by Monica James
“Who the fuck are you, creeper?” asks someone who I’m pretty sure is Tiger’s son.
This is not going to go down well.
“Bull?” With my back still turned, I close my eyes and curse under my breath.
Sighing, I spin around to face Tiger and nod. “Sup.”
The boy who stands in front of her is older than I thought he’d be. Maybe ten or eleven, he’s decked out in baggy jeans and a graffiti print T-shirt. His blue eyes instantly ascertain me as a threat.
“Who’s this?” he asks Tiger, who pales. I shouldn’t be here.
She clears her throat. “Jordy, he’s just someone I work with.”
I’m instantly on his shit list. Smart kid. Too bad his mom doesn’t feel the same way. “Oh, so you’re her pimp?”
It takes a lot to shock me, but this little punk just succeeded.
Tiger’s mouth drops open while Jordy glares at me.
“I beg your pardon! How dare you speak to me that way?” Tiger exclaims, her cheeks turning a blistering red.
“What do I need school for?” Jordy asks. “You went to school, and it didn’t do you any good. You take off your clothes for a job. I don’t think you went to school for that.”
“Th-that’s not true.” But Tiger’s falter betrays her lies.
“Whatever, Mom. I know you don’t work at Walmart. I’m not a kid, so stop treating me like one. No wonder Dad and Uncle Chris left you.” She reaches for him, but it’s too late. “I’m going to play video games at Clark’s.”
“You are not going anywhere. You’re grounded for life.” Just as she’s about to chase after him, he shoves past me, and I step back with my hands raised because I don’t know what to do. This isn’t my place to intervene, but every part of me is demanding I grab this little smart-ass by the back of the neck and make him apologize to his mom.
Running down the hallway with his skateboard under his arm, he disappears into the elevator seconds later.
“I’ll bounce.” I hook my thumb behind me, but Tiger rushes forward and throws herself into my arms, defeated.
She nuzzles into my chest, crying, while I stand rigid with my arms by my side. I know I should console her, but I just can’t. I feel like I’m responsible for this entire shitshow. The best thing I can do is leave, but she won’t let me.
“Come inside.” It isn’t a question. So I follow her into the apartment after she untangles herself from my body.
The place is homey and furnished nicely. There are abstract paintings on the walls and photos of Jordy on the mantel. There is also a photo of a young ballerina who I’m assuming is Tiger with a lady who looks at her with love. Could this be Avery?
Tiger walks into the kitchen and pours herself a cup of coffee. Once her mug is full, she walks over to the freezer and pulls out a bottle of vodka. Instead of pouring it into her coffee, she unscrews the lid and takes a swig from the bottle.
I take a seat at the kitchen table and wait for her to speak.
“I don’t know what to do with him anymore,” she says, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. “I’ve tried my best. I really have. He just hates me.” She takes another drink.
“Can I ask you something?”
She nods.
“Do you think your son acts this way because he doesn’t have a dad?” There is no judgment in my tone. I am honestly interested in what she has to say.
“It’s been tough on him. It’s been tough on us both,” she shares, nervously peeling the label from the bottle. “Jordy doesn’t know much about his dad. Although he’s stopped asking about him.”
“Will you ever tell him the whole story?”
When she shakes her head, I can’t hide my surprise.
“That won’t accomplish anything. I…loved his father. So much.”
Her saying those words does something to my insides. I feel like she fucking punched me in the gut.
“Life was different for me when he was around. Our love affair may have been behind closed doors, but no one has ever made me feel how he did.”
I suddenly wish I kept my damn mouth shut.
“He was my hero. My Prince Charming. I don’t want Jordy thinking badly of him because he got scared.”
“Scared? He bailed on you when you were pregnant. That’s called being a coward,” I correct, wanting to find this asshole and beat him senseless.
“I don’t want someone who will give me half his heart.” Drawing the bottle to her lips, she concludes, “I want it all,” before her slender throat swallows down the vodka she throws back.
The sight, her words, leave me unsettled.
Even though I’d rather be having any other conversation than this one, I can’t stop thinking about what my actions will do to Kong’s kids. Will they turn into troubled youths too? Soon, they will be growing up without a dad, thanks to me.
Needing to change the subject, I ask, “Why does he think you’re a hooker?”
Tiger shakes her head. “I don’t know. There is no way he could find out. His school is pretty much run by nuns, so none of them have stumbled into my work. I work in Cleveland because it’s far away enough that no one I know would come to a strip club in Detroit. Except for Derrick. You don’t think?” she says as an afterthought.
“Has anyone at ballet treated you differently?”
She ponders my question, before replying, “No.”
“Then it’s not him.”
“Then who?” she questions, resting her hip against the counter as she continues to nurse the bottle of vodka.
Thinking of where I was before I came here, I sigh, wishing I didn’t have to tell her when she’s already feeling like shit. “I went to see Andre.”
She chokes on her mouthful of vodka, thumping her chest to help it go down. “What?” she wheezes, eyes watering.
“I went to his house, not your work, so calm down.”
“What part of ‘please don’t’ don’t you get?” she exclaims with a sigh.
“Please and don’t are words I’m unfamiliar with,” I reply, leaning back in my seat.
She widens her eyes. “Oh, god. What did you do?”
“Nothing. Much,” I add with a casual shrug. “I just asked him why he attacked you. He told me what I already knew. Carlos was behind it. He wanted you running scared. And it worked.”
“This makes no sense.” She shakes her head in confusion.
“He said Carlos is just the messenger and that someone else wants you. Does that make any sense to you?”
“No,” she replies, screwing up her nose. “Who is this someone else?”
“No clue. Andre didn’t say.”
She sighs, appearing to mull over what I just revealed. I decide to give her more food for thought.
“Which is why I broke his ankles.”
Her sigh turns into a wheeze as she sucks in a big breath of air. “What do you mean? That’s some slang I don’t know about, right?”
I firmly shake my head and bluntly reply, “Nope. It means I broke both his ankles with my baseball bat.”
“Oh, dear god.” Her hand trembles as she draws the bottle to her lips.
I don’t know what the big deal is. “He’s lucky that’s the only thing I broke.”
“Bull, you can’t go around breaking people’s ankles.”
“Why not?” I question, genuinely curious. “He had no issues almost killing you.”
She opens, but soon closes her mouth. “This is so messed up. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.”
Fucked if I know, so I shrug.
“Why did you break Andre’s ankles?” she asks in a small voice.
“Because he deserved it,” I counter without thought.
“You are going to get into so much trouble if you don’t stop coming to my rescue. Your parole officer made that clear.” She licks her lips, before adding, “But thank you. No one has ever broken someone’s ankles for me before.”
Is that what I did? Did I do this for her?
/>
My hatred for that cockhead Andre is personal. But I couldn’t give a fuck about myself. However, when I found out he was the one who hurt Tiger, he became public enemy number one and hurting him was inevitable.
Breaking his bones was just punishment for putting his hands on Tiger.
Heat creeps up my neck, and I don’t like it. “I’d better split. Lotus asked me to come in early.”
“Oh, of course,” she says, but seems disappointed I’m leaving.
Standing quickly, I go to turn, but she reaches out and grips my arm. Peering down at her fingers, I don’t flinch. I’m getting used to her touching me. More reason to leave.
“Why did you come here? Not that I’m unhappy you came, but was there a reason?” I can see the hope in her eyes. She’s optimistic this is more than it should be…and it is.
But I can’t deal with this right now.
“You need to stay away from that club,” I reply, dodging her question. Her disappointment feeds me. “But it’s your call. You know the risks.”
My nonchalant attitude is far from what I’m feeling inside. If she goes into work, I will be forced to stalk her from the shadows.
She lets me go, stubbornly pulling back her shoulders. “Thanks for letting me know, but you’re right, it is my call, so I better get ready. I don’t want to be late. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go drag my son back home.”
Goddamn her. Why doesn’t she listen? What will it take for her to submit? I don’t know what this is between us. I just know that whenever she disobeys me, she provokes the evil within.
I slowly walk forward, forcing her to stagger backward until she clumsily bumps into the counter. She peers up at me from under those long lashes, a mixture of excitement and fear pulsating through her.
Slowly reaching behind her, I snare the vodka off the counter and bring the bottle to my lips. The burn is exactly what I need, so I savor every drop. Tiger watches me, chest rising and falling, gripping the counter behind her.
Once I’ve drunk the bottle dry, I place it back onto the counter. Wiping my lips with the back of my hand, I nod. “Thanks for the drink.”
“No worries,” she replies, clearing her throat.
The unspoken tension hanging between us leaves me restless as shit. I don’t know whether to fight her or fuck her. “Be careful. Or not,” I quickly backtrack with a shrug. “Or whatever. Do what you want.”
Tiger’s lips lift into a slanted smile, surprising me. Standing tall, she replies, “You better be careful…you wouldn’t want anyone to think you actually care.”
Her and that smart mouth.
Gripping her chin between my thumb and finger, I tip her face toward me and glower. In response, she giggles. Fucking giggles. “Why do you constantly challenge me?”
“Because it’s too easy not to.” I don’t have a chance to reply because she presses her lips to mine, swallowing my words.
Threading my fingers through her soft hair, I kiss the smartness from her lips, hating how much I need this. How much I need her. She wraps her arms around my nape, moaning into my mouth when our tongues fight to be alpha. However, it’s not a fucking competition. She knows this. I know this. But she challenges me nonetheless because apparently, it’s too easy not to.
“Maybe I should make it hard for you then,” I say from around her lips. “Maybe I should tie you up? Teach you a lesson by punishing that hot ass of yours? Does that sound easy?”
In response, a tremor rocks her body, spurring me on.
“Make you beg on your knees?” I bite her bottom lip…hard. “Blinded. And bound. Don’t ever mistake me for anything but the depraved animal that I am.” When I taste the sharp metallic sting, I hum in pleasure.
And so does Tiger.
“Never forget…nothing is ever easy with me.” Cupping her ass, I lift her and slam her onto the counter. Kissing her fiercely, she finally surrenders, whimpering into my touch.
She opens her legs, welcoming me close, and I take what she offers because I want it so bad. We kiss without apology, the softness and warmth of her mouth making me forget everything but this. Gripping the top of her thighs, I drag her forward, so she is pressed against my chest.
Giving into sudden temptation, I slowly cup her cheek with an untrained touch, angling her into a position where I can dominate her, but something is almost…intimate about this. Kissing Tiger has always been hot, but this kiss is filled with something else.
The feral hunger is heavy with possession, and the need to claim her suffocates me. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and something happens…my heart, the deadened mass, begins to beat faster. It beats with a passion it hasn’t beat with before.
Severing our kiss, Tiger slowly opens her fevered eyes. The flush to her skin hints what I always knew was true—we’re in so much fucking trouble. This was inevitable. Now the problem I face is, what the fuck am I supposed to do?
“Don’t let your guard down. Ever.”
She nods quickly. “I won’t.”
She seems to weigh over something and reveals what when she reservedly asks, “What was prison like?”
“Easy, compared to being out here.” And it’s the god honest truth.
With nothing else to say, I run my thumb across her pouty bottom lip before placing it into my mouth. Her bubblegum kisses will be the death of me.
“I spoke to Stevie. Next Saturday, it’s happening.” Lotus rocks back and forth in her seat, making me nauseous with all her jerky movements.
Nodding casually, I fold my arms across my chest. “I’ll take care of it.”
She stops rocking—thank fuck—and looks at me as if I’ve just spoken to her in Swahili. “What do you mean? You can’t be here because—”
But I cut her off. “Let me worry about it. You take the night off. Actually, even better. Go away for the weekend. Just don’t tell your friend that I’m here.” If she lets on that I work here, it will fuck everything up.
“Bull, I can’t let you do that. It’s too big of a risk for you.” There is nothing but gratitude in her tone, which cements what I have to do. There is no way I’m letting that asshole, Stevie, fuck her over. We do this my way.
“You took a chance on me when you shouldn’t have. Way I see it, I owe you.”
“You owe me nothing,” she amends, shaking her head. “You’re a good person. I knew that from the moment I met you.”
I really wish people would stop saying that to me. If she knew what I intended to do once the place cleared, she wouldn’t be so quick to shower me with compliments.
“I have it, all right? Just don’t worry about the place. Once you come back, it’ll be like nothing happened.” And I mean it. It’ll be like Kong never existed.
She runs a hand down her exhausted face and nods. “Okay. As long as you’re sure. It does give me peace of mind knowing you’re here.”
“Don’t sweat it.” I go to leave, but she stops me.
“Bull…don’t be like me. Forty and living with regret. I never married or had a baby because I always thought there was time. But trust me, there will never be enough time. Whatever you’re thinking…don’t hesitate. Do it.”
If she realized what she was giving me permission to do, I don’t think she’d be so quick with the pep talk. But I appreciate the thought, nonetheless.
“Don’t let anyone stand in the way of what you want, Lotus,” I say, before walking out of her office, giving her my own pep talk.
It’s still early, but I decide to start my shift and go over my plans. I need to make sure I incapacitate Kong quickly, so he can’t make a run for it. I’m going to lure him in with free booze and women. There will be neither.
Once he lets his guard down, I will strike and be one step closer to avenging my brother.
I spend the next few hours scoping out any possible escape routes as I need to make sure my plan is airtight. Kong looks like a screamer, so I’ll have to gag him right away.
Ricky announces
a new dancer, interrupting my murderous thoughts. I haven’t seen her before. Looking at the clock behind the bar, I see that Tawny is supposed to be up. I make eye contact with Ricky, who shrugs.
Last I saw, she was with some old creeper who wanted a lap dance. But that was over an hour ago.
Making my way through the club, I walk down the corridor, going straight for the room Tawny likes to use for her private dances. I don’t bother knocking and barge through the door, and what I see has me seeing red—literally.
Tawny lies in the middle of the floor, covered in blood. She is groaning, her broken body trembling with winded whimpers. She’s alive. Sprinting to where she is, I drop to my knees and look at the damage inflicted on her. Her face is swollen, beaten without mercy.
“Tawny!” I exclaim, gently shaking her shoulder. Her body is limp.
She is lying on her side, so I slowly sit her up, supporting her against my chest. “Who did this to you?”
She begins to sob, collapsing into me.
“If you don’t tell me who did this, I can’t help you,” I press, looking down at her dress. It’s still intact. Whoever did this wasn’t after sex. He was after something else.
“You,” she pushes out between pained breaths.
“Me what?” I ask, holding her tightly as her head lolls to the side.
“He was after…you,” she finally reveals. “He a-asked if I knew y-you. I said ye-yes. He said he ha-had a message for you. And t-then he started…hi-hitting me.”
My jaw clenches, and something savage overcomes me. “What message?”
Tawny is crying uncontrollably and rightfully so. But she needs to tell me what this fucker wants. “Tawny,” I implore, shaking her lightly.
Leaning into me, she sniffles, “He said…they’re watching you.”
I have no idea who, but what I do know is that anyone associated with me is in danger. My blood runs cold when I think of Tiger.
I want to ask her so many other questions but getting her to a hospital is more important. “C’mon, Tawny. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
She’s passed out, so I lift her, cradling her to my chest. Taking the back door, I avoid any attention, not wanting word to get out as Lotus doesn’t need any more problems. As I lay Tawny across the back seat of my truck, I wonder how much blood I’ll have to spill to get my revenge.