other time,” Christian says, and she releases him.
“I’m holding you to that,” she coos and blows him a kiss.
What an asshole.
Maybe some other time?
She walks away and he turns to go through a set of double doors.
I should go on my way. Go home and keep my mouth shut. I’m new here and I don’t want to ruin what I have. Rosie and I could still move with the money I’ll earn and what he’s already paid.
I should just leave well enough alone, but I can’t. I didn’t go through hell with Miguel only to have another man treat me like shit, and not when I’m trying so hard to fix my life and provide a better one for my child. He doesn’t know I have a child, but it shouldn’t matter. I want to know why he’s screwing with me.
My legs move, and I walk to where I saw him go. I head through the doors and up a set of stairs.
He stops at the top about to open another set of double doors and I take that chance to call out to him. He turns to see me and the look that washes over his face is utter surprise.
“Lilly,” he says regaining that stony composure that makes him look like the hardline mafia man he is. It’s not something I’m likely to forget. This is not a guy I should be talking to, let alone gearing up to give him a piece of my mind.
All I need though is the image of my daughter’s face. Her crying because a horrible group of assholes were bothering us and propositioning me for sex right in front of her.
Twenty bucks to suck their cocks. How much for group sex? Whore…
Those words rattle through my mind and I march up to him.
“Why did you close my bookings?” I ask, finding my voice. It comes out in a rasp but at least I say the words and it releases some of the fear. Suddenly I remember who I am. I remember the girl I was at Julliard, and the woman I became when I performed on stage in LA. Show after show, performance after performance. Mom used to tell me, one day people from all over the world would watch me dance. They did. That is who I am.
That’s not what I am now, but it’s still who I am.
“Do you think I chose to work here because I love dancing in your club, or that I signed my body away to do anything because I wanted to?” I unleash and something shifts in his eyes. I don’t know what it is. I don’t care. What I care about is saying what I have to say. “Do you think I would allow someone like you to touch me and throw me away like I’m nothing if I didn’t need the money? I would never know you in the real world if I didn’t need the money. How dare you screw with me?” I lash out and I don’t get to say another word.
Terror lances through me like a bolt of lightning when he catches my throat and shoves me against the wall. I cry out and in an instant, I think of Miguel. Except, Miguel would have rammed my head into the wall and punched me in my face right about now.
Fear makes me go still and my back ramrod straight as I tremble and quiver under his stare.
What’s he going to do?
What is he thinking?
I don’t know because I don’t know him.
I don’t know him, and I just made a big mistake.
He leans closer and tightens his grip on my neck. His fingers dig into my skin and I feel like I might die from the fright.
A tear tracks down my cheek when he comes closer and I hate myself in that moment for the tug of arousal that slices through me. It grows stronger when he brushes his nose over mine. The push and pull of arousal and fear is a juxtaposition of conflict that I can’t control.
“Please… don’t hurt me,” I whimper and the devilish smile that tilts the corners of his mouth sends a shiver of panic through me.
“Hurt you? Looked like you were getting ready to hand me my ass just now Lilly St. James.” He sneers. “Seemed like I haven’t really introed myself properly if you think you wouldn’t know me if not for your situation. You most assuredly, don’t fucking know me if you think for