Chapter Five

Sasha paid the taxi driver and bolted out, running into the clubhouse. She stopped at the reception desk where a young white woman, looking to be in her early twenties, sat. Amidst her heavy breathing, Sasha managed to say she was the new cleaner and was asked to start work that evening. The receptionist nodded and led her to the changing room for staff, where Eve was waiting.

Sasha saw various lockers inside the changing room, each bearing a staff member's name. Eve stood before a locker with her name, her afro full enough to cover her shoulders. Her hourglass figure complemented her glowing black skin and beautifully structured face. With full lips and a pointed nose, she looked like a goddess.

Sasha watched as Eve changed into her work attire, a provocative lingerie set. Eve was a stripper at the clubhouse, but not just any stripper—she danced exclusively for VIPs who rented the various secret rooms in the building, not like the regular strippers who danced at the poles in the nightclub. She and a few other strippers were hand-picked to dance in these VIP secret rooms.

"You're late," Eve said with a frown, pulling on a red thong. "Do you know what I had to do to get you this job?"

"I'm sorry, I was with Chris," Sasha replied, still catching her breath.

Hearing Chris's name, Eve's stern expression softened. She used to work with Sasha at the hotel and was her only friend who knew about her true identity and her brother's condition. No one else knew her identity outside her family, Hue, and her two male friends.

"Here, change into this," Eve said, tossing a uniform at Sasha. "You'll be cleaning the secret rooms."

"The secret rooms?" Sasha felt a chill of fear. There were countless rumors about the secret rooms of the Bliss Clubhouse, including whispers that "Hades," the ruthless leader of the most feared mafia and drug ring, "Hell's Gang," frequented them. Nobody had ever seen Hades' face, though some speculated that the current Hades might be a woman. The gang had been around for decades, and each Hades had a right-hand man who acted as the organization's public face.

Hades always wore black masks integrated with golden dragons with red tails, the gang's symbol. Every member had a dragon tattoo, usually on a visible part of their body, while the leader's tattoo was hidden.

"Yes, the secret rooms," Eve confirmed, applying lip gloss.

"I heard that Hades stays in one of those rooms," Sasha said nervously.

"Girl, I've been working here for a while and never run into him. Besides, you're supposed to be out of the rooms before the VIPs go in. That's when I come in," Eve reassured her.

"Okay," Sasha said, feeling slightly relieved.

"You have to hurry up and clean. The VIPs will start coming in soon. Go to the left at the end of the hall. You'll find your cleaning supplies there. Clean the rooms quickly. When you're done, I'll introduce you to the manager."

"Thank you so much, Eve. I really appreciate this," Sasha said gratefully.

Eve stopped halfway to the door and turned back. "Whenever you're cleaning a room and the VIPs come in, there's always a wardrobe. Hide in there and let nobody see you until they leave. And make sure you don't tell anyone about what you see. These VIP men are scary," Eve warned before leaving the room.

"Okay, thank you," Sasha replied, her nerves tingling with apprehension.

She was exhausted when Sasha reached the last room that needed cleaning. She had never done so much cleaning in such a short time. She missed her mother terribly; if she were still alive, Sasha knew her life would be very different. It took her barely ten minutes to finish the last room. As she was about to leave, she heard a noise at the door. Someone was coming in. Panic surged through her. She quickly hid in the ash-painted wardrobe, peeking through a tiny keyhole out of curiosity.

The black mask with the golden dragon came into view, and Sasha's heart sank. She realized she was in Hades' room. Fear gripped her as she heard her own heart pounding loudly. She watched as Hades sat on the black sofa she had just cleaned. About eight mean-looking, tattooed men walked in with two guys who were bleeding. It was apparent they had been beaten up badly. Sasha shook with fear, not wanting to be discovered. She knew if she got caught, she was definitely going to die. The Hell's Gang was no joke; they had political influences. In fact, word on the streets says that the president is a member of a gang and has given them full support.

These are not people she wanted rules, no killing of the innocent, and no killing of children and women. Still, this present Hades does not care about rule number two: if you cross them as a woman or child, he will kill with no questions asked. He was that heartless, but he never hurt the innocent; that's the only rule he abides by, so technically, the Mafia has only one rule.

The man in the mask laughed. “Since you want to know, let me show you who I am. You're going to die anyway.”

Sasha thought the voice sounded familiar. She watched in horror as the man in the mask pulled it off. The realization of who Hades was made her stumble backward, making a noise just as she heard gunshots.