Lucas shakes his head. “You’re such an asshole.”
I trot over to the wooden bench where my water bottle is, taking a sip. Checking the time, I am glad to see that it’s almost eight at night.
The time which I can go back to Club X. I’ve been waiting for this.
“Is there something that you wanted?” I ask my brother distractedly.
He pushes his tongue out with his cheek. “Who is she?”
I cock my head at him. “I’m sorry?”
He makes a gesture with one hand, opening his palm to the sky and flapping it closed several times. “You’ve been avoiding work lately. The only time you do that is when you have your eye on some new girl. So who is she? Is she a ballerina or is she one of your whores?”
I shoot him a baleful look. “Get fucked, Lucas.”
He chuckles, his expression reminding me of our father. “So she’s a pro, then. God, what happened to you that you turned out so fucked up?”
I turn cold as ice. “Lucas, get the fuck out of my house.”
Lucas doesn’t get to judge me for the women I sleep with.
He eases back, holding up his hands. “I just came to tell you that you have a message at the answering service that’s from Anita. Apparently it’s been there for some time.”
I look down at my fists, which closed tight at the sound of her name. “I know.”
He rolls his eyes. “You should answer it. Or at least listen to it. Jesus.”
I keep my expression blank. “Are you done?”
“You’re a dick today,” he huffs. He turns and disappears out the swinging door again.
I turn and look at myself in the mirror. I look like a little boy, clothing his water bottle, all mad at the world.
Walking toward my reflection, I hurl the water bottle. It hits the surface and explodes, distorting my image for a moment as the water runs down the wall.
Inside I’m writhing with anger, absolutely furious at the fact that Anita even had the fucking nerve to reach out. Not only that, but she obviously called my brother when no response was apparently forthcoming.
Her using Lucas really turns my stomach all over again.
She should know better. Then again, she’s a snake. How can I expect a snake not to poison everything within its reach?
The only other option is to tell my brother exactly how I got Anita to take us in after our parents died… and that’ll happen as soon as hell fucking freezes over.
I close my eyes, struggling for control. I learned so much of it in ballet, perfect control of my physical being.
But mental control…
That’s something else entirely.
I open my eyes as Club X wishes back into my consciousness.
Cerise in right there, at the top of my mind.
I’m going to make her mine tonight, no matter how much it costs. And then I’ll be so distracted that all thoughts of Anita will flee.
Growling to myself, I turn and start to walk out of the gym.
9
Kaia
Thud, thud, thud.
My heartbeat is so loud that it almost drowns out the music.
I’m onstage at Club X, on my knees in the middle of the stage, listening to the last notes of my song. The top of my bikini is somewhere behind me; the bottoms are just in front of me. Whistles and cheers come from the audience; my face heats as the music shifts.
Climbing to my feet, I gather all the cash I can carry, making sure I pick up my suit at the same time. I run off the stage and dump everything down on a tall bar table put there for just that reason. As fast as I can, I rush out onto the floor. I see several men wave me over, raising their black plastic cards at me. My eyes rove over them, trying to pick between them.
One of the guys pops up, grinning. He’s blond and young, his Harvard sweatshirt and acne-spotted cheeks dead giveaways. He leers at me as he comes over, waving his black card. “Hey! I want a lap dance from you. I have a room…”
I smile lightly. He seems pretty drunk. But half the guys in here are the same. “Sure. Lead the way.”
I grab onto his arm to stop him from literally running. He flushes at my touch and slows it way, way down. I strut my stuff into the back, where the private rooms are located.
Okay, rooms might be overselling the place a bit. They are small black booths with room for no more than three people; I notice that the camera that points into the room follows us.
I push him down on the hard bench, feeling strangely loose. It’s rare to get someone my age as a customer. Maybe just knowing that he’s very human and visibly shaking helps me relax.
I press a button by the door and take his black card, sliding it into a slot. His choice of music begins to play, some seriously raunchy rap.
I smile and begin to dance for him. “What’s your name, sweetie?”
He bites his lip, his gaze hard on my breasts. “Mike.”
He reaches out and grabs me around the waist. Instinctively I push him back, shaking my head. “That’s not how this works. You don’t touch me.”
He rolls his eyes. “Come on. We both know that you’re going to get on your knees and suck my dick. Just go ahead and do it already. There’s no need to wind me up first.”
I paste on a smile but stop dancing. “I think you have the wrong idea. We don’t do that here.”
I turn my head and start to pull his card from the door. When I turn around, he’s coming right at me. “Don’t be a stuck up bitch. We both know you want it.”
He unzips his pants and flashes me his penis, which is laughably small. He arches his eyebrow, as if he’s daring me to touch it.
Before I can even push the hidden panic button, a big burly security guard is already behind me. “Everything okay in here?”
I step backward, out of the booth. “I think it would be best if this guy left.”
“Wait a second!” the young guy protests. “I want what I paid for!”
I turn and walk out of the back area as quickly as I can. Unease settles around my shoulders like a cape, prickling me. My mouth quivers.
It’s not that I’m afraid what would have happened back there. The management keeps their eyes on everyone and everything. If I were to believe Mia, they keep a lookout for people trying to cut them out of profits.
But for stuff like this?
I’m beyond glad that they are looking out for me, no matter what their motivation is.
I stop in the middle of the hallway, giving myself a hard shake. This is part of it, I chide myself. This is exactly what you signed up for when you took this job. Now get a hold of yourself!
I paste a smile on. Blowing a deep breath out, I start moving again. Before I even make it all the way back onto the floor, the manager Sam comes to find me.
He doesn’t even blink at the fact that I’m scrambling to get my mind straight. He just sniffs, adjusts the waist of his black pants, and looks at me through jaundiced eyes. “You were good onstage. You do that dancing ballet thing and the whole room goes nuts. It’s one of the best acts here.”
My cheeks turn beet red. “Oh. Uh, thanks.”
He seems not to notice, or maybe it’s just that he doesn’t care. “Mr. X is here again.”
I look up at him, my eyes going wide. “He is?”