Chapter 3

“That was my customer!” I heard a yell from inside the boss's office. I was told immediately I was done entertaining my special guest that the boss was asking for me.

Because of what the man earlier had done, I decided to give him extra of my time. I gave him a lap dance; it was then that I noticed the two other men who were with him. Their face was as expressionless as his. I knew he was a special guest, but I still couldn't help but wonder who exactly he was.

Seeing how the two men sat by his side dressed in black and sat on the edge, I could tell that they were his guards. I was so glad that they didn't push me away like the other girls who came to them. So because I was allowed to be close, I guess the girls had come to report my actions to our boss.

Yes, it was against the rule in the club to go for someone else's client, but I still cannot understand what had pulled me to the man, leaving my own customers. There was something about his eyes, his fragrance, his presence, his touch when his fingers brush my skin. There was just something that kept me dancing for him alone. I exhaled before knocking on the door gently,

“Come in,” I heard the boss say, and I walked in.

“Red temptress…” he began with a sigh, I knew he was about to scold me because of what I did, so I dropped one of the bundles of money on the desk.

Boss Austin's eyes went wide, especially when he saw that I was bringing out some more. I didn't leave my special client, not until he left the club. So he had given me more than enough money to not only relocate from Pennsylvania but also get an apartment.

“Where did you get this much?” Boss Austin asked and I smiled,

“You asked me to show them what I got” I winked, and he burst into laughter.

“You're good, you're good,”

The girls' faces had turned pitch black as they saw that Boss was not scolding me, but instead throwing praises at me. I didn't even have to do much, results speak louder.

When we finally left the boss's office, the girls were about to fight with me when Henry met us,

“What's going on here?” He asked. I was quick to switch into a pitiful face from a daring one. Henry gestured for me to come to him, and I slipped from their middle to where Henry stood. Without any explanation, he knew what was about to happen. The ladies glared at me angrily before walking out on me.

“Thank you, Henry,” I said to him, and he waved his hand,

“You did well tonight,” he said to me, and I smiled,

“Thanks,”

I finally made my way to the dressing room, everyone had left, so I was left to lock the dressing room. I changed my clothes back to my casual clothes and took off my red wig. I washed the makeup off my face before making my way out of the dressing room, locking the door behind me.

As always, I made my way out of the club through the back door and began walking back home. It was difficult to see a cab that would take anyone anywhere around 1 a.m in the morning so I began to walk away.

Boss has divided the money equally between the both of us, and I was so glad because even with this amount, I could leave from uncle's house. I'll place Anna in another school, and I'll start working there, maybe as a dance instructor or anything that has to do with dancing.

“Hey, sexy…” The call pulled me out of my reverie, I looked at my side, the place was dark, so I kept walking, only that this time, my steps were faster.

“I am talking to you!”

This only made my steps faster, the next time I turned to look behind my shoulders, I saw four men walking behind me.

Okay, no more walking Maria J, run!

I took on my heels, and the men quickly followed. I knew I would get caught because I wasn't really a runner. And in less than two minutes, I was caught and flung to the ground. I whined in pain before trying to stand to my feet.

“When we call, you respond, you bitch!” One of them growled at my face. His mouth smelled of alcohol. They were drunk. I knew I had to fight my way out because no matter how I begged, they wouldn't listen.

“Red temptress…” another one mentioned, causing my eyes to widen. How can they recognize me without my wig or make-up? Or else someone who knows me had told them I was the red temptress.

“I'm not in for this nonsense tonight, let me go. I'm tired,” I spoke with my heart in my mouth. I stood to my feet, but one of the men grabbed my forearm tightly as he pulled me towards me. His hand quickly found my throat, I choked,

“Hey!”

His hold on my neck was too tight, I was struggling when one held his hand, stopping him as he said some rubbish I couldn't understand. I used the last strength I could summon to kick him in the guts before turning to run again. This time, like my life depended on it because four hefty drunk men were chasing after me.

The screech of a car in my ears made me fall to the ground as I thought the car had hit me. I remained on the ground, tears stained my cheeks, and my hands covered my ears. My heart beating so fast in my chest that I could hardly breathe.

Even when the car came to a stop and the person in it came down, I still remained in that position. The voices of the men behind me, I still heard, but I couldn't move. My body had suddenly come to a stop, no longer functioning.

A pair of black shoes came to a stop in front of me and the man squatted, the cologne or fragrance that I once was filled with back in the club came assaulting my nostrils again, and I was forced to look up. My breath hitched at the sight of the same man whom I had given a lap dance. My special customer.

“Are you okay?” His words calm, sending a delicious shiver down my spine.

I blinked at him, not able to say a word. His hand reached for my face as his eyes intensively scanned my face and slowly a deep frown began to form on his face.

His eyes moved from me to the men behind us, who were screaming for the man to let me go and that I was theirs.

“Becker!” I heard him call, a totally different voice from the one he used on me earlier. Although I really wanted to look behind to see what was happening as I could hear some sounds, I couldn't. I was captivated by that face.

When I heard a sharp scream, I was about to turn to see when I felt a hand under my knees and another on my back, with wide eyes staring at him, the man picked me up and carried me in princess style into his car.

'Did he recognize me?'

He placed me on the back seat of the car and helped me with the seatbelt before moving to the driver's seat and drove off, leaving his two men behind.

My head began to think deeply about what to say to him. Should I ask who he was? If he recognized me too? Where was he taking me to? The questions in my head were so much that I didn't know which to ask. I was still thinking of where to start when…

“Don't walk so late at night alone again,” he instructed like he was my father, or he owned me. He opened the car for me to get down, and I noticed that we were already at the front of my house.

How did he know where I live?

“You may go in,” his voice void of anger or rage. I was quick to come down from the car and ran into the house without saying a thank you or asking any further questions.

'Who was he? How does he know…'