“I have to go, Rae. It was good seeing you again.” Colton pulled the woman he had known for several years close, giving her a quick kiss before turning towards the door.
“You’re not coming back?” Colton could hear the disappointment in her voice.
“Not tonight. I’ll give you a call.”
Without giving her a chance to reply, he left, closing the door behind him. He would call, just not too soon. He had no intention of giving her a reason to believe he wanted anything except a fuck. He had finally got out of prison and he was going to make damn sure that this time he remained emotionally free from a woman. He wasn’t about to let another one get a hold over him, ever again.
Taking his time, he spotted King’s ride in the parking lot and walked toward the car. The back door opened as he approached. Sliding in, he was met by an angry King glaring at him through the hazy smoke of his lit cigarette.
“Tell me why, when I gave you the job of watching Vida, you’re here fucking? Leaving her alone is not protecting her,” King said sarcastically.
“Because I have been locked up for three years and I needed to fuck before I lost my mind holed up with her,” Colton replied just as sarcastically.
“I offered one of the women before you left,” King snapped.
“I didn’t want paid-for pussy. I wanted a woman who wanted a fuck, not someone who was only in it because she works for you.”
King stiffened. “All the women who work for me want to work. I don’t force any of them to do what they don’t want.”
“Did Vida want to take off her clothes?” Colton returned his sarcasm.
King threw his cigarette out the window. “I gave her the choice. She was smart enough to know it was actually safer for her to blend in with the rest of the women.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m finished here.”
“Colton.” King’s voice stopped him before he could get out of the car. “Anything happens to that girl on your watch, I won’t be happy.” He left little doubt how unhappy he would be, so Colton simply nodded, getting out of the car.
Vida heard the keys in the door and pretended to be asleep on the couch. He fumbled with the latch on the door after closing it, his footsteps quiet as he crossed the room. The sound of the door to his room opening and closing allowed the tension to ease from her stiff body. Rolling to her side, Vida closed her eyes, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.
Chapter Three
The smell of frying bacon woke Colton. He hadn’t smelled the delicious aroma for the last three years. Stretching out in the comfortable bed, Colton felt a moment’s guilt for taking the bed and making Vida sleep on the couch. The memory of the short length of the couch squashed his remorse quickly, though.
He momentarily thought about finding another apartment that would give them more room, but King had promised the girl wouldn’t be with him long. Rising from the bed, he walked naked to the shower, anxious to get to the tattoo shop. He had missed the shop more than he had any one person and he wanted to get there early enough to check everything out before everyone started arriving for the day.
Vida fixed herself a plate of food then sat at the table, almost choking on the toast when Colton came out of his room. The man seriously made her nervous.
“Did you save any for me?” Colton stared at the massive plate of food before her.
“There’s plenty on the stove,” Vida answered when her mouth was empty.
Colton fixed himself a plate and then sat at the table across from her. Vida watched him eat from underneath her lashes.
“You don’t talk much, do you?”
“It’s hard to talk to someone you don’t know very well,” Vida answered him as she fiddled with her food. She felt herself turning red at his direct question. She couldn’t understand how she’d managed to get on a stage and strip naked when a simple question from him embarrassed her.
“I’m going into the shop this morning and, since I’m supposed to keep an eye on you, that means you’re going, too,” Colton informed her.
“I can’t,” Vida answered, looking up from her plate. “I have class in an hour then a lab. I can come to the shop afterward.”
“That won’t work. I’m not babysitting you while I have work to do.” Colton stared at Vida as her whole countenance changed. She went from a shy, young woman to boldly direct.
“I don’t care. I only have two weeks of classes left. If I miss any more classes, I’ll flunk. I graduate this semester and I’m not going to flunk out.” Vida’s determined voice left Colton no doubt he would have to make other arrangements.
“What did King do about your classes?”
“He sent Henry with me. He would wait outside during my classes,” Vida answered his question.
“I’m not blowing half my day sitting on my ass.” Taking out his cell phone, he called King. Vida hoped King had another option because she wasn’t missing class.
Vida cleaned the dishes as she listened to him argue with King until Colton ended the phone call abruptly. “King is going to send Henry for you. He’ll stay with you until you’re done then bring you to my shop.”
Vida smiled, relieved that she wouldn’t have to miss class.
Colton’s eyes narrowed on the attractive woman, reminding himself that she was much younger than him and was also Goldie’s daughter. This situation isn’t going to last long, Colton kept reminding himself.
Vida turned back to the sink, finishing the dishes as Colton continued to eat his breakfast. She had just finished when she heard a knock at the door. Quickly, she dried her hands and grabbed her backpack as Colton answered the door to Henry.
“Hi, Henry, how’s it shaking?” Vida joked with the burly man.
Henry smiled and Vida returned it with a smile of her own, both ignoring Colton as they turned to leave.
“What time do you get finished? I have some errands that need to be taken care of today and I don’t want another visit from King for not keeping track of you.”
Henry answered for her. “I’ll feed her lunch then drop her off at your shop around one.”
Colton nodded, watching as they disappeared down th
e apartment staircase before getting his bike keys and leaving the apartment. They had already left the parking lot by the time he got there. As he climbed on his bike, he took a deep breath of air. He didn’t think he would ever again take his freedom for granted.
Throttling his bike, Colton put Vida and King out of his mind as he headed to his shop.
As Vida came out of class, she saw Henry leaning on the door of the expensive car.
“Ready?” Henry asked.
“Yes, I’m finished for the day.” He held the car door open for her as she climbed inside the luxurious car.
Vida sat quietly in the backseat as Henry drove through the city. It wasn’t long before he pulled up in front of a brightly painted tattoo shop with the name Green Dragon Tats. The dragon claws looked like needles.
She sat, hesitating to get out of the car until Henry opened the door. “Come on, Vida; it’ll be fine.”
Vida liked Henry. As King’s main bouncer, a lot of the women threw themselves at him to get closer to King. Henry found it amusing that Vida went the completely opposite route of using him to avoid contact with King. Both Henry and Sherri had become unexpected friends since she had begun stripping.
“Can’t I just go back to the apartment and wait there? I promise not to go anywhere.” Vida really didn’t want to spend the rest of the day in Colton’s grumpy presence.
“You know King won’t be happy with that, Vida.” Henry was her friend, but King’s orders would always come first.
Vida sighed, getting out of the car. Henry watched her go into the shop before pulling out.