Page 28 of Property of Mercy
While Charlie fixes our drinks, I gaze out over the crowd.Among all the men are half-dressed and not dressed women who are dancing, chatting, or taking part in X-rated displays of PDA.I shift in my seat as heat rises through my body.Mercy notes my shift in body language and he leans into me with one hand on the bar.
“You okay, Little Lamb?”he murmurs close to my ear.
I nod, unable to take my eyes off the trio across the room.Mercy looks aways from me, following my gaze across the room.The hand on my back slides further into my pants, and my eyes snap to his.Mercy smirks at me before glancing back up at the trio.He starts to say something when two things happen.
Charlie sets our drinks on the table and Bottle Blonde dumps her drink in my lap.I gasp as I push away from her right into Mercy’s chest, who wraps his arm around my middle.
“What the fuck?”I snap, glaring at the bitch.
Her fake look of shock just drives my need to defend myself.“Oh, I’m so sorry.I got bumped into.”
“Roxy, you’re such a fucking cunt.Go find someone else to harass instead of Mercy’s guest,” Charlie says and glares at the woman, then hands me a towel from behind the bar.
“Word on the street is she isn’t a guest, but a lying bitch.Mercy’s only doing what he needs to do to get answers.”She turns, eyeing Charlie.“Isn’t that why Pres gave you the instructions to get close to her?”
I don’t know if her words are true or not, but they do exactly what they’re meant to do.I feel stupid, crazy, and like a complete fucking moron for forgetting I am nothing more than someone these men believe has answers for the death of one of their own.The satisfied look on Blonde’s face tells me she knows she’s hit her mark.This flips the switch between my brain and the filter is gone.
“Well Blondie, if you were good at your job, I wouldn’t be entertaining him.As it is, I’m the one that wore his shirt and slept in his bed last night.”Leaning closer, I act as if I’m telling her some big secret.“You might want to get some more training or look into one of those, umm …” Tilting my head as if in thought, I snap my fingers when I pretend to remember what I was trying to say.“That’s it!Vaginal rejuvenation treatments to tighten up your nasty snatch.”
Blondie gasps at the same time as every person within earshot bursts out laughing.She raises her hand as if she’s going to slap me when Mercy’s hand shoots out and grabs her wrist.
“I would think very, very carefully about your next set of actions, Roxy.”he sneers, glaring at the woman.
The malice and anger the radiates off her gives Mercy a run for his money.“One day, Pres is going to put you and that brother of yours down like the rabid dogs that you are.I’m going to dance on your grave when he does.”
“That’s big talk for someone who holds no weight.Unless you want to tell us who is spewing club business to a club bunny?”a very large grizzly of a man says while sliding up behind her.
Blondie spins around, “Well Rhino, seeing as I don’t spend any time in your bed, it’s none of your goddamn business.”
The man she just called Rhino starts to say something when he’s cut off by Relic and the Pres walking down the hall and calling for church.I look around as all the men with cuts that have job titles stand and get themselves together before moving down the hallway.Mercy tilts my chin up so that I’m focused on him.
“You stay with Charlie, or you stay in my room.Do not talk to or go anywhere without her,” he drops his voice to be sure I’m the only one to hear him.“I would not suggest that you push me on this.Do you understand?”
I nod my head because if I open my mouth, I’m afraid the loss of my filter would cause me more trouble.Mercy studies me before nodding and releasing me.He levels a glare at the woman still sitting beside me.
“Stay the fuck away from her, Roxy.You do not want to test me on this.”If looks could kill, she would be dead.
“Well, that was fun,” Charlie huffs, then wipes the bar down.
With emotions still rolling through me, I decide my best bet is to grab my drink and make my way back to Mercy’s room to finish it and my book.I grab the glass and turn to slide off the stool when a small hand lands on my arm that is still on the bar.
“Paisley.”I cringe at the use of my fake name.“Stay.If you go I’ll be stuck with the club bunnies as my only source of conversation.”
Looking up, I eye her.“Listen, I appreciate it, but I’m just going to go.Maybe we can talk later.”
Charlie’s face falls before she gives me a bright smile.“Well, when you’re ready, I’ll be here.Us non-club bunnies have to stick together.”
“Sure,” I toss over my shoulder as I make my way across the room.
I make it as far as the pool tables before fucking Roxy steps in my path.She towers over me in her ankle-breaker heels.Taking a deep breathe I breathe it out slowly as I look up at her.
“Can I help you with something?”I take a drink of the rum and Coke in my hand before continuing.“I can assure you I do not possess the appendages you’re looking for.”
Roxy’s beady eyes squint at me.“He never keeps a woman.That man would prefer to kill you as sleep with you.”
I throw my head back and laugh because this bitch really believes she’s telling me something that I don’t know.“Listen … Roxy, was it?”She nods and crosses her arms over her chest.“Not two hours ago, that man you're trying to warn me away from so you can try to keep him had me pinned to the wall, choking the fucking life out of me.So, do not believe in that little brain of yours that I want anything from him but to make it out of this place alive.They believe I’m keeping secrets about shit that I know nothing about.”I step even closer to her.“If and when they get the information they think I have, the odds of me walking out are nearly zero.This little show you're doing is fucking childish, and I don’t have enough fucks left to play it with you.”
Her eyes widen the more I talk, and for a second I think I’ve gotten through to her, only to realize she’s just fucking stupid.
