by Peyton Banks
Cheers went around the table.
Candi shook her head and didn’t lose her smile. “I’m sorry, fellas. This isn’t that type of place. If you want lap dances, that’s a street over.”
“Oh, come on, baby,” Button-down, whined. He inched forward and slid his hand along the back of her thigh.
She jerked away from him and stepped back.
“You’re a sexy little piece of ass. Mike’s never been with a black woman before.”
“Well, he won’t tonight,” she snapped. Her hands trembled, so she slid the pad and pen back into her apron. It was time for her to walk away.
“This is Vegas.” Baseball Cap grinned, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
The other men around the table narrowed their eyes on her. This was definitely not good.
“What happened to the saying, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?” Mike asked.
“I said no,” she said, this time with more force in her words.
They weren’t listening.
“Candi, baby. We all could have a good time.” Button-down reached out and snagged her wrist. His grip was tight, and she tried to pull away but couldn’t. “We’ll make sure you are paid well.”
Panic filled her chest. She tugged again, but he and the others laughed.
She cringed, tears filling her eyes as a flashback of her past came racing forward.
“Lamont, you’re home early.” She walked out of their bedroom. She was off and had been doing laundry and tiding up the house.
She glanced around the living room at the few men who were with him. He smiled and waved her over.
“Come give me a kiss to welcome me home, Candi baby,” he said.
She swallowed hard and put on a smile. She didn’t want to upset him so walked across the room, feeling the eyes of his guests on her.
She didn’t recognize the three men who sat around her living room. She wasn’t sure what type of crowd her husband had ben running with lately. She tried not to ask too many questions, because when she did, he’d let her know he wasn’t pleased with her.
He pulled her onto his lap. His hand rested on the back of her neck and allowed him to guide her lips to his. She instantly smelled the alcohol on his breath.
The kiss was hard and bruising. He forced his tongue in her mouth. Her body stiffened, and she tried to relax, but the fact that there were three men she didn’t know watching them, freaked her out a little.
“Lamont,” she breathed, breaking the kiss. His hardness was pressing against her hip. She was confused as to why the sudden need to kiss her or even show affection. Usually when he came home and had been drinking, he’d just go straight to the bedroom and pass out. “Everything okay?”
“I can’t want my wife to greet me properly when I come home?” he snapped.
She swallowed hard and nodded. His eyes narrowed on her, and she bit back a curse. She shouldn’t have questioned anything.
“I’m just making sure you’re okay. That’s all, babe,” she said, quickly trying to put him at ease. She patted his chest, but the damage had already been done.
“Ya’ll hear that. Wifey wants to make sure I’m okay,” he announced to the room.
Dry chuckles went around.
“I wish I had a woman fine as her worried about me,” one of the men said.
The pit of her stomach gave out as she glanced around. Her attention was brought back to Lamont who pressed himself against her.
“I know how you can make me feel okay.”
“Lamont, baby. Why don’t we go back to our bedroom and talk privately,” she insisted, fear creeping into her chest. She didn’t like this side of her husband. Her hand trembled again as she rested it on his chest. “Please, baby.”
He gripped her face in his hand, tight, while he rubbed her lips with his thumb. A smile spread across his lips, and she sat, paralyzed.
“On your knees, Candi.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “But, Lamont—”
“Now.” His grip on her face tightened.
Her vision blurred with tears. This was a new low of humiliation.
“Now this is what I call entertainment,” a deep voice said from across the room.
She slowly slid to the floor, kneeling before her husband. The sound of his zipper cut through the air.
She blinked and allowed her tears to run down her face.
A large hand appeared on Button-down’s arm, and Candi jumped.
Dallas.
“Release her or I’ll break your fucking arm,” Dallas growled.
The dark storm that rolled in on his face had Candi’s heart racing.
She snatched her arm away from Button-down, who released her. She stepped away as the men around the table all stood.
“Look here, buddy. We were talking to Candi, and this here is none of your business,” Baseball Cap remarked. This crooked grin remained in place as he glanced around at his buddies who all chuckled.
“It’s my business when you’re putting your hands on her.” Dallas was much larger than them. His height and muscle gave him an advantage.
Candi watched Tanner stroll over to them, and the glint in his eye revealed he’d been waiting for a little action.
“We have a problem?” Tanner asked, coming to stand next to Dallas.
Candi looked around the bar, catching sight of Liam and Van making their way to them through the crowd.
Her body shuddered, and she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs. She tried to take a deep breath but couldn’t draw any air in.
She had to get away.
Candi scrambled, rushing toward the bar. She sat her tray on the counter and bolted into the kitchen.
“Candi!” Kay called out behind her.
She paused near the door that led outside behind the restaurant where there was a little area for employees to take their breaks. Turning, she watched Kay approach her with worry on her face.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She nodded and rubbed her damp hands along her jeans. “I’m taking my fifteen, if anyone is looking for me. I just need some fresh air.”
“Want me to come outside with you?” Kay asked. She stepped forward and leaned on the wall.
“No. I just need to be by myself.” Candi spun and pushed through the door that led outside.
The cool desert air hit her. She breathed in deeply and made her way over to the stone bench. Sitting, she tried to relax but was too shaken up.
Those men were just a bunch of drunk jackasses.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she closed her eyes and began her breathing excises she’d been taught to help with her anxiety.
4
“Lamont, please. No!” she begged, walking backward, away from him.
He stalked toward her with pure rage on his face.
“How is it, I left you alone for two minutes and come back to find you talking with another man?” he snarled into her ear. He grabbed her arm and tugged her behind him.
She cried out from his tight grip.
“It was nothing,” she said, praying no one had seen them leave.
They were at the factory he worked at for the Christmas party. He dragged her down an empty hallway, and her heart slammed against her chest.
The music was loud and echoing down the hallway. They came to a closed door away from the party. He pushed it open and forced her into the room.
“Get in here,” he snapped. It was a small office with stale air and barely anything in it aside for a desk and a chair. It was windowless, and with the party going on, no one would hear them.
She backed up with her hands raised. “Please, Lamont. It was nothing. He was going around talking to everyone.”
“I see how the men look at you.” He advanced on her, trapping her between his larger frame and the wall. He gripped her face with his hand and held her in place. “You want their attention, don’t you. I don’t give you enough?”
“Yes, Lamont—”
&nb
sp; Her head snapped to the side. He’d caught her off guard with the back of his hand. Her face stung, and a cry built up in her chest, but it was stuck. She stumbled, and her heel slipped, and she flew forward. Her head slammed against the corner of the desk with her body landing on the floor.
A warm sticky substance gushed from above her left eye.
Blood.
Her head ached, and sharp pain radiated from her forehead to her ear. A groan escaped her lips at the feeling of his hands gripping her legs. He pulled hard, dragging her across the floor. She cried out and tried to hold on to something.
“I’ll give you attention,” he growled.
She screamed and attempted to fight him off.
Candi awakened with a strangled cry. Her legs were kicking, the feeling of being held down taking over her.
She blinked and saw it was just her blanket on top of her.
Leaning back against her pillows, she forced herself to relax. Her eyes focused, and she took in her small bedroom.
“It was just a dream,” she murmured, running a hand along her face. She released a deep sigh. Pulling herself from the bed, she stumbled to the bathroom, stripping her clothes off. She was hot, sticky, and in desperate need of a shower. Her nightmare had caused her to work up a sweat.
She flipped the water on and stood waiting for it to warm up. She tried to push the memories of her dream from her. Steam filled the room, and it helped her relax. She stepped into the water and allowed it to comfort her. The warm sting reminded her that she was alive. That had she stayed with Lamont, she may not be here.
Candi turned and pressed her hands against he wall and allowed the water to pound onto her back. A good shower always helped her through the nightmares.
“I am strong”, she muttered. She closed her eyes tight and breathed in and out slowly. Her heart rate decreased to a steady pace. “He has no hold over me.”
She’d learned that by voicing out loud what she knew to be true, it helped build her confidence. After getting away from Lamont, she’d sought out a counselor who had helped her immensely. Starting over had been hard, but she’d done it, and because of that, she knew she could do anything.
Love didn’t have to hurt. She was sure one day she’d find someone to love her like she was supposed to be loved.
Lamont wasn’t the one for her. When she’d first met him, he’d been kind, loving, and caring. It was once he’d begun picking up the bottle that things had changed. The people he began to associate with were no good, and he couldn’t see that.
There had been plenty of times of him apologizing, and she’d fallen for it. He was good at twisting the situation to where she felt as if it was her fault for making him act the way he did.
Or he was jealous. She snorted at that excuse. He was jealous of how men looked at her, but he didn’t have an issue when he wanted to show her off, like the day he’d made her suck his dick in front of his friends.
That wasn’t love.
A real man wouldn’t humiliate his wife.
A real man would cherish and protect her.
Not use and abuse her.
Love was gift.
Love was sacred, something that had to be earned. It was a two-way street. When love was given, it should be returned tenfold.
Candi held on that one day, she would find a man to share her life with. She didn’t need a man but wanted one to share life’s precious moments with. One who would protect her, care for her, and make her smile.
Dallas pulled his squad car into the precinct’s parking lot. He drove around to the back and found a spot. He shut the car off and sighed.
Another double shift completed.
They were down a few men, and he wanted to do his part by taking an extra shift. The city of Las Vegas needed more police officers, but with the recent budget cuts, there would be no new hires.
It had been a long night with calls of public intoxication, break-ins, and domestic disputes. It was rare for him to just have a quiet night of patrolling, but Dallas wouldn’t complain. His sixteen hours flew by.
Exiting the vehicle, he stalked into the back door of the busy station. He navigated his way through the halls and made it to the stairs that led to the locker room. Jogging down them, he entered the men’s changing room and headed for his locker. His body was weary, and he just wanted to sleep.
“McNeil,” a deep voice called out.
Dallas paused in front of his locker and turned, finding his captain glaring at him.
“Captain.” Dallas nodded in greeting.
“Get your gear off then come meet me in my office,” Captain Shaun Jarvis growled. He spun on his heel and stalked away.
It wasn’t a request but an order.
The hardened captain was a no-nonsense man who didn’t take crap from the police force.
Even Dallas knew not to test the captain.
Within minutes, Dallas found himself walking toward the captain’s office. He’d planned to take a shower before leaving the precinct, but seeing that he’d been personally summoned, it would have to wait.
Arriving to the administration side of the precinct, he pulled open the glass door and stepped in.
“Hey, Dallas.” Anita, the captain’s secretary, smiled. The older woman, with salt-and-pepper hair pulled up in a bun, had been around the station forever. If there was anything one wanted to know about anyone at the station, Anita was the person to go talk to. She always proclaimed she didn’t like gossip but for some reason she was always the first with the latest news.
“Hey, Miss Anita. How are you?” he asked, leaning against the counter.
A wide grin spread across her face. She pushed up her dark frames and stared at him with her magnified blue eyes.
“I’m doing all right. I heard the captain went to find you himself,” she said.
He cringed and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Not sure what I did, but I can’t imagine it’s good.”
“You never know.” She shrugged, reaching for her telephone on her desk. She picked it up and hit a button on it. “McNeil is here to see you, sir,” she announced. She motioned for Dallas to come behind the counter.
Dallas truly didn’t know what he had done to gain the wrath of the his boss. All of his reports were always turned in on time. He hadn’t gotten any complaints. He was the model patrolman.
The door to the captain’s office flew open, and Jarvis stood there, glaring at Dallas.
“Get in here, McNeil,” he grumbled.
Dallas nodded to Anita before walking over to the open door. He stepped through and stood before the desk. The door slammed shut, and Jarvis stalked over to his leather chair.
“Sir, have I done something wrong—”
“Have a seat, McNeil,” he said, cutting him off. He gestured to the chair in front of his desk while he himself sat down.
“I would prefer to stand—”
“Sit.”
The ice in his superior’s voice was enough to make Dallas change his mind about his position on standing. He wasn’t going to argue with the man over a chair. Hell, if he put up too much a fuss, the captain could bust his ass down to traffic duty.
Dallas held back a shudder at the thought.
He took the chair and eyed the man across from him. Jarvis shuffled a few papers on his desk before looking at him. The air in the room was tense, and the silence was deafening.
“Have I done something wrong, sir?” Dallas asked again. He sat rigid, unable to relax.
“I’ve reviewed your file, McNeil, and I’m puzzled.”
“Oh?” That couldn’t be good.
“Yes. I just don’t understand how a man with your background, your experience, would ever just want to be a patrolman.” Jarvis leaned back in his chair and studied Dallas.
Dallas knew he was more than qualified for patrolling and ensuring the safety of the Las Vegas streets. He’d lived half his life as a Marine, and all of those years had been spent going to parts of the world that most pe
ople couldn’t even begin to dream of. He’d seen things that no civilian should see and done some things that no one should even have to think up.
“I actually enjoy my job, sir,” he responded.
“We have so many divisions where you would be of better use. We have Gangs, Vice, Homeland Security—”
“I’m aware of the different divisions, sir.” Dallas respectfully cut his superior off. He knew of the other departments, but patrolling was something that he was good at.
Yeah, handing out tickets sucked, but it was part of a long day’s work. He enjoyed protecting the community. He’d gotten to know a lot of the people who depended on the police department.
This job, he wasn’t responsible for the lives of other men who were counting on his decision to be a sound one.
One that won’t get them all killed.
No, patrolling wasn’t as glamorous as the other bureaus, but it was safe.
The captain’s disappointed sigh wasn’t lost on Dallas.
“Listen, McNeil. You are a good man. A fine officer. You’ve served your country, and we are all thankful to you. I really do think you are wasting away on patrol.” Jarvis folded his arms across his chest.
The determined look on his face had Dallas biting back a groan.
“Thank you, sir—”
“Think about it, McNeil. That’s an order.”
5
The sun was high, and the weatherman on the radio was calling for mid-nineties temperatures. After being grilled by his superior, Dallas had finally jumped in the shower and changed his clothes before leaving the station.
All he wanted to do was go straight home and crash. He was off today and was going to take advantage of being able to do absolutely nothing.
He paused his truck at a red light. Traffic was sparse for mid-morning. The light turned green, and he turned the corner. A yawn snaked its way out, but his keen eyes caught sight of a familiar figure walking down the sidewalk.
Candi.
She was dressed in shorts and a tiny t-shirt. In her hands were a few grocery bags.
Without a thought, he pulled his vehicle over to the curb near her and rolled down the passenger window. She stiffened and glanced over at his truck. Her steps faltered as she squinted, trying to look into the cab.