“I doubt you’d lose your job.And if you’ve told him no already, you have the right to protect yourself.”
“I could have stomped on his toe or brought up my knee, but I was afraid.”
“Don’t be.You’re stronger than him, and he’s disrespecting you.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course, that’s why I’m here.”
We pull up to the back of the club, and he parks near the back door.When he gets out, he opens my door and steps back.I get out, and he waves me toward the entrance, where he enters a code and then a full palm scan before the door unlocks.It’s the same door I escaped from this morning.
“That wasn’t there when I left this morning.”
“It was.We just hadn’t activated it yet.You escaping made him change that.The other side has to be unlocked by a special bar and code.If there’s an emergency, the system will allow a bypass.But to enter, you have to do all this.I’m sure you’ll have your own code to the system soon enough.”
“Sure.”I chuckle, and we make our way up the back staircase.
A woman steps around the corner.When she sees me, everything in her demeanor changes.I watch as a sly look crosses her face.She licks her lips and uses her thumb and first finger to wipe at her mouth.
“Don’t worry.I’ve serviced him already.You’re not needed anymore.”She smiles a sinister grin.
Hayes starts to say something behind me, but I hold up my hand.
“Hello, I’m Daria.”I extend my hand.
All the years of self-defense training kick in, along with the anger that she would play off just giving my man a blow job.As her hand comes towards mine, I manipulate my hand to wrap around her thumb and bend it back toward her arm.She screams and cries as I take her to the floor on her knees.Then I use my other hand to grab her fingers and twist them backward, helping her stand up.I bend them far enough that it locks her elbow out, and she’s now standing on her tiptoes.
Leaning in, I whisper so only she can hear me, “You ever insinuate that you gave my man a blow job again or had sex with him, I’ll kill you after breaking your arms.Were you the one who called my family and friends?”
“No.No, that wasn’t me.It was my sister, Teena.She did it.She’s pissed you keep getting the positions she wants in the ballet company,” she answers loud enough for Hayes to hear.
“You tell her to stop, or I’ll let the world know what kind of person she is, including the association.”
Hayes steps up behind me.“What are you doing here?”
“Paddy questioned me about the phone calls too.”
“Did you tell him this?”I ask her.
“No.I told him I had no clue what he was talking about.I begged for my job back, but he told me to get out.When I saw you, I decided to try making you mad.”
“You think I’ll give you back your job when you upset my woman,” Patrick barks further up the stairs.“Hayes, take care of her.Sweets, you come here.”
I release her, and the woman starts to gloat.
“See, he doesn’t care for you that much.You’re going to get in trouble for assaulting me.I’m pressing charges unless I get my job back.”
“Never mind, Hayes.Jordon,” Patrick says, and a man steps up behind him.He has dirty blond hair and looks a bit like my sister-in-law.“Jordon, take her to the warehouse.Question her more.Seeing as how she was quick to give information to Daria, maybe you can get something out of her.”
“Noo,” she screams and tries to get out of Hayes’s hold, but Jordon wraps his arms around her neck, and she drops instantly, out cold.
He throws her over his shoulder, and Hayes helps him take her out of the hallway.
“Now you, baby, come with me.”
I’m not sure if he’s going to be upset with me or what.
Paddy
