One of them is chipped from my first dance and my knees are a little sore from it too. There’s limits to what a body can do without proper rest, good nutrition, and time away from the pole. I’m quickly discovering that I’m running into the end of the line for what I can do without burning out.
I need to be more aggressive in my saving.
Maybe there’s something in the air, or maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment, but I just have to question him.
“Why me, though? Because I’m your biggest asset? You know Diamond and the other girls hate me because I’m getting preferential treatment. They all want me out and honestly… I’m not going to dance forever. Shouldn’t you be protecting the girls that want to stick with you?”
He stares at me for so long I try not to squirm in my seat.
Finally, he shuts his laptop and then leans forward to shut mine too.
“I’m not protecting you because of the club. Yes, you are our best dancer and the biggest money maker out of all of the girls here for the club but I’m a selfish dick. I’m protecting you because I want to.”
I swallow again, a lump forming in the back of my throat. This feels too… real for me. I feel like he’s actually trying to open up to me. I mean, I’m not sure what I was expecting him to say but it wasn’t this.
I kind of thought he’d be telling me how much he hates me again.
“Who is your boyfriend, Angel? The one you’re afraid of. Is he making you dance here and taking your money? Tell me his name and he’ll be gone before the sun comes up.”
I glance down at my computer.
I could tell him.
Except then whatever progress we’ve managed would be gone, he’d never trust me again, I’d lose everything.
Better to keep that secret close to my chest.
“I don’t have a boyfriend. I… I’ve been knocked around some but there’s no one now. I’m just trying to finish college, get a job, live a normal life. There’s no big secret, Tomi.”
He looks me over, his eyes too intense for me. “There is a secret. I don’t know what it is but you’re too fucking scared for there to be nothing. If you tell me what it is, I’ll sort it out.”
I sigh and lean back in my chair, fussing with the hem of his hoodie, picking at the threads there. “You want me to be honest with you Tomi, but you’ve given me no reason to be. Why should I trust you? I mean, the sex is good but there’s nothing else going on between us… right? You don’t want to be my friend.”
He scowls at me, ignoring his phone when it starts to ring. “Angel, I don’t want to be your fucking friend. I want you naked in my goddamn bed every night. I want you outta this club. I want whoever the fuck is hurting you dead and rotting in a fucking hole somewhere, and I want you to stop jumping at the smallest fucking noises. It’s pretty fucking simple. You want me to prove myself to you or some shit? Fine. Your ass is protected by me and my club. Anyone touches you, they die. You need something? You come to me.”
My stomach roils with nerves.
I want that.
I want him and that protection so goddamn much, having him for myself… fuck, that’s exactly what I want. The stabbing feeling in my chest when he rolled away from me the other night, that was the worst fucking pain I’ve felt since I ran away from home.
Could I survive this if he’s not being real with me?
“I’ve got four days until I’m going on a run for the club. You’ll stay with me until then. When I get back, we’ll talk. You’ll tell me your secrets and I’ll fix anything you need me to. Answer me, Angel. Say yes.”
I clear my throat. Four days… four days together nd then when he gets back I’ll have to tell him.
He’ll be gone for my birthday.
It’s probably for the best.
I clear my throat. “Okay. Okay, I’ll stay with you. If it… works out, I’ll tell you… everything.”
Chapter Twenty Four
Tomi
By the time Angel makes it out of the shower, there’s no one left in the changing room. The relief is right there on her face, clear as a fucking bell, and I make a note to find out what the fuck the