What We Do in the Night (Day to Night #1) - Stylo Fantome Page 0,58
tried to pull her close. She made a gagging noise and shoved him away.
“I don't know who you think you are,” she snapped. “But if you ever touch me again, I'll have Serge break off your right arm and slap you across the face with him.”
“I came prepared, I've got cash,” Derrick said, and held up a roll of twenties. Val rolled her eyes and pushed it away.
“If this was your big plan for tonight, you wasted your time. Go away, little boy,” she ordered, making shooing motions with her hand. He glared at her as he shoved the money back into his pocket.
“What, I'm not good enough for you? You'll fuck a guy like Ari, but not me? I've got just as much money as him.”
“You need to stop talking right now,” she stated.
“Fuck you, whore.”
Valentine felt like she'd been slapped. She could feel her cheeks turning bright red, but she refused to get upset. She stared at him for another long second, then she took a deep breath and smiled.
“What did you just call me?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
“Oh, you like the dirty talk, huh?” Derrick grunted, and he slid his hands over her hips again. “Let's go somewhere private and I'll talk a little more.”
“Okay,” Val said, surprising him. “If you'll follow me.”
“Seriously?” his jaw dropped.
“Baby, I'm going to give you a night you'll never forget,” she said, then she winked at him and spun away.
She strode off the dance floor and could feel him moving right behind her. She shot a look to Gary behind the bar. He watched her, then glanced at Derrick, then back at her face. She nodded, and he nodded back, then turned and grabbed the walkie talkie by the register.
“We going to some sort of secret room? Or what about that big bitch – Richie said she sucked him dry,” Derrick asked. Valentine ground her teeth together and hurried through the Music Room.
“Don't worry, I'll show you something big.”
“You sure are in a hurry,” Derrick laughed as they went up the stairs, then he slapped her on the ass. “Need that vitamin D, don't ya?”
As she reached the last step, the door at the top of the stairs swung open. She breezed right through it, but Derrick had some difficulties following her. The moment he reached the top step, Serge leaned in and grabbed him by the throat, almost lifting him off the ground.
“Didn't anyone teach you how to listen?” he growled, dragging the kid into the cooler. “She told you once before – no means no, Fucko.”
“What are you doing?” Derrick managed to cough out, clawing at Serge's hand.
“You okay, Vally-wally?” Serge ignored his captive and turned to her. She glared at Derrick and folded her arms across her chest.
“He touched me when I specifically told him not to, and then he slapped me on the ass.”
“Oh kid, you must have a death wish,” Serge laughed around the toothpick in his mouth.
“And then he called me a whore,” she added.
Serge's smile fell away. He stared at Derrick, then spit his toothpick onto the ground.
“Well, Fucko,” he sighed. “You wanted a private dance? Now you're about to get one.”
Valentine followed him to the back door and hung around long enough to see Derrick get tossed inside a stinking dumpster. Once the actual beating-to-a-pulp started to commence, though, she went inside. By the time she got back into the cooler, Gary the bartender was just emerging from the staircase.
“Break time,” he said. “I radioed Serge – I take it he's handling the situation?”
The wall next to them shuddered as if something heavy had been thrown against the outside of it. They both glanced at it, then Val nodded her head.
“Situation is being handled.”
“You okay?” Gary asked.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “It's just been a while since someone's been a jerk, always catches me a little off guard. He ... he called me a whore.”
“Aw, baby,” Gary sighed, then he pulled her in for a hug. “If it makes you feel better, my boyfriend calls me a whore all the time. I told him just because I sleep around a lot doesn't mean I get paid for it.”
She laughed.
“He's never called you a whore, has he?”
“Not outside the bedroom. You seriously okay?” he checked, letting her go. She nodded.
“Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for helping out,” she said. He nodded and started walking away, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket as he went.