Lucien had been so infatuated with her, he would have given her the world if she’d asked him. Personally, I had thought he’d been damn right reckless in doing so, I still thought the same way. Lucien knew I had no love for the woman and never would. She liked to get her own way, no matter the cost. Now I had to go and tell Lucien that she was back, demanding once again to see him. I just hoped that he was in a better mood than he had been in the last few weeks. Now there were two matters to deal with. Aria and the other uninvited guest. It was up to Lucien to decide who to deal with first.

  I stood in front of the heavy wooden door, where Lucien sat somewhere behind. Knowing he wasn’t going to be so happy in being disturbed, I knocked before I entered.

  ◆◆◆

  SCARLETT

  How the hell had I landed myself in this position, oh yes, I scoffed to myself, I had been caught bloody red handed that’s how. How stupid could I have been and now here I was, waiting for their lord and master to appear. I was in a shit load of trouble and it was only going to get worse. How I was going to get out of this? I had to think on my feet. Think about what I was going to say, any excuse wouldn’t do. It had to appear genuine making it sound that I wasn’t lying before he arrived. Not only that, the glamour wasn’t going to last much longer, nor where the protection spells.