Chapter 2: New Years Day

Damien woke alone in the bed above Lux. He saw the money laying on the bed and no other signs the woman had ever been there. His eyes darkened. He was not the kind to be loved and left. He was the kind to love and kick them out. He called in his men after throwing on some boxers. "Where is the woman? Red?"

The men look at each other confused and shake their heads. "She didn't come out this door sir."

Damien let out a low growl and slapped them both upside their heads. "FIND HER!" His anger was seeping in and he sent them off. Determined to keep the first girl to catch his attention in a very very long time.

As Mafia Lord Damien Andrews of the Emerald Dragons, he never expected to have a fiery young female catch his attention and run off into the sunset. He would not be pleased until they found her and he would find her if he had to rip apart the entire world to do it. He got a shower and changed into some fresh clothes, a black suit with an emerald green shirt. He calmed himself with the thought that she couldn't possibly have gone far. They were practically in the middle of nowhere at the moment. A little girl like her, at most she'd be in the next town over and with a beauty like her, he'd find her easily.

He assured himself it should only take a few hours and got back to his business at hand. He had a meeting at noon with a local developer to build the latest and greatest hotel that would be a huge revenue boon for the town and for his pockets. It would also allow for them to manufacture weapons against their enemies under the guise of a new resort getaway.

His men scrambled to find Red, the girl who had captivated their young master. Unfortunately Fortune was not on their side. They scoured the town they were in and all of the cities within a hundred mile radius by dinner time and yet… They shivered at the thought of having to report this to their boss. So Tyler thought of another option that appealed much more to the men…

Tyler approached a young woman appearing in her twenties with long black hair that fell to her waist. She was sitting in Lux and drinking wine, deciding if she wanted any of the men dancing about in the room. It was still early by then and things were just getting started. Tyler dropped to his knee and bowed his head in front of the woman. He didn't say a word until she acknowledged him. She glanced at him and said one word, "Speak!"

Tyler looked up at her and spoke softly: "Madam Lyla, Lord Damien bedded a woman named Red last night. She disappeared before morning and we have searched all locations within a hundred mile radius with no traces of her. Lord Damien will be very displeased…."

Her eyes, which had been looking away from him as he spoke, suddenly snapped to him. Her sparkling Emerald-green eyes pierced into him like daggers. She threw her wine glass at his feet and didn't care if he got cut because of her. Deep red wine stained the ground from where the glass had shattered. She snarled. "So you thought you would tell me and I'd break the news to my brother for you? You sorry excuse for a warrior. What if I say I don't want to? What if I choose to tell him that you lot of supposedly brave dragons are just a bunch of little frightened kittens? You think he'll be angry at you for telling him you lost his toy but imagine how much worse it will be if I tell him about you lot being too afraid to tell him yourselves?"

Tyler lowered his head. "Forgive me, my lady. I simply thought if anyone could keep our lord calm, it would be you. If he is not calmed, I fear for the lives of our men and our kind is more scarce than we have been. It would not be fortuitous to bring unnecessary calamity on our people over a human."

Her gaze softened slightly. "I see. Well, I suppose it can't be helped. We shouldn't be expending our resources for a human anyway. I will speak with him at dinner. You can tell your men, he won't be biting their heads off for now. If I can convince him not to pursue this….'Red', then I will. If not, then you may need to continue your efforts. Be prepared for both outcomes. When my brother wants something, he either takes it or breaks it. And if he can't do either, others will suffer."

Tyler nodded slightly but didn't raise his head. "Thank you, my lady. I will be eternally grateful for your magnanimous understanding."

She sneered. "Now go before I bite your head off myself. You've put me in a sour mood."

Tyler didn't waste any time. He said a quick "thank you my lady" and quickly backed away, head bowed until he was out of her immediate sight. Then he quickly left to tell his men they'd be spared… for now.

After Tyler left, Lyla went back to watching the crowd. She was in a bad mood now and was now looking for a way to take out her aggression rather than receive pleasure. She snapped into the air and within minutes a fresh glass of red wine was given to her by a handsome gentleman behind the counter. The bartender smiled, "Now Lyla, you're going to burn through whichever poor sucker you set your sights on. Why not let them go? You know they won't satisfy you."

She looked irritated but didn't face him immediately, responding: "And so what if I burn through a man or twenty? It won't make a difference. Their lives mean little to me. You should know that by now."

The bartender's smile faded. "Lyla, you need to stop. Your brother is here for business. If you burn through men, it will anger him and potentially make him lose out on his business dealings. Can you really afford the cost?"

Lyla glared back at him over her shoulder. "Who asked you? I certainly didn't. So mind your own damn business, got it?"

The bartender leaned in close to her ear and whispered: "How can I not mind your business? You captivate me my dear."

She snapped at him: "Who is your 'dear'?" Her words dripped with sarcasm and venom. "You lost the right to say anything to me the day I saw you with that hussy."

He frowned deeply: "You mean after I caught you with another man? How can you still bring up my transgression and not your own that led to it? I admit I did wrong, but Lyla, so did you. It's time you owned up to your actions instead of acting like a spoiled princess."

Lyla spun around and faced him, slamming her glass on the counter when she did. "My transgression is none of your business! And I. AM. NOT. A. SPOILED. Princess!" She punctuated each word and practically released a growl from her throat that reverberated across the entire room, putting the whole place into utter silence. She breathed heavily from trying to calm herself as she glared at the bartender who had at one time been her lover.