Addiction

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My heart is pounding and I am struggling to catch my breath as I run back into the room.

It can’t be.

Why?

What was he doing here?

Garrett Walker, my new prick of a stepbrother, was in this club. s**t. This was not good.

I only met him once at our parents wedding but even then, he seemed arrogant and cocky.

At the reception, he asked me to dance in celebration and when I agreed to it, he started to brag about all of the money that he makes and how he’s going to take over his dad’s business one day.

Prick.

He said nothing that showed interest in getting to know me.

It was purely the Garrett show.

I had politely excused myself and gotten a little tipsy at the open bar and he left with one of the single girls at the wedding.

He was a pig and well-known pig, for that matter.

Seeing him in here shouldn’t surprise me but him seeing me in here was a problem.

My own Mom didn’t even know I was stripping and there was no way that I would want him to tell her.

And that prick would.

I place my money in my box, not even bothering to count it this time.

The lights on the stage were bright but I was almost positive that it was him standing there. I would know that smirk anywhere.

I put my devil outfit back on, take a deep breath, and head out to the floor. I walk around and I immediately feel his eyes on me again.

I look over at him and I feel a hand reach out and grab me. It’s a business guy who is light skinned with a short haircut. I glance at Garrett one more time before I turn my attention to the guy.

I will just act like I don’t notice him and maybe he will just go away and go back to wherever it is he came from. Maybe he is drunk?

Hopefully to drunk to remember any of this.

“How can I help you, sexy?” I ask the businessman as I slide my hand on his shoulder.

“I need a lap dance. I enjoyed your little performance on stage a little while ago. You’re a natural,” he says.

I smile. “Sure, it’s thirty dollars, and thanks for the compliment.”

He pulls the money from his pocket and places it in my bra. I start to wind on his lap and rub on him, pressing hard into his body.

Looking across his shoulder, I see Garrett still staring at me and I start to feel self-conscious about what I am doing. I finish out the dance and the man hands me an extra hundred dollars.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” he says with a wink.

“It’s in my job description,” I say as I smile at him and he laughs.

“Yeah, well, you know you’re getting ripped off for charging thirty dollars.”

“I know, but there’s not much I can do about it so I just deal with it the best way I can.”

“I hear that. Enjoy your night, beautiful.”

I smile. “Enjoy yours as well.”

I start to walk toward the back. I had to clock out early - there is no way I can finish out the rest of the night with him in here. I am already starting to feel uncomfortable and he hadn’t even spoken to me yet.

I am halfway to the door when I feel another grip on me. The hand is firm, large and strong.

I turn around and I am face to face with Garrett Walker.

Damn.

I look him over and my heart starts to race.

“Hello,” he says smoothly.

“Hi,” I say as I shift my weight to my other leg. I couldn’t wait until he said what he had to say so that I can get out of here.

“It’s been a while,” he says as his eyes smooth down my body.

“I know.”

“I need a private dance.”

I narrow my eyes at him.

What?

Was he serious?

I couldn’t believe what he had the nerve to ask me.

It was actually the last thing I had expected to come out of his mouth.

This guy is really a pig and I can’t wait to get away from him.

“No.”

He looks surprised. “Why not? I mean, if I ask for one, aren’t you supposed to give it to me?”

“Because I’m not giving you a private dance. I think that it would be a little inappropriate.”

“You do know that you’re not really my sister? It’s okay if you give me a dance or two. I can afford it.”

“I’m still not giving you a private dance Garrett, so you can just leave me alone.”

I look over his shoulder and see the club owner walking over and I roll my eyes.

I already know that I’m going to get chewed out over refusing the dance.

We weren’t allowed to refuse dances to anyone unless we felt that we were in danger and, in that case, we were to get security to handle the situation. And James, the owner, knows that because I didn’t pull security over, I was in no harm.

But Garrett was going to be harmed if he didn’t quit messing with me.

“Girl, may I speak to you for a minute? She’ll be right back,” James says as he pulls me off into a corner.

He presses real close to my face and I pull back a little. “You will give that man a private dance. He is one of the richest people in the world. I don’t see him threatening you so I don’t know what the problem is.”

I sigh. “I know exactly who he is and I’m not giving him a private dance. Let one of the other girls do it because I’m not in the mood for it. The guy’s an ass. It’s not like I can’t make up for it by doing a private dance for someone else.”

I didn’t want to admit that he was my stepbrother. Not to the owner and not to anyone.

If anyone knew whom my mother was married to, the questions wouldn’t stop. Rose was the only person that knew, and luckily for me, she could keep a secret.

James presses in closer to my face and starts wagging his finger at me. “No. He wants you and you will do it or you will be fired. Do we understand each other? Now get over there and make that man pour the money out of his wallet.”

“You owe me for this. I mean it. No more slow days.”

“Okay, fine. No more slow days for two weeks. Deal.”

“Deal.”

I look at him, shake my head, and then walk over to Garrett.

That pig.

I knew that James was probably lying to me to get me to do what he wanted me but there was no way that I was going to let him weasel his way out of giving me those days.

“It’s one fifty for a private dance,” I say nonchalantly.

I can’t believe that I’m actually about to do this.

What a pig.

Garrett smiles, hands me the money, and I storm off to one of the private rooms.

I can already feel the regret filling my body.

I push the door to the private room open, take a deep breath, and prepare myself for the madness I’ve just been suckered into.

Pig.

*