Chapter 18 #3
Lev never interrupted, not once. He removed the bottle from my hand and took a sip straight from the bottle while I continued.
“He controlled everything.” I looked down at my hands.
“And because he made more money than I did…” I shrugged.
“He made sure I never forgot it. That part stung more than I liked admitting. “He’d pay every bill in the house and yeah it sounds good when you say it out loud, but every argument somehow ended with him reminding me who paid for what and when he got mad, sometimes beat my ass.”
I didn’t cry because I’d cried enough over Rome’s ass.
“He never had to apologize because he’d come back with flowers or jewelry or a vacation and I’d convince myself that’s just how relationships worked.
Then he got another woman pregnant. I don’t even think that was the part that broke me.
I think what broke me was realizing he’d already been living another life while making me feel guilty for breathing too damn loud. ”
Lev’s eyes never left mine but for some strange reason, I could tell he didn’t like what I was telling him. “What happened after that?”
“He emptied my accounts.” I looked over at him. He knew if I had money, I’d leave. So, he made sure I couldn’t.” My shoulders rose and fell again. I stayed longer than I should’ve because I didn’t know how I was gonna survive.” I laughed in bitter kind of way. “Funny thing is I survived anyway.”
The words lingered between us in silence for a few seconds before I continued.
“When I stole that money.” I closed my eyes for a second.
“I wasn’t thinking, I was desperate and I knew exactly what I was doing.
” I admitted finally looking into his eyes without shying away.
“I did the crime, so now I’m doing the time. ”
Neither one of us spoke. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable either, in fact it was needed this time.
Eventually, I pushed myself to my feet as the weight of everything I’d just admitted felt like a weight lifted off my chest, there was something freeing about finally saying it out loud.
I reached into my rhinestone pouch and pulled out the stack of cash Mr. Chambers had handed me minutes earlier.
Straightening the bills in my palms, I crossed the small space between us and held them out. “Here’s three thousand.” I said. Lev looked at the money before taking it from me. I dug back into my bag again. “Hold on.” I told him.
He watched me fish around until my fingers wrapped around the tiny receipt book I’d started carrying.
It wasn’t fancy, it was just a little carbon copy booklet I’d picked up from an office supply store.
Most people would’ve thought it was ridiculous, but I thought it kept people honest. Flipping to the next blank page, I uncapped my pen and carefully filled in the date, the amount, and the running balance before tearing the top copy free.
Then I flipped back one page which was the receipt from the last payment, and I tore that one out too.
Holding both slips between my fingers, I handed them over. “This one was from when you came by my place.” I pointed to the other. “And this one’s today’s.” I tapped the total I’d written near the bottom. “This three makes twenty-two thousand. I’ve got twenty-eight thousand more to go.”
For the first time since he’d walked into the room, something almost changed across his face.
It wasn’t a smile because Lev didn’t strike me as somebody who smiled often but there was the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes as he looked down at the little receipt book still resting in my hand. “You made receipts.”
I smiled feeling like my damn cheeks were red and filled with heat. “I like keeping records.”
He nodded his head. “So I see.”
“I don’t want no confusion later.” I slipped the pen back into the spiral binding. “When money is involved, folks remember things differently.”
He looked at me another second before folding the two receipts together and slipping them into his pocket without another word. I blinked because honestly I hadn’t expected him to keep them, but I was learning it was always a method behind his madness.
He stood up adjusting the cuff of his watch. “Get dressed.”
I frowned. “For what?”
His gaze settled on me. “Come take a ride.”
That was it, he once again didn’t give me an explanation, or no damn destination. He turned and walked toward the door as if the conversation was already over.
I stared after him. “A ride?” The door closed behind him. I looked around the empty VIP room before blowing out a long breath. “What the hell…”
Fifteen minutes later, I stood in front of the dressing room mirror wiping away the last of the glitter clinging beneath my eyes.
The woman staring back at me looked more tired than she had when the night started.
I peeled off my costume, traded it for black leggings, an oversized charcoal hoodie, and a pair of clean sneakers before pulling my hair into a low ponytail simply choosing comfort over everything.
Stuffing my costume into my locker, I grabbed my bag and headed toward the hallway.
The music hit me full force as soon as I stepped onto the club floor.
Girls still worked the poles while customers crowded around the stage throwing bills into the air like rent wasn’t due in a week.
Just as I reached the front, Tasha came down from the main stage fanning herself with a stack of ones. When she spotted me, her smile disappeared. “Navy!”
I stopped in my tracks and she hurried over, still breathing hard from her set. “Where you going?”
“I’m heading out.” I shrugged.
Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits immediately. “With that man?”
I hesitated and looked around. “Yeah.”
Tasha grabbed my arm before I could take another step. “Girl, have you lost your damn mind?” A couple dancers glanced over before going back to what they were doing. “You know the rules. We do not leave with customers.” Her voice dropped lower. “Ever!”
“I know that Tasha.” I admitted while noticing how people were looking at us while acting like they weren’t paying attention.
“No, you don’t, because if you knew, you wouldn’t be standing here telling me you leaving with one.”
I glanced toward the entrance where Lev waited just beyond the glass doors. “It’s different.”
“Ain’t a damn thing different.” She followed my line of sight. “Who is he?”
I looked back at her. “That’s Lev.”
She blinked a few times. “Lev who? Not Marv’s Lev… not the Lev who had a gun pressed against your chin ready to blow your damn head off. Not the damn Lev who has your ass in this club just to pay me back.”
“That’s not fair Tasha; he didn’t walk me in this club. I chose this as a source to pay him back. Hell, I didn’t know that he owned the damn building.”
Tasha’s mouth fell open and she frowned. “The owner-owner? Like he owns the building but not the business itself?”
I nodded. “Well, yeah.”
She looked back toward the front again, genuinely stunned. “I see him in here every now and then.” Her eyes stayed glued to the door. “I just thought he was one of them rich investors.” She looked at me again. “You still don’t need to be getting in no car with him.”
“I’ll be alright.” I assured her while not even knowing where I was going. I just figured if he was going to hurt me, that could’ve been done by now.
“You sure?” She asked.
The question was tricky because I wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but something told me I needed to see where this ride was going. I reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’ll call you.”
“You better!”
“I will.”
With one last look at my best friend, I adjusted the strap of my bag, took a deep breath, and walked toward the front doors where Lev was waiting.
The mystery wasn’t whether he’d ask another question.
It was why he’d decided I was worth asking in the first place and why he even wanted me in his presence.