“You need to find a new girl. Kas won’t be doing another shift here.”
My chin drops at his words. How fucking dare he?
“That’s enough. Where the hell do you get off trying to take over my life?” My hand lifts and I poke him in the chest with as much force as I can muster. Sadly, it does little against his hard muscles, and he just wraps his fingers around my wrist and stops me.
“This isn’t up for discussion. You’re not stripping here again. Fuck, you’re not stepping foot back in here again.”
“That’s not for you to decide,” I shout, ripping my arm from its restraint. “Dakota, I’m so sorry.” I glance at my boss, who looks to be on the verge of laughing as her eyes flick between the two of us.
“Call me when you’ve sorted whatever this is out.” She winks before spinning and walking away. She’s the only one who knows how badly I need this job. She knows full well that I can’t just give it up because this arsehole thinks he can control my life.
“She won’t be calling. She’s done.”
I can’t help but smile when Dakota’s only response is to flip Spike off over her shoulder.
“Let’s go.” Wrapping his fingers around my upper arm, he all but drags me from the building.
“Get your hands off me,” I grunt, fighting to get away from him.
Stopping dead in his tracks, he stares down at me. His jaw pops with irritation.
“What now?”
“Just do as you’re told.”
“By you? Never.” Rolling my eyes, I storm past him and toward the exit.
His low chuckle sounds out behind me, and I try not to let it affect me as I push through the doors and smile at the security guys holding the fort. Although, I can’t help being pissed off that they didn’t try to rescue me from the caveman now following me out of the building.
“Spike,” one says jovially, adding to my irritation. “Good night?”
“Something like that,” he mutters.
There’s a line of cabs waiting outside to take the drunken patrons away. The desire to jump in the back of one while he’s distracted is strong, but I don’t have anywhere near enough money for something as simple as a cab ride.
Instead, I take off down the street in the hope that I can hide in an alley or something before he notices.
I can’t have taken any more than five steps when my feet leave the floor and I’m dragged around the back of the club, losing grip on my bag which falls to the ground with a thud.
My heart jumps into my throat.
This isn’t Spike.
I don’t need the dirty cigarette smoke or the stench of his body odour to tell me that. Everything about the touch, his movements, is different.
A blood-curdling scream is just about to rip from my lips when fat, sweaty fingers cover my mouth.
I fight to drag in the air I need through my nose as I’m thrown back against the rough wall of the club.
“Where’s my fucking money?” Jet growls, his nose only millimetres away from mine and his dark, cruel eyes boring into my light blue ones.
I shake my head as much as I can.
I don’t have his fucking money. Why does he think I’m working here, for Christ’s sake?
“Y-you gave me to the end of the month,” I say in a rush when he finally releases my mouth.
“Yeah, well. I changed my mind. I need a payment now.”
Where the hell is Spike? He wouldn’t let me out of his sight not so long ago, and now he’s fucked off when I need him most.
Jet takes a step back, his eyes dropping to my body.
“My other offer still stands. We can come to other arrangements.” He reaches out and cups my breast, squeezing just a little too hard and making me wince. “It would be such a shame not to put this body to use.”
My stomach rolls like I’m about to puke at any moment.
“What do you say, slut? Wanna prove to me how much money you could make me? Let me test out the goods?”
“Fuck you,” I spit at him. My head screams at me to fight, to run, but my body is frozen under his stare.
“No,” he growls, reaching out and tearing the thin fabric covering me in one single move. The material rips, exposing my bare breasts to him. “Fuck you.”
The next few seconds happen so fast, I’m not even sure if I imagine some of it.
What I can only describe as a roar sounds out from my left at the same time Jet reaches for me again.
One second, he’s there, taking advantage, and the next he’s flying away from me as two guys follow.
I watch in horror as fists fly, bones crunch, and grunts and groans sound out around the otherwise quiet alleyway.
I fight to catch my breath as I stare at the scene before me, attempting to pull my ruined tank around my body to cover up.
“I’ve got this. Go get her,” a vaguely familiar voice says before one of the shadowed bodies turns on me.
My instinct is to take a step back, needing to get away from whoever it might be, but I’m still against the wall and all I achieve is the brick tearing up my back some more.
I marginally relax when Spike steps into the light. I sag against the wall, but thankfully he’s quick enough and catches me before I hit the ground.
“Fucking hell, Tiny.”
His strong arms pick me up as if I weigh no more than a feather, and before I can blink, I’m cradled against his chest.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Resting my head against his shoulder, I can’t help but breathe him in. He smells fresh, manly, sexy. The complete opposite of Jet, whose smell made me want to puke.
My heart continues to thunder in my chest
