What a sucker I was.
I do as I’m told, not because I want to, but because I have no other choice. I now know that he’s involved in selling and trading children. I’m not the only woman he’s impregnated and uses the threats against. There are many of us, ten at my last count, and there’s no telling how many more have been drawn into his web of deceit.
What I’ve learned recently is that he belongs to a group of men who run several businesses together. And every one of them, involve some sort of sex market. Strip clubs, brothels, underground sex clubs, escort services. Nearly every woman they employ has something held over their heads. Most of us were swayed from the streets by this group of losers. The others, their families owe them some sort of debt, so the women do as told so that their loved ones stay breathing.
I’m one of the headliners here at Lovelace. We aren’t permitted to cover one inch of our body, not even as we initially step on stage. We walk out of the back room wearing nothing more than what God gave us when we entered this world.
As the song concludes, I spread myself wide in the splits; that there is my money maker. Seventy-five percent of my income for the night goes to the house. In other words, I line the pockets of the men who use my body for their own monetary gain.
As I walk over to the end of the stage to collect my funds, my eyes meet the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. They captivate me from the second mine lock onto his.
He’s built like a Greek Adonis. He has the face of a cover model. Just the stare we share alone has my knees going weak.
This is the man I need to be imagining when I need to get lost from the reality of my world.
“I believe this is yours,” he huskily says as he hands me a hundred-dollar bill. “Nice performance, looking forward to catching your next show.” He winks at me as I reach out and grab the money from him. My hands are shaky, but I do everything I can to not show him in other ways that his voice and looks affect me in the slightest.
“Thank you,” I quietly reply as I step back away from him. I keep my eyes on him until I get behind the drapes that separate the stage from the back room. Holy shit. My breath is caught in my chest as I stroll over to Jeremiah and hand him the money.
“You know that guy?” he solicits of me.
“Never seen him before in my life,” I answer, thankful that I’m not lying, because if he thought in any way I was, I’d be punished before I’d be able to leave for the night.
“I’m gonna be keeping my eye on him. He looks a little too interested in you.” Without replying to him, I reach out and hand him my earnings. He counts the money and a smirk forms on his face. “You did well tonight, kitten. Maybe we can get you in the dark room and you can make me a little more, huh?”
“Whatever you’d like, Jeremiah,” I robotically counter. With him, I never show any emotions. He had that once, but he’s lost it all now.
“Good, I’ll go see if I can get you a buyer for the night. Head back into the dressing room. I’ll send Gray to get you if I find anyone interested.”
I nod my head and scurry away as fast as my heels will allow me to. I hate getting up on that stage, but I really, really dislike private shows. The men who pay a wad of cash for that service are sleazy individuals.
This wasn’t my vision of a dream job as a kid. At night, Stella and I used to sit back and think of what we’d be. What we’d do in order to get ourselves out of the hellhole we grew up in.
I always dreamed of becoming famous, just didn’t realize that’d include showing my tits and ass in order to line a greedy man’s pockets.
Chapter One
Shamus
I was only supposed to sit back and observe. Find out how much of this shit Star’s a willing participant of and how much she’s being forced into. The only time I saw life in her beautiful sapphire-like eyes, was the moment our gazes intercepted one another’s.
Unhappiness is etched in her orbs. You couldn’t miss the dead stare she sent the audience's way as she shook her hips back and forth. Every time she closed her eyes, I could feel the magnetic pull toward her to protect her, to pull her out of this life.
As the floor waitress passes me by, I reach out to stop her. I don’t place a finger on her, I just hold my hand up in the air to get her attention.
“What can I get for you, handsome,” she purrs, and instead of enticing me as I’m sure it’s meant to do, I find myself cringing at the come on.
“Jack and Coke please, heavy on the Jack. Tell the bartender not to skimp on me this time, yeah?” I dismissively respond. Don’t want her getting any ideas so I’m short and sharp with my demands.
I hold back the chuckle as she stomps away like a petulant child. I don’t have time to deal with women like this; I’m on a mission, one that is a lot more dire than getting my fucking dick wet. Women like her are a dime a dozen; looking for an easy lay and way to escape their life’s woes.
“Never seen you around here before.” A man I saw lurking in the shadows earlier says as he uninvitingly takes the seat on the other side of the booth from me.
“Never been here before.” My response has his shoulders tightening. I’m not being nice; I don’t know
