Okay, so maybe that was every bit as childish as they were making me out to be.
I can’t help it though. Their condescending tone as they talked about me as if I wasn’t in the room pissed me the fuck off.
I do my hair and makeup before shoving everything I’m going to need for my shift in my backpack and getting ready to leave the flat.
I’m earlier than I need to be, but right now, I’d rather spend time in the dressing room at the club with the other dancers than I would with those two judgemental arseholes.
Two sets of eyes leave the TV and turn to me the second I’m in the same room.
“Where the hell are you going?” Spike barks.
“Um… to work.”
His lips purse as he sucks in a deep breath before he responds. “Have you heard nothing I’ve said to you? You’re not going back there.”
“Get over yourself, Spike. It’s my job. You of all people know why I need the money.” His face reddens in anger as I assume he thinks about what happened last night.
“Exactly the reason why you shouldn’t go back there.”
“Oh, so what am I meant to do? Sit here and wait to win the lottery that I don’t play? Great idea, arsehole.”
“I’ve told you the solution. You tell me how much, and I’ll sort it. If you don’t, it’ll just get me to Zach’s door quicker.”
“Blackmail?” I ask with a sigh. “You’re resorting to blackmail now? Let me just sort out my own life. Butt the fuck out.”
“No can do, sweetheart.” He shrugs, and all it does is infuriate me further.
Rolling my eyes at both of them, I march toward the door.
“Leave and I’ll make sure Zach finds you up on that stage himself tonight.”
I pause with my fingers wrapped around the handle.
“You think I caused a scene last night? Just wait until he finds you.”
Blowing out a calming breath, I spin around and look between the two of them. D just looks amused that Spike seems to be winning this argument, whereas Spike looks about ready to combust.
“Fine,” I sass, thinking of another option. “Fine. You win. Happy now? Just remember that you were the one to stop me when Jet catches up with me and forces me to make payment in other forms. It’ll be your fault when he passes me around his arsehole friends for shits and giggles.”
Without waiting for a response, I run for my room, once again slamming the door so hard that the floor vibrates beneath my feet.
Turning on the wireless speakers that were sitting on the chest of drawers when I got here, I sync my phone and turn up my angry playlist.
I can’t help smiling as I wait to see if there’s going to be a response from the arseholes in the living room.
When neither of them appear at my door after five minutes, I take it as my cue that it’s safe, and stalk toward the window. Pushing it as wide as it’ll go, I look down. It’s a fire escape, so it’s not the most dangerous place I’ve had to climb down from over the years, but equally, it’s not a staircase either.
Pulling the straps of my bag higher up on my shoulders, I throw my leg over the windowsill and set about my secret escape.
6
Spike
“She’s awfully quiet in there for someone who has so much to say,” D comments as I make my way back to the sofa with a pizza for each of us.
“She’s probably just sulking.”
“Is she really stripping?”
“Yup,” I mumble around a mouthful of steaming meat feast pizza. “I pulled her off the stage and demanded we leave. Dakota was pissed.”
“That was brave of you. There’s no way I want to be on the wrong end of Dakota. That bitch is scary.”
“I decided I’d take my chances with her over Zach.”
“He’s gonna lose his shit, man.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” I fill him in on what happened once we got outside the club and then the squat I followed her to today.
“Jesus. He said her life was shit, but fuck. I don’t think he knows it’s that bad.”
“Why do you think I dragged her back here?”
“To be honest, I’m just glad it’s not to fuck her.”
I raise a brow at him. “I am able to say no, you know.” I roll my eyes and reach for another slice.
“You’ve had to say no?” he asks with his brows raised in suspicion.
I shake my head. “She was drunk. It was nothing.”
“You need to watch your fucking back, Spike,” he warns.
“What?” I ask innocently, because there’s no fucking way I’m about to admit the less than innocent thoughts I’ve had about my latest roommate. Her presence makes me realise why I’ve only had male housemates to date. Even though she’s forbidden in every sense of the word, she’s still a temptation I really don’t need.
“You think she’s hungry?” he asks, glancing up at her closed bedroom door.
“How the fuck should I know? I’m not her keeper.”
“I was thinking more of a fairy godmother.”
“Fuck you.”
“Kas,” he calls, his tone much softer than a few moments ago. “Do you want some pizza?”
Silence greets him.
“And here I was thinking no one could turn down pizza.” He shrugs and goes back to his puke-inducing ham and pineapple. There is something seriously fucking wrong with my friend.
“Kas,” I call, trying myself when a feeling I can’t shake fills my body. “You hungry? There’s plenty here.”
Silence once more makes me sit forward on the sofa.
“Why do you look so worried?”
“She wouldn’t… would she?”
“What? Ignore us because we’re arseholes? Yeah, more than likely.”
“I have a feeling it’s worse than that.” Marching over to her door, I rain my fist down on the wood. “Kas, open the door.”
Silence.
“Kas,” I warn one more time. “If you’re in there, I need you to open the door right now.”
Nothing.
“Motherfucker,” I mutter, pushing the handle down and shouldering the door open.
“Fuck,” I bark, taking in
