Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
She cowers away, trying to look to the side, but the strap around her neck is too tight for that kind of movement. I take my free hand and dig my fingers into the leather strap of the ball gag and her cheek, yanking the rubber from her mouth, and her sobs immediately fill the room. “Pl-ease…”
I grip her chin, squeezing it so hard she whimpers, and shove her head back. She blinks rapidly while fresh tears roll down her dirty face. I hold the 666 branding iron right over her left cheek as I speak. “Where is my wife, Whitney?”
ASHTYN
I sit in the dressing room of the strip club. Tonight is particularly busy for a Thursday because it’s a themed mask night. Everyone, even the customers, come in dressed up with masks. Some are even dressed in full costumes.
My cell lights up, sitting on the counter in front of me, and I pick it up to see it’s an incoming call from BOSS LADY.
“Hello?” I sit back in my seat.
“Question.” The woman on the other end greets me.
“Shoot.”
“Monica called in tonight with the flu. Maggie is picking up her shift, but she can’t tomorrow…”
“I’ll take it.” I sit up straight, not even letting her finish asking me to work tomorrow night.
“Perfect. I’ll put you down. Thanks so much, girl.”
“Anytime,” I tell her, and she knows it. She’s changed my life for the best. When I didn’t think anyone would take a chance on a woman who was on the run, she did. She isn’t aware of what I’m running from. Never asked. When I tried to explain, she said I didn’t have to. The fact that I wanted a fresh start was all she needed to know. Something tells me she’s done the same thing.
“Damn, woman. You Daddy’s little girl tonight?” Destiny asks as she walks by me.
I lock my cell and set it down to look up at her in the mirror in front of me when she comes to stand behind my chair. I did my makeup like Harley Quinn.
My red-painted lips smile, and I say, “I’ll be whatever Daddy wants me to be.” Cliché, I know. But it’s fun to get to dress up every night of the week. I get to be someone else. It helps me forget who I once was. Ever since I ran from Carnage, I wear a mask that can never be removed. It’s a hard pill to swallow sometimes.
Bending over, I grab one of the fishnet thigh-highs and pull it up my freshly spray-tanned leg, getting it in place without tearing it before repeating the other. Then I slide on red six-inch fuck-me heels. Picking up the collar off the counter, I look over at Cherry. “Hey, will you put this on me, please?” I ask her.
“Of course.” She gets up, walks over to me, and I grab my dark hair in one hand while she steps behind me, fastening it in place. “Feel okay?” she asks, tugging on it to ensure enough room for me to breathe.
“No,” I answer honestly. It’s bulky and uncomfortable, but I paid a hundred and fifty dollars for it. “I’ll remove it after Benny leaves,” I tell her.
I considered buying a blond wig with pigtails but thought better of it. You already get so hot dancing under the lights that it would just drive me nuts. So, tonight I am a brunette Harley Quinn. I decide to keep it down because when you’re on stage, shaking your ass for cash, men like to see your hair.
I’ve always kept mine really long. It’s naturally dark, but years ago, I dyed it black. It’s so dark that when the light hits it just right, it glows blue.
A bleach-blond enters the dressing room and stops by my chair. “Jake dropped by.”
“Oh.” I sit up straighter, my hands clapping excitedly. “Did he bring gifts?”
Her black-painted lips widen into an evil grin. “He did.” She places her fist out, and I open mine underneath it. She drops two pills into mine before I close it, concealing what’s in it.
“Tell him I said thank you.”
Sadie laughs softly. “You can thank him later. He’ll be back with his friends.” Pushing off the wall, she plops down next to me.
She’s my best friend here at the club. Sometimes I feel guilty about how much I’ve lied to her. I feel like I’m pretending every day. She doesn’t know the real me; if she did, she probably wouldn’t be my friend.
I pop both pills into my mouth and sip on my Red Bull. I’m going to need both to get me through tonight. I worked last night and was up early this morning, running errands all day. I barely got three hours of sleep last night. I’m going to crash hard when I get home later tonight.