“I’m up here, big fella,” she says quietly with a smirk, setting the glass of amber liquid on the small table before pointing to her face.
I grin at her spunky words, loving that she is calling me out for my bad behavior. I follow her directive and tear my gaze away from her feminine attributes and meet her eyes. They’re hazel with a distinct gold starburst around the pupils and rimmed with thick, black lashes. I’ve never seen anything like them in my life. They’re stunning just like the rest of her. Her makeup-free cheeks are flushed a rosy pink. Whether it’s from the warmth of the bar or me checking her out so obviously, I can’t tell.
Up close her hair is a bright swirl of jewel tones. Purple, teal, and bright pink, all blended into a perfect, vivid rainbow. I’ve seen multi-colored hair before but never looking so natural like she could’ve been born with it. It strikes me that she looks like a fairy, or a mermaid, brought to life and into my world. I shake my head, trying to clear it of crazy thoughts.
“Grayson Callen,” I state, reaching out and folding her tiny hand inside my much larger one, not willing to wait another second before feeling her silken skin against mine. I stay seated, not wanting to intimidate her with our size difference, though even sitting I’m still nearly as tall as she is. She lets me close my fingers around hers for just an instant, before carefully disengaging from my grip and lacing her hands together tightly in front of her.
“Hey, Grayson. I’m Nikki.” Her tone is friendly but cautious and I’m glad that she didn’t tell me her last name. Not that I don’t want to know it. I want to know everything about her, right now, but it shows she’s aware that giving her full name to a man she just met is a bad idea.
“Is there somethin’ else I can get fer you?” she drawls, shifting on her heels with a barely noticeable wince. They look like a million bucks but aren’t comfortable. A small furrow creases her smooth brow as she looks at me curiously, waiting for me to respond to her question.
Thinking fast, knowing she’ll leave if I don’t, I ask, “What’s the kitchen making tonight?” I don’t care. I’ll eat pretty much anything if it means I can talk to this perfect little doll standing in front of me. Hell, I have no idea if Tassels even has a kitchen, but it’s a solid bet.
“It’s my first night,” she admits with a small shrug, “I have no idea, but I can go check if you want.”
“You don’t mind?” I ask, and she immediately shakes her head and turns to go. Settling back against the padded leather seat I watch her walk away, her slightly wobbly gait advertising that this girl is more used to sneakers or boots than fuck-me heels. I’m surprised I didn’t notice it before, but I was distracted. Watching her go, back held ramrod straight as she blatantly ignores several customers who try to catch her attention, I can’t help but wonder why in the world she’s working here, of all places. Nothing about her seems like the type of woman that’s usually around Dominic’s clubs. Nothing at all.
Starla is on the stage, living up to her nickname and giving the patrons the show they came here for. She was going to be a professional dancer, with a promising career once she finished her schooling. She even walked away from a scholarship to Juilliard when she got tied up with Dominic. I don’t know why she gave up everything, including Geno, to follow Dom to Vegas and strip on this stage. I always figured he had something on her dad; gambling debts maybe, but Geno was so torn up when she left that I never wanted to bring it up. I wonder if they’ve seen each other since we arrived here. He hasn’t mentioned anything and watching Nikki push toward me through the people piled three-deep around the stage, I’m not going to waste my time worrying about it. It’s none of my business.
An odd sense of foreboding fills my gut when she disappears into the crowd. I rise to my full height looking for her, but she’s so small that I can’t find her in the teeming mass of men. The sight of Star, topless and crawling seductively toward the edge of the stage while the men closest to her set bills out in an effort to lure her closer to them makes my stomach lurch. I avert my eyes and ignore the angry murmurs thrown my way as I jostle people on my way to where I last saw Nikki.
“Let me GO!” Nikki’s shouted words reach my ears moments before I catch a glimpse of her frightened face. She’s hiding it well, but she’s scared. That’s not going to happen while I’m here! Without hesitation, I barrel into the throng. At the sound of her loud voice Star stops her performance and jumps to her feet to stand at the edge of the stage watching, concern reflected on her heavily made-up face. Her eyes fly around, looking for a bouncer I have no doubt. That concerns me.
I understand the reason for her distress when I shove the last few men roughly out of my way. I need to get to Nikki. A circle of drunken men surrounds her, cheering each other on while they pass her around, each of them pawing at her body while they spew all the lewd things they’d like to do to her. Her face is pinched, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she struggles to free herself from their hands. Behind me, Sebastian is shouting for the bouncers, but I’m not waiting. Not when I see her legs thrashing, trying to dislodge a hand groping underneath her skirt while others hold her firmly by the hips.
“What the fuck is going on here?” I roar, my voice booming louder than the music as I grab one man by the collar of his shirt and haul him out of my way. Silence falls over the drunken bunch. Even as intoxicated as they are, most of them only need one look at me to drop their hands and step away from her. All except for the man holding her against him while he fondles her breasts with one hand and tries to get under her panties with the other. He’s so focused on his assault that he doesn’t even notice my approach.
The second Nikki realizes she’s no longer being restrained by a group her eyes fly open and she wrenches herself loose and spins to face her assailant.
“Your mama would be so proud!” she spits in his face, pushing her dress back down to cover the simple white panties revealed during the struggle. “You oughtta be ashamed of yerself!” she continues, her southern twang getting thicker with her justified anger, color flooding back into her face.
The drunk opens his mouth to speak and she holds up a shushing finger cutting him off. One small fist settles on her cocked hip. “No! You let me finish,” she snaps. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you that no means no?”
Her tirade stops and I step in close beside her, silently lending my support. She glances up, confirming that I’m not someone who’s going to harm her. When she sees it’s me her full lips pull up in a small smile and she stands a little taller, then she turns back to the sputtering man with an expectant look on her face.
“Well?” she drawls, quirking a questioning eyebrow at him.
He opens his mouth, and I’m not sure what I was expecting, but what comes out makes my blood resume it’s hot boil.
“You fucking cunt!” he screams, spit flying off of his lips, “Who the fuck cares what happens to a whore like you?”
I move to step closer, grinning when he gets a good look at me and his eyes widen in terror, but it isn’t me he needs to watch out for.
“Who’re you callin’ a whore?” Nikki asks, distaste ringing in her voice.