to start my shift I’m fucking rattling around like a crackhead.
Diamond notices when she walks into the locker room as I lock my bag up and says to me with a smirk, “If you’re tweaking you need to stay the fuck outta my club.”
Her club, fuck, Tomi would kill her if he heard her saying that shit. “I’m not. I got some news this morning and it’s nerves.”
She scoffs. “Sure thing, Angel. Keep your tweaking ass in line.”
I do.
I’m a fucking professional at faking shit until I make it, fuck that about sums up my entire time here at the strip club.
So I dance my ass off, the outfit just as popular as I thought it would be and the green raining down onto my stage faster than it ever has before. I wait until I’m done for the night before I start thinking about what the fuck I’m going to do if they’ve really found me. Fuck.
I’m fucked.
Tomi stalks into the locker room as I’m coming out of the shower, my hair still dripping wet. His eyes drag over my bare arms before he snarls, “What the fuck are you on?”
I sigh. “Nothing. I just… Jesus, I just got some news this morning. It’s not a big deal. Test me if you want.”
He stares into my eyes like he’s looking for the lie. I stare back at him, unwavering and honest because I have nothing to hide.
I’m just freaked the fuck out.
“There’s a lot of shit that ain’t adding up about you, Angel. You wanna start being fucking honest about it?”
Chapter Eighteen
Tomi
“Hey Tomi! Diamond is busy behind the bar but she wanted me to tell you that Angel is strung out tonight. She’s been shaking like she’s coming down from a bad high.” Mel actually manages to look like she gives a fuck when she says it too, if I gave a shit about the girl I’d be impressed.
Instead, I’m fucking livid.
There’s no way it’s true, Angel hasn’t fucking once looked like she’s tweaking and Diamond is a fucking cunt about her at the best of times. I’m sure this is just her next move to fuck with my girl.
Fuck.
Not my girl.
She mighta ’struck me but she definitely doesn’t have me… yet. Fuck, I don’t want to think about how fucking obsessed with her I already am.
I get into the locker room as Angel is coming out of the shower, all pink and clean, the smell of honey wafting out after her.
Her hands are shaking so bad the makeup bag in her hand is rattling.
I lose my fucking cool and snap, “What the fuck are you on?”
She sighs and she looks tired. “Nothing. I just… Jesus, I just got some news this morning. It’s not a big deal. Test me if you want.”
She stares at me, unflinching, and here in the shitty lighting of the communal bathroom she just looks… young. Really fucking young and scared, as if the shaking has everything to do with some danger she’s facing and nothing to do with a high.
My patience with this whole fucking thing is wearing thin.
“There’s a lot of shit that ain’t adding up about you, Angel. You wanna start being fucking honest about it?”
The tremors get worse.
She’s standing there staring right through my eyes and into my soul, and shaking like a fucking leaf.
Someone is fucking with this girl and when I find out who the fuck it is I’ll be slitting their fucking throats.
She hesitates and then brushes past me to get to her locker, hunching over the combination a little before she opens it up and pulls out her bag.
Finally the warning bells start to get my fucking attention.
“Is there an asshole boyfriend taking your money? Knocking you around some?”
Angel startles at the sound of my voice like a damn rabbit. My teeth clench at the sight but I try to look a little less fucking pissed. She barely ever talks about herself and never talks about what happens to her when she leaves here so I need her to fucking trust me right now.
The shaking is fucking killing me.
“What? Why?”
Deep breath. “You make double what any other girl here does. All the other girls are pissed over how popular you are so I’ve started keeping tally. You’re on almost ten g’s a week, how the fuck are you still walking around here with a flip phone and a busted ass bag?”
Her eyes drop down to her bag and she curves around it a little more like