Chapter Three
Katriona
Ipush into the dressing room and sag against the door as it closes with a soft metallic click.
Blissful silence greets me. Feeling a panic attack knocking at my mental door wanting in, I shove it away and grip my heart with a fierce battle of wills until it calms into a steady rhythm.
Whipping at my tears, I drop my bag holding the few important items I own—my phone, the charger, fresh clothes and a picture of my mother. Not much else. Maybe a tampon.
I place my hands flat against the door and breathe in. No one met me at the door. A good sign? My gaze darts around the empty room. Maybe they’d forgotten about me and moved on to the next girl or something.
This part of the club is dimly lit to help ease us into the right mood for walking the floors. Most nights I find it a comfort, but tonight the inky feel of encroaching darkness makes my skin crawl.
I glance at the large clock to my right. Yeah, all the girls were already in the club’s uniforms of leather and lace and were out on the floor.
In a rush, I peel off my boots and jeans, tossing them into my locker with little care. Ten minutes later I’m fully dressed—if you can call it that—in a barely-there skirt the color of the devil’s soul and a bodice made of buttery soft red leather with white lace along the top designed to highlight the dip of a woman’s cleavage.
I wiggle a little, getting my ample D’s in place before lacing up the front with a delicate bow I consider one step away from a malfunction.
I slip into a pair of spiked stilettos and start on touching up my makeup. Since I did most of the prep work at home, a swipe of red lipstick and the lush, walking fantasy look is complete.
Behind me a feel a rush of air as the door swings open on well-oiled hinges.
I bolt around, holding my breath only to let it out in a rush. Green eyes highlighted with gold glitter and black eyeliner meet mine.
“There you are!” Nikki hisses.
“You scared the hell outta me. I just got here.”
Nikki glides across the room, the embodiment of grace. Pushing me to face the mirror, she weaves my long hair into an artistic bun, leaving soft tendrils to fall around my face. On second thought I go for the lipstick again and touch up the corners one last time.
We hurry through the final motions and I check myself in the mirror before we both hit the door. I pull her to a stop before she can leave for the third floor. “Real talk. How much trouble am I in?”
Nikki rolls her eyes. “You’re such a drama queen.” She pulls me in for a quick hug and it grounds me. Friends are far and few between and I will miss this bond with my one friend the most when I finally have enough in the bank to leave.
With that, we pull away and go our separate ways. As soon as I step out onto the floor, I shed the persona of the real world and become a fantasy woman of Lex.
In the shadows, tray in hand I take my first order to a disclosed booth in the back. Curtains are drawn, and in this world, there is no telling what I’ll find going on behind the river of satin. Lights along the floor light my way and I discreetly slide three mojitos over black napkins, eyes downcast as we’ve been trained.
I move to slip from the curtain when a meaty hand latches onto the fleshy part of my ass.
“Where are you going? Join the fun, baby.” The slurred offer comes from an aged man who likes cigars most likely from the gargling sound of his rough voice. It reminds me of my father and I shiver in repulsion.
With a little adrenaline left over in my system from my time with said asshole, the need to lash out takes over. I throw the man’s hand off my body and jerk back, stumbling into another patron’s booth, heaving their curtain aside.
Shocked faces, hard nipples and a man’s fully erect shaft greet me. Oh shit!
I manage to regain my balance when heavy hands settle over my shoulders. Not like Muscles from earlier, but with authority nonetheless.
They turn me around and I promptly almost trip over my jaw. When I drag my eyes off the man who dared lay a hand on me, I’m met with a sight that has me melting into the floor. Only it doesn’t swallow me whole like I wish it would.
I suck in a breath, feeling the heat in my body rush to gather in my cheeks all at once. Out of fear mostly, but from a thrill of unexpected excitement too. The shivering chill returns and runs its cold fingers down my back.
“Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Hudson,” I breathe out heavily.
Broad shoulders and muscled chests covered in yards of expensively tailored suits fill my vision. The two sets of nearly black eyes pinning me to the floor belong to men who tower over me. Enough to where I have to tilt my head up to hold their gazes. And the longer I look the more I realize the scowl they wear only makes them look more devilishly handsome.
Their combined scent wraps around me first and that should have sent off warning bells, but I’m stupid and only think about who has their hands on me instead of the why behind the action.