Retribution [malexmale]

Prologue

Prologue

The night was cold.

Layers of sleek white frost coated the cobblestone streets of Inferi on a rare rain-less night, street lamps casting an eerie glow across the cold. Windows crusted with ice, shops dark and empty, the sky alight with the rare gift of silvery stars. A dark alley, narrow and long, with the only creature stirring on such a dark night.

Sharp stiletto heels clicked on the ice, long slender and muscular legs disappearing up into a short pleated skirt, and a long black double-buttoned coat swaying, gloved hands clenched. Demonic red eyes flickered back and forth, painted lips pursed in an everlasting pout, and dark hair swept back into a long ponytail over a slender shoulder. The creature moved with a deadly saunter toward a bolted metal door set in the basement of a nearby apartment building. Gloved knuckles rapped the door, and moment later, a slot in the door snapped open to reveal narrowed green eyes.

"State your name and business." A gruff voice growled. Painted lips pulled into an irritated sneer.

"Jamie Waltz, now open the fucking door, Garret." A deep baritone voice responded. The man on the other side snorted a laugh and the slot snapped shut before the sound of locks clinking and clanking open followed, and the metal door creaked open to reveal a rough, burly looking man with a full grown beard, decked out in enough black to supply the Gothic District of Styx. Jamie narrowed his eyes as he stepped past the large man, who slammed the door shut behind him.

"Get out of work early?" Garret mocked, raking a hungry stare over Jamie's scantily clad body. Jamie flipped him his middle finger, which only resulted in making Garret chuckle further. Jamie hugged his jacket to him closely, clenching his teeth to prevent them from clacking together. Despite the warmth of the basement rewarded by a large imperial fireplace, the chills from outside clung to his bones. Jamie swallowed as Garret walked past him to lead him through a large open lobby in the basement to a pair of locked double doors on the other side.

"He's been waiting for half an hour, so I'd purr like a precious kitty if I were you." Garret told Jamie, who rolled his eyes and raked a gloved hand through his hair to even it out. Garret used the keypad by the door to input a code and do a retinal scan before the doors clicked open and Jamie stepped through them into a lavish office heavily decorated with golds and burgundy. Another large fireplace, leather sofas and armchairs, a large polished desk, and rows upon rows of book shelves. The doors shut behind Jamie as he stood there, watching the leather chair at the desk turn to reveal the man seated there.

The man oozed raw sexual attraction, and yet a deadly aura that told Jamie to keep his distance. The man was ridiculously tall at six foot eight with short dark hair and rugged stubble that made his aristocratic features appear more wild. He wore a pinstripe Italian silk suit that complemented his rock hard muscles. It was enough to make Jamie bite his bottom lip eagerly.

"Jamie, sweetheart. You're late." The man greeted with a low gravely tone. Jamie swallowed, wringing out his hands a bit nervously.

"A client kept me. Sorry." He added. The man smiled slowly, moving around the desk to approach Jamie, who had to tilt his head back to stare up at those eerie black eyes that seemed to hide his true intentions, yet read that of those around him. It made Jamie restless. The man lifted a finger to slide across Jamie's cheek, caressing him for a breathless moment before he tucked a lock of hair behind Jamie's ear.

"Did you get what I asked for?" He murmured after a moment. Jamie blinked the erotic daze the man's touch induced and nodded timidly, reaching into his pocket and removing a small cube that looked strangely like a Rubix cube, except not multi-colored and instead covered in an ancient language he didn't understand. The man's eyes twinkled and Jamie felt a thrill shoot through his system at being able to please him as he handed the cube over and the man took it gently into his palms, holding it up to the light.