Page 20 of Hurt

He nodded but kept his hand there. “I don’t want to invade anyone’s privacy.”

“You realize we’re strippers, right?”

Sid blinked at her innocently, not understanding.

“Never mind.” She moved past Sid and retrieved her water bottle. Chugging it down, she relished the way it dribbled down her throat.

Turning to follow her, Sid slid his hand over his eyes.

“Sid, I’m literally the only one in here,” she pointed out with a huff.

“Well, just in case,” the bouncer said with a small shrug. “By the way, you’ve been requested for a private.”

Willow groaned and flopped back on the chair. Going completely boneless, she slid down until her legs were splayed in front of her. “Who?”

“It’s…Asher.”

Willow cringed and sighed. The Vega Cabal rarely made an appearance at The Sunspot, but when they did, it was always a disaster. They were greasy and intolerable, handsy with terrible taste in music. Ezra had no control over his volatile brother—the man had a superiority complex to rival Mussolini.

But he was rich, a customer, and a Vega. Willow couldn’t afford to piss him off—no matter how much she wanted to. Opal had the misfortune of dealing with him until one of his girlfriends got a little too jealous and threw a fit. Since then, he had been requesting other dancers.

Today was just not Willow’s day.

“I’ll be out in a moment,” she said, watching as Sid turned and slowly made his way out of the room, arms extended to catch himself on anything. Willow shook his head and couldn’t help but smile at the man.

Taking a moment to collect herself, she tried to put the fight with Kurt out of her mind and focus on what she needed to do. Usually, she would focus on the notes of whatever music was playing, but tonight she couldn’t follow it. Tightening the laces on her bralette and then adjusting the waistline of the leather pants she was wearing, she deemed herself ready to deal with Asher’s bullshit.

Squaring her shoulders just before she slipped out from the curtain, she let her eyes adjust to the differing light. Even in the few moments, she had stepped off the stage, the bar had filled with people. There wasn’t an empty seat in the house. Willow tried not to let her eyes wander to the seat where Roland normally sat, but she couldn’t help it. There was a group of women sitting at the table this time.

She didn’t even really know the man. They shared one encounter, but there was something in that kiss. Roland kissed her back. Evan can say she was imagining it all he wanted, but Willow knew. Even now, days later, she could still taste the Tequila kiss. Feel the firm press of Roland’s lips and the little sparks of electricity that sizzled along her skin wherever they touched. But more than any of that, it was Roland’s eyes. When those eyes caught Willow in their beam, she felt seen.

Ignoring the disappointment that welled up inside, she turned her attention to the table the Vega brothers were sitting at. Ezra and Asher were leaning back in their chairs, legs open wide and drinks in their hands. A gaggle of underlings was sitting around them, some watching the show and others drinking. The infamous Tony ‘the Tonka’ wasn’t anywhere to be seen, which was a relief. Willow hated the smug look on the Vega Cabals’ personal attack dog.

Asher was grinning, his ugly face pinched as he took in Willow’s walk. He turned to his older brother and shared a comment that made Ezra smile. The eldest Vega could be attractive were it not for the greasy aura that pervaded him. Every movement was slick and calculated as if he was mentally tallying what things were worth to him.

Ezra took in Willow, leaning back in his seat and casting a cold glance at her.

“Well, if it isn’t the sister.”

Willow’s eyebrows pinched together, and her walk faltered. She glanced toward the bar where she knew Kurt was, but she couldn’t see past the spotlights focusing on the stage.

“I wasn’t aware you knew my brother,” she hedged as she put her hands on her hips and tried to keep a light atmosphere.

Ezra smiled coyly. It made a shiver roll down her spine, and she felt the urge to slap it right off his face.

“They say you’re a prodigy,” Asher said, drawing Willow’s attention back to the ugly Vega.

Where Ezra could be salvageable, Asher couldn’t. His pinched face was pock marked with old acne scars, and his eyes were too small. Short, squat, and unpleasant.

Willow wanted to say that he was the reason God invented the middle finger, but she refrained.

“I’m good with my fingers,” Willow said, cringing at having to flirt with this man.

She was a flirt. Willow liked to flirt. She loved to make people flustered or uncomfortable. It came easy to her. But pretending to be interested in these two men was proving harder than she imagined.

“Go on then,” Asher said haughtily. “Dance.”

Willow had to bite her lip to keep from saying something she shouldn’t. Steeling herself, she found he hips swaying and started her dance. The motions were mechanical, movements that technically worked but had no flare or soul in them. Nothing like what she usually performed. Which was fine. She wanted to get away with touching Asher as little as possible.