Chapter 3 #3
“You know you’re not going to make that kind of money here. I mean, this is a busy place, but your tips won’t be near what you were getting there. And there's no insurance. You sure you want to work here?”
“Yes. I’m sure. Like I said. I just need a job.”
He watched her so closely, she practically saw the wheels in his head spinning. “So, if you didn’t quit, why aren’t you working there?”
“I was attacked backstage, and for some reason it was better to take my job than ban the brother who did it.” And yes, she let every bit of irritation she was feeling reflect in her voice as she untied the scarf around her bruised throat.
He leaned closer, his brows forming a deep V on his forehead, and somehow, he was able to frown around his cigar. “A brother did that? I didn’t think they were like that anymore.”
“They’re not.” She gently scratched at her neck, the scarf making it feel itchy. “It was someone named Tinker.”
He grunted at the same time his expression went flat. “Oh. He’s out?”
“Yes. You know him?”
“He raped my cousin and beat the shit out of her when she went to the police.”
Sadie could totally see Tinker doing that. She was lucky that Race, Jed, and the other guy showed up when they did.
“When can you start?” Big Dick leaned his weight into his hands, resting on the edge of the bar.
She had to say, the man was intimidating, but lucky for her, she’d dealt with men like him before.
Hell, just being exposed to the Phantom Furies, she felt like she was equipped to handle almost anybody.
“When do you want me?”
“Tonight. Be here at eight. No. Be here at 6:30 so you can fill out paperwork and Tony can show you the ropes around here.”
“I’ll see you at 6:30 tonight.” She smiled, happy to be employed once again.
“Oh, what’s your name?” he asked as if it only now registered that he didn’t know it.
“Sadie.”
“See you tonight, Sadie.” Big Dick pushed himself off the bar, finished with his conversation, and disappeared around the corner.
If she was going to make it to work tonight, she was going to have to hurry to Bling Boutique, where Cathy worked, and see if she was free to watch Oliver.
Arriving at the chic women’s boutique, she parked her car in front of the business and got out. She pushed the door open, causing a bell to tinkle as she entered. She did a quick scan of the room and spotted Cathy at the counter talking with Bellamy.
“Hey, Sadie!” Cathy smiled warmly as she approached.
“Hey, Cathy. Bellamy.” She shoved her hands in her coat pockets.
“How are things going?” Cathy asked.
“I guess things are going better now that I have a new job.”
“A new job? You’re not working at Bottoms Up anymore?” Cathy frowned.
“No. I got fired.” Her eyes darted toward Bellamy to see her reaction. Other than her brows scrunching in confusion, she had no other reaction. It would seem the president’s wife had a good poker face.
“Why did they fire you?” Cathy asked.
“Because I got cornered by Tinker in the hall after my performance. He wanted to fuck me, and yes, he said exactly that, and I declined. He didn’t like that answer and grabbed me by the throat and shoved me into the wall.
He was squeezing the shit out of it when Race yanked him off me.
” She pulled her scarf off, and this time even Bellamy’s reaction was one of outrage.
“Oh my God! That looks awful!” Cathy leaned forward for a better look. “Does it hurt?”
“He laid his hands on you?” Bellamy asked before she could reply to Cathy’s question.
“Yes, I got fired, and no, it doesn’t hurt as much as it did at first. And yes, he laid his hands on me, but Race, Jed, and I think his name is Dagger, got there just in time.
Race took care of Tinker, and Jed pulled me into a back room to check me out.
He told me I should go home for the rest of the night, but I didn’t want to because I needed the money. ”
“What did they do with Tinker?” Bellamy asked.
“I don’t know what happened to him.”
“I can't believe you got fired! You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re the victim.” Cathy had her hands on her hips, and her face was a little red.
“Well, Jed said I can't go back until they deal with Tinker.”
“How long is that going to take?” Cathy asked.
“Exactly.” She pointed a finger at her friend for asking the million-dollar question.
“I can’t wait indefinitely for them to deal with Tinker.
I’ve got bills to pay and a growing nephew to feed and clothe.
So I got a new job tending bar at Big Dick’s starting tonight.
” They probably thought she was nuts for wanting to work there.
It wasn’t the best place to work, but from what she’d heard, it wasn’t the worst either.
“Big Dick’s, you say?” Cathy shared a look with Bellamy that Sadie couldn’t decipher. It must be some kind of inside joke between the two.
“Yes. Have you heard of it?”
Cathy and Bellamy both burst out laughing.
It was Cathy who filled her in. “Bellamy is well acquainted with the place. She started a brawl there one night, and Race had to wade in and carry her out over his shoulder. And the funniest thing is, while draped over his shoulder, she still managed to break a glass over a guy’s head and blame it on someone else.
Luckily, Race got her out of there before the cops showed up, or she probably would have gone to jail. ”
“Is that true? You started a brawl?” She found it hard to reconcile what Cathy was telling her with the tricked-out woman before her.
Her heels and form-fitting sweater dress didn’t scream bad ass.
They screamed, well, chic boutique owner.
I mean, she was so put together she couldn’t imagine her having hot, steamy sex with Race.
And since she was pregnant, and Race struck her as someone who would get down and dirty while having sex, she thought Bellamy must be a lot different behind closed doors.
The woman, blessedly ignorant as to what Sadie was thinking, tipped her head to the side. “Eh. I guess you could say that, but in my defense, Trick’s ex’s sister started crap with Lindsey, and I kind of stepped in. Things just escalated or went downhill from there, depending on how you look at it.”
“What did Race say when he got there?” He had to have been furious that his old lady was involved in a fight.
“He was shocked to say the least. He didn’t realize I was able to defend myself so well.”
“He wasn’t mad that you started a fight?” Sadie couldn’t imagine what Crockett would have done if his old lady had done something like that.
“No. Not really. He thought it was funny.”
Cathy smiled and nodded, “Not only can she handle herself in a brawl, but she can shoot a gun really well, too.”
“Huh? Me, too.” Sadie was starting to get a different impression of the Sons of Redemption's first lady.
“You know your way around a gun?” Bellamy asked as she looked at her in a new light.
“Yes. My brother made sure I knew how to use one. He got me my own gun and took me shooting every chance he got to make sure I knew what I was doing with it. Too bad Crockett took mine and all of my brother’s guns from my house when he raided it.”
“Raided it?”
“Yes. It’s a long story.” She waved it off, not wanting to get into it right now.
There was a pause in conversation until Cathy said, “I still can’t believe you lost your job at Bottoms Up.” She reached across the counter and squeezed Sadie’s hand.
“It sucks that I’ll have to work five days a week to make less money than what I made before, but I really don’t have a choice. Christmas is coming, and my savings won’t last forever.”
“What about insurance?” Cathy asked.
“Nope.” She shook her head and tried to work up her nerve to ask her to babysit.
She took a big breath and released it. “I really hate to ask, but is there any way you could keep Oliver a night or two until I figure something out? I really need to find someone who can come to the apartment to stay with him so that I don’t have to bring him out in the cold in the middle of the night. ”
“Oh, shoot. I love keeping Oliver, but I’m not sure you want him to come over tonight. One of the boys is home throwing up, and my mom is watching him right now. I’d hate for Oliver to catch whatever is going around.”
Well, shit. What was Sadie going to do now?
She didn’t know anyone else to ask. She couldn’t leave him home alone; he was too young.
She couldn’t take him to work and leave him in the break room either.
That wouldn’t be a great first impression, and it would be a horrible thing to do to her nephew.
“That’s okay. I understand, and I definitely don’t want him catching that. ”
“What are you going to do?” Bellamy asked.
“Well, I’ve got only one other idea, and it’s a crazy one.” She hadn’t been seriously entertaining the idea of Jed staying with Oliver, but she was officially desperate. She pulled her phone out of her purse. “Do you have Jed’s number?”
“Yes.” Bellamy looked at her like she was nuts.
“It’s his fault I don’t have a job, so as far as I’m concerned, he owes me. I’m going to see if I can guilt him into babysitting until I can figure something else out.”
“I like the way you think.” Bellamy laughed and gave her the number. “This ought to be good.” She and Cathy came around the counter to read over her shoulder.
Sadie shot off a text. This is Sadie. I need your help.
It didn’t take but a second for him to reply. What do you need?
Sadie: I need you to babysit Oliver tonight so I can go to work.
Jed: Babysit? Go to work? You’re supposed to be on leave until we deal with Tinker.
Sadie: Yeah, well, what if that takes forever? I found a job, and I start working at Big Dick’s tonight. Cathy can’t watch him because she has a kid at home throwing up.
Jed: You’re working at Big Dick’s? It’s not exactly a family-friendly place.
Sadie: I know, but I need the money.
No response.
“I hope he feels guilty,” Cathy giggled.