All dressed up like bait
1163 Words
Chapter 5.
Tori.
I stood in front of the vanity mirror, barely recognizing the girl staring back at me.
Tight black dress. Heels that made me taller than I was used to. Soft curls falling around my face. Red lipstick.
I looked… like someone else. Like someone who wasn’t scared out of her mind.
But I had to be that girl tonight.
I took a deep breath and walked out of the room, heading down the grand staircase. At the bottom stood Ethan and Adam, mid-conversation. The second they looked up and saw me, they both paused.
Adam’s eyes widened. Ethan’s expression didn’t change, but something flickered in his gaze.
“I know this isn’t my usual style,” I said, a bit awkwardly. “But do I look bad or…?”
Adam stepped forward and took my hand, spinning me slightly like I was a doll. “You look good, Tori. Right, Ethan?”
We both turned to him.
Ethan’s eyes swept over me, slow and unreadable. “She looks like a girl for once,” he muttered.
I glared at him. Of course, he couldn’t give a proper compliment if his life depended on it.
Adam smirked at our usual back-and-forth. “Come on, let’s get moving.”
Outside, the night air was cool. A sleek black car waited by the curb, engine running. Adam opened the back door for me and leaned in before I climbed in.
“Remember the plan. Be calm, confident. You’ve got this.”
I nodded, heart pounding.
Then he slipped something into my hand.
It was a small black pistol.
“What the hell…” I gasped.
“Shhh. Just keep it on you. It’s for emergencies only,” Adam whispered. “You probably won’t need it.”
I swallowed hard and slid into the seat. Before I could think too much about what I was doing, the door shut and the driver pulled off.
***
By the time we got to the club, my nerves were everywhere. The lights. The music. The pulsing bass under my feet.
“You got this, Tori,” I whispered to myself, stepping out of the car. “How hard can it be?”
I walked straight to the VIP section like I belonged there. That was half the trick, right? Acting like you were meant to be seen.
It didn’t take long to find him,Marco Gonzalez.
He sat in the corner booth, surrounded by a few men and two girls hanging off his arms. His shirt was unbuttoned halfway, and he laughed loudly like the whole world was his.
Gross.
I moved closer, swaying to the music, pretending I didn’t see him while making sure he saw me.
It worked.
His eyes landed on me, slow and hungry.
He stood and walked over, drink in hand, swaying slightly.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said, eyeing me up and down. “Can I buy you a drink?”
I gave him a soft smile. “I was hoping you’d ask.”
We talked a little, he mostly talked about himself. Drunk, full of ego and clearly used to women giving him attention.
I just smiled and touched his arm here and there. Played the game.
It wasn’t hard to seduce him.
He leaned closer, his breath hot against my neck. “Wanna go somewhere quieter?” he asked.
I leaned in, brushing my lips against his ear.
“Do you have a room?”
He grinned like he’d just won something.
Moments later, he was leading me upstairs to his hotel room above the club, his hand wrapped tightly around mine.
I forced a smile and followed him in.
But inside, my heart was racing.
The second we stepped into his hotel room, Marco closed the door behind us and turned to me, already leaning in. His lips found mine and I had to force myself not to pull away. His kiss was sloppy and rushed, nothing close to romantic or passionate. Just gross.
Still, I kissed him back. I had to.
I waited a few seconds, then gently pushed him away, forcing a flirtatious smile. “Wanna spice things up?” I asked, reaching into my purse.
His eyes lit up with interest. “Kinky. I like it.”
I pulled out two tiny pills, handing one to him while pretending to take the other. He didn’t even hesitate, he popped it into his mouth and swallowed it with a grin.
Amateur.
Within seconds, we were kissing again, but I could already feel his energy changing. His movements became slower, his words more slurred.
Then, he slumped backward onto the bed.
Out cold.
I quickly stepped back, wiping my mouth with a tissue from my purse, trying not to gag. I hated every second of that.
“Ugh,” I muttered under my breath, tossing the tissue in the bin.
Time to work.
I started searching the room quickly, opening drawers and scanning the space. It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for, his laptop, hidden in a desk drawer.
I pulled it out and opened it. Of course, it was password protected.
“Please let this work,” I whispered, grabbing Marco’s limp hand and pressing his thumb against the fingerprint scanner.
Click. Unlocked.
Relief washed over me.
I plugged in the flash drive Adam gave me and started copying the files. The screen is filled with loading bars. It was slow, painfully slow and my heart pounded with every second that passed.
“Come on… hurry up,” I whispered, glancing nervously at the door.
Minutes ticked by. My nerves were on edge.
Finally, the progress bar hit 100%. I yanked the flash drive out and shoved it back into my purse.
And then, I heard it.
Shouting.
It came from outside the room. Raised voices. A loud crash. Someone groaned in pain.
My heart leapt into my throat.
I rushed toward the door but before I could even touch the handle, it burst open.
A huge man charged in.
I screamed and stepped back but he moved fast, faster than I expected. I kicked him hard in the stomach and he stumbled but only for a second. Then he grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking so hard it ripped the wig right off my head.
I twisted out of his grip and ran toward the hallway. I saw Ethan’s man lying on the floor, unmoving.
This wasn’t part of the plan.
The man chased after me. We crashed into furniture, knocking over a lamp. He caught up again, slamming me into a wall. My vision blurred for a second.
I reached into my purse, fingers fumbling. I found the gun Adam gave me.
Before I could fully aim it, he lunged again, and we began to struggle.
His hands wrapped around my wrists, trying to turn the gun toward me.
We fought, hands slipping, knees bumping, breath ragged.
And then
BANG!
- Writer
