4
801 Words
Down the corridor, I escaped, my mind sprinting over what my father was up to. Since Mum died, and he’d been forced to take me and Rio in, he’d had a series of girlfriends, none lasting long, so this new woman wasn’t much of a surprise. But—
A hand grabbed mine from behind.
A body slammed mine into the wall.
My breath left me in a rush, and I stared up at the empty voids of Don’s eyes. He was high on something. The smell of it tickled my nose. But dread beat back every other thought.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?” He lowered to run the tip of his nose up my jaw.
“Let me go,” I begged.
“Nah, don’t think I will. Sounds to me that you’re not safe at home with your dad gone.”
I trembled, my mouth drying.
“Are you scared? I’ll take care of you. No one will touch you if you’re my girl.” His hot breath crawled over my throat, his body pressing mine into the concrete brick wall. Then he gripped my breast through the leather jacket. Hard. “If you were mine, I could find anyone you like.”
Struggling, I couldn’t move him an inch. I had no power over the creep. No way to get him off me.
“I’ll be in trouble with work if I don’t get back,” I managed.
A moment passed. Another.
Don reared back. “You’d take that shitty little job over me? What-the-f**k-ever, bitch.”
He pushed off me then spat at my feet and returned to the flat. Alone in the darkness, I sagged, my fear bright and real. But screw standing around waiting for him to change his mind. The city at night had any number of dangers, but I’d learned fast to navigate them. This was just another of those crappy realities, and at least I had a lead on finding my dad.
Lucky for me, outside, my scooter was where I left it, though my app listing my next job flashed red with a late penalty.
It was another hour before I could cruise down the river to the huge red-brick warehouse that held the epicentre of the city’s clubs.
Thudding bass rocked the industrial street made of old dockyard buildings. Throngs of people ambled along a wide, harbourside boulevard.
From across the road, I watched the entrance of the huge, eight-storey building containing the clubs.
There were two lines, one where men streamed into a doorway, a curtain concealing the interior and a bouncer giving each a cursory check but moving them quickly inside. The hot-pink sign over the door read DIVINE. That was the strip club side. The other line was busier, with people held in a queue for the nightclub, that side named DIVIDE. I’d never been inside either, so sussed it out.
A pair of bouncers turned away a couple, the dude yelling that he only had f*****g trainers so what was he supposed to do. I still had on my running shoes and shorts under a now very distressed leather jacket that was several sizes too big. There was no way I was walking into the nightclub, and not a single woman was entering the strip club side.
Still, I had to try. Straightening my shoulders, I crossed the road and marched up to the bouncers like I belonged there.
The first eyed me. “You lost, miss?”
“No. Can…can I come in?”
“For what purpose?”
I opened and closed my mouth, momentarily stuck on an explanation. Damn, but I couldn’t think of a single reason other than to snoop.
“The only women wanting in here are hen parties, girls dragged in by boyfriends, or the staff.” He folded his arms. “You aren’t any of those, sweetheart.”
“No, but—”
His gaze left me and went to a group of men advancing down the path. “Do yourself a favour and get out of here.”
My breath left me in a rush of disappointment, and I retreated to my position as watcher behind the line of cars. I needed a better plan if I was going to find my father and his stripper girlfriend.
A taxi halted across from me, and two ladies climbed out, both beautiful and sleek, with their hair glossy and makeup on point. They strolled arm in arm up to the entrance, and the bouncer waved them in without an ID check or a single word. Staff, had to be.
Just like that, an idea came to me.
Tomorrow, if Dad hadn’t appeared, I’d be back, and this time with a way to get inside.
- Writer
