Chapter Five
Cam
She opened the door and stepped inside the bar. The massive bookbag weighed down her shoulders with all the textbooks she’d need to start school. Early this morning was the only free time she had to buy the stuff needed to start classes.
Since Jen had the day off, Cam had to open the bar. As she took another step inside, something crunched under her boot. Her body instantly froze up like the icicles that stuck to the gutters in the winter months. She lifted her boot and looked at the bottom. A shiny piece of glass was wedged between the grooves. Fuck. She dropped her foot before flipping on the lights. When the lights flickered to life, her chest tightened. Shards of glass covered the entire floor. The jukebox was facedown on the hardwood.
The tables lay on their sides as if someone had pushed them over. When Cam finally looked up from the mess around the floor, she saw him leaning against the bar. Her body flinched against her best efforts to show no fear. Ice filled her veins. He wore dress pants and a matching jacket over a black t-shirt, as if he was on his way to an upscale casino. He was tall but on the skinner side. He had dark hair that was pushed back out of his face. The most noticeable feature was his nose. So crooked, it had to have been broken several times.
Venom.
She took a step back, her boot crunching on more glass.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he warned, his voice filled with a threat.
She froze, waiting to see what he would say next. She knew this day was coming, but she still wasn’t prepared for it. There wasn’t enough money in the safe to pay him. She didn’t have enough money if she sold everything she owned…except for the bar.
“It’s been a while, Princess,” he said. His voice sent a shiver down her spine like nails on a chalkboard.
“What do you want?”
“My money,” he spat, his hands gripping the edge of the bar so tight his knuckles started to turn white. The sound of her heartbeat filled her ears.
“I don’t have it right now,” she said.
Although the bar had been doing better the last couple nights with the motorcycle gang here, she was still short. He smiled and started to walk towards her. She backed up until she hit the wood-paneled wall. He stood so close to her, his chest was almost touching hers. He reached out to touch a strand of her hair.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” she growled at him. This was bad…really bad. He could do whatever he wanted to her, and no one would be around to help.
He dropped his hand and stared at her. His dark eyes were glazed over. Being this close to him made her skin crawl.
“Feisty, aren’t you?” he teased. His breath smelled like the inside of a trash can.
She breathed through her mouth.
“I’ll get you your money. I just need time.”
Time didn’t bring more money in when it came to her bar. If anything, more time meant more money was lost. But she’d say whatever she needed to get Venom out of her bar.
“ Tsk, tsk. You said that last time, and I haven’t gotten paid. You see how that could be an issue? You could probably get some insurance money if this place burned to the ground.” He looked around the room as if building an estimate in his head.
She shook her head. She had to keep the bar open. The bar was all she had right now. The last memories of her father were in this building. When she didn’t say anything, Venom took a step away from her.
“My men will be by once a month to pick up my payment. Two thousand dollars a month, or I’ll burn this place to the ground. Maybe with you in it. That’s my last offer, Princess. ”
Fuck, that was a lot of money.
“Or…you can always take the option I gave you last time,” he said, his eyes roaming over her body.
Her stomach turned, and she held down the urge to vomit all over the floor. The offer Venom gave her last time was to be his woman. He wanted her to live with him in his overpriced condo in Charlotte. She could still run her bar, and he'd pay for her to go to school, but he expected ‘complete submission’ from her. She didn’t have a submissive bone in her body. She’d rather have Venom kill her than to be a sex slave to this disgusting man.
“I’ll make my payments,” she said, trying hard to keep her voice from wavering.
His face fell with disappointment, but he quickly masked it.
“You better,” he said before leaving.
As soon as the door shut behind him, she let out a sigh of relief and swallowed the lump in her throat. She wouldn’t let herself cry. She was stronger than that. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her phone out of her pocket and called Jen. It was time to come clean.
*****
“Why didn’t you tell us before?” Jen asked. She stared at Cam with pity in her eyes.
Cam hated it. She didn’t want anyone to take pity on her, that’s not why she was telling Jen and Amire the truth. It was for their safety. Venom could try to go after the people she cared about, which put Jen and Amire in the line of fire. She’d like to think that Venom would leave her crew alone, but she couldn’t take any chances. Jen and Amire had nothing to do with the loan her father took out. They’re innocent. But wasn’t she also innocent? the voice inside her head questioned. She didn’t have anything to do with her father taking out that loan. But she’s the one who decided to keep the bar despite the risk, not her crew.
“I didn’t want to worry you guys or put my stress on you. Venom is my problem. I’ll figure out a way to deal with it. I just need you guys to do your job,” she pleaded. She knew she was asking a lot of them.
“That’s easier said than done. How am I not supposed to worry about you?”
Amire nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s going to be hard to focus when I know that some guy is out to burn the bar down.”
“I know, I know. Please just try. I’ll figure it out.”
Jen didn’t look convinced, but after a moment, her expression softened. “Please, don’t keep anything else from me, Cam. You know I’m here if you need anything.”
That familiar lump in her throat reappeared. Jen opened her arms; Cam and Amire stepped in for a hug. Cam felt a weight lift off her chest. Dealing with everything alone took its toll after a while, and she was just happy that everything was out in the open. There may still be a dangerous threat circling over her head, but at least it was out in the open. She pulled back from the hug and wiped away the one tear that managed to escape.
“Alright, we should probably open the bar. Ernie is waiting outside,” Jen said.
Jen grabbed the broom and started to sweep up the broken glass while Amire went back to the kitchen.
“You don’t have to stay. You can go home and back to sleep,” Cam said, feeling bad that Jen was at the bar on her off day.
Jen waved her off. “It’s fine. I’m awake now anyway. Plus, I’m waiting for Hugo to leave my bed.”
Cam grabbed one of the overturned tables and turned it upright. “Hugo?”
She must have slept well last night because she hadn’t even heard Jen with someone.
Jen smiled. “Yeah, met him here last night.”
Cam paused. “Don’t tell me--”
“He’s in the motorcycle club. They’re called Savage Spades. He told me some more stuff, but I wasn't really listening.”
At the mention of the guys from last night, Cam’s mind instantly went to the tattooed-covered man that’d rammed his chair into her. She’d overreacted, but it hadn’t just been the spilled whiskey that had pissed her off. It was the way he’d come outside and had the nerve to judge her for smoking. If he had just left her alone and allowed her to calm down, she wouldn’t have snapped.
Cam sighed. “Come on, I’m trying to get rid of this motorcycle club, not give them more reason to come.”
“They bring in money. Aren’t you happy?” Jen asked with a raised eyebrow.
She should be, especially after Venom’s reminder today. “They’re loud and sending away all of our regulars. Plus, they forgot to pay their tab last night.”
“Really?”
“Really. But I’m sure we’ll see them again tonight. If they expect to drink anything, they’re going to have to pay the tab from the night before.”