Page 24

Alina:

The Bengal is pretty grungy on a normal day, but after spending the last day with Bash, I’m actually offended just walking in. The stains on the carpet are the first things that meet my eyes, as the club lights swirl over the tiger stripes beneath my shoes. I wrinkle my nose, noticing I’m near puke that looks particularly chunky with a somewhat pinkish hue. No one volunteers to clean up barf, so it usually sits for a while until Luke finds it and demands someone close by to take care of it.

Gross .

I walk away, making sure to stick to the edges of the interior walls, trying not to draw too much attention to myself.

No one is manning the front, which isn’t too big of a deal during the lunch shift. I walk towards the bar and hide in the shadows to see who’s working. My friend Gloria Gomez is slinging drinks, her midriff exposed and her boobs hanging out of her tight, black top. Her eyes are rimmed with heavy liner and black mascara. Her dark hair is parted down the middle and falls to her elbows in styled waves. She was brought in before me, but she’s never told me why. I’ve never pushed it. We all have our closets and skeletons and shit. She’s always been nice to me, so we’ve grown friendly over the years. She notices me at the end of the bar and finishes with her customers before approaching me.

“Where the fuck have you been, then?” she asks me, as she grabs two shot glasses and pours a drink for each of us.

“What have you heard?” I reply with a smirk, and she shakes her head, shooting her shot back without waiting for me.

“That you’ve been running around with some wannabe rockstar who’s kicking in your clients’ balls,” she says casually, and I can’t help but smile as I picture Bash and what he did to Albert.

“The only thing that’s wrong in that sentence is the wannabe part. He’s already famous, Gloria,” I say flipping my purple hair behind my shoulder and finally taking my shot.

I grimace and she shakes her head in judgement at me.

“You never could handle your whiskey, güera ,” she says as she looks at me seriously. “He’s here, Alina.” My eyes widen as she nods her head yes. “I’m assuming you came with your new man?”

“He’s outside, around the back, down the street,” I whisper as she slams her palm on the bar in front of me.

“Wake up!! You’re gonna get him killed,” she warns. My hands begin to shake. This is what I had been trying to tell Sebastian all along. He’s refused to listen. But being back in the Bengal and hearing it from Gloria’s mouth is a reality check from hell. It’s hard not to forget his confidence and revert back to my old fears.

“I’ve got a plan,” I insist, but she sucks on her teeth before pouring me another shot, not believing a single word.

“You’re gonna need this. He’s coming this way.”

I curse out loud and pound the shot, turning my head to see Luke sauntering over to me, a couple of dancers looking very unaware of where they are locked on his arms.

“Alina!!! Kitten! You’re here!” His arms open wide as he approaches me, the dancers stumbling as he stops suddenly, his forearms smacking them ungracefully in their lower stomachs. I stiffen and side-eye Gloria. She pours me one last shot and walks away, slashing her finger across her neck.

She’s right.

I’m dead.

I’m dead.

I’m so fucking dead.

“I’m only here to grab my purse,” I say calmly, though my trembling body is a dead giveaway that I’m lying. “I need my keys so I can have my place cleaned.”

He levels me with an all-knowing stare and smirks.

“It’s in my office,” he says, an evil glint in his eye.

“ Funny . I left it in my locker,” I growl as he drops the happy facade and shoves the dancers behind him in his anger. One trips over the other and falls, smacking her head on the back of the couch behind her. I go to help her up, but Luke pushes me back by my ribcage until my spine hits the bar.

“That locker belongs to me ultimately, so I can do whatever the fuck I please with the shit that’s left in my establishment, Alina,” he says to me as he closes in on my face. We look deeply into each other’s eyes. “You also fled during your shift and left it here while you allowed yourself to be harbored by a junkie loser, former musician. So, I took the liberty of searching it to make sure you weren’t packing any secrets within it I didn’t know about.”

“If I had a gun, I’d keep it on my person for these special little chats we get to have, Luke. Not in my goddamn locker,” I seethe. His eyes widen at my disrespect, and I know I’ve earned myself one of his famous punishments. I hate him so much, and with Bash around, I can’t keep my fucking mouth shut anymore. Luke sees this. He can’t let it stand. Especially while in front of his other employees.

Squash the rebel uprising before she realizes her power and wages war upon her dickhead overlord.

“How about we visit my office, so I can remind you of your place here. Then you can leave with your goddamn purse ,” he grits out through his teeth as he grabs my shirt at my shoulder and throws me forward.

I text Bash one word.

Leave .

Sebastian:

I throw my phone at the dashboard after her text comes through.

Leave .

Like hell I’m fucking leaving her in there all alone. I unbuckle my seatbelt and rip myself from the car, my steps steady and sure as I begin to approach the stupid fucking bar that serves as Alina’s business front.

I think it’s time I meet this fucker, Luke.

Alina:

I feel like I’m in a daze as Luke parades me to his office. I’m barely registering the people around me. There aren’t a lot. But I’m scared. Because before when Luke would use me, I had nothing to live for. I’d block it out. It didn’t matter because I knew how to disassociate. And I just can’t now.

I’m seeing Sebastian in my mind, hearing his promise to me that it’ll be my choice from now on. I get to say who enters my body and who doesn’t. I had believed him. And I know he meant it. But right now, that promise is crumbling around me. And when Luke closes the door to his office and throws me on his couch, it feels like a whisper in the wind. Something I must’ve made up because this is happening regardless of what Bash said. Luke is going to hurt me, and it won’t be consensual.

I don’t get to have a say.

He slaps me across the face and my vision blurs with tears from the sting as he rips his black jacket off and throws it on top of his desk. His outfit of choice today is a purple silk, short-sleeved dress shirt with black tiger’s stripes and black slacks. He wears no socks with his loafers, tassels hanging from the gold embellishments. The lights above glare off the shined leather. They’re so fucking ugly. I wish with everything that I am that I was staring at Bash’s dirty, used Converse instead.

A gold chain glitters at his neck as he lights himself a cigarette and takes a long drag. “ Alina . Alina, Alina, Alina,” he says as he shakes his head, his gold rings glittering as he pulls his cigarette away from his lips and exhales. “You really showed up with that fucker today.”

“You’ve got me there.” I admit it, my attitude apparent as fuck. It was stupid to bring Bash anywhere near here. “Just take it out on me and get it over with,” I demand, not in the mood for his games or stretching this out any longer. I just want to get back to my man.

“You know I’ll kill him,” he warns me. I stare up at him with daggers in my eyes. My anger peaks and I snarl as I answer his threat.

“You can fucking try ,” I smile maniacally. His nostrils flare as he stiffens before me. Luke doesn’t do back talk. “I’ll die doing everything I can to save that man, you fucking prick.” I spit at his shoes before he’s on me.

His hand flies to my face again, slamming it sideways with the force of his hit. I feel my clothes being torn from my body. But fuck that, I don’t just take it this time. I kick and scream and fight. I fight for myself, and I fight for Bash, and I fight for the future I want for us. I kick my leg out and catch Luke in the jaw, shoving him off of me while reaching for something, anything heavy around his office to knock him out. There’s a gaudy candle on his desk poured into heavy glass and I grab it before smacking it down on his skull with all my might. He’s able to swipe at my feet before he goes down and I stutter, falling just after the blow I gift him. But it’s done the trick and he’s out cold, his temple gushing blood onto his stupid silk shirt, the candle lying haphazardly by his head.

I say a prayer hoping he’s dead.

Knowing I’m not that lucky.

I get up as fast as I can and run behind his desk, searching all the drawers for my purse. I find it after a few seconds and then I’m running out the back, trying not to alert any attention my way. I fly through it and smack hard into someone’s chest. Bash grabs me, steadying me as he looks over my face, then notices my tattered outfit.

“Are you ok?” he shouts. I nod, stuck now. “ Alina!! Let’s go!! ” he urges as he pulls me forward. I fall to my knees, still in a daze that I got away from Luke and stood up for myself in the process. He picks me up forcefully and pulls upon my arm again, making my legs move.

I cling to Bash as we run to his car and get in without saying a word. He turns the key in the ignition with incredible force and we peel out as fast as we can, allowing silence to fall between us as we drive. The rain picks up once more as we flee the scene and soon after, I feel the warmth of Bash’s hand over my thigh. I grip it in my own, even though I can’t turn my face to him yet. We’re safe for now. But we’re so fucked if Luke survives this.

I know he will.

Like I said before, I’m not that lucky.