Jack's Coven

Playlist for this chapter: Genius by LSD & Sia, Be my Queen by Seafret.

* DOVE *

My fingers strummed all the right chords, flying over the strings of my guitar as I sang my heart out. I opened my eyes, my gaze drifting over all the ones that were looking over at me but I was only aware of one strong gaze that kept me locked in place and took my breath away. His.

His infectious smile made me want more, just like his rough and possessive touches on my body. They burned like he was branding me as his own. I sang Taylor Swift's Red, and everyone sang along in perfect sync and harmony. Another few songs and when it was over, the applause was everything I could hope for and even better.

I walked to my friends, a big smile on my face as I reached them. Abby ran to me and hugged me so tightly I thought I'd choke.

"Oh my god Dove you were so effin' good!" She squealed and I laughed at her, letting Cole in on the hug. I looked over at Nicholas from the corner of my eye, smiling at me. I walked over to him and stood in front of him, arms crossed across my chest.

"Didn't know you could smile." I told him, a big grin on my face.

"Didn't know you could sing." He told me, making my grin even wider. "You were great sweetheart." He told me and although I've been called sweetheart before, this felt different. It felt right.

"Come on, let's get drinks." Cole called out to us and we followed him to the bar.

"I thought you said you performed at a bar. This is a full blown night club." Nicholas told me with his drink in hand and I shrugged indifferently.

"It's a bar to me." I told him, giving him a sheepish smile. We all drank our drinks, occasionally talking otherwise just observing each other or the people around us. But Nicholas' gaze was on me the whole time. I squirmed and he noticed it, but he didn't back off.

"What?" I asked, finally facing him and he shrugged.

"Nothing." He then leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "You look so hot you're practically inviting everyone to tear your clothes off." His husky breath fanned my neck and goosebumps rose. The blood rushed to my cheeks and I blushed all over. My face would've been red if not for the darkness inside the club to which I was very thankful for at the moment.

He pulled away smirking, and I had to avert my gaze. I was hot all over, and fanned my face with my hands. We stayed there a while more and Jack, the owner of the club came to give me feedback on my performance. He loved it.

"Come on Dove, let's dance!" Abby pulled my arms and dragged me to the dance floor. She started dancing, urging me to do the same. I laughed at her antics and her moves, then got lost in the beat as well. Sia and LSD's Genius was playing and I swayed myself to the beat, my eyes searching for one person.

I saw Nicholas looking at me intently, sitting relaxed against the bar with a drink in his hand. I swayed my hips slowly, closing my eyes. Two arms circled my waist from behind and I recognized who it was almost immediately.

"Dancing on your own?" He breathed into my ear and I shivered as his hands slid to my hips, my arms going up and looping around his neck. We danced like that for a while, till I felt breathless and hot all over. We went back to our friends, who were whooping by now and I looked at Nicholas who smirked at me. "Let's go now, yes?" He asked me and I nodded.

Saying our goodbyes to Jack, I headed out the club and caught up with my friends.

"As hot as you look right now Dove, I'm really tired. Are we going home?" Abby asked me and I glanced behind them at Nicholas who stood facing me, looking at me with his hands in his pockets.

"Cole, why don't you take Abby home? I'll catch up, okay?" I told Cole who nodded.

"Alright. Don't stay too late, okay? And stay safe." He called out to me and I gave him a thumbs up.

"I will!" I waved to him while Abby dragged him to the car. I laughed at them but then yelped when an arm held me from behind and I felt someone kissing my neck. I knew who it was all too well.

"Nicholas..." I whispered.. "We're out in public. Let me go.." I told him but he only placed more kisses on my neck.

"Never." He whispered in my ear, his hot breath fanning my neck. He finally pulled away after Jake came to us.

"Are we leaving?" He asked Nicholas who nodded, then turned to me.

"Have dinner with me." He told me.

"I can't... I have to go home, I have classes in the morning, remember?" I told him and he shook his head.

"I wasn't asking." He told me and I raised my eyebrows at him. But before I could ask him what he meant, he lunged forward and picked me up, dropping me over his shoulder. I yelped and people looked at us with wide eyes.

I assume they know him. Everybody does.

"Nicholas! Let me go! Put me down you asshole!" I shouted and kicked but he went to his car and carefully put me in the passengers seat, buckling my seatbelt.

"Stay." He told me and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'm not your pet." I told him.

"I know." He said and closed the door. Jake chuckled at us and Nicholas gave him a look.

"Zitto cazzo. E vai a casa." (Shut the fuck up. And go home.) Nicholas glared at him and Jake quickly went to his car and said something to Nicholas in Italian before leaving. Nicholas went around and sat down in the car, starting the ignition, and glancing at me briefly.

"Cheer up. You're in for a good night." He told me and I looked at him from a corner of my eye.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I raised my eyebrow at him and he smirked.

"You'll see." He told me, and started driving the car towards the more posh area.

"What is this place?" I looked out the window at the tall buildings around us.

Maybe he's actually going through with kidnapping me.

"Home."

"Home? Whose home?" I asked him confused.

"Mine." He told me and got out of the car, handing his keys to someone at the door. My eyes widened as he came towards me and opened my door.

"Do you want me to carry you?" He asked me with a smirk, leaning against the doorframe and I mumbled a few curses at him, unbuckling my seatbelt and getting out. He closed the door shut and gestured towards the tall building in front of us before going in. I tried to match his long strides, trying to keep up with his pace. We entered an elevator and he pressed a button on it before typing something in a keypad, and we were taken up. The elevator doors opened with a ding and I gasped at the sight in front of me.

I walked out of the elevator and into the beautiful penthouse. The living room came as soon as the corridor ended, set with modern and sleek furniture. There was an open kitchen to one side, lined with new electronics and black marble counters. Everything screamed luxury and I gaped at everything, walking over to the grand piano and pressing two keys.

This was the dream.

I walked over towards the floor to ceiling window, which was open and lead to a large pool. I looked at the shiny water as the moon's light reflected on it, walking towards the balcony, I looked down and at the view in front.

I noticed Nicholas coming to stand beside me quietly.

"It's beautiful." I whispered and he hummed in response. I glanced at him and found him already looking at me.

"Cosi bello." (So beautiful) He whispered, before straightening himself up. "Come. I ordered pizza." He took my hand and led me towards the kitchen, where three large boxes of pizza sat.

"Are you expecting someone else too?" I asked him, eyeing the large pizzas.

Boy was I hungry.

"No. Just us darling." Darling.

"Then why is there so much pizza?" I pointed towards the large boxes on the kitchen island, like he didn't just call me darling.

"For you." He said.

He must think I eat a lot.

He walked towards the cabinets and took out two plates, setting them in front of me. I sat on a stool at the island and he sat across me, opening one of the boxes and putting a slice for me and then himself.

"Eat up." He told me. You don't need to tell me twice. And I dug in, moaning when the flavor burst in my mouth.

"Mmmm... This is so good." I pointed towards my plate and Nicholas chuckled.

"Glad you like it." Before taking a bite of his own and nodding his head, smiling. "It's good." He whispered, almost inaudible.

"So... you live here alone?" I asked him and he looked up from his plate.

"Si." He answered and I nodded.

"What about Jake? Where does he live?" I asked him again.

"Near."

"Okay... that's convenient." I said, looking around. "Nice place you got here. Very... chic." I told him and he looked at me.

"Thank you."

"No family? Siblings?" I raised my eyebrow at him and he sighed.

"My mother passed when I was younger. Cancer. And my father died a few years back." He answered, smiling ruefully.

That must be awful.

"Oh... I'm sorry.. Don't you have any siblings or cousins?" I asked him and he nodded.

"No siblings. Jake's the only one. He's like a brother to me. And I have more cousins than I can remember." He answered.

"That's nice." I told him. He had stopped eating now. And I felt like I'd said something to upset him. Slowly, I reached across and put my hand on his, squeezing it gently.

"Thank you for telling me." I told him and he gave me the faintest smile.

"I wanted to." He said, intertwining our fingers, and for some reason I knew he didn't open up about his past so easily. I would take anything he had to say. I wanted to get to know him better. His mysterious persona was all smoke and mirrors if you looked close, and I was willing to look in deeper.

Something about him drew me in. My brain told me he was bad news, but my heart said otherwise.

Who ever listened to their brain anyway?