Page 22 of The Orc Boss

“I recognize you,” he drawled in my ear. The sour-sweet smell of alcohol on his breath making me want to gag. He dragged his hand down my waist, my skin crawling where he touched. “Because you look like my next wife.”

I would have been relieved if I wasn’t pinned against the body of a very drunk and very handsy orc.

“Are you just faerie? You have to be mixed with something else, because I have never met a faerie as leggy as you. These thighs . . .” He brushed his hand down my lap, pushing up the hem of my skirt to knead the soft skin there. “I can’t wait to wear them as earmuffs.”

I forced a laugh, even though I was screaming on the inside. “Oh, I’m not that kind of girl.” I pushed myself to my feet, but he held me firmly in place. Shit. What was my code word again? I was so afraid my mind had gone blank. It had to do something with Zumba.

“Let her go, Bram,” Felix ordered in a harsh tone. “She’s obviously not into it. Don’t make her quit just before she starts.” Bram let me go immediately, and I stumbled forward a few steps. I grabbed the edge of the table, steadying myself before I fell on my knees.

Felix reached inside his jacket pocket and handed me a small wad of cash. “Here, take this for your trouble. Go tell Jessica to send in more dancers. The animals are getting restless.”

“Let me know if you change your mind, faerie,” Bram said with a wink as I hurried away in case Felix changed his mind at the last moment and grabbed me next.

“What are you doing back here? Do you need more alcohol?” the human waitress demanded—she must be the Jessica Felix was referring to—when I appeared again from behind the curtain.

“Tagging out,” I said, a little breathless from running away in four-inch heels.

She opened her mouth to argue, until I dropped the wad of cash in her hands. Her mouth snapped shut. “Go take a break, I’ll cover for you,” she said, stuffing the money into her bra.

Robbie wasn’t waiting for me when I opened the door.Shit. Shit. Shit.What the hell was I supposed to do? I peered down the long empty hallway, trying to remember which direction we had come from. Or was this finally my chance to run? Liam had threatened Robbie would stop me, but if Robbie wasn’t here . . . I surged forward, my heels clacking as I ran down the hallway, climbing down the stairs as fast as I could without falling and breaking my ankle.

I reached the end of the staircase and rounded the corner and collided into someone’s chest. “S-sorry,” I said quickly. I looked up to see a demon staring down at me. He was wearing a black shirt with rolled sleeves, just like Robbie. Probably just a bouncer. I stepped out of his way, but he didn’t move.

“You’ve been requested for a dance in room two,” he said.

“What?” He clasped a hand on my shoulder and ushered me forward while my brain desperately tried to catch up to speed. “But I’m a waitress! Not a dancer!”

He chuckled under his breath. “Everyone is a dancer for the right price. And when the customers are splitting the cost with the bouncers, then you really don’t get a choice.”

I dug my heels into the cement floor as he pushed me towards a door marked with the number 2. There was a row of them, numbered from 1 to 5. My entire body clenched with fear as he drew closer, and I could hear the soft chorus of moans and rattling furniture. I may be new here, but they were doing more than just dancing in those rooms.

“Zumba! Fucking Zumba!”I whispered-yelled to my chest, where the mic was hiding. I knew it wasn’t right, but hopefully they would hear the panic in my voice.“Liam!”I hissed, dragging out the word as my voice grew louder, desperate. The demon ignored me. He unlocked the door as he held onto my arm with his other hand.“Wait. Wait! Please don’t do this!”

“Sorry babe, it’ll be over fast,” he said, shoving me into the dark room. The door slammed behind me; the lock clicking into place.

Chapter eleven

Thelowlightinginthe room made it impossible to see. Though my eyes were slow to adjust, I sensed someone on the other side of the cramped room. Waiting. The room was soundproofed from the club music on the other side, but there was a slow beat playing from the speakers above. Or maybe that was my own heartbeat? It was hard to hear over the whooshing thump-thump-thump in my ears.

If I just stay right here, maybe he’ll get frustrated and ask for a different girl? Preferably one who gets paid to do this?

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw the outline of the man waiting on the other side of the room, broad shoulders, muscled up and down.

He lounged in his seat, watching me. The only light was the small red circle of his cigarette. The open staring almost felt as invasive as an actual dance, so I turned my back towards him, hugging my arms to my chest.

He must have gotten tired of waiting because the chair groaned under his shifting weight. I looked over my shoulder as he stood to his full height.

Holy goddess he’s tall.

My heart only pounded harder against my ribcage as he took slow, calculated steps towards me, the cigarette dangling from his lips. I shivered as he closed in on me, a rabbit cornered by a wolf with nowhere to run. And this wolf enjoyed my suffering, moving deliberately slow to build the tension until I felt like I was going to burst into tears. Where the hell was Liam? I knew I shouldn’t have trusted that elf.

Finally, he pinned me against the wall, his entire body engulfing me. I caught a whiff of his cologne. It was mixed with something familiar that I couldn’t quite place—fresh earth mixed with tobacco. I closed my eyes, too afraid to see what happened next—

“I thought I told you no funny business?”

Relief washed over my body faster than an ice cream melts in July. My knees would have buckled underneath me if Ansel’s hands weren’t keeping me upright. Sure, Ansel had kidnapped me, and I still didn’t trust him, but somehow, I felt safer with this pervy orc than the ones I’d seen upstairs.

It took me a moment to find my words. All the excitement had left me weak and breathless. Ansel stared down at me expectantly as I wheezed, his hand resting against the wall as he hovered over me. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I said once I could speak. “I don’t know what I would have done if a patron was actually expecting me to give them a dance,” my voice trailed off as I studied his face in the low light. He watched me intently as he took a long pull of his cigarette, smoke blowing out of the corners of his mouth.

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