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“You’re hurting me,” I snarl.
"Behave, or you’ll find out what real pain is,” Damon threatens under his breath.
I bite my lip and keep walking.
I’ve never been in a strip club before, but this is pretty much the way I pictured it. There are a host of poles on elevated platforms around the large open room, with half naked women swinging listlessly around them.
A rotund, well dressed man sits at the bar counter. He’s staring me up and down as Damon and I approach. His lecherous glare makes my skin crawl.
“Hello, Damon. What did you bring me?”
“A new star.”
“I see. Yes. Very nice,” he says, staring at my body. “Can you dance, honey?” he asks me.
I don’t say a word.
“The man is talking to you, Emily. Answer him.”
“Fuck off,” retort.
I don’t see the blow coming until it’s too late. I’m sure the back hand has left red welts on my cheek. I touch the spot where the skin is burning.
“Now, now, Damon. Don’t ruin that pretty face. Leave the young lady with me. I’ll have a nice chat with her.”
“No! Damon! Don’t leave me here!” I call after him as he walks away.
“We’re square now, Paolo,” he calls to the man beside me as he gets to the front door.
“Yeah!” the man calls back before he turns his attention to me.
“So, we’re not going to have a repeat of what just happened, are we?” he grins. “If you behave, I won’t have to discipline you. Okay?”
What choice do I have? I’m in deep shit here. If I give this guy any lip, I’ll probably end up on the receiving end of a fist again, and I don’t want that.
I nod.
“Good. Come, let’s go talk in my office,” he says, gets up, and motions for me to follow him.
I want to make a dash for the door. Run out into the street and call for help. But I don’t have any money, I don’t have a phone, and, most importantly, I don’t know who I can trust. So, I follow him while my mind is churning.
The women who work there are staring at me. They don’t look friendly at all, even though they probably don’t want to be here either. So much for comradery. Paolo leads me down a narrow passage into an office.
He sits down behind his desk and points to a chair.
“Sit. Let’s chat.”
Marvelous.
20
LUCAS
“What the fuck! I trust you to watch over Emily, and this happens. Where is she?”
I’m yelling at my staff. They are petrified while I scream and shout like a madman, but I don’t care. They’ll be lucky if they leave this room without a bullet in their asses.
“We found the car in an alley. Dominick is dead, and Emily and the driver are missing.”