MATTEO
The small private room smelled thick and heavy: cheap, desperate perfume, stale smoke, and the lingering sweat of those who had been here before me.
The dancer moved before me, her body gliding through the low red light, swaying to music that was barely more than a heartbeat. Every turn was a practiced provocation; every shallow breath a rehearsed performance. Her hands touched everywhere…her neck, her thighs, the edge of my chair…everywhere except me.
I watched. Not out of lust, but out of cold, demanding control. If I wanted, I could have her now. She'd smile, spread her legs wide, and pretend this violent transaction was pleasure when it was purely about the paper in my pocket.
But I didn't want her body's quick, easy release. I wanted a difficult, dangerous answer.
Sighing, I rose and flicked the main light switch. The bulb snapped on, harsh and clinical, cutting through the dim, red haze like a slap to the face.
"What's going on, daddy?" she purred, her palm sliding across my chest. She bit her lip, trying to reclaim the mood.
"Sit."
The single word froze her mid-tease. Something in my tone…the lethal shift from client to master…made her obey instantly. She sat, quick and eager, like a trained pet sensing a predator.
I dragged a heavy chair across the floor and sat directly across from her. She looked much smaller now under the white light. Her cheap red lingerie glittered against skin powdered in shimmer and sweat.
"Mask."
She blinked, confused. "We're not allowed to…"
"Mask," I repeated, my voice flat. I held a tight roll of cash between two fingers.
The hesitation didn't last long. The money always won. She reached up, unhooked the porcelain mask, and tossed it aside. Underneath, her face was heavy with dark mascara and heavier lies. Smoky eyes. Red lips trembling just a little. She was a beauty forced to look dangerous…like sin in cheap packaging.
I tossed the money at her. It hit her chest, and she laughed, catching the thick roll like a child catching candy.
"Daddy!" she squealed, clutching the bills to her chest.
"I've got more where that came from," I promised, my voice devoid of warmth.
"Really?" Her eyes lit up with pure avarice. "Daddy, you can have the best time of your life with me. Anything you want… I'll do anything…"
She parted her legs slowly, fingers brushing the seam of her inner thigh. I smirked, leaning forward, tasting the kill.
"I do want something."
She giggled, anticipation making her breathing shallow. "Name it? I'll be whoever you want tonight."
"Sin."
The word hit the air like a gunshot, silencing her instantly. Her smile faltered.
"S… Sin?"
"The lady," I said quietly, my voice dropping back to that dangerous bass. "Tell me about Sin."
"I… I don't understand. You want me to do something sinful?" she joked, forcing a laugh that didn't hide the genuine panic rising in her throat.
My eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't play with me. The girl on the mask too, Sin."
She blinked, confusion struggling against fear. "Sin… the girl on the mask? But I am…"
I leaned closer, my voice dropping to a low, cold growl. "Everyone wears a mask here, I know, but not like hers. Dark purple velvet, not cheap porcelain. She moves like she owns the stage, not just rents it. Eyes sharp enough to cut glass. Where is she?"
Something shifted violently in her expression…a deep, uncontrollable flicker of terror.
"I… I should probably go now, sir," she said, half-standing, desperate to escape.
I pulled out another bundle of cash, thicker than the last, and set it on my knee. "Are you sure?"
Her legs trembled. Slowly, she forced herself to sit back down. "I… I can't say."
"Why?"
"I just…"
Her words cut off mid-breath. Her eyes went impossibly wide, fixed not on me. But, on the space directly behind my head.
I turned slowly, every muscle in my body tensing. I caught a glimpse of movement in the doorway…a figure in the shadows, dark, fast, moving with the speed of a professional killer. They were gone before I could even draw breath.
The door swung shut with a soft, final click.
And for the first time in weeks… my pulse spiked with pure certainty. Because even without seeing her face, I knew the scent that now filled the room, replacing the cheap perfume and stale smoke.
Sin.