Chapter 3: Sierra

"I still can't believe that you actually stopped a moving train with just a laptop!" Edmund said, his British accent enveloping his tone as he swayed his body to the beat of the DJ's music.

"And to think you did that to save a freaking cat. Amazing!" Alice chipped in, raising her voice above the deafening beat. Moments later, she emptied her glass, draining it with a single shot.

"Yeah, tell us, Sierra, how fun was that? I want the details!" Diego said, his eyes widening in astonishment.

Okay, here we go. Now, I have to tell them it's not true—that Madelyn made that up, I thought to myself, stealing a glance at her as she slipped her drink, wiggling her brows at me.

"It must have been a thrilling adventure," Colin said, smiling at me in a manner that made me feel uncomfortable. He'd been doing that since Madelyn introduced me to the group about ten minutes ago.

"I…I don't know what to say," I replied, a little shy as I hadn't fully loosened up around them yet, even though they seemed nice and quite friendly.

"Pay no attention to her," Madelyn said, "She's modest, this one. She won't accept that she's a genius."

"Aww. That's sweet," Alice said, her hand flying to her chest as her pretty hazel shimmered behind her glasses.

Alice looked like a nerd, especially with those giant glasses shielding her eyes and the wavy auburn hair that fell loosely over her shoulders. She was the one girl amongst us wearing a polo shirt over a pair of baggy jeans.

Edmund was British; his accent gave him away, but when I'd asked where exactly he was from, he said London. He was a friendly person, tall with brown hair and a fine beard. He had a brown jacket on, with a shirt undershirt on a pair of brown pants.

Diego was from New Mexico. He was not very tall but handsome. Over his eyes were black sun shades that matched the color of his shirt and pants. He seemed charming but reserved, from what I could tell.

Colin was cute with sharp blue eyes and a pretty smile, a smile he wouldn't stop flashing at me. At first, I'd been okay with it, but right now, it was starting to become disturbing.

"I believe I speak on behalf of everyone here when I say it's nice to finally meet you, Sierra," Diego said.

"Yeah, indeed," Edmund seconded, and his phone buzzed in his hand. Glancing at his lit screen, he grumbled, "Ah, bloody hell. I have to take this. Excuse me."

"Say hello to her for me!" Madelyn teased as he left.

Edmund turned around and gave her the middle finger. "Shove that up your ass!"

She laughed.

"Who's her ?" I asked, not that I cared or anything. It was none of my business, but I needed to keep the conversation going. Besides, I was curious.

" Her is Susanne," Alice replied, leaning forward to whisper into my ear. "His overbearing girlfriend."

My brows rose, and an impromptu smile played on my lips as I stood there, amused. "She doesn't know he's here?"

"Are you kidding?" Diego broke in. "If she finds out that he went clubbing without her, he's as good as dead."

I laughed. "Then why didn't you guys invite her?"

"Who, Susanne? Hell freaking no!" Alice said. "She's trouble, trust me."

This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Madelyn's friends were fun to hang out with, and for a moment there, I was glad I'd decided to come. Then, I caught Colin seriously staring at me, and all of a sudden, that discomfort returned. Madelyn's college friends were all cool, except for him; he was next-level creepy. Cute, but creepy.

"Are you ready, party people?!" The DJ's voice boomed across the hall as he scratched the disk and switched the tempo of the beat to a more lively one.

The crowd screamed in excitement, moving their bodies to the upbeat music that filled the air and charged up the atmosphere.

"Fuck, this is my favorite song!" Alice shrieked at the top of her lungs, sliding away to the heart of the club with both her hands thrown up in the air.

I watched her dance wildly, and soon, a couple of boys joined in her fun.

How can she look so innocent and be this crazy at the same time? I wondered.

Madelyn was busy dancing with Diego, leaving Colin and me.

"I've been staring at you all evening," he said, taking gentle steps forward.

Yeah, it was kinda hard to miss out on that.

Not taking my silence as a cue, he added, "Aren't you at least a little curious to know why that is?"

"Not exactly," I replied, pulling away from his close proximity.

"You make my heart skip, Sierra," he said. "I gotta say, I didn't think that you'd be this beautiful."

"I'm not sure how to take this," I said, my brows furrowing as I tilted my head back.

"Take it as a compliment," he said, flashing me a flirtatious grin with a touch of lust.

His stare was now more disturbing, and I was starting to get irritated. The grimace I felt twisting my face surely displayed my displeasure, but he was too turned on to notice. I knew this for sure because the print of his cock was visible underneath his pants. Maybe I was supposed to find it attractive, but I didn't; in fact, I found it rather repulsive.

He'd come too close, and I could feel his breath on my skin. I could even smell his cologne; it was rich, almost suffocating, as it flooded my nostrils.

"Step back, please," I said, turning my face away from his.

"Why?" he asked in a low tone. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" He pulled me to him, his hand around my waist.

"Matter of fact, yes. Yes, you do," I said, squirming out of his hold. "Let go of me, Colin."

His erection was brushing against me as I struggled, and his fingers were slipping into my hair.

"I said, let go !" I stressed the words and pushed him away from me.

He got a grip on himself after a moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be silly."

I exhaled sharply, my senses still on high alert as I glared at him.

Silly didn't even begin to cover it.

He stepped forward again, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "I really am sorry, Sierra."

"It's fine." I took a step back, trying to calm my racing heart.

He must have acted under the influence of the lust that had overwhelmed him. So, I cut him some slack and excused myself, though I didn't hide my lingering disgust.

"Hey, Sierra," Madelyn called out, rushing up behind me. "Wait up." She grabbed my wrist and spun me around. "What's going on? Are you alright?"

"I…ugh." My hand flew to my forehead, with my fingers gently caressing it.

"What is it?" she asked, concern flickering in her eyes.

She had no idea what Colin had done, so I stole a glance in his direction. He pleaded with his eyes, and he seemed sorry for his attempt.

"Talk to me, Sierra," she said, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Did something happen? What is it?"

"It's nothing," I said, forcing a smile. "I just needed some air, that's all."

"Really? Are you sure?" she asked, her frown not slipping. "You know you can tell me anything."

Nice try, Madelyn. But not this time. Thanks, anyway.

"I know, but I'm good, serious," I reaffirmed.

"Okay, thank God." She sighed. "I thought something had happened. You're under my watch; nothing bad can happen to you."

I laughed. "That's sweet, but I can take care of myself, you know."

"Yeah, of course," she agreed, her shoulders relaxing.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her purse, but before she could get it, the buzzing stopped. She jerked her head, and a smile brightened her face. "There he is."

I traced her gaze to a group of men in a corner, and before I could ask which one of them was her new boyfriend, her phone buzzed again.

"Chris is the tall one in black," she said as though she'd read my mind. "I have to take this." She looked at the screen.

"Is Suzanne calling you, too?" I joked.

"Very funny." She excused herself. "In the meantime, go say hello to him." Madelyn gestured her finger in the direction of the men. "Hello?" She placed the phone over one ear with a hand over the other in an attempt to muffle the noise.

"The one in black," I muttered, exhaling sharply. "She just had to make me go to him, knowing full well that I suck at starting up conversations. Classic." I finally mustered the courage and walked up to him.

I almost missed a step in my heels, but I was quick to regain my balance. "Fuck."

Amongst the men, only one fit the description: tall one in black . My God, he was handsome.

Fuck, Madelyn hit the jackpot with this one, I thought, my knees quaking when our eyes met in a fleeting moment. I shouldn't be having these thoughts. He's my best friend's boyfriend. Wait, why does he look Russian? She never mentioned that he was Russian. I thought Chris was a boy…this is a man. A tall, muscular man.

I tried to stop drooling over him, but it seemed almost impossible. His dark hair was neatly combed back, and his matching dark siren eyes melted my heart. Dressed in a black suit, the man exuded power and wealth. He had an imposing build and perfectly trimmed beard that gave him a majestic look.

The closer I got to him, the faster my heart raced. The men around him stepped away one by one as I approached. Soon, he was alone, and I found myself standing in front of him.

"Hi, Chris," I greeted with a smile.

He looked at me, confused as to who I was, squinting his cold and hollow eyes in my direction.

That's weird; why's he looking at me like he doesn't know who I am? Then, I mentally reprimanded myself. Of course, he doesn't; we haven't met before. That's logical. But he must have seen me with Madelyn before she left. Right?

"You don't recognize me, do you?" I asked; he still had that mysterious look etched upon his handsome face. Damn, you're hot.

"I'm afraid I don't," he said, his voice so low and husky that it sent shivers down my spine.

"That's—that's understandable," I replied, trying not to stutter or appear disoriented. "We haven't met before, but Madelyn has told me a lot about you."

She skipped the fact that you're gorgeous, though.

The man was quiet, his eyes lingering on my body, but he still seemed to be listening to what I was saying.

"I'm Madelyn's best friend, Sierra. That should ring a bell," I blurted out.

"Ohh, Sierra," he said, finally recognizing me. "Right. How are you?"

"I'm–I'm alright," I said. "Whatever she told you about me, there's a ninety-eight percent chance that they're all exaggerations," I added jokingly. "Just pointing that out."

He smiled faintly. "What if what she told me about you was nice stuff?"

"Well, then, those are correct." I chuckled.

It was now that I noticed the tattoo around his wrist, just above his golden Rolex. He had one streaking out from beneath his white undershirt, and I assumed that most of his body was covered in ink.

That was fucking hot.

But wait a minute. Why's he dressed in a suit? This is a club, not a business meeting. It looks great on him, though.

"She told me you were beautiful. But she didn't tell me you were this beautiful," he said, burying a hand in his pocket.

His flattery made my cheeks flush and put a smile on my face. She didn't tell me you were this handsome, either. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

"Oh, I highly doubt that," he said, his eyes catching mine like a magnet.

We looked at each other for the next few seconds, and I cursed at myself for crushing on my best friend's boyfriend. I knew this feeling would fade with time, but for now, I couldn't help but admire him.

For some very weird reason, I felt drawn to him, and the aura he gave was both dangerous and safe at the same time.

I forced myself to tear my gaze off him and focus my attention on the floor as though what would save me from his charms sat at my feet.

"Sierra!" Madelyn's voice startled me, and I felt like she'd caught me falling for her man; my heart rate picked up, and I couldn't help the guilt that washed over me.

"Yes?" I swiveled immediately to face her.

My brows knitted as I saw her standing with her elbow locked with a young man's. He was tall and wearing a black jacket over a pair of black pants. Along with being lanky, he had the stance of a model.

Hold on a minute. What's going on here?

She smiled. "Sierra, this is Chris."

Holy shit! I exclaimed within me. Are you kidding me right now?

"Chris, baby, this is my best friend, Sierra," Madelyn said, holding tightly onto him.

"Nice to finally meet you, Sierra. She's told me a lot about you." He reached out to shake my hand.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. This isn't happening. Is it? Fuck, it is.

I took his hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you, too, Chris."

If this is Chris, then who's…? I turned back to face the strange man who'd made me feel butterflies in my stomach, but he was gone. Okay…this is so fucked up.

At least I wasn't falling for my best friend's boyfriend. That was a huge relief. But the big question remained: Who was that man?

**********

Later that night, after all the fun time with Madelyn and her folks, she was already wasted and talking gibberish.

"Alright, let's get you outta here," Chris said, carrying her in arms.

"This is how you're gonna carry me on our wedding night, Chris—I feel like a fucking bride!" she said, her voice rising and falling, a testament to the many glasses she'd had.

"She's drunk," Alice said, laughing. She was also drunk, but not like Madelyn.

We all stepped out of the club and headed to our various places, the noise fading as we left.

Madelyn belched. "Sierra, baby, I'll be going home with Chris tonight. Hope you don't mind."

"I'm good," I replied.

It was a good thing I came with my own car…speaking of cars. "Shit!" I exclaimed, rubbing my eyes.

"What is it?" Diego asked, helping a drunk Edmund stand on his feet.

"I forgot my keys back at our table," I said.

"That's not good," Alice said. "You're gonna have to push through the crowd at the front door. Look how long it took us to get out."

Damn it, she was right.

"There's another way inside," Chris said, shutting the door of his car where Madelyn was cuddled up in the passenger seat.

"Really?" I asked, interested.

"Yeah, there's a door at the back. You can use it to avoid the rush at the front gate."

"Thank you," I said, already in motion.

"Do you need company?" Colin asked, equally wasted.

I didn't even need a second to consider his offer. "Nah, I'm good. But thanks."

I left them and headed to the back.

It was quiet back, and the only sounds I could hear were those of the crickets, which was weird considering how loud the club was. I didn't want to think much about the fact that there wasn't a single person out here beside me.

"Just find the door and get in. How hard can that be?" I muttered to myself.

Suddenly, a loud thud startled me, accompanied by a muffled scream of someone in pain. I paused in my tracks, a sense of unease creeping up my spine. The sound seemed to have come from a dark alley, and I turned in that direction.

Bad idea, Sierra. Mind your own business.

The muffled sounds continued, and I was convinced that it was a struggle between two or more individuals.

"Shut the fuck up," said a voice from the alley, probably the thickest and scariest I'd ever heard, sounding straight out of a horror movie.

"Shit!" I exclaimed softly, withdrawing my phone from my purse with shaky hands as I called the first number that came to mind.

It was obvious that someone was in trouble, and my conscience wouldn't let me walk away.

Tiptoeing toward the alley, I snuck a peak and saw about six huge men surrounding a defenseless man who was begging with his hands. I couldn't see his face nor the faces of the men who had him on his knees, but I did see that one of the men had a knife to the captive's throat.

"911, what's your emergency?" the female voice spoke through the speaker of my phone.