“You don't miss your mother?” I ask and then bite my lip because this is a sensitive subject.
“No,” she glares at me, and it's adorable. “She was a mean mommy. I hate her,” she spits.
“Well, you don't have to worry about that now,” I say, patting her leg, wanting to take this conversation in a new direction. “You’ve got your Daddy, Uncles, and me. And everyone at the club.”
“Uncle Neo says you have a dance club. Can I come dance there too?” I can't help but burst out laughing with Neo this time.
“Umm. We’ll see.” I shake my head at the shit eating grin on Neo’s face.
“Okay, but can you still be my new mama?” she asks hopefully. And fuck does that ever make my heart swell so fucking big.
“I'd love nothing more than to be your mama,” I smile, holding back tears. Neo sees the emotion on my face and his eyes go wide with the realization.
I narrow my eyes at him and poke him in the chest. “Shut. Up.” I demand in my scary voice, but I must be losing my touch because it only makes his grin grow wider.
Fucking dick head.
THE CLUB IS FULL TONIGHT, but that’s nothing new. I'm so fucking ecstatic because my crew, not the ones who work at the club, but my outside contacts who collect my monstrous playthings and bring them to their execution block, brought in a new shipment from all over the country. I'm talking rapists, molesters, wife beaters, all that jazz. On the block tonight, we have six new playmates for me. All strapped in and ready to go. Tonight, I'm even letting Neo play again.
"You did amazing tonight,” I praise Lola as she comes out of the dressing room and into my office, where I'm doing some paperwork for the club.
“Thanks,” she smiles. “And thanks for helping me with that dip. I never thought I’d get the flow right.”
“You fucking crushed it, girl,” I say, giving her a fist bump, pretending to make it explode. “So, what’s up?”
“I actually came back here to ask if you’ve seen Penny?”
My smile drops. “What do you mean? She isn't at the bar waiting for you?”
She shakes her head. “No. Roxy said she went to use the bathroom, and when she got back, Penny was gone.” With Tracy still missing, all the girls are on edge.
“Fuck,” I hiss, and Queenie is out. Grabbing a gun from under my desk, I strap it into its holster on my thigh. My daggers are strapped onto the other one. I'm already in my costume for tonight because I'm so damn excited, so they are all on full display as I stand up.
Storming out of my office, I'm on a rampage and god help anyone who gets in my way.
I beeline to Lucas. “Get the guys on all the exits. Check every room in this damn building. I want that girl found and safe,” I growl low and dangerous. They all take off at my order.
“What's going on?” Dean asks from behind me as he follows along.
“Penny is missing, and I'll be fucking damned if she’s the next one of my girls that disappears. She’s only a fucking kid.”
“I'll help,” he says.
I say nothing as I burst out the front door of the club. My eyes are everywhere, seeing if maybe she came outside for some fresh air. Shouting in the distance gets my attention, and I take off in that direction.
“Get in the fucking car, Penny!” a man roars, and as he comes into view, I see that he has a tight grip on her arm. She fights against him as he tries to shove her into a car.
“Please, just let me go,” she pleads.
“I’m bringing you home where you belong,” the man growls.
“Let me go,” Penny shouts, giving him a good kick to the shin. He curses with a grunt.
“You little bitch!” He goes to raise his hand to hit her, but I don't let that happen.
“Hello,” I say in my perkiest voice. “And what do we have here?”
The guy's head snaps towards me. I know who this is, it's Penny’s stepbrother. Penny ended up telling Lola everything a few weeks after getting to my club and once she settled in. After she realized that this was indeed a safe place, she opened up to her cousin about everything that had been going on at home and behind their parents’ backs. Her stepbrother was sneaking into her room at night, doing unspeakable things to her, and then would threaten to kill both her and her mother if she ever told a soul.