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RA
, Gerald please,
me." He growle
ng you, please don
d with one hand while the other ripped my shirt of
ause it never helped, never made him stop
'll do anything,
th
into me, hard. I bit my tongue against the scream
, trying not to let him notice, closing around the TV remote first, too
tter o
en about it completely, and in that moment it
nt s
he way he always did when he tho
o his side as
and I grabbed the scissors off the side table and drove them into his shoulder
ent
get up but couldn't , and something in me that had been terrified
tle," he
ain, screaming as I let
Zara,
hands gripping my thighs, heart going absolutely crazy,
ell of perfume, sweat and cigarette smoke that had soaked in
h his clipboard, not looki
five," he sa
nds flat on my th
ut looking up from her phone, already fully beat, r
m f
ways sa
I'm alw
ing in your sl
ne, the costume all straps and shine, my natural hair pinned back tight. The scar above my right eyebro
ng the thin
t th
e at yourself like you're looking
cking my
e finally put her phone down and looked at me pr
een mo
wer as la
ths is eighte
straps, checking her own reflection beside mine,
did he
e to tell you he needs t
n talk
aid b
up my lip gloss, touched up my bottom lip, put
htening things that didn't need straightening, you
ng big l
day, won't say who it is, just keeps telling everyone to be on their best b
oks at you fo
just fact, "he wants the best girls on the floor tonight, which m
okings aren
hat to
wil
start with him tonight okay, just do your set, smile at whoever thi
how it
ing don't let your mouth get a
kept me aliv
uts and a week off the schedule," she sai
ss rattling the thin locker room walls, the crowd noise spiking
een m
for eighteen more mon
it is?" I said, mov
artenders that whoever it is came in a convoy last time, multiple cars, securi
ll the sam
ar
their money makes them God, same guy
tly made Marcus nervous, and I have never in
hit me full force, lights, noise an
Gia over my shoul
I couldn't quite read, somewhe
fice," she said, "Marcus cleane
second, then turned
I said, "you'r
ay," she called after me, "
e coming into view ahead
eels different," I
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