the fallen angel

“What makes you think I’m lost?” Isabelle gulped, straightening her shoulders and trying to demonstrate that she really knew what she was doing. But it was clear that this place had nothing to do with her. “I’m not!”

     He merely arched his eyebrows at the blonde. “The fact that you’re overly defensive for one.” Seth gave a shrug and flicked the cigarette to the ground, towering above her he said, “fine, then why don’t you say we get ourselves all the way up to the fourth floor?” It wasn’t a serious request.

Jonny happily took the Zippo in his hand, glancing at the inscription with an arch to his brow but it worked and that was all that mattered. He flicked it open like it had been in his own pocket it this whole time, striking the flint and steel against his pant let before raising it to the cigarette hanging from his pouty lips. “Thank you,” he smiled around the filter between his lips and handed back the silver lighter. “Oh your club, huh?” He glanced at the collar the man wore around his neck, a sort of curious and mildly amused expression on his handsome features. “I’m guessing it’s more like the kind of club that you commit sins, rather than confess them?” 

     The mystery behind the strange Zippo was simple, it was actually his grandfather’s lighter and not his mother’s. Her father had been a Vietnam veteran, and he had gotten the lighter as a ‘reward’. But Seth would never know the truth about the Zippo he shoved back in his coat pocket. He nodded at the thanks before giving a two-second smirk at the important emphasis. The Preacher then smashed his lips together as he saw the look towards his collar, it never failed to amuse him the reactions he got. “You would be correct in that assumption. Though they still are whips and flogs involved, if that helps.”

‘ don’t judge a book by it’s cover, mate’ the strong scottish drawl he possessed was smothering the words, as he stood up straighter, an eyebrow quirked upwards as he shook his head. ‘i’m exactly where i need to be.’ he even went as far as holding up his phone screen, showing the clear instructions he’d been sent just hours before, his stand offish demeanour never faltering.

     They were cases where people would go as far as to hire such services, but Seth would always stay close and eventually asked them to leave. It wasn’t because of misjudgment, but rather he wanted everyone on his club to be there willingly. The Preacher only frowned at the Scott, “who sent that to you?”

    azure orbs glared at the other yet a subtle smirk was plastered against her mug. “you’re going to make this difficult aren’t you?” the question itself stood more as a statement. when dealing with the male there was a natural order to things, something that would not make sense in the eyes of others but yet to her it just felt like routine. “man of god?” the tone in which she recited the statement was nothing shy of his own. a not so subtle mockery on her behalf. “this place seems a bit too tainted for any man of the good book. sad part is you don’t exactly stand out from the crowd now do you.” again, another statement she had long confirmed about the male. his counter offer had left her perplexed, though she swallows hard to conceal this. she was not in the least bit interested in entering his club, not when she knew he held the answers she needed right here and now. “no, you can’t can you–” she scoffs faintly. “but if a trip inside is what will give me some answers then maybe i will have to go the extra mile. enter with the search for one and leave with a few more. only seems right…then again that is for you to choose.”

      “I would never intentionally make an investigation difficult for you.” Seth replied with a serious expression, every other person who hadn’t known him as long as Remy would have fallen for the act. He didn’t know what was about the peculiar woman which inspired such disobedience from him, but he always found himself having the same recurring feelings he had as a youngling. The urge in his veins to just rebel. “Tainted? What’s so tainted about people wanting to explore pleasure in a safe place away from judgement?” The Preacher sent out the rhetorical question to the wind, never waiting for an answer. “But that’s not what I want, why would I actively want to stand out? I rather be in the shadows.” He gave her a sly wink with his words. “Now now, detective. I’ll corporate if you do as well. The reason my club is one of the best is because I’ve made it that way. I ensure every one of them is safe and secure, and I’m a man of my word.” This he said with honest somber features on his face. “And I don’t know much about the law, but don’t you need a warrant to enter and start searching?” Finally tired of the back and forth, Seth gave a heavy sigh. “What did this fella do?”

“I must not have the tall genes then” Evie mused with a little smile. It was the first time she’d smiled in a while really. But it was nice. She liked it. “Uh… I don’t think there is…” She mused, and really she didn’t know that she was baking yet, so she didn’t want to hold up the man. “I’m Evie by the way….” Because well she could at least tell the guy her name since he’d been so kind to her, which was something she really needed right now

      “Hmm,” he hummed with a nod, grabbing the cigarette from his mouth and placing it behind his ear. “It’s not that fun at all, it’s actually cold up here.” Seth then attempted at a joke with deadpan expression. Shoving one of the whiskey bottle into his left arm, the male extended his right for a shake. “Nice to meet you Evie, I’m Seth Custer, or Preacher Custer.” Southern charm never seemed to fade away from him, it was in his veins. 

“Fresh fruit. And waffles, but fruit for you.” Arlena gestured to the waiter and flashed Seth a beaming smile– not entirely fake. After all, she did take pleasure in seeing the man all flustered. “On the streets?” The woman acknowledged his words, heaving a sigh as she shook her head softly. “Oh Seth,” her voice was devoid of any emotion, despite her words. “Tell me you at least allowed it to happen.” She took a sip of her tea, hiding her smirk behind the cup. “I’m glad.”

     “I don’t do fruit.” The Texan muttered the word as if he was saying garbage or something as equally unsavory. He mainly gorged on steaks because one could take the male out of Texas, but never the Texas from him. Seth rubbed his temples remembering the call his assistant had given him about a ‘disturbance’ that needed attending. “I let him walk a mile before I helped the poor sucker out. Still have no idea why he decided to run.” 

“I um..” she cleared her throat, “I’m actually lost. I’m a tourist,” she lied. “I must’ve took a wrong turn – how do you get back to the main street again?” She asked sheepishly. “Well, really it’s not called main street, just the street where there are a lot of lights… and not dark.. where no one would jump on you.” She shook her head, “Sorry, babbling. But yeah.”

     The Preacher was neither naive nor stupid, he was beyond receptive, a skill useful when he went to do unsavory missions but also with his partners. It was up to him to figure out the need from the want, to hear the unspoken words, through body language and direct eye contact. So Seth merely arched his eyebrows as the brunette further lied and couldn’t help but give her a smirk. “A tourist, huh?” He glanced at the entrance to his club then turned towards the female once more, “you thirsty?” Was his only response to her babbling.

“Oh,” she replied, unsure of how to go about this conversation. “Well, how long have you lived in Vegas? Do you like it?”

     Seth smoked calmly, not at all affected by how the female reacted to him. He was beyond immune to the looks and the reactions by now, “Five years. It’s okay, I guess.” The male answered vaguely, but wanted to answer that Vegas was more his home than Texas or the UK will ever be. “What about yourself?” The Texan drawled.

“Oh and I spoiled that?” She asked, grinning at him. She took the cigarette from him, perching it between her fingers. “Lighter?” she asked, her head tilting. “Yeah, yeah…. You know I always come to you anyways.” She shrugged and kicked her foot almost nervously. “My brother is in town… I don’t know how I feel about it…” 

     Seth simply hummed to her otherwise rhetorical question. Before she was finished with her request, the Preacher held his lighter towards her. “Take a seat then,” He told her with sarcasm, but motioning to the empty spot on the wall beside him with gentleness only reserved for her. The male took the news with an impartial expression, “if you don’t know how to feel about it, then neither will I darlin’. Let’s start simple, this good or bad?”

it was quite a bold venture for elyanna-rose, to be leaving her little girl behind under the care of a sitter she was only newly acquainted with, while she ‘put herself back out there’ . no doubt a poor match was awaiting her in a building somewhere (courtesy of another one of her clients) but lyanna decided to humour their proposal. alas, what a mistake that seemed now; lost and alone and in a skirt that challenged the concept of modesty. lyanna was startled from her thought, turning abruptly at voice that seemed to beckon her from somewhere in the shadows. in answer, she produced her usual leather bound note and pen from her purse and scribbled, ‘lost. looking for lace and leather (?)’. she handed the message to him with a sheepish smile.

     He managed to keep his expression neutral when he saw more clearly the figure that had stepped up to him. A vision of a demure female who didn’t seem right in the presence of such indecencies. Seth grew a small frown, ready to direct her in the right direction clearly thinking she was lost. But once the Preacher read her note, which was an enigma all in itself, dark orbs glanced back at her. “Leather and Lace you mean?” The male murmured lowly, his gravel voice taking his accent sharper. Flicking the cigarette away, Seth moved away from the wall and towered over her. “What are you looking for in there?” It seemed like an innocent question, but one whose answer would determine something to be decided later on.