Page 38 of The Venom We Bleed

Roquel follows and shrugs at my words. “Just wanted to,” she says. “I haven’t seen Auntie lately and I wanted to see how you were handling the job.” She trails behind me, her soft footfalls nearly silent as I grab a bucket out of the closet and fill it up with fresh soapy water. Snagging the adjoining mop, I dunk it several times before rinsing.

“It’s a job,” I deadpan as I start mopping the floors in preparation for the hosts to come out and get settled. The schedule on the board in the back already let us know that there would be several parties of businessmen arriving a short while after the doors open and we need to be prepared for whoever they’re bringing with them.

That’s one thing I’ve learned from Ma-Ri since I started working at The Dionysus Lounge. This place is more than a bar and club with beautiful women acting as hostesses. This place is a meeting place for the rich and powerful—usually men, though I’ve seen the occasional woman or two as well.

“You liking it so far?” Roquel asks as she finds herself a perch on the back of one of the lounge couches.

I chuckle at her lame question. “I’m just delivering drinks and bottles to the girls,” I remind her. “It’s not difficult.”

“Cool, cool.” Roquel nods and looks away.

I give her a good side-eye as I mop around the area, expecting her to get to whatever it is she wants to ask me before I’m done. I’m not stupid. It’s obvious by the nervous energy coming off her and the way her eyes keep flickering to me and away whenever I lift my head that she’s not here just to check on me. She wants something. I finish one route around the room and drop the mop into the now-dirty water before I sigh and cross my arms over my chest.

“Alright, enough. Out with it.”

Roquel lifts wide doe-brown eyes to my face. “Out with what?” she asks. The pseudo-innocent expression she wears is not fooling anyone. Even Deb snorts as she strides by with two racks of glasses clutched in her hands.

“You’re here for a reason,” I prompt.

Slender shoulders under a thin spaghetti strap tanktop rise and fall. “I just wanted to see how you were doing because I suspect Megan and her little minions will try something before the end of next week.”

A sigh rolls out of me and I let my arms drop as I turn and prop my ass against the back of the couch. “I expect you’re probably right,” I say, “but I’m not a psychic. I’ll just have to deal with it whenever they do gain the courage to come after me again.”

Roquel’s eyes spear the side of my face, and I turn to meet them. “You don’t sound that nervous about it,” she points out.

I shrug. “I’m not.” Whatever Megan and Lindsey try to throw at me, I’ve already made it more than clear that I’ll pay it back tenfold. If they want to risk their own skins, then I don’t give a fuck.

Roquel opens her mouth to say something else, but almost as soon as she does, the backdoor leading from the breakroom opens and a familiar face pops out. Madison Torres strides into the club as she gathers up her long blonde hair and ties it up into a ponytail.

I stiffen and go quiet as she lifts her head and pauses at the sight of Roquel. A soft smile appears across her lips and she lifts her hand in a hesitant wave. Roquel, as extroverted as she is, waves back eagerly.

“I take it you’re the reason she suddenly got a job here too?” I inquire as Madison continues towards the bar to help Deb finish stocking.

Roquel lets her hand drop and shrugs. “She couldn’t get a job in town without her parents knowing about it,” she replies. “They’ve kind of locked down on her since the whole sex scandal from last year. I felt bad for her. She’s trying to save up enough to move out.”

I find myself following Madison’s movements as she lifts stacks of glasses into place and then grabs a few towels to finish wiping down the bar, but I don’t say anything. Madison Torres’ business is none of mine.

“Okay,” Roquel blows out a breath and captures the rest of my attention once more. “You’re right. I didn’t just come here to see how you were. I came to ask for a favor.”

Tension crawls over the top of my shoulders, but I quietly force it down, reminding myself that I always knew there would be strings attached to this job. That’s just how the world works.

“Hit me,” I say, pushing off the lounge as I make my way back to my bucket and mop.

“There’s a party this weekend and I was hoping … maybe …thatyoumightgowithme.”

The words come rushing out, each one slamming into the other without stopping all in one long breath. “A party?” I repeat, before clarifying. “In Silverwood?”

She nods with a wince. I gape at her; she’s lost her mind. The mere fact that she thought asking me to go to a party in the town where everyone hates my fucking guts is a good indication. Roquel is certifiable. She’s crazy.

Before I’ve managed to piece together my ‘hell fucking no,’ Roquel rushes on to explain.

“I know you probably don’t like them anymore, especially since everything happened with your folks”—that’s an understatement—“but I have no choice. I really need to go to this party.”

No oneneedsto go to a party.I open my mouth to say just that but Roquel continues on. “Besides, you know you need to start making more friends, especially since Megan is out of ISS and she and Lindsey are planning something against you.”

“There’s no proof that they are,” I remind her. “Just your assumption.”

Roquel gives me a bland look. “Don’t be dumb,” she replies. “I know Megan like I know the back of my hand; that girl won’t just let it slide that you pretty much snubbed her attempt to conquer you. The fact that the Scorpion Kings haven’t done anything to you...”

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