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  I spin around to the man standing still in his perfectly pressed suit.

  “Yes…” he nods his head, “… she is.”

  I go to push past him again, but Echo stops me.

  “Creed,” he yells.

  We all turn as the door opens and Creed walks in, stopping, and taking in the scene. I was told when I was hired that Creed is in charge of the women, but the boss is in charge and oversees everything else.

  “Olympia, will you please get back to work behind the bar.”

  I look to the guy in the suit who’s eyeing Creed. “He doesn’t want me here.”

  “D, back the fuck off. She’s good.”

  The guy who I now know as D waves his hand to the bar, watching me.

  I walk up to him. He’s tall. I have to look up, and when I do, the intensity that stares back at me almost knocks me over. I notice there’s pain clear in his eyes. And something else, I’m not quite sure what.

  “The hair stays,” I try to say it in the strongest voice I can muster.

  He crosses his arms over his chest at my words. “For now.” He steps back while scrunching up his nose. “I always get my way,” he whispers as I step off.

  One of the other girls who works in the bar looks back and forth between us. “Are you okay?”

  I nod my head, that shit doesn’t affect me. I’m used to men thinking they’re in charge. “I’ve dealt with assholes like that my entire life,” I say brushing it off.

  Her eyes go wide, and I know he’s now standing behind me. Fuck my life!

  Turning around, I meet his eyes. It’s then I notice how dark his eyes really are. “Asshole?” I nod my head not even bothering to cover that up.

  “Do you need a job?”

  My answer is to shrug. I do, but I’ve never had trouble finding one, so I don’t care one way or the other.

  “They may have hired you while I was away, but make no mistake, this place is mine and we hold extremely high standards here.” He turns, walking off the same way Creed came out of before, which I’m pretty sure leads to their offices.

  I flip him the bird and poke my tongue out as he retreats, but he turns at the last second catching me in the act. I drop my hand and offer a large sarcastic smile before turning and going back to work.

  “You have a set of balls on you, did you know that?” Echo states, sitting at the bar as everyone begins closing down for the night.

  “I was raised by men who think women are nothing. His man views mean shit to me.”

  “So, you’re all about woman power and crap,” he says nodding his head.

  His girlfriend walks in and smiles at me as she stands behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Hey, Olympia.”

  “Hey, Storm.”

  She kisses his cheek, and he kisses her hand then holds it to his chest.

  “Olympia here is pissing off Darby.” Ah, now I know what D stands for. “Creed wants to keep her on because he finds it amusing. D wants to fire her,” he explains the situation to Storm as he watches me for a reaction.

  “Do you want to leave?” Storm asks me.

  “No, I actually enjoy working here.”

  “Well, fuck him.” She smiles.

  I like her, I like her a lot. Her red hair falls over her face as she leans in and starts kissing Echo. I turn away to finish my work, then I hear the chair slide and they both get up, disappearing. I grab my keys, and one of the bouncers walks me out to my car, but someone’s already standing next to it, checking it over.

  “Excuse me,” I say to the person blocking me from entering my car. He steps back and turns around, Darby’s harsh eyes falling to me. He nods to the bouncer, who walks back inside leaving me standing there with him. I pull my handbag up on my shoulder as I watch him.

  “This is a man’s car.”

  “You’re a pig,” I say shaking my head.

  “Why, because I believe this car to be a man’s car?”

  “It’s not a man’s car. It’s a damn car. My car, to be exact.”

  “This is a Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500. This is a man’s car.”

  I shake my head. “Look, you may be my boss, but don’t think I won’t punch you if you pull that man shit on me again.”

  His lip twitches as he steps back. “Nice car.”

  “Was that so hard to say?”

  He looks to the car, runs his hand over the beautiful custom bodywork.

  “Why are you working here if you can afford a car like this?” he asks while moving to the back of the car, his hand stopping when he touches the rear spoiler. He shouldn’t be touching my car like that. It’s my car. Mine. Only I can stroke her and tell her how much I love my Shelby.

  “I work for fun.” I smile.

  “For fun,” he mimics me. “Now that’s a new one.” Darby walks away to a car that costs twice as much as mine and doesn’t look back as he slides in.

  I pick up the phone and dial. He answers on the first ring. “Johnny.”

  I’m in the parking lot, but now I’m sitting in my car, still watching the spot from where Darby just left. “I just met Darby, and he tried to fire me.”

  He starts laughing through the phone. “Of course, he did.”

  “This isn’t funny. Should I quit?”

  “No. No way, Olympia. You got this.”

  “I got this,” I say to myself more for me than him.

  “He’s devilish handsome, though, isn’t he?”

  “Johnny…” I warn him.

  “Admit it, you want to sit on that man’s face then take him for a ride.”

  “You’re disgusting.”

  “I speak the truth.” He laughs. “But honestly, I should be back in a few weeks, two months at the latest. Stay until at least then. Help a man out!”

  “If he doesn’t fire me first.”

  “He won’t. Creed’s the one in charge of the women.”

  “So, don’t piss off the scary man.”

  He chuckles. “If you don’t do that then you should be fine.”

  We say our goodbyes as I look up at the dark building in which I’ve been living another life.

  It feels good—to be someone else.

  5

  Darby

  She’s a feminist, I’m sure of it. Everything I say she turned into me hating woman. I don’t hate fucking women, my business is built from women. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today, of that I have no doubt. Walking into my house, I find Ma asleep with Charles on her chest. Picking him up from her, I carry him to his bed, kiss his beautiful little cheek, and step out.

  Ma’s already walking out the door with a wave as she goes. “He was good today, you’re a lucky man, Darby.” She closes the door behind her.

  I collapse into my chair. It’s the first day I’ve spent away from him since he was born. Granted, I’ve taken an hour or two here or there when El was here with Annabelle, but that’s it. The rest of the time it’s my boy and me. And that has to change now because I need to get back to work, and today proved that with how everything is. I run the place. I built it to what it is today. And if I don’t go back, I’m afraid of what it will become. But my hours will have to change. Charles will come first, he will always be first in my life no matter what’s happening at the club.

  I start flicking through my phone at the resumes I saw of the girls I didn’t want to give a chance to today. Echo did security checks on all of them, and I can’t rely on Ma for the rest of my life. She has her own grandchild she’ll want to see and should be spending time with. Turning to check the clock, I notice it’s early, or late, I’m not even sure which anymore. My mind is so all over the place with how I’m feeling. So, I call the one person who’s constant, even if he doesn’t know it yet.

  “Son…” He knows it’s me without me even uttering a word.

  “Dad…” Our relationship is strange, no doubt about that. We are two completely different men, always have been. We don’t see eye to eye on many things, but something we do agree o
n is that we don’t like people. Or maybe it’s just a trait I picked up from him, and I’ve run with it.

  “Are you just getting in?” He huffs through the phone, and I know he’s just getting up and more than likely making his morning coffee before he starts the day. He does this every day, a man of routine, before the sun has even risen, whereas I’m only just about to go to bed.

  “Yes, look… we need to talk.” I haven’t told him about Charles yet. Because I’m not sure how to tell him. He saw when I was growing up that farm life wasn’t for me, so he used all his money for my education to make my life better, to give me what I needed. That also meant our relationship struggled because we didn’t like the same things, and we couldn’t have normal conversations. They felt forced all the time.

  “I’m listening.” And I know he will be—if you have the man’s attention he gives you his all. No one else can interrupt him. It’s something I’ve admired growing up with him, because not once was I ignored. Granted, over time, he gave me his full attention when I wanted it or even when I didn’t want it. But nonetheless, he gave it to me anyway.

  “I have a son,” I rush out.

  While waiting for him to speak, to tell me I’m crazy, no words come. So, I wait, knowing he’s processing everything, and soon, when he’s ready, he will speak. I stand up to make my own coffee as I wait for him.

  “And the mother?” he finally asks.

  He’s a smart man, one of the smartest I’ve ever met.

  Why he stuck to farming and didn’t go after more I will never know.

  “She died after childbirth.”

  “I see.” He doesn’t, but he will be trying to work it all out.

  “You have the child then?”

  “I do.”

  “He would be best cared for in your hands. Let me guess… you haven’t been working?”

  “I worked today.”

  He chuckles. “Ma stepped in?”

  “She did.”

  “Figured as much. That woman’s mother-bone kicks in every time with you four.” He’s right, she’s the mother we all needed even though some of us have our own. Not me, though. So, she was a blessing in disguise growing up. I stayed with them more then I lived with my own father when I was a teenager.

  “I’ll make a trip, in a week, to come out and meet him.”

  “Okay,” is all I can reply.

  Dad never comes out here. Not once has he visited me, and it’s been over two years since I’ve seen him, six months since we last spoke on the phone. What can I say, we’re both men and make our own decisions.

  “Okay,” he repeats.

  Then the call is disconnected.

  I lay my head back and go to sleep exactly where I am, knowing very soon my son will be awake and the night-time feeding routine will begin in earnest again.

  ‘Blue hair and don’t care,’ that’s the attitude I get from her. Olympia doesn’t look up when I walk past her, but I know she saw me. She’s simply choosing to ignore me. My hand grips the edge of the door before I turn around and walk over to where she’s setting up. A few other girls are already here getting ready for the night, but her, well, she’s early, cleaning the bar. Her back is to me when I reach her, and I take the opportunity to stare at her ass in her shorts—shorts that showcase the bottom of her cheeks. What great fucking legs and ass she has. My eyes trail upward and come to a stop on her long, blue hair that’s cascading down her back. Yesterday, it was at her shoulders, today, it’s way down her back, almost on that delectable ass. I shake my head, not even wanting to know how she’s managed that. Extensions maybe?

  “Do you plan to stare at my ass all night or ask me a question?” She doesn’t turn around to look at me as she speaks.

  My lip quirks up at her words. “If it’s in plain fucking sight, why wouldn’t I?” I answer.

  Her hand goes to her hip as she pops it to one side while leaning against the counter.

  “Because that’s a creepy thing to do. Are you a creep?”

  “I could be.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past you.” Her smile tries to hide but I see it, as she stands waiting for me to say more.

  “Don’t get too comfortable here, that’s all I wanted to tell you.”

  Her hand lifts to her head, and she salutes me. “You got it, boss.” The way she says boss with such disrespect makes me smirk. Then before I know it, her back is to me, and my eyes fall to her ass yet again. I have to remind myself it’s because I haven’t had sex since Charles was born, and I have blue balls with sexual tension shooting straight through me.

  Fuck! I need to get my cock sucked.

  And fast.

  Turning on my heel, I walk straight up the stairs and into my office. I look down over the club and see Olympia smiling at something one of the bouncers has said. He’s standing on the other side of the bar with a glass of water in his hand. He says something again, and her head tips back, laughing loudly. I can’t hear her, but I can see her reactions well. The way her neck curves and the way her whole body shakes with laughter. Honestly, it makes me want to lick my way all the way up that fucking gorgeous neck.

  What a fucking neck.

  Fuck.

  Yep, I really do need to get laid.

  Turning away, I lock my door and let my cock spring free. My hand wraps around and starts the pulling motion needed to get me off, and what pops in my head? A blue head of hair and a gorgeous fucking neck and ass. Fuck.

  6

  Olympia

  What a fucking asshole.

  It’s the only words I can use to describe Darby. Every day I’m rostered on, he’s here, and he’s being an asshole. He has a comment about just about everything, from my hair to my attire. He hardly speaks to anyone else. I know because I watch him just as much as he watches me. I’m observant, what can I say. He’s always the first one here and the last to leave. I see why he’s the boss. He clearly loves this place, because no one would choose to spend that many hours here at work.

  It’s been a week now of him almost every day having some sort of smart-ass comment directed at me. I had one day off this week, and I missed his taunts. Just a little bit.

  I spot him before he does me, standing against his car with his phone in hand. He looks up, his eyes falling to me. They squint, and he looks away then turns so I can no longer see his face. Well, that’s fine, I don’t need to see an asshole’s face anyway. I have to walk past him to get into the club, and as I do, I hear a snippet of his conversation, even as he tries to whisper as I get closer.

  “No, I need you to start tomorrow. It’s urgent.”

  Maybe he’s calling Johnny and trying to get him back, so he can fire me once and for all. I laugh knowing Johnny won’t be back for a while. Darby’s head whips around to the sound of my laughter, and I don’t look back as my hand touches the cold metal of the door.

  “What’s so amusing, Miss Cavanagh?”

  I pull the door but before I can sneak in, his hand touches it, blocking me from going any further. He’s too close, and now I can smell him. Fuck. Some men should not be allowed to be near a woman who’s horny when they smell the way he does. That just makes life unfair. This whole thing is unfair.

  “Nothing, Mr. Darby,” I say not knowing his last name. I think I see his lip quirk up, but I can’t be sure. I take a step back, not wanting to smell him for a second longer, afraid of what I might say. ‘Hey, you smell so good, want to fuck?’ I’m sure then he would hate me more than he does already. Plus, I could actually get fired for real this time. So, I pinch my lips together with my teeth, waiting for him to speak.

  “You do know you don’t have to be here so early?”

  “I like to have plenty of time to set up for the day.”

  He pulls the door open, waves a hand for me to go in first, and as I pass Darby I hear him take a deep breath. I wonder how I smell. I’ve only just showered, my hair is still wet, but it will dry before the club opens its doors because it’s so fine.

/>   “I won’t be in tomorrow.”

  My head whips to him as he shuts the door, encasing us both in darkness. My hands shoot up when I feel him step closer, and I touch him. He grunts loudly, and the lights flicker on. I don’t do well in dim light, and that was utter darkness. My heartbeat slows a little, and when I open my eyes, Darby’s staring at me with his piercing eyes.

  “Don’t touch me,” he seethes, so I quickly take a step back.

  “I didn’t…”

  He shakes his head then walks off.

  My hand falls to my heart, and I try to slow it down.

  I’m okay, everything is okay. The dark cannot hurt me.

  Darby came down a few times, and not once did he speak to me or even acknowledge me. I’m not sure if it makes me happy or angry.

  Walking out the door as my shift is finished, I find a man standing there, a smoke to his lips as he looks up at me.

  “You work there?” His head nods to the warehouse I just stepped out of. I ignore him, keeping my head down and walking to my car. He whistles loudly. “Nice car. They must pay you good, right?” I hear his footsteps come closer. “Bitch, you ignoring me, woman? Answer me, bitch.” I hear the door open again, footsteps come closer as the stranger’s hand reaches out to touch me, but my knee comes up and hits him straight between his legs. I watch as the cigarette which was in his mouth falls to the ground while his mouth opens in shock. Then he falls forward in utter agony. I step back, my rear hitting my car as he starts swearing at me.

  “You bitch… you fucking bitch,” he curses.

  Just before he can stand up, hands pull him backward. Those same hands start moving, fast. Hitting the stranger in the face, over and over, until I touch Darby’s back making his head whip around to face me.

  “Leave,” Darby growls.

  I nod my head, sliding into my car, and starting it up with shaky hands. Tears roll down my face as I make my way home, and the minute I arrive at my house, I run inside, locking the door behind me while trying to calm my breathing.