What was the alternative if she ended up having to sell the club? Would she be able to get another building? No, she didn’t think so; she remembered how hard it had been to get this one. Besides, Kyle would probably find her again, and where would that leave her?
Her troubled mind switched to her relationship with Tiffany. What if all the stress and pressure proved too much for them and put an end to their relationship? She knew she was getting carried away as her thoughts went round and round in her mind, but she couldn’t help it.
And then another worry occurred to her; while all this was going on there was still the danger of reprisals from Gilly. The threat from Kyle and his gang was so huge that Gilly’s threat had become miniscule by comparison. But, nevertheless, it was still there.
As well as being anxious, Ruby felt angry at her own powerlessness. Yet again, she was being controlled by men; something she had sworn would never happen. That anger chipped away at her, making her feel even tenser. Somehow, she had to find a way to beat Kyle. She couldn’t go on like this.
Eventually Ruby became so exhausted that she fell asleep in the early hours of the morning. She had only slept for just over three hours but it had been enough to enable her brain to relax a little while her subconscious came up with the answers. And, by the time she came to, Ruby had reached a decision about what she had to do to get out of this mess and take back control.
*
Before Ruby had a chance to act on her decision Kyle paid her another visit. It wasn’t collection day so she guessed he had come specially to spend some time with one of the girls.
‘When’s Rose free?’ he demanded as soon as he reached the counter.
‘She doesn’t work here anymore,’ said Ruby.
‘Shit! She was well fit. Do you know where she’s working now? No, scrap that. Why fuckin’ pay for it when you can get it for nowt? What about that little Asian girl?’
‘You mean Ria?’ said Ruby, biting back her irritation. ‘She’s left as well.’
‘Are you fuckin’ joking? What the hell’s going on in this place?’
Ruby braced herself, dreading his reaction to her reply. But, although she was nervous, she was determined to let him know how his actions were affecting the club. ‘They left because you and your men were being too rough with them.’
‘You what? Are you fuckin’ serious? They’re tarts! I’m hardly gonna fuckin’ wine and dine ’em, am I?’
Ruby stared at him for a moment, considering her response. There was no point telling him how it was out of order to manhandle a woman no matter what she did for a living. He didn’t operate by the same ethical code as everyone else. Wary of winding him up, she decided instead to concentrate on something that would concern him; the effect on the club’s income.
‘We’ve lost three girls up to now,’ she said. ‘And they were three of my best; all of them were very popular with the customers. If word gets around, we could lose even more. Then we’ll find it difficult to get replacements too. No girl wants to work in a place where the customers don’t treat her right. We might even end up having to shut down and then we would all lose out.’
‘Alright, keep your fuckin’ hair on!’ he blasted.
Ruby knew she’d hit the mark. The potential loss of protection money would bother him as the massage parlour was a big earner. She hoped his concerns would be enough to make him and his gang treat the girls better in future. But, of course, she wouldn’t get a verbal commitment from him about it. That wasn’t his style.
Despite the effect that her words had had on him, Kyle carried on as though Ruby hadn’t raised her concerns. ‘Who else have you got?’ he demanded.
Ruby went through each of the girls, describing them to him, but he turned down every one.
‘Scraping the fuckin’ barrel now, aren’t you?’ he said, scornfully. ‘Tell you what, how about you?’
A pang of fear shot through Ruby like a laser beam, making her heart race and her chest feel tight. ‘No!’ she yelled. Then, realising he might balk at her extreme reaction, she said, ‘I don’t offer my services, I just manage the girls.’
‘Oh, come off it. I’m not stupid! You wouldn’t be fuckin’ running this place if you hadn’t done a bit yourself. Anyway, I’ve heard all about Ruby’s Dungeon.’
‘You wouldn’t want that. It’s a special service for certain customers.’
‘How do you know what I fuckin’ want?’ Then he paused for a moment, grinning arrogantly at her as he sensed her discomfort. ‘Nah, you’re right,’ he added. ‘I ain’t like those fuckin’ weirdos that want to be spanked and all that bollocks. I just want what normal men want. And if you can’t get me a decent girl then I’m gonna have to have you.’
‘I-I’m busy managing the desk.’
‘That’s OK. I can come back tomorrow night, but you’d better be fuckin’ ready. Cos if you’re not, you know what’ll happen, don’t you? Poof!’ As he said the last word, he used his fingers to mime the place going up in flames.
Ruby was relieved to see him walk out of the door. His latest visit had shaken her even more than any other and she dreaded the thought of having to sleep with him. The only consolation was that Tiffany hadn’t been on reception that night; if he had chosen her that would have felt even worse.
But, despite that thought, his request to sleep with her had floored Ruby. She knew how violent he was and every time she saw
