Play Date

　　Irena's POV

　　Four months had passed since I killed Maximus the Mad and told Alexey I loved him back in a bloody dress, of course, I had to use my powers of persuasion to make him forget about that part and since then things have been amazing.

　　There's been peace, the business has been booming, and Alexey and actually make a pretty cute couple, all lovey-dovey and shit.

　　Things even seem pretty chill with the vampire council, I mean Countess Shiva is minding her own business, it's like a dream.

　　Alexey and I have been going on a lot of dates and spending as much time together as our schedules allow.

　　Wow, after so many centuries on Earth living amongst humans I'm in love and in a full-blown relationship with one, it's kinda hard to believe.

　　"Good morning baby," Alexey stirred awake and he leaned in towards my side of the bed. He is definitely a morning person, the way his sleep-heavy eyes were just shut enough that they looked seductive.

　　"Good morning gorgeous," I replied as I leaned in for a kiss.

　　"So, what have you got planned for today?" He inquired suspiciously.

　　"Nothing, you?" I responded.

　　"Well, I've got these two plane tickets to Dubai and I was hoping my amazing girlfriend would want to tag along," he answered as he pulled the tickets out from his jacket pocket and handed them to me.

　　"Alexy you spoil me," I answered as I leaned in for another kiss, just then the phone rang and I answered the call. It was the day of my routine inspection of all my Sodom City branches.

　　"Sorry babe looks like I can't come to Dubai with you, busy day of work," Alexey was gutted to hear those words but even more gutted to hear the next set of words.

　　"But could you do me a favor?" I asked, putting on my cutest smile.

　　"Anything baby," he asserted.

　　"Could you take Magnus?"

　　"He's been meaning to go for so long, apparently they have this Arabic gin he's been dying to try but can never seem to get it imported, it would mean the world to him and me if you took him please, and you don't have to pay for his flight and all, he's got that covered." I could tell that he wasn't eager to do it, I could also tell that he was going to do it, he has this face when he reluctantly agrees to things, wow we really are a couple now, it always just sneaks up on me, the grand realization of the whole thing.

　　Maximus is dead by my hands and Alexey and I are in a serious and committed relationship.

　　We both got out of bed to start our days. I heard Magnus scream over the phone all the way from the bathroom when Alexey gave him the news and I also noticed the long exasperated sigh that Alexey let out.

　　"My two favorite men in the whole world out on a date, I'm so excited for you guys," I shrieked moments before we both set out on our separate eventful days, him on his little Adventure with Magnus and me off to thankfully another boring day inspecting the Sodom City branches.

　　I shouldn't forget to phone Pablo down in Mexico to make sure everything is ready for the Mexico Branch's reopening later this week.

　　Maybe it might be a busy day after all.

　　I hopped in my car and drove to the club, where Lesley was waiting for me in my office.

　　"Well, give me the full report," I ordered as I sat down.

　　"Attendance is at an all-time high, celebrity appearances are very common, we venue a lot of events and fancy parties, everything is great and it reflects on the numbers, here are the books," Lesley listed as she handed me the logbook.

　　"This is all very good," I nodded in approval as I skimmed through noting every fine detail.

　　"And for inventory?" I inquired further.

　　"Well we're mostly okay for drinks, but we will need to restock come to the end of the month," she explained.

　　"No, restock now, it'll be too much of a hassle to try and go out and get it when it's running out, you get it before it starts to run out that way you won't ever have to worry about it suddenly running out, preparation is key, that's why we have warehouses," I instructed before taking a stroll around the grounds to talk to a few of the employees.

　　"How's the wife and kids Joe?"

　　"Oh, they're fantastic, boss. Lisa just gave birth again, I have three little girls now, can you believe that? Me?" Joe was a big hulking figure of a man when I first found him though he was breaking fingers of debtors for gangsters he had a baby on the way and debts of his own and then we crossed paths when I was cleaning out the evil men that ran his organization, a quick glance at his mind I knew he could be so much more. He is now the new head of security for Sodom City here in Los Angeles.

　　"It's always a pleasure to chat with Joe, do send Lisa my love, and kiss the girls for me, all three of them,"

　　"Mary sweetheart, it's been a while, I hope none of the girls aren't giving you too much trouble?"

　　"Absolutely not darling, I'll whip those new girls into shape in no time, just like you once did for me."

　　Mary-Anne Cecile, I remember when I met her for the very first time, Magnus and I were coming back from a rave Magnus needed to puke after he had nearly rid all of LA of all its alcohol that night and there she was laid out on the beside a dumpster beaten to within an inch of her life.

　　We thought she had been mugged or something so we took her to a hospital, the doctor said she had a cracked skull and three broken ribs, and that without surgery she was sure to scar, I covered the surgery expenses and visited her until she was fully recovered, then I offered her a job and now she chief of staff for one of the most prosperous Sodom City branches in the country.

　　I found out a few years later that she had ended up where we found her after her ex-boyfriend had come back drunk and pissed one night, he beat her till he thought she was dead and then dumped her like some animal out by a dumpster, I tracked him down and took care of him ending his reign of tyranny.

　　"You're a treasure to this organization Mary, you truly are." I complimented as we exchanged air kisses.

　　I completed my business at that branch and moved on to the next, making sure my whole operation was functioning at its finest capacity and it was.

　　Finally, the highlight of my day's work was my phone call with Pablo.

　　"Hola, boss, Que Pasa," Pablo was as vibrant as ever in his speech pattern.

　　"How's everything coming along Pablo?"

　　"Oh it's going great boss, I'm at the shop right now," he answered cheerfully.

　　"The shop?" I was confused.

　　"Yeah, gonna give her a whole new paint job, she'll be good as new."

　　"That's good, but if you're painting now, will everything be ready in time for the reopening?" I wanted everything to be perfect.

　　"Oh sure, definitely, the paint job will be completed in a day," he confirmed, sounding sure.

　　"A day?!" I said aloud.

　　"That's too little time, would it be done well?"

　　"Oh yeah, one hundred percent boss, Miguel said he'd even throw in a couple of new tires," he sounded a bit more excited about that detail.

　　"New tires?" What the fuck is this man talking about?

　　"Pablo?" I called out.

　　"Yes, boss?"

　　"Are you talking about your car?" He better not be talking about his car.

　　"Yeah boss, what are you talking about?" He asked, confused.

　　"My fucking club, you know the one I left in your care?!" I was going to laugh, but I held it in.

　　"Ohhhh, that's all taken care of, right on schedule," he replied and I released a breath of relief.

　　"One question, why would you think I'd ask you if your car would be ready by the reopening?"

　　"Cuz it's what I'm gonna drive to the reopening,"

　　"Ugh!" I hung up, I could see how he got confused, I can picture him on the other end going; 'hello?' 'Hello boss, are you still there?' 'hello?'

　　"Urghhh, I hope my club will be okay," I sighed after a long day, it was time to finally head home.

　　I got back to my villa feeling fulfilled knowing that all my establishments were sailing smoothly.

　　"Well hopefully all," I said aloud as thoughts of Pablo in Mexico flashes through my mind once again.

　　I got home and changed out of my clothes it felt so good to just be naked again and to have a bit of privacy, I love Alexey but he's been over for five nights this week alone, he practically lives here now, this, just me, and a healthy glass of wine in a nice bubble bath, this is nice.

　　"Although I should check in to see how they're doing, it would be cruel of me not to," I voiced my thoughts as I hopped out of the bath and put on a robe.

　　I picked up the phone and dialed Alexey's number, wow, I know his number by heart now, it always just hits me like a train whenever the reality of the situation sets in, I'm someone's girlfriend.

　　"Hello? Baby?" Alexey answered the phone with a huge commotion in the background.

　　"How are my two favorite men?" I inquired, trying to ignore the commotion.

　　"Well we're now banned from five different bars and three clubs here in Dubai and by the end of the night the entire city of Dubai will be completely devoid of alcoholic beverages so I'd say we're doing splendidly," he explained with a hint of joy in his voice.

　　"Sounds like you're having fun yourself," I commented as I struggled to hear him due to the noises in the background.

　　"Yeah I have to admit, this trip wasn't such a bad idea," he said, holding back stifled laughter, but at this point, he was completely inaudible.

　　"I'm sorry but what is all that noise?" I asked, frustrated.

　　"Oh no!" He exclaimed.

　　"Magnus put your clothes on and get down from there this instant, this is how you got us banned from the last place we visited!" He ordered.

　　"Gotta go, baby, love you," he rushed before hanging up the phone abruptly.

　　"Love you too," I said to the no longer connected cell phone before collapsing onto the bed and bursting into sudden laughter, classic Magnus.

　　Guess I'll get some sleep, it has been a long day.

　　I found myself in a familiar but very foreign house, the same house I had nightmares of last time when Magnus suddenly chased me through the Halls, but that wasn't Magnus. I looked around but there was no one around, so I started walking.

　　I made my way through a hallway filled with various paintings that seemed to depict horrible events like mass burning and the killing of children.

　　And whenever I stopped to look at a painting it seemed to come alive, the paintings moved, I could hear the screams of agony of the characters within the painting, I could smell their searing flesh as they burnt to death, I could feel the heat from the flames on my face as I looked closer.

　　What the fuck is going on here.

　　I kept walking by all the paintings depicting horrible things like maimings and castrations, one painting people being impaled by sticks from their assholes until it came bursting out of their mouths. I could smell the puss and blood and shit and rotting flesh and it made me sick.

　　I moved on walking past the paintings going faster and faster to avoid their screams from the torment that these poor souls suffered.

　　Finally, I came to the end of the hall where I found a single Van Gogh style painting whose contents were not visible at first but as I got closer I realized what the painting held.

　　Alexey, was tied to a chair and in the distance, there were three dark and menacing shadowy figures, and every time I blinked they suddenly appeared closer and closer to Alexy until they were right on him digging their claws into his flesh as he screamed out for my help;

　　"Irenaaaaaa!" He cried out petrified and in pain.

　　It was the scariest painting on any of those walls.

　　I woke up with a sudden jolt to find myself alone in my empty bed. I quickly jumped out to grab my phone to call Alexey but his number went straight to voicemail. I tried Magnus in the same vein, straight to voicemail.

　　Then suddenly I felt a chill in my room and a lurking presence I turned around suddenly whole announcing;

　　"Who's there?" Ready to pounce at the first thing that moved through the shadows, but all I found was a box placed perfectly on my pillow, someone was here just now, and whoever they are they either move very quickly or they were a strong practitioner of the arts.

　　I rushed over and opened the box to find a camcorder with a tag that read;

　　"Play me?" I read off of the tag as I picked up the camcorder to play its contents to find Alexey and Magnus tied to chairs in some darkroom.

　　"Release us at once!" Magnus demanded. I dropped the box I was holding in horror as my heart rate increased insanely.

　　"Do you have any idea who we are?!" Alexey screamed harshly, struggling against the restraints.

　　The restrains were made of silver and I could tell from the way Magnus's flesh was burning against the silver ropes.

　　What the fuck was happening?

　　I talked to them a few hours ago, how the fuck did they get kidnapped?