Except you, that niggling voice in my head mutters, making me nearly trip in the three-inch heels I found at Goodwill.
Carl hands me a tray with three shots, a cold mug of beer, and some of our famous wings, grumbling, “Table six.” Right where I thought I saw Connor.
My stepbrother.
The boy who has always treated me like property and would soon enough be the one to rape me, if his father didn’t first. For a while now, I’ve known it was only a matter of time before one or both of them took my last bit of innocence.
Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I half convince myself it’s only a doppelganger and not actually him because there’s no way he could track me. He wouldn’t even want to. I’m nobody. I’m nothing.
“Here we are. Shots, beer, and our famous wings!” My smile drops as our eyes meet, my world tipping on its axis as I realize it is, in fact, Connor.
My worst nightmare.
My limbs rattle with fear, and my mouth dries out as that slick smile crosses his face while he grabs my wrist and drags me into his lap.
“Look at you, Miss Buttoned Up and Frigid, letting it all hang out in a strip club for perfect strangers to see, but you won’t share with your big brother.”
I feel sick, swallowing around the lump in my throat.
“Let me go.” I refuse to let him win and send me running.
“Can’t do that, little chicken. You owe me a little play time.” He nuzzles his face into my neck, and bile rises up my throat as my eyes meet one of the bouncers. The man's gaze narrows, and he immediately makes his way over.
The thing about Carl is that while he’s as sleazy as they come, he doesn’t let anyone touch the girls beyond what the rules state. So, as Jamie approaches, prepared to beat Connor to a pulp and ban him from the club, his next words stop me cold: “Your mom is sick.”
Whipping my head around to face Connor, I ask, “What do you mean, sick?” It’s a word they always used after Ian beat the crap out of her, and she couldn’t leave her bed for days. My mom hasn’t been the best since Dad died, but she doesn’t deserve what Ian does to her either.
“Hands off the girl.” Jamie is a huge man, full of steroid muscles and a menacing scowl that scares the hell out of me.
Connor raises his hands so Jamie can help me to my feet. “Sorry, man, just my long-lost sister.” The bouncer isn’t fooled.
He leans down into Connor’s face, and I catch fear cross his eyes as Jamie warns him, “Put your hands on her again, and I’ll break them both. We clear?” Connor gulps and nods while Jamie escorts me back to the bar. “Give her a glass of ice water, Carl.” Not even the owner argues with the bouncer.
“You can take your break now.” Carl eyes me up and down, not oblivious to the ordeal I just went through.
Nodding, I take his advice and head to the back room, which has sofas, tables, and a fridge always filled with nutritional snacks—another anomaly about this place. But Carl has a standard, and that means keeping his girls healthy.
Grabbing a bottle of juice and a bowl of fruit, I stop at my locker to get my phone before sitting down to call Carly.
“Hey girl, what’s up?” She’s always so darn chipper.
“Is my mom okay?” I rush out, grateful the music doesn’t filter into this room too loudly.
“What? Yeah, I’m pretty sure. Why wouldn’t she be?”
I wilt at her reassurance.
“Connor is here.” Carly knows everything that’s happened from the first night I arrived, and she was ready to bus it down here to kick Trista’s ass for making me cry so hard.
“Well, how the hell did he find you?” she nearly shouts; her parents won’t appreciate the loud noise. “I’m going to call Miles, figure out what’s going on, and see if we can get you moved.”
“Yeah, sure.” I’m so damn defeated. All I want is to be left alone. I realized a long time ago that college wouldn’t be in the cards for me, but I’d hoped to start the search for a decent job and build a life I could be proud of.
“Hey, Lo, it’s going to be okay.” My friend's reassuring words don’t have the desired effect because it seems like nothing will ever be okay again.
“I have to go back to work now.” I can almost picture the scowl on her face. Carly hates me working in a strip club. She’s worried I’ll wind up on stage and start selling my body.
“Call me when you get home.”
