Chapter 23
KADENCE
The first two hours went smoothly without a problem.
It was like working at a sports bar, just in fewer clothes and more security.
It wasn’t nearly as rowdy as Roadhouse, either.
The men and women tipped pretty nicely. Not one of them tried to grab my ass or cop a feel, and my anxiety was under control.
The later it got, the drunker the customers became.
Drunk women were flirty and touchy, but the feeling when a beautiful woman touched my bare skin was nothing compared to the ick I felt when a man touched my arm.
Maybe it was because of my trauma, but it was what it was.
With the women, even drunk, if I felt uncomfortable or had a certain demeanor, they would stop.
“Kadence,” Hunter called out. “I have a woman wanting a dance from you. Three hundred.”
Three hundred dollars for a lap dance? Sign me the fuck up.
Women were different from men, and I had full control of the situation.
Hunter gave me a rundown of the private lap dances.
They couldn’t touch unless we gave them direct consent.
There was a panic button in every single room for us to hit if something went wrong.
She said they only had one incident where a man got handsy with a woman, and he was beaten to a bloody pulp by Hawke and the other Reapers.
I loved how protective they were of the women in this town.
Hunter walked me to the private room, showing me the panic button before she closed the door.
The woman was gorgeous, older and confident with shoulder-length, dark hair and subtle streaks of gray.
Her eyes were a warm hazel, sharp and filled with desire.
She was a businesswoman, unless she just enjoyed wearing expensive tailored suits all the time.
The navy blazer looked fantastic on her, but the peekaboo of cleavage caught my eye the most. Women in suits were my weakness.
Why did they have to look this mouthwatering? Maybe this dance wouldn’t be a mistake.
I sashayed to her confidently, discarding my shorts and circling around her chair, my fingers gently grazing her blazer.
The material was soft under my fingertips.
I rested my hands on her thighs, forcing them open as my hands slid up her thighs and I kept eye contact on her.
Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were dilated as she watched me.
I kicked my legs over her lap, gripping the back of the chair so my cleavage was in her direct line of sight.
Her eyes flicked to mine, her tongue hitting her bottom lip.
This didn’t feel nearly as intense as it did in Blaize’s office, but I was going to give this woman the best dance I could.
Three hundred dollars was a lot just to have my pussy grinding on her and my tits in her face. Her hands touched my side, her skin soft and warm before she quickly removed them. Consent was key. “You can touch me,” I told her.
This woman gave me a reaction unlike Blaize, her body reacting to mine as her hands gently gripped my thighs as I grinded my pussy against her.
I ran my hands up my waist before pulling the straps of my teddy down, letting my boobs free as the lace sat on my hips.
I moved my hips faster, pushing my hair to one side.
The woman's hands moved further up my torso, lingering at my upper ribs, just under my tits.
She was admiring my body as I used it to my advantage.
Knowing I had the power here was intoxicating.
I ran my hands down her chest, feeling the curve of her breasts.
It was a lap dance not foreplay, so I leaned back slightly, moving my hips more ferociously, until my thighs burned and my chest heaved.
I wrapped my hands around her neck, my movement faltering slightly, but the woman took what I gave her.
Her touches were gentle like a soft caress of a feather as I came to a stop.
We both looked at each other intently and I slid off her hips, adjusting my teddy and pulling my shorts back on. I fixed the stray strands that fell from the braid to make it look natural and not like I danced my ass off.
She adjusted her suit, giving me a devilish smirk. “That was the best $300 I’ve spent. You’re a fantastic dancer, and I’ll definitely be back.”
I gave her a grateful smile before grabbing my tray and slipping out of the room, making it back to the floor.
I made my rounds, refilling glasses and chit-chatting with some of the customers as people danced on stage.
Tonight, Everly was on stage with a man this time.
She loved foreplay dances, and the two of them are molded together like they were meant to be.
“Aye, baby girl,” a drunk, middle-aged man slurred in my direction. I gripped the black tray against my chest and walked to him with a smile. I felt my heart rate pick up, but I couldn’t judge a man based on my past. This was my job.
“Yes, sir?” He grabbed my hip, his fingers digging into my flesh and he jerked me closer to him. “Why don’t you bring me another beer and get comfortable on my lap, baby.” His touch stung, but I wasn't going to make a scene.
“You can get your hand off me. I think you’re done drinking for the night.
” He chuckled drunkenly, his grip tightening as he moved lower and grasped my thigh.
I tried to pull away, but his nails dug into my skin.
“Let. Me. Go.” From my peripheral vision, I could see security getting closer, and I needed them to get here now.
“Don’t be a bitch, baby.” My fingers gripped the plastic drink tray.
“Get on Daddy’s lap like a good whore.” The world around me blurred into a chaotic hum as a familiar tightness gripped my chest. My throat was tight, making it harder and harder to breathe, only panicked pants escaping as a cold sweat kissed my skin.
My vision narrowed, dark edges creeping in as my heartbeat thundered in my ears.
I wasn’t going back there. My fingers curled around the tray right before I smacked him with it.
He screamed, his nails digging into my thigh, breaking the skin.
The pain was there, but I didn't register it as I continued to beat him with the tray.
Just like that. Be a good whore and take all of me.
When the tray snapped, I came back to reality, my breathing rampant as I finally felt blood trickle down my thigh.
Big Mike grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, dragging him from his seat. I looked at the broken tray, my hands shaking. The man’s face was bloody, but I didn’t think I hit him hard enough to cause damage. I just wanted him to let me go.
God, maybe this was a mistake. I jumped, a gasp escaping my lips as a soft hand touched me.
Turning, I met Blaize’s intense, worried-filled gaze.
I was still coming down from the panic attack, and I knew if she asked me questions, I wouldn’t be able to form coherent sentences.
She had a firm grasp on my shoulders, steading me as her touch comforted me.
“What the fuck happened?” Blaize demanded. I touched the back of my thigh, feeling the warmth of my blood coat my fingers as I brought them up for both of us to see. “I…He was drunk. I-I shouldn't h-have done that. I-I’m so-sorry.” Her eyes narrowed and she let go of me.
“Go to my office. I’ll be up there momentarily.
” I glanced around the room, seeing the girls and patrons watching me, their intense stares penetrating my skin.
Quickly, I raced upstairs to Blaize’s office.
This was a mess that I created. Dealing with this was something I needed to handle before I did something worse.
How much worse could it get? I beat a man’s face because he said one word.
I bounced on my toes and moved my hands like I was dancing on fire, failing to put it out.
It was not helping. I could feel the panic rising and the flashbacks creeping in from the sides like the monster that replicated him.
My eyes squeezed shut as I tried my best to control my breathing.
For a dead son of a bitch, he had a suffocating hold on me.
“Come on, Kadence,” I mumbled to myself. “He’s dead. He can’t hurt you again.”
“Who?”
I jumped, looking behind me to see Blaize closing her door. How loud was I? I shook my head. “N-no one.”
She walked up to me, gripping my chin and forcing me to look into her paralyzingly beautiful honey eyes, like she was trying to look for something behind the panic.
She had this power over my body that I didn’t understand.
When she touched me, even like this, I melted every damn time. “What happened out there?”
“I-I—”
She took a noticeable deep breath before loosening her grip on my jaw. “Kadence, I need to know what happened with that man, so I know the appropriate measures in handling him.”
“H-he wanted me to sit in his lap, and I refused. He grabbed me and t-told me to b-be a good whore. M-my—” I choked as I forced back the tears that threatened to fall. “I’m not comfortable with men calling me a whore. I panicked. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“He was drunk and ignored your denial of consent. I’m surprised you didn’t hit him harder.” I shrugged, and then her caring demeanor changed. “He is banned from returning to my club. Now turn around and lean over my desk.”
“What?” She lifted the first aid kit in her hand. “Lean over so I can clean those marks.” I slowly nodded, turning around and leaning over her desk, opening my legs slightly.
“I don’t know why I panicked so badly. I just gave a woman a lap dance and was perfectly fine.” Her hand was rough on my thigh, and I gasped. Was she jealous?
She rubbed something on the marks, and I felt my body react to her touch as her fingers lingered dangerously close to my pussy.
Unexpectedly, I was grabbed and flipped, my back digging into her desk as her fingers closed around my throat.
My breath got caught in my throat as she closed the space between us.
The look in her eyes was filled with hate, but also lust.
“I know you’re hiding something, Kadence, and I’m going to figure it out.” I didn’t react to her hand around my throat as I should, but I matched her glare.
“We all have our demons, Blaize. Some of us are just better at hiding them than most.”
“Keep your demons away from my club.” She kept her hand around my throat for a second, and I looked at her lips, mine falling open slightly. My pussy was throbbing—the fucking traitor—and I felt the flush of heat running from my chest to my cheeks.
She noticed too, because she let me go instantly without another word. I rubbed my neck before walking out of her office. “Take a few days off,” she said in a demanding tone. It was one of those I don’t have a choice scenarios.
And in that moment, I realized I was more fucked than I thought I was.