quarters, dimes, ones, and fives in a zip-up deposit bag she used for money transferring. She wove through the crowd, grinning at Chastity and Becky. “We’re busy tonight,” she said over the music as she refilled the first register.
“I know, kind of surprising for a Thursday. But you never know when one of the M.C.s will
roll through,” Becky replied.
Gia snickered. “True. They don’t exactly run on schedules.”
“Yeah, understatement,” Chastity added, rolling her eyes. “At least I get to have a job where I can still hang out with them. Dad almost said no.”
Gia flashed a sympathetic smile. A daughter of a Knight of the Apocalypse, she’d been
raised in the life. Her job here at Taffy’s had been one of the first the old man would allow.
Mostly because he could always keep eyes on her and the attention would be on the women on stage. Monster was damn protective. But one look at his buxom, hazel-eyed, mocha latte skinned daughter and you could see why. “He loves you.”
“Yes, to death. You’d think he’d have a relaxed parenting style…considering.”
Gia wanted to tell her to cherish it. Some people never knew the love of a parent. Instead, she shrugged and moved on to the next till. Task completed, she poured herself a glass of cola and walked to the back. A man stepped out of the darkened alcove and she jumped back.
“Pretty girls shouldn’t be left unattended.” His thick Jamaican accent raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
“Women who own the establishment go wherever they want. The bathrooms are on the other
side of the bar. I suggest you reroute yourself.” She gripped the glass in her hand, prepared to throw the fizzing cola in his eyes, stomp his foot with her heel, and run for her office. She knew how to defend herself, but at the end of the day, a man was more powerful. The .45 in her desk would put them on even footing.
“You’re mighty jumpy. Makes a man wonder what you’ve done.”
The hidden meaning in his words was unmistakable. She narrowed her eyes. “Who are
you?”
“Doesn’t matter who I am. Did you really think you could just waltz off and leave
everything behind? That’d you’d never have to repay your debt, Jai ss a.” He accentuated the S’s in her name, doing his best impression of a snake.
She took a step back. Her muscles tensed and she began to calculate the distance between
the entries of the hallway.
“There are eyes everywhere. You won’t know when or where. But she’s coming for you,
Jalissa, and she has a big surprise.” An evil smirk peeled his full lips back from blindingly white teeth. “I hope you remember all your tricks. You’re going to be using them.”
She tossed the drink toward his eyes, spun on her heels, and ran for the entryway. She
reached the end of the hallway and he grabbed a handful of hair, yanking her back into the darkness. He slammed her body against the side of the wall and pinned her there with an arm across her throat. She dug her nails into his flesh, struggling as her air supply depleted. Her vision began to dim.
“I’m going to love fucking the fight out of you. I’m going to watch your eyes go dead as you re-learn your place.” He slammed the back of her head against the wall and released his hold around her throat.
Dazed, she slid down the wall, struggling to get her bearings and move as far away from him as possible. Lightheaded, she forced her body upright while she watched him walk away and slip off into the crowd. She rubbed her throat, horrified by how easily it would’ve been for him to do whatever he wanted. In a matter of minutes, he’d come in and ripped a hole right through the center of the peace and safety net she’d built for herself. None of the work she’d put in mattered.
Not the million-dollar security system, snarly bikers less than ten feet away, her gun, or her bouncer. Her legs shook and her stomach rolled.
The hidden had become the hunted.
The walls seemed to close in around her. She pushed against the floor, swaying as she
gained her feet. Stumbling like a baby learning to walk, she made her way to her office and locked the door behind her. Bowing her head, she took deep breaths to steady her nerves. If she called Lefty all frazzled and frightened, she would destroy all the work she’d put in over the years. I refuse to be a damsel in distress. She moved to her desk, sat on the office chair, and unlocked her desk drawer with shaking hands. Pulling the phone out of her purse, she scrolled down to Lefty’s name.