Chapter 1
Lora
I pulled my jacket tighter around my body as I walked quickly towards my job as a bartender at the Belladonna Club. I could feel his evil eyes watching me as I hurried. My skin crawled with the sensation of nails dragging along it. I shivered as fear rose up making it hard to breathe.
I was almost there, once I got inside I’d be safe. I could see several of my coworkers off to the side smoking. I smiled at them with a sense of relief as I pulled open the door to the employee's entrance. I walked to my locker and sat down with a sigh on the bench in front of it, knowing I was safe for the time being.
“Hey darlin, you ok?” Ezra Aloet asked as he joined me on the bench. He was a handsome man with brown hair and kind eyes. I simply adored him.
“Hi, Ez. Just that same horrible feeling again. I know it’s him. I just wish he’d leave me alone.” I fought against the tears that tried to escape. Ezra was my cousin and he knew about my stalker issues and how much it terrified me.
“One day that coward is going to show his face and when he does I’m going to make sure he never bothers you again. In the meantime, are you ok working in the nightclub or would you rather be in the VIP section? Either way, Griff is going to be your shadow.”
“Awww, Ez. Griff means I’ll get less tips.”
Ezra smirked at me, making me groan even louder. “As the GM of this fine establishment, it’s my prerogative to put our security where they can best do their jobs. Not only is one of our best staff members getting hurt bad for business but you know how the owners will react to such an insult.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “No, I don’t know because you won’t tell me who they are. I swear this club and it’s secrets seriously drive me nuts some days.”
“And yet you continue to work here. Speaking of work, how was rehearsal today?”
The thought of my dream coming true at the Elina Miles Dance Studio brought an instant smile to my face. “Oh my God, it was so much fun. My legs are sore but it’s a good kind of sore. This show we’re working on is going to be wonderful. I’ve already made friends with a couple girls and I heard Ms. Elina saying how much I’ve improved in just a few days. She wore a big smile as she said it, Ez,” I squealed as I grabbed his arm and shook him in my excitement.
He laughed as he pulled me into another hug. “I’m so proud of you, cuz. I knew your hard work would pay off. Now we just need to get this creep to leave you alone. In the meantime are you okay working at the nightclub bar? Melly decided to call in again and I need someone who knows what they’re doing up there.”
“Alright, but there will be no forgetting my breaks again or I’ll have Griff kick your ass, cuz.”
Ezra laughed as he stood up. “Yo, Griff. You have my permission to kick my ass if I forget Lora’s breaks.”
“Sure thing, boss,” came the gravelly reply from outside the locker room.
Ezra raised his eyebrows at me as I giggled. “Order yourself something to eat before you head up. It’s quiet now but you know it’ll get crazy soon enough. Karl closed last night so everything should be good to go. Holler if you need anything.”
“Sounds good,” I smiled and nodded as he turned to leave. Taking my jacket off, I placed it in my locker along with my purse, my phone staying with me. Besides in-house phones, the owners liked us to all have our phones on us. They’d come in handy more than once. Pulling it out, I glanced at the screen before sliding it into my back pocket.
I stood up as I closed my locker and headed towards one of the server stations to order some food as well as logging in. I headed up the employee stairs to the nightclub as I looked up at all of the floors above me.
There were multiple levels of the Belladonna. The first floor was strictly a restaurant and bar open to the public for which the wait list was several months long. Next were the nightclub levels and their VIP rooms. Most people believed that was all there was. The levels above the nightclub were strictly by invite only. Not even all of the staff were aware of what went on. Just thinking of those floors made me blush.
Opening the door to the nightclub, I smirked at the soft music playing and the empty dance floor. “Ahhh my favorite time.”
Griff chuckled from behind me. He was a big wall of muscle but a sweetheart. “I have to wear noise ear plugs when I work this floor otherwise my ears will ring for days afterward.”
“Truth! This is where I learned to read lips so I can wear them as well. Can’t be a dancer if I can’t hear the music.”
“That would make things challenging. This guy that’s stalking you, ever seen him?”
“I think so but I’m not sure honestly. It started off as a gut feeling and the notes started up. Then came the creepy presents. The most recent were black roses dipped in what looked like blood.” I couldn’t stop the shiver that crawled over my skin.
“What do the cops think?” Griff asked as he settled on a bar stool.
I held off answering while a server delivered my dinner. “The cops are ‘investigating’ but honestly they’ve come up with nothing. I’m a starving artist just barely paying my bills so I can’t afford anything beyond that.”
“The owners would help you if you asked. They like you and Ezra.”
I smiled at his concern. If truth be told, I liked having Griff around. His sheer size made me feel safe. “I’ve never met them so I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that. I’m barely ever home. If I’m not at the studio, I’m here. Both places I feel safe so it’ll be okay.”
“Well, you’ll be safe with me. So if you sense he’s near just bring me a soda water with a cherry. That will be our code drink.”