unlawful

location: the guilded night

His cane hits at least half a dozen people as he tries to make way to one of the exits, most of them too drunk or high or lost in their dances to care, getting away with just a few mumbled apologies thrown over his shoulder. He considers the restroom for a moment, but he is pretty certain it will be just as crowded and somehow even less hygienic, and suddenly his lungs ache for a breath of fresh air.

He finds himself in an alleyway, on some side of the nightclub different than the one he entered through, and leans against the brick wall, enjoying the silence- or as close as he can get to it, with the sound of car engines in the distance and drunken laughs from passers-by every now and then.

The door that offered him refuge opens again a few minutes later, ending that nice window of solitude. "I'm afraid this hiding spot is already taken."

"looks like this place is big enough for the both of us." plus, she'd already pulled out her cigarette and lighter. there wasn't any way she would willingly go back in there to find another exit.

"i can offer a cigarette and i promise not to speak. sound like a deal?" as long, of course, as he agreed to the same terms. well, at least the latter one.

❝  i  swear  ,  if  i  have  to  hear  one  more  person  complain  about  how  the  fire  ruined  their  night  ,  i  might  actually  scream.  ❞  she  groaned  brightly  ,  somehow  cheerful  about  it  ,  a  contradiction  that  fit  her  a  little  too  well.  that  was  alejandra  in  essence  ,  a  paradox  contained  in  a  single  body.  she  looked  like  one  thing,  spoke  like  another,  and  left  people  somewhere  in  between  trying  to  reconcile  the  two.  even  the  way  she  dressed  defied  expectation.  nothing  about  her  suggested  small  town  roots  ,  let  alone  that  she  owned  a  bar  in  one.

"i'm off. i've brought in reinforcements and took it off." she rarely took the time away from the rattlesnake but the party sounded like it would provide with some much need relief. "irreversibly drunk— sounds like we'll end the night with a permanent tattoo, a new charge on our record, or a pregnancy." none of which she wanted or needed.

location: the guilded room

jett stood angled into the bar, one boot hooked against the stool, the other planted; he meant to stay awhile. he picked up a bottle he didn't recognize, turned it just enough to read the label, then set it back "tell ya what" he said, a faint crease settling between his brows "i'd rather ya were pourin' the booze 'round here" he tipped his glass back, taking a sip, letting the burn sit before exhaling through his nose "too much european bullshit" the man added, almost to himself, thumb tapping once against the side of the glass

"i don't know, i'm worried i could get used to this. it's nice to get my drinks paid for instead of serving them to the guys who like to get handsy by their fourth or fifth." at least they were more predictable and she knew to start watering down their drinks by the fourth. "it's a lot less stressful and fun. i can't always put my hair down and cause a bit of a scene. i'm looking forward to that tonight."

THOUGH THEA LOVED HER JOB, SHE SOMETIMES FOUND HERSELF CRAVING A NIGHT AWAY FROM THE TRUSTED BAR. She felt antsy if she did the same routine for too long, like a bird fluttering around a cage. She needed to feel a lack of expectations on her shoulders, and that meant leaving the Rattlesnake Bar and wandering over to the Gilded Room in time for their recently announced party. After all, was it really a party if Thea Callahan didn't show up?

But to do that, she knew she needed to cover her bases at work. She found a bartender who had no intention of going to the party, begged him to cover her shift, and found herself $100 poorer in the aftermath. Still, it meant that as soon as she was done cleaning up a few cups, she was free from her work duties and off to plan her adventure.

Her eyes spotted LANE WALKER as she wiped down a glass, her back straightening up a bit at the sight of her boss. "Hey, boss." She acknowledged, a smile gracing her features as she continued, "I asked Marcus to cover my shift tomorrow." She leaned over the bar counter, hand dramatically brushing across her head like a scandalized Victorian woman as she joked, "How ever will you survive without me?"

Nevertheless, she couldn't always say yes to everything and work herself to the bone. "That must have cost you. I think he's on his fourth day." No shift was the same and after a few of them, they all got worn down. But she wouldn't stand in the way of a night out and someone earning a little extra if they had the energy to do so.

"You'll be missed. I know that Mr. Johnson is going to be looking for you. He always asks for you whenever you're off." She wiggled her brow despite the elderly man being mostly harmless. He was one of the regulars who'd been here for forever and knew the rules and limits as to not get himself kicked out or banned. "Not that I'll be able to see it. I took the night off, too. Are you planning on heading to that party at the Gilded Room? You got your dress picked out?"

the  pair  were  like  fire  and  gasoline.  volatile  ,  destructive  ,  and  lately  ,  rarely  anything  but  chaos  when  they  collided.  it  was  a  truth  emphasized  by  the  way  his  gaze  never  strayed  far  from  the  couple  swaying  on  the  dance  floor.  the  man's  hands  ,  smooth  and  notably  soft  ,  settled  against  the  curve  of  her  hips.  holding  her  steady  ,  pulling  her  even  closer  to  him.  that's  where  zephyr's  eyes  lingered  ,  tracing  the  intimacy  between  them  ,  before  occasionally  darting  up  to  catch  her  gaze  ,  whenever  she  made  sure  he  was  watching.

it  was  the  kind  of  thing  that  iced  the  blood  in  his  veins.

following  her  out  of  the  club  felt  like  stepping  into  the  devil's  playground.  the  roar  of  the  other  mc  members  faded  into  nothing  as  he  cut  through  the  crowd  ,  pushing  toward  her  like  a  moth  drawn  to  a  flame.  he  was  close  enough  now  to  hear  the  tail  end  of  her  words.  so  that  was  it.  the  woman  who  had  slinked  up  beside  him  ,  leaning  into  his  side  ,  seeking  his  attention.  zephyr  almost  let  a  smirk  slip  ,  but  he  held  it  back  ,  his  lips  only  pulling  into  that  lazy  grin

the ghost of the man's touch made her skin crawl but the cold air and first hit of nicotine tainting her lungs was a good distraction— though none could compete with his presence. it was as if her body knew where he was at all times. she didn't react, at least outside of the curve of her lips that was soon erased by the nickname he had for her.

"not as good as it looks on you, zeph." her head tilted and she sucked in a deep breath at his question. it bothered her. he knew it did. the bitches that believed they could so easily claim him, though nothing was worse than the fact that he allowed it to happen. "i would say so. your standards have dropped significantly lately, especially in this department." her finger tapped the side of her temple. all the women were hot, there was no question, but none were smart enough to keep their hands to themselves. "are you trying to piss me off?" years ago, she would have found out the red hair was natural by tearing off an handful from the root. "some random girl won't work." she lied.

“rum and coke, thanks,” he spoke easily, slipping into the seat a moment later. but her comment paired with the noise of conversation further down had him tilting his head just enough to catch onto it. curiosity piqued before letting out a quiet laugh. “we’ve got a betting board at work for things like that,” he mused, shrugging lightly. “so far my money’s on it being a drunk. though apparently i haven’t been here long enough to know who, or what, would actually start a fire at a rodeo.”

another soft chuckle followed as he leaned against the bar, attention still half tipped towards the unfolding chatter. “didn’t stick around for the aftermath of that,” he added, “but, i suppose it kept things interesting.”

she hadn't figured out the how or why's of it all— but it was entertainment and as long as no one broke into a fight beneath her roof, then she didn't care. most times they knew to drag it outside if it was going to get physical. "there's a lot of bets on it being a few drunken kids fucking around with the fireworks. i think it's a little more pointed than that. maybe some ex partner who got jealous."

she was still trying to figure out the rest of the story based on who'd been around but either way, the truth would come out soon. "you didn't miss much. people were all over the place, it was hard to figure out what was going on. have you heard anything since?"

"a date with adriana lima" jett teased as he took the stool at the bar, nodding toward one of the bottles "but yeah - reckon bourbon'll do" the voices in the corner carried, too loud, too eager. betting. guessing. circling something they didn't understand. long fingers drummed once against the wood, then stilled, tension coiling in the line of his shoulders

her gaze flicked at him and she flashed a smile. "smart as a whip, aren't ya?" she placed the glass in front of him, angling herself so she hid the group of men who were only trying to get a rise out of a few at this point. "seems like it's always the wrong type of questions. i know from experience you learn more by keeping your mouth shut. people talk too much these days."