Hunting my ex

Chapter Four

CH4

KALE

FEW MONTHS LATER

‘Hey, Dolly, you are on the tables tonight.” My boss yelled from his cheek-looking VIP couch where one of the girls was servicing him with a lap dance. Funny how some girls can do both stripping and p**********n while working in a casino. I sighed in disgust, making my way to the dressing room. I rummaged through the dresses in my stall for something a little less revealing. There wasn’t any. I let out a sigh of disappointment. I’m literally going out butt naked, as usual.

I turned to stare at the mirror, little wrinkle lines had begin to form on my forehead, courtesy of exhaustion. I looked away. I had developed a hatred for seeing my face lately. A hatred of being reminded how low I had fallen.

Since I left Gary, it’s been one rock bottom after another. I had to ask for help from a classmate; Maria Anderson, to be precise. I still can’t believe she let me live with her. Back then in school, I treated her like she was invisible. I ran when the bullies came after her. But that sweet little photographer still helped me try to get back on my feet after the divorce. Some people are just… I don’t know, angels maybe.

“Dolly?” a gentle voice called out my name, tapping me on the back. I turned slowly.

“Your shift is about to begin. Get dressed.”

I forced a smile for her. Tamar was always making sure we were working. Whether she did it because she cared, is something I don’t know.

I grabbed the corset top and put it on, over a leotard made of net. We were only allowed to put on black panties. The type you get when you buy lingerie. Then I applied some light makeup and hit the floor. I had the cheerleading by the slot machine today.

It hadn’t even passed a minute but I could already feel their eyes burrowing into the little thing I had on, fanaticizing about me naked. My skin crawled. Once again I felt like dropping dead. I creeped to the slot machine and tried to hide myself amongst the other girls but it was hard. I had porcelain skin, full firm boobs and a round tush. The type they wanted to grab always. At least I wasn’t changing cash for coins today, last week some said he would bet a million if I let him suck my n*****s. I wrung his lips shut that night and got an ear full from the manager.

“Hey dolly.” Someone clicked their fingers in my face. I pushed it off.

“What, Brittany?”

“Focus, you dumb head. Beauty can’t get you too far in this business.” She so nicely reminded me with a scowling look on her face. I rolled my eyes. That little stunt of hers made me lose vigilance. A p*****t snuck up from behind me and slapped my ass.

“Oh f**k!” I exclaimed, spurning around. He ran, laughing. I messaged my temples, repeating ‘calm down’ to myself over and over.

“Hey Dolly, you know better than to stand around.” Tamar’s voice rang from behind me. I turned sharply, sneering at her. “Why are y’all all up in my business? f**k off would yah!”

Brittany freaked, called me sicko and swayed off in her super tall heels. Tamar asked me what my deal was. I told her I was deadbeat. She got the boss to agree to let me go home. I was so shocked. Without bothering to change, I fled the casino and head for his car.

I punched my key into the car door, humming the old classical rock playing inside the casino. I went for the door handle. Some grabbed me.

“Hey y…”

He covered my mouth and dragged me. I struggled, kicking my feet and flaring my arms but his grip was powerful. I didn’t even stand a chance. He pulled me out of the parking lot and into the dark. I screamed, my cry muffled by his hold. I forced my lips open wider and bit his hand.

“AH!” he groaned, throwing his hand off. I shoved his other arm and broke free. I ran, my heart like a bullet ricocheting, slamming against my ribs. My mind was haywire. I was in fighter-flight mode. All I could do was run and scream.

“Help me!! Help me!!”

I was nearing a sharp bend, my body arching to the left so I could run past it. My attacker was faster. He snag my flaring arm and dragged me right to the ground. I lost my footing instantly, my head hitting the ground first. The world fragmented before my eyes; the light disappearing from my right eye. I quivered, twisting in pain, managing to lie on my belly. I crawled, as fast as I could, the root of my finger ripping apart on the tarred floor.

I could her pulsing in my ears. My eyes weighed and every inch of my body ached. He was right behind me, walking slowly. I clawed as fast as I could.. I had to get away from him. I had to go…

He grabbed my foot and started moving.

“No!!!” I screamed my throat cracking. The heartless monster didn’t stop. Instead he threw me against a wall, my face hitting it first. I rolled down, turning over. He crouched down above me and tore my corset. My hands pressed against his chest but they barely grazed him.

I was done for and he knew it. My crying didn’t move him. My pleas excited him. He ripped my clothes to shreds and almost playfully, he touched me in-between the legs. I bit back a moan, hot tears burning my eyes.

“You like that, don’t you stupid whore.” He spoke, a heavy stench of sweat and alcohol filled my nose. I recognized his voice immediately. He was the bastard who wanted to suck my n*****s. I stared at his dark face in horror. I was petrified.

“Don’t cry.” He whispered. ‘I will be gentle.” He popped at my exposed n*****s then he tried to use his tongue. Out of nowhere, a whistle tore trough he silence. He sprung off me immediately and took to his heels.

“Don’t let him escape.” A baritone voice commanded. I could here racy footsteps coming at me from many directions. Then I saw a blur figure kneel beside me. He ruffled out of his jacket and threw it over me. He held my hand.

“I NEED A MEDIC!!”

He yelled. My head jerked around and fell against the pavement. The world went quiet immediately then darkness enveloped everything. I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital. The stranger that saved me, was gone. Mariana was with me, holding my hand. She quickly broke the news that all my wounds were grazes. I still looked beautiful. I found that to be a sick joke. I was a beautiful wreak, a pretty parcel with broken glass inside.

As if her delightful observation was not painfully enough, I received a letter from the manager. He first hinted that the dress was worth more than 15 grand. Then he reminded me I was still as smooth as fine creamy ice on a cone. He asked me to come in, in two weeks so we could discuss my position.

I just stared at the letter, too dumfounded to utter a single word. It wasn’t just him, everyone looked at me like I was some pitiful alien; others pretended nothing happened to me. I had never been so angry in my entire life.

When I reported back to the manager, a week later, not a single slick of ice had melted from my frozen mountain of pain and anger. I stormed into his VIP room and stood in his face. He was getting a b*****b from Brittany. I grabbed her, by that cheap dyed blonde hair and yanked her off, literally kicking her outside.

“f**k, Dolly are you mad?!”

I heaved, spitting on the floor. “You wanted to see me about the dress right? Take it.” I flung it at him, the heels missing his eye by an inch.

“s**t!” He sprang from the cushion immediately. “Are trying to kill me? That’s life imprisonment or the needle you are looking at bitch.”

I eyed him, my face twisted in disgusted.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that Chica. I will fire you.” He wiggled his finger at me, keeping this tough guy expression. “I meant it. You are not the only girl whose tush gets roughened up a little.”

My jaw dropped. I stared, wide-eyed at this bastard. I couldn’t even say anything. I was almost r***d for the love of god. He was still talking, like my bewilderment was invisible to him.

“I mean if you ask me, that’s just rough s*x in the dark you got there. Don’t go flaking around like you almost died or something.”

I snapped. Like my sanity left me. I grabbed full bottle of vodka on the table and shattered it on his head. H e screamed, stumbling back and crashing against his sofa.

“YOU b***h!!”

I was already out the door. No destination in mind. I just wanted to get away from civilization. I ended up at a lake, miles and miles away from the city. I sat on the sand, hugged my knees and cried my heart out.

It was roughly an hour past midnight when I realized I had to go home. I climbed back into the car and picked up my phone. No one called except Maria and a private number. It sent me messages too.

I groaned, a bad ache thumping at the back of my head. I scattered my hair while I wearily opened up the message. The first thing I saw was a crime scene tape. My brows furrowed.

“What the hell.” I tilted the phone and magnified it. There was a body by a cushion. It was the manager’s.

‘Wow. He is dead. Someone hates this guy more than I do.”

My phone rang almost immediately. I picked the call.

“Hello, Kale Strangis.”

“Who is this?”

“Your fingerprints are all over the scene. An amber alert has been issued on you. You are getting the needle because in everyone’s eyes, you killed a man. If you want to be safe, come to Boulevard Street.”

“f**k! Who are you?!”

The line cut off.