Chapter 2- Talia

 "On three: One, two, three!" Samuel declared as we slammed the shot glasses on the table, taking a quick shot of Patron simultaneously.

The burning sensation slid down my throat, "whoo!" I whooped out, sucking on a lemon wedge and licked the salt from the outside of my hand. Four shots in, I'm getting tipsy.

"You're a trooper, huh?!" Samuel exclaimed, squeezing my thigh gently.

"Baby," I swooned, peppering kisses all over his handsome face. . All night, he's been affectionate and close. I thought about ending things last week, but he's been introducing me to people he knew. People with money. I met two CEOs in one week. He's a keeper, for a few more weeks. Probably a month. Two, tops.

Jennette swallowed down another drink, squeezing her face from the burn. She had three martinis, two Brandis, and countless shots of tequila. She's anxious drinking. I gave her a 'calm down' expression. She returned with a 'please' look and an eye roll.

I was about to burst. All that alcohol with no food, I might piss on myself. I stood up to search for the bathroom. After I finished my business, I bumped into someone. "Sorry!"

"My fault!" The man claimed in an apologetic tone.

Before he could leave I recognized his side profile. "Dennis?!"

His brown eyes scanned me from head to toe until the realization lit his face up.

"Talia?!" He smiled widely.

"Oh my God!" I hugged him, he lifted me from the ground, and gave both of us a spin. Last time I saw him, he was in a suit and tie. He was in a leather jacket and fitted pants. Total 180. How long was that? Two years ago? "I missed you!"

"Me too. It's been too long," he responded, grinning.

"I know! Like two years!?" I laughed.

"Yeah! You look amazing!" His hand touched my arm gently.

"You still look handsome," I gushed.

"Dennis! Who's the babe?" A burly, gruff, average height guy asked came from behind him.

"Talia, this is Noel. Noel, Talia," Dennis introduced me.

Noel pulled his hand out. "milady!"

"Good sir!" I smirked. He kissed the back of my hand. Samuel grabbed my waist in a possessive hold. "Oh, this is Samuel! My boo!"

"Nice to meet you!" they both said, hand shaking him.

I turned to Dennis, who took a sip of his drink. "How have you been?! How's your dad?!"

"It's kind of complicated!" Dennis replied.

"Why?!" I asked. His family was wealthy, all that old money. Family legend.

"I don't want to get into it tonight!" he made a cut gesture to stop.

"Well, Jennette still talks about you!" I held my drink up. Samuel was talking on the phone.

"She's here?!" He opened his eyes wider.

"Yeah!" I pointed behind him. Jennette had a huge crush on him in high school but never told him. I think he did too, their chemistry was untouchable.

"Oh my God, Dennis!" Jennette showed her toothy smile when she saw him. She opened her arms, grabbing him by the neck as they swayed from side to side. I shook my head, just like old times.

"Damon! Over here!" Samuel gestured, waving back and forth. I noticed the man in the fitted black suit moving toward us. I grinned, straightening my posture. I met him a few times when I was out with Samuel. He seemed like the strong silent type. His piercing blue eyes stared across the room. Coiffed hair and a smirk, he saw us and weaved through the crowd. The music became slow and low. Finally, I didn't have to shout. Damon whispered something in Sam's ear.

"Jennette, I want you to meet Damon." I pulled her away from Dennis.

She became bug eyed, "oh, hi." She held out her hand.

"Pleasure," he responded. With the same deep voice he had when I first met him, made my knees turn to jelly. Jennette smiled tightly, pulling her hand with force and wiped the sweat away, she cleared her throat.

"Okay, why don't we get some drinks? Shots?" I suggested, clapping my hands together three times.

"Great idea," Jennette agreed. I waved to the bartender for more shots, this time of Patron. The last thing I remembered was licking salt off Samuel's stomach.

xxx

"Ugh, I'm thirsty." I opened my eyes one by one, smacking my dry mouth. Water. Where's water? There's crust on my false lashes. I blinked. Removing them, I wiped my eyelids. "Turn off the lights." I looked around, my curtains were opened. I'm in my room. Where's Jennette? Samuel groaned and cursed under me, half naked and squirming around. His sculpted pelvis was shown, blanket hanging off.

"How did we get home?" I mumbled, scowling at him. "Did we fly?"

"You know, you said that last night too," Samuel answered. Grunted, he sat himself up on his elbows.

"Where's Jennette?" I asked, squinting at him.

"In her room," he answered, rubbing the scruff on his chin.

"Oh. You didn't answer my question."

"Damon took us."

"Wasn't he drinking with us?"

"He doesn't drink." He got up, fully exposing himself and walked out the room and to the bathroom. That's a fucking lie. When I went out with him, he knocked back plenty of whisky shots. My head was hammering. Twisting and tightening on the front and back. I winced, rubbing my temples. I removed my blanket, standing on my bare feet. I felt a breeze on my breasts. Looking down, I'm naked too. As much as I wanted to walk around bare ass, I'm cold. My nipples hurt. I grabbed my blanket, the second one for Sam when he gets out. Exiting the room, Jennette's awake and in the kitchen making coffee. Her hair was matted, she kept moaning how her skin and hair hurts scratching her scalp.

"Next time we go out, I'm wearing scholls inside my shoes and bringing tights in my purse. I found vomit on my blouse and your boyfriend is walking around naked. As much as he has a nice ass, congrats, I don't want to see that in the morning." She finished her grumbling with a sarcastic smile and poured coffee in her mug. "How does he take his coffee?"

"I don't know. My brain hurts. My fingers ache. It was good seeing Dennis again, huh?"

"Yeah," she nodded, pouting out her lips in thought.

"Did you bring him home?" I asked in a swoony manner.

"Sadly, I woke up alone. How did we get home, anyway? Uber?" She went over to the sink, grabbing nondairy creamer from the cabinets.

"Damon took us home."

"Damon. The creepy hot guy with blue eyes?"

"You find him hot," I stated.

"I also said creepy." She closed it back, pouring the liquid in her mug. That's how she took it: two spoons of sugar with a lot of cream.

I tilted my head, noticing a mark on her forearm. "What is that?" I pointed at her arm.

"Huh?" She looked down at the direction to where I was pointing. "Oh. I cut myself when I was kid. Loose nail."

"No, that." I pointed again to the markings. It was a bruise, dark and red.

"What the fuck?" She frowned, rubbing the mark with her thumb, "Ow!" She whimpered. "Where did that come from?"

Before I asked another question, a hard knock three times on the front door. "Who the fuck is knocking like the damn police?" I asked, my head was hot but I couldn't get angry. My head was still throbbing. I opened the door, two officers stood in our doorway. Oh it was the police. A woman and man. The man stood square shouldered and scowled his black eyes while the woman looked fearful and worried in her brown eyes. "Can I help you, officers?"

"Ma'am, we're on a case from last night. Where were you from 9pm to 4am last night?" His voice was deep and determined.

"Out with my friends," I answered, pulling the sheet up to my chest so it didn't fall. "Sorry, I'm kinda indecent."

"It won't take long. Were around uptown last night at a party on 54th?"

"Yes, like I said, with a few of my friends." I'd rather be honest now to see what they wanted to ask before I get in any trouble.

He pulled out two pictures of a woman and a man I've never seen before. "Do you know these two? Have you seen them before? Met them?"

I shook my head, "no." The woman had short braided bob style hair, brown skin and a beautiful smile with black lipstick. The man was bronzed, skinned, handsome, scowling shaped eyebrows. Never seen them before in my life.

I heard footsteps behind me, Jennette peeked over my shoulder. "Is there a problem, officers? How can we help you?

"Just trying to solve a case, ma'am. Do you live together?"

"She's my roommate," I answered. "I'm Talia, this is Jennette." She waved to them meekly, keeping her hands to her side.

"Anyone else here?"

"Just us." I felt Jennette's eyes scolding my side. I kept my composure and grin. I knew about Samuel's priors. I chose to keep him protected. As long as he protected me. The cop showed Jennette the pictures. She didn't know them either, shaking her head. "What is this regarding?"

"It's a murder case. These two were running a prostitution and drug ring at a party last night. Cops were called on the scene before they fled. A man was killed. Two women in critical condition," the cop spoke, her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. Me and Jennette looked at each other. Murder? Prostitution? I don't remember much but I could have sworn Damon was supposed to meet someone there about it. It was all a haze. I did remember a fight and a scream. I rubbed my eyes and told them we didn't know anything about it. They gave us their cards if we saw anything suspicious. I held the cards with my index finger and thumb as if it was on fire, dropping it on the floor. We had nothing to do with that. I looked at Jennette. She poked at her bruise again, frowned with wonder. Damon was supposedly sober last night, I'll ask him.