BLOOD AND VELVET
963 Words
# Chapter 1
## Black Viper
Rain poured endlessly over the city, drowning the streets in silver reflections and neon light. Midnight traffic crawled below skyscrapers while music thundered through the heart of downtown—
The Black Viper nightclub.
The club belonged to the Moretti family.
Which meant it belonged to fear.
Inside, smoke curled through the air as wealthy politicians, criminals, and socialites pretended not to notice the armed guards standing near every exit. Nobody came to Black Viper innocent. They came to make deals, trade secrets, or disappear for a night into the dangerous luxury the club promised.
And at the center of it all sat Kai Moretti.
One hand rested lazily against a crystal whiskey glass while the other tapped slowly against the leather couch beside him. Dressed in black from head to toe, he looked less like a man and more like something carefully sculpted from shadows.
People avoided eye contact with him.
Smart people, anyway.
“Boss.”
Kai barely looked up.
A nervous man stood nearby, sweating despite the cold air conditioning.
“We found the traitor.”
The music continued pounding around them.
Kai took a slow sip of whiskey.
“And?”
“He’s begging to speak with you.”
Finally, Kai lifted his eyes.
Dark. Sharp. Empty.
“Then he clearly doesn’t know me very well.”
The man beside him swallowed hard before nodding quickly and disappearing into the crowd.
Kai leaned back against the couch with quiet exhaustion.
Another betrayal.
Another body.
Another endless night.
At twenty-six years old, Kai had already become one of the most feared men in the city. People whispered his name like a warning. Some called him the prince of the underworld.
Others called him a monster.
Neither description mattered much to him anymore.
Fear was useful.
Fear kept people alive.
At least, that’s what his uncle always said.
“You look bored.”
Kai’s attention shifted instantly toward the unfamiliar voice.
A stranger stood beside the VIP table like he belonged there.
Tall.
Broad shoulders hidden beneath a charcoal-gray coat.
Dark curls slightly damp from the rain outside.
And eyes far too calm for someone standing uninvited in Moretti territory.
Every guard in the room had noticed him already. Kai could tell from the subtle movement near the exits.
Interesting.
“Do I know you?” Kai asked coolly.
The stranger smiled slightly as he slid into the seat across from him without permission.
“No.”
“That’s unfortunate for you.”
“Maybe.” The man glanced around the nightclub lazily. “But I was curious.”
Kai hated curious people.
They asked questions.
Questions led to problems.
“And what exactly are you curious about?” Kai asked.
The stranger met his gaze directly.
“You.”
Silence settled between them.
Most people couldn’t hold Kai’s stare for more than a few seconds. This man looked perfectly comfortable under it.
Dangerous.
Kai set down his whiskey carefully.
“You’ve got ten seconds before my guards drag you outside.”
“Only ten?” the stranger asked with mock disappointment. “I was hoping for fifteen.”
A faint laugh escaped one of the girls sitting nearby before immediately dying under Kai’s expression.
The stranger noticed.
And smirked.
That annoyed Kai more than it should have.
“What’s your name?” Kai asked finally.
The man tilted his head slightly.
“Luca.”
The name hit like ice water.
Not because Kai recognized the face—
But because he recognized the surname that came next.
“Luca Romano.”
Every muscle in Kai’s body went still.
Romano.
The rival family.
The enemy.
Around them, the atmosphere shifted instantly as guards reached discreetly for weapons beneath their jackets.
Luca noticed.
Still smiling.
“Well,” Luca said softly, “this suddenly became tense.”
Kai stood slowly from the couch.
The entire VIP section fell silent.
“You’re either incredibly brave,” Kai said quietly, “or incredibly stupid.”
Luca looked up at him without fear.
“Maybe both.”
Before anyone could react, Kai grabbed Luca by the collar and slammed him against the wall beside the booth. Glasses rattled on nearby tables. Several people screamed softly and backed away.
Kai’s voice dropped low enough for only Luca to hear.
“You walked into my club alone,” he hissed. “Give me one reason not to kill you.”
Luca stared at him for a long moment.
Then—
“Because you’re lonely.”
Kai froze.
Not visibly.
Not enough for others to notice.
But Luca noticed.
And somehow that was worse.
The grip on Luca’s collar tightened slightly.
“You know nothing about me.”
“I know people who are truly happy don’t look at rooms like battlefields.”
Kai’s jaw clenched.
For a second, something dangerous flashed through his eyes.
Not rage.
Something heavier.
Something tired.
Then his expression went cold again.
“You should leave,” Kai said flatly.
“That sounds almost polite.”
“Next time I won’t be.”
Luca slowly pulled Kai’s hand away from his collar.
The guards around them immediately tensed.
But Luca simply straightened his coat and stepped back toward the exit.
At the nightclub doors, he paused.
Then glanced back once.
“You know,” Luca said casually, “you’re prettier when you’re angry.”
And then he disappeared into the rain.
Silence swallowed the room.
One of Kai’s men approached carefully.
“Boss… should we follow him?”
Kai stared toward the doorway long after Luca vanished.
His heartbeat felt strangely uneven.
Annoying.
Dangerous.
Interesting.
“…No,” Kai said at last.
But that night, for the first time in years—
Kai Moretti couldn’t stop thinking about someone.
- Writer
