“Let’s go.” He yanks on my chain.
I want to stomp my feet and scream fuck you in his face for behaving like a complete neanderthal.
Upstairs, he releases the handcuffs. I assume he knows I have no hopes of escaping. Not yet anyway. I massage my wrists. “If you need the bathroom. Now’s the time. Right through there.” He points to a door that I’m guessing leads to a toilet.
I don’t need to go but I need a second to think. “Right. Thanks.”
“Don’t get any ideas.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I roll my eyes and enter the bathroom. It’s just a basic toilet and sink. Cleaner than expected but I still wouldn’t sit on the seat. I splash some cool water on my face. I could have killed a man today and he could have killed me. Jackson is probably freaking out. The shit with Crystal is fucked. Everything is messed up.
And apparently, I have a mother who is looking for me. I don’t get it. Why wait until now? A cruel twist of fate that the person she sends for me is Benicio. I’ve ruined that relationship too. Didn’t take long.
I destroy everything. When anything good comes along I panic.
My not showing for work tonight means no job. Lefty isn’t a forgiving man. Especially with Crystal out of the mix. I know I brought him money but there’s five other girls ready to take my place. Not that I saw stripping as a long-term career. It was a temporary solution. Fast money. Easy money, mostly.
I know I was on a bad path. Maybe this is the wakeup call to get my shit in order. Make better choices. Make amends with Beni or Holy. Whatever he wants to be called. I exit the bathroom and he’s leaned against the opposite wall, head back, eyes closed. Weight of the world appears to be resting on his shoulders.
“Hey,” I say softly, pressing my lips to his neck the way I used to in what seems like a different lifetime ago.
“Don’t. I’m tired.”
“Then let’s go to bed.” I tug on his hands. “The rest can wait.”
“Hmm. Guess it can.” He rolls his lips inward. “We’re in here.” He opens a door not far from the bathroom. He flicks on the light switch and presses me forward from behind. His breath blows against my ear as he talks low. “Only need to rest my eyes for a few hours then we gotta hit the road.”
I step further into the room. Inside it houses a full-sized bed and a nightstand. It’s not the cleanest. Some beer bottles and a bowl of pretzels rests on a table next to a chair. The events of the day are wearing on me, and I’m not in a position to be picky though I’d prefer to be back at my apartment in my own bed. Only at this hour I’d still be working the pole.
Can’t say I’d be in any shape to dance tonight anyway. One thing I am sure of. I’ll be damned if Holy is going to be finding that Memphis bitch later. I kick off my shoes and turn into him. “Do you mind?” I curve a finger under the edge of my collar.
“Get comfortable. However, you’re planning to sleep. Clothed or not.” He brings out the handcuffs again.
“You can’t be serious?”
“Can’t trust you not to try something dumb. So yeah, I’m fuckin’ serious. Not playing around with you, and I got shit to tend to before I lay my head down.”
“You mean you need to go find that whore downstairs. You don’t have to sugarcoat your bullshit for me.”
“You jealous?”
“Nope. Got no reason to be.” I reach under my shirt and undo my bra. I fling it toward him and shimmy out of my jeans. The muscle in his jaw ticks and he swallows hard. I move toward the bed, dropping my knees to the edge, crawling toward the headboard, flashing him my ass in the process.
“Take whichever side you want.” He stalks toward me slowly. I can’t read him. Not as easily as I used to be able to, but I know he’s pissed with me, and I brought this on myself.
I don’t want to back down though. I’m stubborn when I want to be.
I take purchase of the left side. I turn the covers down and pray that they are clean or close to it. I’m trying not to think about what’s went down in this bed. Can’t be any worse than some of the motels that Crystal has dragged my ass to in the past.
Holy puts a knee to the mattress, taking my left arm in his grip.
“It doesn’t have to be this way between us. I’m sorry, Beni.”
“Told you. Call me Holy.”
“I’m sorry, Holy.”
He smirks.