by Sarra Cannon
“I don’t want to get you in trouble or anything, but maybe once you get settled, I can get some of the other girls together and come out there sometimes on the weekends.”
“We’ll see,” I said.
She pouted and I could tell I’d hurt her feelings. She wouldn’t understand why I wanted to keep her away, if I couldn’t tell her the truth about the place. This was exactly why I hated not just being honest. Lies and half-truths complicated everything.
But, there was no way I could tell her the truth this time. Not without admitting what I was.
And that was something I just wasn’t ready to do. Not when I still didn’t completely understand it myself.
“Let’s watch a movie,” I said. “I need to veg out for a while. Your choice.”
Her face lit up. “Deal. You start the popcorn and I’ll pick the movie. Meet you on the couch.”
Chapter 9
A Very Nasty End
By Saturday morning I felt much better, but a twinge of headache still lingered behind my eye.
I had no idea when they were expecting me back to work at Venom, but I had voluntarily taken Friday off to sleep and lounge around the apartment. I considered it a birthday present to myself.
Besides, I didn’t have Rend’s phone number and when I tried to look it up, I couldn’t find a general number for the club either. In fact, I couldn’t find a single mention of the club on the internet anywhere.
Weird, right? Most clubs had a website, but even if they didn’t, there should at least be some reviews and mentions of it somewhere. I couldn’t find as much as a mention of it on twitter. Not a whisper. It was as if the place didn’t even exist.
I considered just going about my normal life and waiting for Rend to call or come by and insist I show up for work. If he’d wanted me there, he should have left a note or something when he brought me home.
If he brought me home.
But I knew he wasn’t going to let me off the hook altogether. He'd said my life was in danger, and after everything I'd seen, I kind of believed him. Plus, I really did need a new job, so after hours of telling myself I wasn’t going to go in, I got dressed and decided to head downtown anyway.
It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to see Rend again. Nothing.
Or so I told myself.
I was glad to see my car was parked in its spot outside in the dorm parking lot. Of course, that just made me wonder again exactly how I got home the other day. I certainly didn’t drive myself, but whoever had brought me back knew exactly where I normally parked.
I shuddered.
I didn't like the idea of someone knowing so much about me when I was still so much in the dark about them.
I took the 'L' to the club instead of taking my car. This time, though, instead of the club being deserted, the bouncer was already sitting in her spot in the tunnel.
I started to reach for my ID, but she waved me off.
“Franki, right? Rend told me you might be coming in today,” she said.
“Hey,” I said. “Selena, right? I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to come in or not.”
“Good memory,” she said, her Australian accent thick and beautiful. “It’s good that you’re here. It’s going to be a busy night, so we can use all the help we can get.”
“Is Rend here?” My voice made this little crack when I said his name and I scrunched my nose. Dammit. I definitely did not want anyone to know that I was attracted to the guy, but it was going to be obvious if I didn’t get my shit together.
“Not yet,” she said, an eyebrow raised and a knowing smile on her face. “He’ll be in later, though. Azure's here. She’ll tell you what you need to do. She's kind of in charge around here when Rend's not available.”
“Thanks,” I said, cursing the blush that warmed my cheeks and neck. I was glad that she, at least, had not bothered to tell me just how off-limits Rend was for a girl like me.
The lights inside were on full blast like they had been yesterday, but this time there were at least ten other people rushing around to get things set up. I wondered if it was always like this on a Saturday or if there was something special going on tonight.
Azure stood at the end of the bar talking to the guy who had been dancing with Katy the other night. Marco. I made my way over to them and they both got very quiet, very quickly. A dead giveaway that they’d been talking about me. Great.
“Hey,” I said, forcing a smile.
“Well, if it isn't sleeping beauty,” Azure said. “We missed you the rest of the afternoon Thursday.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” I said. What had Rend told them? Had she seen him carry me out of here? “I wasn’t feeling well.”
“Uh-huh,” she said, exchanging a look with Marco. “I’m glad you’re here tonight. We could really use a few extra hands.”
“That’s what Selena said. Is something going on tonight? Or is this just normal for a Saturday?” I turned to Marco and held out my hand. “You’re Marco, right? I’m Franki, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, carino.” He took my hand and kissed the top of my knuckles. He had a thick Spanish accent.
“We have a few special guests coming in tonight,” Azure said, but didn’t elaborate.
I had a feeling special guests in this type of place meant something, considering almost everyone here was special. I was dying to ask Azure about her own powers and to find out if all the staff here was some kind of witch or demon, but now wasn’t the time.
“What do you need me to do? I have some experience bartending and waiting tables.” I assumed I’d be back behind the bar with her or serving out on the floor. Of course, thinking about that shot she’d served me on my birthday, I doubted I would know the recipes for the drinks here. Still, I was a fast learner and a hard worker, so I knew I’d figure it out.
She turned her head sideways and studied me with a strange smile on her face that made my stomach tighten. “I have something else in mind for you tonight.”
Marco stiffened and leaned in toward her. “Azure, be careful. You heard what Rend said. He’s going to be—”
“Rend put me in charge,” she said, cutting him off. “Follow me.”
Marco ran a shaky hand through his hair, but stood aside to let her pass. I followed Azure back toward a set of long black curtains near the bar. She hadn’t shown this part of the club to me the other day, and I had no idea what she had in mind for me. The way Marco acted, though, I got the feeling it wasn’t going to be something fun.
She pulled the curtain aside and walked into a small, dark room with a plush, burgundy velvet couch and shiny black tables. A crystal chandelier hung in the middle of the room, throwing bits of light around the room.
It was slightly more elegant and intimate back here than the rest of the club. “What’s this room?”
“This is where Rend likes to bring some of his more important clientele. Especially when they have some private business to discuss.”
I swallowed nervously. So, why the heck did she want me back here? I didn’t like the idea of being hidden away in a place where no one could really see what was happening. It may have been decorated nicely, but it felt just as ominous as the back alley.
“Don’t worry, you won’t be in here,” she said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “The dressing rooms are back this way.”
“Dressing rooms?”
“Yeah, we need to get you in something more appropriate,” she said. She didn’t bother explaining herself, which I was starting to understand was a theme of hers.
She led me back through another doorway that opened into a large dressing room adorned with mirrors, racks of clothes, and tables where makeup and hairspray and brushes and things were set out. There were already five other girls inside getting ready, and all I had to do was take one look at what they were wearing to want to turn around and head back out again.
“Do you need me to help them get ready?” I asked, which was my little way of saying I co
uldn’t even imagine that she wanted me to actually put on one of these costumes.
The girls in the room were dressed in tight spandex outfits that looked straight out of Vegas or something. Thigh high boots, thick makeup, low-cut necklines. Nothing too revealing, but none of them completely clothed either.
Azure put her hand on my shoulder like she owned me. “We had one of our dancers call out sick tonight, and we really need someone to fill her spot,” she said. “I think you’d be perfect.”
I didn’t even tell her what I thought of her idea. I simply turned around and walked out the door.
She caught up with me in the middle of the posh sitting room.
“Franki, sweetie, wait up,” she said. She grabbed my wrist a little tighter than she should have.
I wrenched out of her grasp. “First of all, don’t call me sweetie. That’s so tacky. Especially when you know I’m upset,” I said. “Second of all, I agreed to work here thinking I would be running errands, cleaning up or serving alcohol or whatever. I did not sign up to be a stripper.”
She smiled a sickly sweet smile, giving me such a clear view of exactly what kind of person she was. “These girls are not strippers.” She lowered her voice and leaned in closer to me. “You’d better not let them hear you call them that either. They are dancers, that’s all. It’s very hands-off, trust me.”
“I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you,” I said, returning her smile so she could understand what kind of person I am.
Her smile disappeared and her eyes widened. “Rend told me you need this job.” She put her hands on her hips to show me just how serious she was about telling me what to do. “I don’t think you want to upset him by walking out that door. You have no idea what he’s capable of when he’s upset.”
This chick had no idea what I was capable of, either.
“I don’t answer to Rend, and I certainly don’t answer to you,” I said. “Now, if you want to give me a job I’m comfortable with—one that doesn’t involve getting half naked in front of a crowd of strangers—I'm one-hundred-percent on board. But if you tell me to walk back in that room and play dress up, you can both go to hell.”
She didn’t say anything for a long moment. She just pressed her lips into a tight line, her nostrils slightly flared as she stared me down.
I turned again to go, ready to walk out and leave this place in the dust, but my entire body stopped working. My feet froze in place. I literally could not move a muscle. I could breathe, but not so much as blink my eyes or swallow.
Fear rolled through my veins as I struggled against whatever magic was holding me. No matter how hard I tried to move my arms or speak out, I was completely helpless.
Azure walked around me slowly, taking her sweet time to make her way into my line of vision. Her smile was back, but this time it was ringed with a sort of joyful mischief.
“I realize you’re new,” she said. “Not only to Venom, but to our whole world.”
She lifted both hands to dramatically indicate the world around her. In my mind, I imagined what it would be like to grab her by those arms and body-slam her.
“For that reason, and that reason alone, I’m going to take it easy on you instead of turning this whole thing into some kind of living nightmare,” she said, as if being unable to move my entire body wasn’t nightmare enough. “You are here because you need protection. I get that. As long as you work here, none of the big bad boogeymen will bother you. But it’s extremely important you understand that the second you walk out that door and leave us behind, you become free game for all those unknown evils that got a whiff of your scent the other night. And trust me when I say they will come looking for you. Until Rend gives you his mark, you're still fair game.”
Saliva gathered in the back of my throat as hatred grew in my chest.
“Unless you want to come to a very nasty end by tomorrow morning, you should stay here and accept the gracious protection that Rend has offered you, despite his better judgment,” she threatened. “As it turns out, the job we have open tonight is as a dancer, so that’s what you will be doing, do I make that clear?”
Of course, she knew I couldn’t answer her. If I could have, the answer might have come in the form of a punch straight to her throat.
She laughed. “So much anger in those pretty blue eyes,” she said. “You really need to try to get that under control before you damage this room like you did Rend’s office yesterday. He would not be happy about a mess in here with his friends coming into town.”
She walked over and pulled back the black curtain leading into the bar.
“The other girls will help you find something to wear.”
With that, she disappeared into the next room, releasing me from whatever hold she’d placed on me.
I doubled over, coughing and rubbing my eyes. A slight breeze flew across my back, blowing the hair off the back of my neck. I closed my eyes and forced several deep breaths. She was right about one thing. I needed to calm down. I could not let myself lose control again.
Not because Rend might get upset, but because I needed all of my energy and wits about me if I was going to survive this night.
Chapter 10
Worth Saving
I sat down on the expensive velvet couch and took a minute to think this through.
Yes, okay, I wanted to leave. No doubt about it. But that witch Azure had a point, whether I liked it or not.
Rend had basically said the same thing to me about those guys in the alley, not to mention all the others of their type who frequented this club. For whatever reason, showing up here the other night put my life in danger. I needed Rend’s protection now, as much as I hated that. If I walked away, I’d be on my own.
I was, admittedly, shocked at how well I held my own with those three out back that night, but in the end, they had me. And what if they came with more than three, next time? I could be putting Katy’s life in danger, too, and that thought was really what sealed my fate.
I had no choice. I needed this job in more ways than one.
As much as I hated the idea of having to dance around in front of an entire club full of people, I’d worked at questionable establishments before, and I could do this if I had to. Hell, I’d once willingly worked at a bar that made the bartenders wear hot-pants and sports bras. At least here she’d said there was a strict no touching policy. That would be a step up from that other place.
I stood up, resolved to make the most of this. I had been kicked when I was down before, and I always had the same philosophy when it happened. Pick myself up and find a way to walk back out there with my head held high, like I was the one in control.
And that was exactly what I was going to do now.
I straightened my shoulders and took a deep breath, then walked back into the dressing room with a confident smile on my face.
“Hey,” I said, strutting in and walking straight to the rack of clothing. “I’m Franki.”
“Hey, Franki,” several of the girls called out. One girl with short brown hair and a banging body stood and came over to introduce herself.
“I’m Lyla. That’s Cherish there with the green shirt, Misty in blue, Peri, and our resident redhead is Shay,” she said. “You must be the new girl Rend was telling us about.”
“That’s me,” I said. “Azure said you guys were short on dancers tonight and that maybe you ladies could help me find something to wear.”
Lyla thumbed through the rack of clothes and picked out a sequined pink number that made me question my decision to stay. As politely as I could, I scrunched my nose and shook my head.
“Something a bit darker, maybe?” I suggested.
I caught sight of a studded black outfit as she pushed through and pulled it out. It was basically a one-piece leotard with several revealing slits along the sides, but I liked the silver studs. It was more my style than most of the other things I’d seen pass by.
“What about this one?” I asked, holding it up to myse
lf in the mirror.
“Love it,” Shay the redhead said. “What size shoes do you wear? There’s a pair of kick ass black leather boots that would look amazing with that.”
She got up from her seat in front of the mirror to go dig them out of a box for me.
“Seven, I think,” I said.
“Perfect,” she said with a smile. “These are eights, but just stuff some tissue down in the toe and they should fit fine.”
I looked around for a private place to change, but quickly realized that this room was as private as it got.
“We’ve seen it all before,” Cherish said with a laugh.
I wondered if that was her real name or not, because it wasn’t doing much for my confidence that this wasn’t a group of strippers.
“Have you ever danced before? Like, in public?” Lyla asked.
“No. I’ve worked at a lot of clubs and bars, but nothing like this,” I said.
“I could kind of tell by the fact that your face is pale as a sheet,” she said with a laugh. “It’s not as bad as it seems. The club is dark and no one is going to mess with you. We’re more like decoration, really.”
“Great,” I said, trying to act happy about being a decorative accent in a room full of blood-thirsty vampires.
“It’s really one of the best jobs in the place,” Peri said. She was short with really long brown hair braided into one long braid down her back. She looked like she was about fifteen years old, but I knew she had to be older to be working here. Or at least I hoped. “The pay is great and all you have to do is have a good time.”
“You better start getting dressed,” Lyla said. “We have a staff meeting in half an hour before we open.”
I slipped my shoes off and put them under one of the tables. I felt a bit nauseated looking down at the skimpy black outfit, but remembered that I was supposed to be owning this like it was my choice. Not Azure's.
I can do this.
I undressed as fast as I could, relieved when I realized the others were too busy finishing up their makeup to pay attention to me.