Ruby

by Heather Burnside

  She was tempted to refuse payment, but the sight of him sent a shudder of fear through her and she felt powerless. Kyle had turned up alone, confident that he didn’t even need his goons to elicit fear into her and persuade her to pay up. Ruby reached into the drawer under the reception counter and withdrew an envelope full of cash.

  As she reluctantly handed the envelope to him, Kyle grinned smugly. ‘Well, things seem to be working out alright don’t they?’ he asked as he tucked the cash away. ‘I take it you’ve had no trouble?’

  ‘No,’ said Ruby.

  She wondered if it would make any difference if they had. The term protection was clearly a misnomer. Kyle was here for one reason only and that was his own personal gain. But it didn’t stop him going along with the pretence.

  ‘As we’ve been doing such a good job for you, I think we deserve a little reward for our services,’ he said, still wearing a smug grin.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Well, there’s no point looking after a sweet shop if you can’t help yourself to the candy, is there?’

  ‘No!’ yelled Ruby.

  ‘Calm the fuck down!’ he hissed, looking around to make sure she hadn’t drawn attention to them as he grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed, digging his nails into the soft flesh. ‘If I say me and my men can have freebies, then we’ll fuckin’ have them. We’ll be back tomorrow night so you’d better fuckin’ line up your best girls because if you don’t, this place will go up like a fuckin’ inferno.’

  Before Ruby had a chance to protest any further, he was gone. This latest threat struck terror into Ruby, her heart pounding as her fear intensified. She knew she’d have to go along with it; she was frightened of what might happen if she didn’t. But how could she expect her girls to work for free? They all worked for themselves, charging their own fees and just paying her for the rooms. How could she persuade them not to charge, without raising their suspicions?

  In the end she decided on a cover story. She would tell the girls it was an arrangement where the client would pay her as a group booking and she would pay each of the girls their share. It would mean that the free services would actually come out of Ruby’s own profits but it was the only way she knew to keep the truth from the girls and, at the same time, keep Kyle and his gang happy.

  *

  Ruby had underestimated Rose who had been suspicious of Kyle’s men even before they started taking advantage of the services offered by the girls. But now, as she listened to Rose demanding to have a chat with her in a voice that was even more whiny than usual, and stared across the counter at her stony expression, Ruby knew she had trouble. It had only been a few days since Kyle had started his new arrangement and it was already causing problems.

  ‘Do you wanna go and make a cuppa?’ Ruby asked Tiffany who was working on reception with her that evening. She could tell as soon as Rose spoke that there was going to be a scene and she preferred it if Tiffany was out of the way. Although Ruby’s partner knew about the threat from the gang, she still didn’t know about Kyle’s involvement or his identity.

  ‘No, it’s OK. I’ll stay,’ said Tiffany, eyeing Rose warily as she continued her spiel.

  ‘I’m telling you, Ruby, this has got to stop. That big bugger already put the shits up Ria the other day, and now I’ve had that nasty little bastard to contend with. I’m not having any client getting their rocks off by fuckin’ slapping me, no matter what your arrangements are with them.’

  Ruby knew Rose was talking about the visit by one of Kyle’s men a couple of days ago and now this latest incident involving Kyle himself. It didn’t surprise her; it sounded like it would be just his style.

  ‘OK, leave it with me, Rose,’ she said. ‘I’ll have a word with him and tell him he’s out of order.’

  ‘Out of order? And you think that’ll do the trick do you? Well, if you think I’m taking on that nasty little bastard again, you’re wrong! And I don’t think you should be sending him to any of the other girls either. Y’know, Ria was really shaken up after that big bastard came to see her. You can’t have these people manhandling the girls, Ruby. It’s not on!’

  ‘Alright, Rose!’ Ruby snapped, the stress of the situation getting to her. ‘I’ll let him know it’s not on. Trust me, I’ll put a stop to it.’

  ‘That’s just it, Ruby. I don’t fuckin’ trust you! Why are you putting up with this shit from them? Why don’t you just fuckin’ ban them from the premises?’

  Ruby noticed the way Tiffany stared open-mouthed at Rose, shocked that she should challenge her in this way. Nobody challenged Ruby if they knew what was good for them and, as Ruby felt the pressure of expectation, she yelled back at her.

  ‘Don’t tell me how to run my fuckin’ business!’

  But Rose wasn’t finished. ‘If you ran it properly I wouldn’t fuckin’ have to!’

  Ruby was livid that she was questioning her authority even though Rose was right. But there was nothing Ruby could do; she had no defence. For seconds they stared venomously at each other and, even though Ruby was in the wrong, Rose was the first to back down, softening her tone as she asked, ‘What’s going on, Ruby? Who are these men?’

  But Ruby was still fired up, the hopelessness of the situation getting to her as she snapped, ‘You don’t need to know!’

  ‘Right,’ said Rose. Ruby’s harsh words had reignited her fury, but she fought to stay in control of her temper. ‘If you won’t tell me then I’ll have to make my own mind up. I’ve already got a good idea who they are and there’s no way I’m staying in a place that’s being controlled by a bunch of fuckin’ gangsters.’

  ‘Shush!’ urged Ruby, leaving Rose in no doubt that she had guessed right.

  ‘I’m sorry for you, Ruby. I really am. But there’s no way I can stay here. And that means Ria will be leaving too. She’s a good friend and I’m not leaving her at risk if what I said is true. And I think it is.’

  ‘Suit yourself,’ said Ruby, trying to save face.

  Rose looked at her and shook her head before walking away. Ruby turned to see that Tiffany’s eyes were on her. ‘Don’t say anything, Tiff, please,’ she said, swallowing back an overwhelming surge of emotion. ‘I don’t think I can take any more tonight.’

  But the night became worse and by the end of it they had lost Rose, Ria and another girl called Bianca.

  ‘Shit, Ruby. What are we gonna do?’ asked Tiffany.

  ‘There’s nothing we can do, girl,’ said Ruby in despair. ‘We just have to hope we can get replacements and that none of the other girls leave. And, as for Kyle, I’ll have a word but I don’t think he’ll take much notice.’

  ‘Kyle? Who’s Kyle?’

  Ruby felt her heart lurch. She’d slipped up. ‘He… he’s the gang leader,’ she said.

  ‘And?’ asked Tiffany, sensing her panic.

  Ruby sighed. Maybe it was time to open up to Tiffany. She didn’t want to worry her but, at the same time, she hated keeping her in the dark. She was her partner after all, and they’d always shared everything.

  ‘I know him,’ said Ruby. ‘Remember when I told you what happened when I was a kid?’ she asked, subconsciously fingering her scar.

  ‘Aah! I knew that name rang a bell. It’s him, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Ruby, who then looked down at the countertop, afraid she wouldn’t be able to hide her feelings.

  Then she felt Tiffany’s arm around her shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, Rubes. You’re not alone. We’re in this together.’

  It was good to have Tiffany’s support and Ruby wished she could draw comfort from it. But she felt that, despite Tiffany’s brave words, even the two of them were useless against a ruthless man like Kyle. And as she wallowed in her own despair, she realised the hopelessness of her situation.

  52

  July 2011

  Ruby admired the way Tiffany slept soundly no matter what was going on in their world. Perhaps it was because Ruby was the stronger one in the relationship. Maybe Tiffany had thi
s unerring faith in her to come up with a solution no matter what predicament they were dealing with. But that night, as Ruby lay awake going over everything in her head, she was just adding to her worries rather than coming up with a concrete way out of them.

  She’d given up on trying to sleep; it was a waste of time. Anxious thoughts were spinning around inside her mind making her head ache and her muscles tense. She was concerned about her future and the future of the club. What if the girls continued to become intimidated and more of them left the club? Word would soon get around and she might end up with no girls at all.

  She could try having a word with Kyle but she knew he’d only laugh at her concerns. What if she ended up having to sell the club? What would she and Tiffany do then? She dreaded the thought of having to work the streets again. Even though selling the club would enable them to pay off the mortgage on the house, they would still have bills to meet, and they’d have to find a way to pay them.

  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 him the traumatic memory of what he had done to her came flooding back. How could she face spending time alone with him when her childhood memories still haunted her so much?

  53

  July 2011

  Ruby was sitting in her lounge with Tiffany, and her cousins, Josh and Calvin. She had called them there for a meeting after updating Tiffany about everything.

  ‘So, come on,’ said Josh after they had exchanged small talk. ‘We know you haven’t called us here for nowt.’

  ‘No I haven’t,’ said Ruby. ‘I’m having a bit of trouble and I’m hoping it’s something you can help me with.’

  She hated the sound of the words on her tongue. Even though her cousins had offered a long time ago to help her with any bother, it was something she didn’t want to do. It made her feel inadequate to have to ask them; she remembered all too well from her childhood what their perception was of her as a female. And now, here she was, living up to their expectations. But, the way things stood, she didn’t have any choice but to ask for help. She was out of her depth and knew she couldn’t handle Kyle’s gang alone.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Josh.

  ‘Have you heard of Kyle Gallagher? You might recognise his name from when we were kids.’

  The two cousins exchanged looks, their arched eyebrows and furrowed brows showing a mix of surprise and contempt. Calvin was the first to speak, his tone hostile.

  ‘Sure, we know who he is. I don’t remember him as a kid though.’

  ‘Has he been giving you bother?’ demanded Josh, his voice even sharper than his brother’s.

  ‘You could say that,’ said Ruby, sardon
ically. ‘He’s been taking protection money from us for a while.’

  ‘What the fuck! Why didn’t you tell us?’ asked Josh.

  Ruby shrugged. ‘I suppose I didn’t want any comeback.’

  ‘Fuck that! Nobody’s taking the piss out of my cousin and getting away with it,’ threatened Calvin. ‘We’ve got a fuckin’ reputation to keep up.’

  ‘There’s more,’ said Ruby, sighing. ‘He’s started taking freebies as well and him and his gang are rough with the girls.’

  ‘Yeah,’ chipped in Tiffany. ‘We’ve had three of them leave because of it.’

  ‘Really?’ asked Josh. Ruby and Tiffany nodded. ‘So, you want us to sort them, is that it?’

  Before Ruby had chance to respond, Tiffany chipped in again. ‘Tell them the latest, Ruby.’

  Ruby sighed again, her expression showing her discomfort. ‘Kyle wants me to sleep with him.’

  ‘And…’ prompted Tiffany.

  Ruby shuffled uncomfortably. ‘And, it was him and his mates that attacked me when I was a kid. They gave me this scar.’ She pointed to her cheek.

  ‘Fuckin’ bastard!’ shouted Calvin. ‘I didn’t realise it was the same guy. How come you never told us any of this?’

  ‘I didn’t think you’d be interested.’

  ‘Are you fuckin’ joking?’ raged Josh.

  ‘Well, you did act a bit differently towards me when we were kids.’

  Calvin cut in before Josh had chance to respond. ‘We can’t let the cunt get away with this!’

  ‘Don’t worry, he ain’t fuckin’ getting away with it!’ said Josh.

  ‘But they’re dangerous,’ said Ruby. ‘Are you sure you can handle it on your own?’

  Calvin sniggered. ‘You think they’re fuckin’ dangerous? You don’t know shit! And we won’t be on our own. We’ve got plenty of handy blokes working for us…’

  Josh flashed him a warning look to prevent him from giving too much away. ‘We can sort it, don’t worry about that. I want you to give us as many details as you can; names of the gang members, descriptions, any addresses you might have for them, that sort of thing. Don’t worry if you don’t have too much on them, we can find out the rest ourselves.’