Terra #3
“You’re nothing but a whore.”
The word hit her like a slap–maybe because she feared that was exactly what other people would think if they knew what she was doing for a living.
Then, strangely, Terra thought of Taurex. Taurex, who had watched her take off every stitch of clothing. Taurex, who had seen her touch herself and come in front of him. Taurex, who had somehow seen straight into her mind and known that she stripped because she was trying to feed her children.
He hadn't called her a whore–he had told her she shouldn't have to do something she hated in order to survive. He had even offered her another job.
And when she'd told him to go, he had gone. He hadn’t threatened her or stalked her or called her demeaning names.
Terra suddenly understood something she hadn't before. Taurex might look like a monster and Viktor Orlov might look like a man, but appearances didn't mean a damn thing.
“Stay away from me,” she said, her voice trembling despite her attempt to keep it steady. “And if you ever go near my children again, I'll call the police.”
Orlov's face smoothed almost instantly–the transformation was chilling. He straightened his suit jacket and gave her a calm little smile.
“So you’ll call the police? And tell them what?”
“That you've been stalking me!” Terra exclaimed.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Ah, but you have no proof.”
Terra stared at him in horror. He was right–the only proof she had was on his phone.
“The picture!” she protested.
“What picture?” He slipped the phone back into his coat. “There is no picture here.”
“You showed it to me!” she exclaimed.
“Did I? Or did you imagine it?”
The smugness in his voice made her want to claw his face.
“You sick son of a bitch.”
He smiled.
“My Bunny is upset. What a pity.”
“Stop calling me that!”
Terra yanked the curtain open, looking for help. Of course Marty wasn’t outside or anywhere near the VIP Lounge as far as she could see. She was on her own.
She hurried out of the lounge and down the hallway, half expecting Orlov to come after her. She didn't stop until she reached the dressing room.
Candy looked up as Terra came through the door. Her anger and terror must have shown on her face because the younger girl was worried at once.
“Whoa. What happened?”
Terra shut the door behind her and locked it.
“What are you doing?” Crystal asked.
Terra didn't answer. Her hands were shaking so hard she could barely work the lock.
“Terra?” Candy's voice had lost all its teasing. “Are you okay?”
“No.”
It came out harsher than she intended but she didn’t care anymore. She just wanted to get out of here. She wanted to go home and be sure that her babies were safe and that no one had bothered them.
She crossed the room and grabbed her purse, preparing to leave.
“Did Orlov do something?” Candy asked, wide-eyed.
“Yes.” Terra said shortly.
“What?” Crystal wanted to know.
“He threatened me and stalked my kids.” Terra still couldn’t believe it.
Candy and Crystal couldn’t either.
“Oh my God, that’s horrible!” Candy gasped.
“You have to tell Marty!” Crystal added.
“Why? So he can ignore me some more?” Terra demanded.
She tore open her purse and began digging through it. For one panicked second, she couldn't find what she wanted and she thought maybe she'd finally thrown it away.
Then her fingers brushed stiff cardstock, and she pulled out the white business card.
TAUREX
Intergalactic Imports
The local number was printed beneath the name.
Terra stared at it.
Taurex could see into her mind when he touched her–that still frightened her.
She didn't understand the connection between them or why her body reacted to him the way it did. She didn't know if she trusted him and she certainly didn't know if taking a job from a gigantic alien who apparently thought she was somehow “special” was the smartest decision she'd ever made.
But she knew something now that she hadn't known two nights ago–she couldn’t go on with this line of work any longer.
Stripping had always been a dicey choice, but it had put food on the table and clothes on her kids’ backs. Now, however, it had put them in harm’s way. They were in danger because of her stripping–she had to end it here and now and never look back.
“I can’t do this anymore,” she said, more to herself than to Candy and Crystal who were crowding around her, looking at her with wide eyes. “It’s not safe.”
“What else are you gonna do, though?” Candy asked. “How are you going to pay your bills?”
“I’ll find a way.” She was still staring at the card.
Behind her, Candy was still asking what had happened, but Terra barely heard her.
Maybe calling Taurex was a mistake. Maybe getting mixed up with him would bring an entirely different kind of trouble into her life.
But Viktor Orlov had stood in a private room and shown her a picture of her children taken outside their home. Suddenly the giant bull-headed alien didn't seem nearly as frightening as he had before.
Terra pulled out her phone. And before she could change her mind, she dialed the number on Taurex's card.