Page 30

CHAPTER 29

CRESSIDA

D anielle and Ross had each other by the hair but Danielle was the stronger girl. She swung Ross around, and Ross lost her grip before being released, slamming against the wall.

Both girls were supposed to be working the Whip room tonight. They'd been here since the club opened and had been a pain in Andrea's ass.

Andrea who no longer worked here, according to Kim. A slight throb started in my temple.

"What the hell is going on here?" I yelled.

Kim pressed a gentle hand to my lower back but remained quiet, content to let me handle this mess.

A few girls popped out of the room to create a circle around us. There was also a decent amount of wait staff and other employees in the hallway, all slowing down to get a good look at the show.

"Keep moving!" I barked.

The staff picked up their pace and fled into various rooms. All except a few of the girls that Atlas had hired as well as a couple security guards hovering by the wall.

Atlas had told me about the women last night. Bodyguards in disguise.

"Why do they get to stay?" Danielle motioned to the girls still gathered around me.

I glanced back. There were five, and closest to my back was Sarah. She was several inches shorter than me and a compact ball of muscle. Sarah also eyed Danielle with venom.

Danielle gulped, turning sideways to face Ross, who cupped the back of her head groaning.

"My boyfriend is out there and she was giving him a fucking lap dance on one of the couches in the corner!" Danielle screamed so hard that spittle flew from her mouth.

"How was I supposed to know he was your fucking boyfriend?" Ross returned, but her voice was hoarse and cracked.

I stepped forward and Kim came with me. Holding up my hands, I waited for Ross to nod before feeling the back of her head. She had a nice goose egg where she hit the wall.

What the hell was this petty drama shit? I'd never had to deal with this in the staff at Linda's. It was usually just me and Linda working the bar, maybe one other person.

I also never had girlfriends to pick over stuff like this with.

Lowering my voice, I asked Ross, "You didn't know it was her boyfriend?"

She looked up at me through mascara-coated lashes. "No. He snaked an arm out and caught me on my way by. Asked for a lap dance and held up two hundreds." Her gaze dropped. "I know we're not supposed to accept money like that, but I could use it, so I started giving him a lap dance."

I exhaled through my nose. It wasn't that lap dances weren't allowed. They had to be in the right rooms and the performance rooms weren't them.

Kim had shifted his hand to my hip, and his attention was split between glaring at Danielle and staring toward the offices. It had to be that Parker man. I couldn't think of anyone else who would freak them out so much.

The fact that he was only half with me while the boys were with those two guys was raising my hackles.

Something bad was going to happen. I could feel it.

Turning to Danielle, I took her measure. She was a snotty bitch every time I interacted with her. Even now her nostrils flared, and her chest heaved like she was a bull waiting for a red flag to fly.

"Danielle, you're suspended for the night. We'll talk tomorrow about if you still have a job or not."

"What? That's bullshit! She was the one–"

"Who gave a customer what they wanted. I'll be having words with her later, but you're the one who started a fight. That's unacceptable. Especially tonight." Maybe it was a mistake to let this go tonight, but I itched to get back to the boys.

"You b–"

"I'd watch it if I were you." Sarah stepped forward, placing herself between me and Danielle. "She's the boss lady, and if she says you need to leave, then you need to leave."

Danielle pushed forward, brushing her chest against Sarah's. "Yeah? What are you going to do about it?"

Sarah laughed. "You're so pathetic. Starting fights over a man who's not worth it? Sounds to me like you need to toss him back and go fishing again."

Danielle's face turned beet red. I had to step in or there'd be another fight.

"This is your last warning. Get out of here and maybe keep your job, or stay and get arrested. It's your call."

She grumbled under her breath as she stomped toward the locker room.

"Ross, you're still on tonight, but we'll meet tomorrow. You have to follow club rules or you don't get to dance here either."

She nodded.

"Now, go point out this man to me. He needs to be escorted out."

Without arguing, she headed toward the Whip room.

“Are you okay?” I whispered to Kim as I pulled his hand off my hip and laced our fingers together, following after Ross.

He snapped back to reality with a shake of his head. Pressing a kiss to my temple, he released a beleaguered breath. “Yeah, sorry, Beasty.”

When the door opened, a rush of classical notes under a club beat rolled over us. Sarah and a few of the other girls were on our heels. I hoped they hadn't left the stages empty to watch out for us.

We walked around the edge of the curtain and then she led me to the side where a few couches were disbursed.

She pointed at a man with his arms spread back over the couch and another girl straddling his lap. That asshole didn't let grass grow, that was for damn sure.

"Thanks, now go back to work." I caught her arm. "On the other side of the room. Tell Holly you're to work the floor tonight. If I catch you taking money from a client, you'll be kicked off of Snatched property."

"Yes, Cressida." She bustled away, not waiting to see what I was going to do with the man she pointed out.

I sighed as we wove our way through the crowd. I'd at least had time to change back into my dress. I couldn't imagine trying to have this conversation in a white thong.

I raised onto my toes to reach Kim’s ear. “Was that Parker?”

His grim stare was the only answer I needed.

“Do we need to take backup to the office?” I pulled us to a stop in front of the boyfriend. I said I’d take care of this, but if we needed to get out of here, then screw the Showcase.

Kim gave me a rueful smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “This was bound to happen sooner or later. I’m just irritated that people keep surprising us.” He spun me away from him and gave me a light push. “The guys will be okay. Go take care of this idiot. It’s sexy when you take charge.”

I let out a huff of a laugh and stalked forward. As much as I enjoyed his compliment, Kim wasn’t fooling anyone. This was serious and we needed to wrap this up quickly.

"Excuse me." I tapped Cheri on the shoulder. "You're needed elsewhere."

It was dark, but cool light flashed over her face when a dancer on the platform walked by with her glowing whip.

Cheri scrambled off the man's lap and fled. She knew what she was doing was wrong. Otherwise, she wouldn't have disappeared like dogs were nipping at her ass.

"You have to leave," I said to the man. I couldn't see him clearly from this angle. His face was in shadow since he was faced away from the stage. I motioned for one of the guards who had been following us all night. "We don't allow lap dances and you won't be able to stay here."

The man tipped his head back. He was young, around my age of early twenties. And he had that smarmy smile some of the jocks had at school. He was going to be trouble.

"What was that?"

"You broke one of our rules. No lap dances. I'm afraid you'll have to leave." The guard heard me and reached for his arm, easily hauling him up.

"Hey! I didn't know that was a rule! There's not a warning in this place?"

"You're dating a dancer, you know it's a rule. Get him out of here."

Kim flagged the guard before he turned away. “Take his photo and make sure he’s entered into the facial recognition software. He’s banned.”

The guy started flailing and screaming expletives as he was carted away like a wayward toddler. The crowd parted for them, slowing their dancing as they gawked.

To drunk people, drama was just as much fun as the music and vibes. It was the same at Linda's, and it was apparently the same here in the boys' posh club.

Sarah fell into step beside us as we returned to the staff hallway.

I wanted to catch the conversation with the boys. They might not want me there, but too bad. I was inserting myself into every facet of their life.

"Where do we need to go?" Sarah's voice was low, husky.

I eyed her. There was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way, and I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I'm going to the offices to join the boys."

“We aren’t,” Kim interjected. “We’re staying out here where you’re safe.”

Sarah nodded. "Atlas said you were to stay away from the offices."

If fire engulfed me where I stood, it wouldn't be hotter than the anger burning through my veins. I wasn't going to take orders from Atlas’ babysitters.

Kim’s unapologetic stance pushed the flames higher as a whip of betrayal struck through me. Did he think after everything I’d let them keep me out of their business?

We were in this together.

What would it take to convince these two to take me to the other boys? Didn’t Kim want to be there with them too?

I just needed a few minutes to work something out.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Pointing, I walked to the end of the hall where there was a staff bathroom next to the dressing rooms.

Kim propped himself up against the wall as I ducked inside. Sarah followed me.

Damn it. I bet that was why Atlas hired women, so they'd trail me everywhere. I did have to pee though. In the stall, I raised my skirt and took care of business.

Those two men were bad news. Anything could be happening in the office and the boys might need me, or need Kim.

I might be able to convince Kim we should be there.

I doubted Sarah would be reasonable. She clearly thought Atlas' orders were more important than mine.

The alarms beeped twice and the lights cut out.

“What the fuck?” Sarah mumbled from the other side.

My scalp prickled as the emergency light popped on overhead. I had to assume there was enough light for Sarah on the other side.

“You okay?” I called. Of course, she was, but I had to ask something as I fixed my underwear and dropped the skirt back down.

“Yup,” she said in a clipped tone. She wasn’t angry, just focused.

The main bathroom door opened with a deep creak. Then there was a soft thump and a gasp as something slid to the ground.

I froze as my heart skipped a beat.

"Sarah?" I called.

I couldn't see her. The stalls were built as enclosed rooms with no gaps under the sides, the bottom of the door, or even the top. I loved that, but it was really fucking inconvenient right now.

"Sarah?" No answer.

I patted my chest. Shit! I'd left my phone in the locker.

Terror like I’d never known lifted the hairs along my arms as footsteps echoed around the bathroom. The power cut was intentional. It had to be.

Kim was outside the door. He never would have let anyone get into the bathroom.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

The stall knob jangled and my heart jumped into overdrive.

"Who is it?" I demanded. No answer.

Was it that Parker guy? Was he here to take out the guys? Over my dead body.

I quietly slipped off my shoes. They weren't the heels Kim had tried to get me to wear. They were loafers, but could still be used to beat someone with. Assuming I got the chance and they didn’t fire their gun through the wooden door.

My mouth was ash as the door shook on its hinges.

If I could get around whoever it was, I could reach Kim, then we could run to the guys.

The door stopped shaking.

A punch or shoulder slammed against it The tightly packed slats wouldn't take much to break. Already it looked like some of them were cracking.

Shit, shit, shit.

I gripped one of my shoes and discarded the other one as the attack came again, and again. Five middle slats busted and a gloved hand reached in and unlocked the door.

Dropping my loafer, I grabbed the arm, yanking back with all my strength. Their head–I hoped it was their head–slammed against the door and they grunted. They tried to pull out, and I let them get so far before I threw myself backward again.

Without giving them time to react, I twisted their arm at an awkward angle against the door.

"Fuck! Let go, you little bitch."

I knew that voice.

I think.

I hadn't heard it that much and the last time was through the speakers of Adrian's car. Stunned, I released my hold and he pulled his arm out of the hole.

No! I jumped forward but he was already gone.

The knob turned.

My pulse thudded in my ears as my arms and legs tingled with fierce anticipation.

The door swung open.

The emergency light cast this man’s face in deep shadows, making him look every bit the villain he was.

His head was covered by a hood and he was old and wrinkled.

It wasn’t Storm standing outside my stall.

Who was this man and why had his voice sounded so familiar?

Some kind of goggles covered his eyes and he held a gun in his good hand. He didn't seem bothered that his other arm was at an awkward angle.

"Sorry, Cressida. We didn't want to have to do this but this war has to end." His lips barely moved.

Jolting, I jumped forward, ready to fight my way out of here.

He pulled the trigger and I braced myself for the hit. This man was too fast

The sound was quieter than I expected as I jerked.

I looked down at a feathered dart stuck out of my chest.

Not this again...

He rushed forward, catching me as I fell.