Page 5 of Bully

As she passed by Ember, she glared at her and snapped, “You won’t last two weeks answering to a man like that. You don't have what it takes.”

Luckily for her, she didn’t dare make any other comments on her way out, so I continued with my show.

“Now that they’re gone,” I rubbed my hands together and then raised one eyebrow at Ember, who still stood, frozen in indignation and shock. It was almost comical to watch her try to decide if she wanted to be angry or surprised more. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to continue with the meeting so these good people can go home for the night.” I tilted my head slightly at her in a way that unnerved most people I interacted with. It was something my father did that always made my skin crawl when I was a kid. As an adult, I loved turning the tables on everyone else doing it myself. “Is that okay with you, Rainbow?”

Her thick lips tightened together as anger bloomed in the absence of her abandoned shock, but she slowly sank back down into her chair.

“Good.” I turned my attention away from her to the rest of the crowd, some I’d slept with, but I had no idea what their names were. There was an array of unique looks on the faces of the employees staring at me. Lots of anger and confusion, sure, but there were a lot of employees looking excited and happy too. Which was all I needed to keep going with the big bombs of info I was about to drop on the poor people. “The Den is no more. And tonight was the last night that it will be open. This building will undergo massive remodeling starting in two hours, which means that this business is closed for the next four weeks.”

That turned the cheerful part of the crowd sour to join their coworkers as angry jeers sounded from the lips of nearly every person in the room. People worked because they needed the money, and I just told them they weren’t working for a month.

Holding my hands up, I silenced the crowd so they could hear me over their disapproving comments. “I’m an entrepreneur, and I understand money better than literally anything else in this world, so chill out. I’m not taking away your pay. Your employment and current wage will continue throughout the four weeks. There will be mandatory classes and training that will occur while the business is closed.”

“Training?” One girl argued, “We’re all trained! We work every fucking night.”

“Wrong.” I silenced her dismissively. “You worked at a low-class establishment that barely scraped up enough money every night to keep the lights on, and your skills and talents show it. Like I said at the start, The Den is no more. When those front doors open in four weeks, nothing here will look or run the same as it has up until this point. The talent I employ will be luxurious, the venue will be classy, and the clients will be rich.” I lowered my gaze to the employees. “Does anyone want to take a guess at what will happen when those three things change?”

No one moved, though I half expected Ember to shout out some smart mouthed answer. Slowly, Valentina raised one hand, eyeing me cautiously.

“Valentina?” I called on her by name to annoy the other women.

“The clients will pay more.”

I snapped my fingers and gave her a smile that melted the fear on her shoulders. “Correct.” I looked back at everyone. “The clients that come through the front door will expect class and they will pay very well for it.”

“So, you’ll make more.” Ember’s warm whiskey voice cut through the crowd, once again drawing my attention back to her. As if I needed the help.

“Yes.” I replied firmly and her eyes squinted fractionally in anger. “And so will you. All of you.”

“And the clients we have now?” Someone piped up, forcing me to look away from my Rainbow. “Some of them have been coming here for a decade.”

“Feel free to entertain the same blue collar saggy balls you’ve been rubbing for a decade if you’d like.” I shrugged nonchalantly, “I believe I saw a Motel 6 by the highway. I’m sure their nightly rates will accommodate your new income.”

Huffs echoed again.

“I will not stand up here and answer every single little question you have all night long. That will be the job for your new manager, and she’ll be happy to answer every one of them in three days’ time when you’re all expected to report back for your first day of re-training. But I will tell you this before I dismiss you for the evening.” I put my hands back in my pockets and schooled my features so everyone in the room would understand the dominance of what I was about to tell them. “This club will focus on luxury and class, and if you don’t have it, you won’t work here. So, I suggest you get on board with retraining your mind to learn the new skills I’m going to teach you. No one will be upset if you get fired but you. There will be a line down the street of women willing to take your place to make ten grand a night sucking millionaire dick in Chanel dresses and Louis heels. I don’t have to be the monster in this story, I’m your fairy fucking godfather here to finally help you shift the power in this game in your favor. Because with money comes power, and you’re all welcome to an extensive amount of it, if you work for it. That’s all for tonight. Come back Sunday evening at eight for your first night of training. Goodnight.”

I didn’t leave it up for discussion. I also didn’t leave room for them to stick around and gossip about the entire ordeal because if they gossiped and shit talked about me and the changes, negativity would take root.

Slowly, they all started moving toward the exit.

“Valentina.” I called out, drawing the attention of the blonde as I signaled for her to come to me, but my Rainbow also watched. So focused on the back of the blonde’s head, Ember missed the way I watched her as Valentina eagerly joined me onstage. Was the fiery little Rainbow jealous? “Ember, you too.”

Her golden eyes snapped to mine as people moved around her to the exit, gazing at the three of us remaining as they left.

I didn’t wait to see if she’d follow my direction, a part of me hoped she would defy me and leave. Instead, I turned my attention to Valentina and pulled my money clip from my pocket as she fought the urge to watch me count bills out. “I won’t be needing that introduction after all,” I grinned at her, and she bit her bottom lip. “But a deal is a deal.”

As Ember climbed the steps eyeing the money, I folded a couple thousand dollars and offered it to my date for the night with a wink. “I don’t feel like I’ve earned this.” Valentina said coyly with a seductive smile on her plump lips that were still a little swollen from my dick.

“You pleased me very well tonight, Valentina,” I smirked, looking over at Ember as I replied. “Take your pay and go home.”

“Yes, Sir.” She purred and beamed at Ember as she left the stage, joining the last of the stragglers as they left.

Leaving me alone with the first woman to hold my attention for more than a moment in time in as long as I could remember. On the other side of the stage, she stood with crossed arms and a hip jutting out, looking bored with me.

My dick twitched at her bratty attitude. I hated brats. But Ember—damn, I’d make an exception for her.

“You took Tony’s announcement personally.” I started cutting to the chase. “Why?”

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