“Exactly.”
“Do you feel better having met me?”
Do I? “It’s intimidating because… you’re hot. And nothing like me.”
“Men lust after women like me. Men love women like you.”
Except Tucker. He can’t love.
The front door chimes. “Be right back. Looks like we have a walk-in. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Pacino might need to take you right here when he sees you.”
That’s not a bad idea. This place starts to affect me. Moving into the corner, I take in the room, thinking it might be fun to experiment here. Until I notice the basket of condoms next to the bottle of lube on the shelf. I’m not sure I want to have sex in a room so many other people have.
Then I see it. The hole in the massage table, just beyond the halfway mark. Frowning, I study it. This place would never have something broken or torn up. And it looks intentionally placed.
My eyes widen, and I cover my mouth as I giggle.
It’s for the men!
“You’re going to suck me off, and I might not blow your brains out,” a familiar voice booms.
Queenie backs into the room, her hands in the air, and my eyes shake as Jake walks in holding a revolver. It’s aimed at her face, and she looks terrified.
He twitches slightly, and I know he’s high. Either by choice or a contact high from making the drugs for the Black Venom. It makes him even more dangerous.
Phone,Queenie mouths when Jake rotates his head.
“What did you just say?” he asks, the gun shaking.
“Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”
He shakes his head. “No, I saw your mouth move.” Turning, he spots me and gapes. “Phoebe?”
“She said phone,” I say. “But I don’t… I don’t have one. It was smashed when I was attacked in my bakery.”
“You were attacked?” he asks. “By whom? That boyfriend of yours?”
My eyes widen. “What? No. He saved me.”
“You’re with the fucking pussy ass bitch club, you know that? Now, which one of you is going to suck my cock?”
“I’ll do it,” Queenie says, getting on her knees. “Let her go.”
“No, she can’t go. She’ll call her boyfriend, and he’ll come and beat my ass. But she can watch. Then she can watch me shoot you and fuck the hole the bullet leaves in your body.”
I frown as I try to imagine that. “Isn’t the bullet hole going to be too small to do that?”
“What?”
“Phoebe, stop talking,” Queenie says. “He’s not exactly stable at the moment.”
“What if… what if I gave you money, Jake? You could just leave like nothing happened. Right, Queenie? He was never here.”
She nods. “Right. Never here. Never saw you.”
“Sorry, babe, but that’s not gonna happen. But you can give me your money. Get it out. Now!”
Fumbling, I dig through my purse. I don’t actually have any money, but I thought it might distract him enough for Tucker to realize he’s here.
