To Find a Queen

~ THREE ~

Instead of the usual shout to come in that I was expecting, the door was suddenly swung open and I caught my breathe as I stared at the chest of one of the largest men I had ever laid eyes on.

My gaze slowly travelled upwards for what seemed like an age, until they finally stopped on his face. Of all the things I thought I’d experience in life, meeting Hercules reborn wasn’t one of them I said in my mind as I somehow managed to keep my smile in place. From the small flicker of a smirk I saw on his lips there is a chance that wasn’t an inside thought after all.

‘Just a new waitress, Sirs’ the man said, but still didn’t step out of the way.

Hercules raised his eyebrow in question. With an eye roll that I probably also should have kept inside, I raised my eyebrow back. You going to move big fella? I tried to ask with my face. With another small smirk that I almost missed, he stepped to the side, and I got my first view of the inside of the room.

Wow, what a s**t show Vinny, was all I could think, as it took every ounce of strength I had not to laugh at his predicament right now. He was tied to chair in the middle of the room, his trousers were missing and he was sitting in a white crumpled shirt and what I believed to be Hawaiian themed underwear. His bald head had beads of sweat running off it and there was a beautiful red welt forming across his face, clearly indicating he had been hit recently. Oh, how I wish I could have been the one to give him that.

I took a few steps into the room as Hercules shut the door behind me. I was finding it difficult to look away from Vinny, wanting to make sure I could perfectly burn this amazing scene into my mind so I could call upon it in future times of needing a good laugh. Most people probably would have been nervous walking into this sort of scene, but I’d been through a lot in my 26 years of life and I was well aware of Hellgate underworld etiquette. Don’t ask, don’t know, can’t tell. Not that the law often got involved anymore round here. I’m pretty sure they long ago decided Hellgate wasn’t worth the funding and resources it takes to police this side of the City. I think they were hoping we would burn ourselves into the ground and then once the fires fizzled out they could take back over and rebuild it. Unfortunately for them that never happened. Of all things tall, dark and sexy as f**k, who do we have here.

When I finally decide to look away from Vinny, my eyes lock on to the deadliest yet sexiest man I had ever laid eyes upon. He is leaning against the poker table that’s now against the wall, a large knife twirling effortlessly over his knuckles then between his perfectly manicured fingers repeatedly. His black shirt pulled tight across the lean muscles of his arms and chest. Tucked into black jeans and finished with perfectly polished air of combat boots and a leather jacket draped over the table behind him. His close-cropped hair had a military style about it and dark, almost black eyes made him seem like he was staring into my very soul. A fine nose and almost too thin lips gave him a deadly yet delicious looking face. If I die now, then its obviously because I’ve seen something so beautiful, human eyes were never meant to lay upon it. s**t. When did I become a poet?

I almost can’t take my eyes of him, but movement in my periphery makes my gaze flicker to another man sat back in one of the green velvet arm chairs of the room.

He is dressed in a white shirt, grey suit jacket and matching trousers. All so crisp none would dare wrinkle whilst against this man’s body, yet perfectly accentuate his powerful frame and leave you believing he is built like a god underneath them. He has slightly longer hair shaved at the sides and neatly combed back giving a professional but no nonsense look. He has a neatly trimmed beard, almost short enough to call it stubble and a jawline most male models have to pay for. His deep brown eyes are laser focused on me as he lifts his whisky glass to his lush pink lips, the movement seeming more precise than taking a drink should be. Oh jeez there’s two of them. I’ve walked through the wrong door and ended up on freaking Mount Olympus with the gods or some s**t.

Someone blows out a breath to my other side and my heart skips as butterflies start taking up residence in my stomach. I turned my head and spot him stood casually against the wall on the opposite side of the room. One leg bent with a foot against the wall and a cigarette lifted to his lips as he inhales another slow drag, his eyes scanning slowly up my body and I swear they are leaving a trail of heat as they go, almost like a physical touch. I returned the favor, starting at his brown laced shoes. Travelling up his perfectly fitting dark blue jeans that do nothing to hide his large…legs. A grey short sleeved collared shirt with the top 2 buttons opened to show the shadow of a well-defined chest and the edge of a tattoo. An almost delicate looking shaven face with the most dazzling blue eyes I’ve ever seen and thick rounded lips that look like they were made for women’s pleasure. His dirty blonde hair is longer than the others and has a natural wave that makes it look stylishly messy on top of his head and a topped of with a flirtatious smirk that would melt a woman’s pants, and probably a few men’s too.

My lungs seem to have decided to stop functioning as I feel a fourth new presence coming from the shadowed corner just behind me to the left. I can feel his eyes boring into the back of my skull and I’m more than 90% sure it isn’t in the same way as smoker over there. Something about his aura is screaming at my primal instincts to play dead, as if a predator is closing in. But me being the smart girl I am, decided to turn and lay eyes on the imposing presence.

He is mostly covered by the shadows, but holy hell is he big. I thought Hercules over there was large but he’s an ant compared to this guy. At least 6ft 4 and almost the same width. His outline screams dangerous. Arms the size of a truck are folded over a wide bulging chest. Tree trunk legs seem to almost burst from his black trousers and well-worn boots peak out from under them. From what I can see of his face he is just as handsome as the others, but in a ragged, rough around the edges vibe. A slightly overgrown beard and thick brown hair pulled back into a bun at the back of his head. I cant make out the color of his eyes but I almost get lost in them when they lock onto mine. I think I can make out the shadow of a scar running down the right side of his face, but a whimper from Vinny stops me from looking too closely as I snap my head back towards him.

Then it clicks. What the f**k did you do, Vinny?

The four kings of Hell. The deadliest and most feared men in Hellgate, and I’m stood in the same god damn room as all 4 of them. Yet the strangest thing about it all, I don’t feel even an ounce of fear.

Yep, it’s official. I’m f****d in the head.