Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Henry grabbed my arm and yanked me around to face him. “Kill the attitude with the customers,” he snapped down at me.
“Get your fucking hands off of me,” I seethed, glaring up at him, my hands clenched at my sides.
“Adelaide, table twenty-two is asking for you,” Amber told me, her eyes nervously flickering between me and Henry.
Henry roughly shoved me away from him, and I caught myself before I collided with the counter, glaring at his back as he disappeared through the door that led to the back of the restaurant where his office was located.
God, I fucking hated him.
Clenching my jaw, I walked over to table twenty-two, my eyes meeting River’s as I approached. He ran his eyes over me, his eyes darkening at the red, hand-shaped mark on my arm from where Henry had grabbed me. He gently pulled me toward him. “Who the fuck put their hands on you?”
“It was no one,” I told him softly, not wanting to cause shit within his club. Henry and I had never seen eye to eye. The only reason he hired me in the first place was because I knew the drinks, so I didn’t need training, and I was a good dancer.
River’s eyes darkened in a warning, but I ran my hand over his hair, silently pleading with him not to do this right now. With a grunt, he leaned back in the booth again, but there was a promise in his eyes that we would continue the conversation later.
My gaze flickered around the table, my eyes locking on Troy and Kyle. “Well, well, well, been wondering where the fuck you disappeared to, Adelaide,” Troy commented, letting his eyes run over me.
I bristled. “Put your eyes on my fucking face,” I snapped at him, making Kyle snicker next to him.
Troy shrugged. “Figured since you seem to spread those sexy ass legs for just about anyone, I might get a taste of my own.” Troy smirked.
“Watch your fucking mouth before Tristan has to find a new president for his North Carolina charter,” River snarled at Troy, leaning forward threateningly.
Troy looked between us for a moment before he barked out a laugh. “Fucking hell, you two?” Troy demanded. “This is fucking priceless. Does Tristan know?” he asked, looking up at me.
“Don’t know nor do I give a fuck,” I retorted. “Now, what do you want to drink?”
After taking their drink orders, I walked back over to the bar, making the drinks since I knew River wanted me to make them—not anyone else. He had club business to take care of, and he wouldn’t want potential eavesdroppers. “Henry wants a word with you,” Natalie informed me as she walked up. “I’ll finish the drinks for you.”
I shook my head at her. “That table will be fine, I promise,” I assured her. “River is picky. Doesn’t want anyone else serving his table.” She nodded in understanding as her eyes flickered nervously to the owner of the bar. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
I strode down the back hallway to Henry’s office, which was next to the restrooms and the rooms that the dancers got ready in. “You called?” I asked as I stepped into his office. I hated being in the same room alone with him. It made my skin crawl. There was just something about him that made me wary. Even before he’d tried coming on to me, I’d had a bad feeling about the man.
I jumped in fright when he slammed the door closed behind me, shoving me back against it. My heart thundered in my ears as my mouth ran dry. “So, you can fuck my boss within hours of meeting him, but you ignore my advances for months?” he seethed. “I treated you decently, woman. I took pity on you when you begged me for this job, and this is the fucking thanks I get?”
“River and I have known each other for a while. And I’ll never fuck you, Henry, so fuck off,” I sneered, thankful that my voice came out steady. I refused to show him how afraid I actually was.
Fear was a weakness in these situations. Men like him fed off of it.
I cried out in pain as his fist cracked against the side of my face, sending me sprawling to the floor. Blood welled in my mouth, and I gagged at the metallic taste in my mouth, my stomach churning. My head was spinning from the punch, pain pulsing through my face. My vision blurred when I tried to push myself up, the room spinning around me.
Henry shoved me onto my back, straddling my hips. I bucked them, my hands clawing at his face. “Get off of me!” I screamed.
His fist slammed against my temple, and that time, it was lights out.
Chapter Three
River
“Get off of me!” My jaw snapped closed so fucking fast at the sound of Adelaide’s scream, I was surprised my teeth didn’t crack. People in the bar went silent, everyone trying to figure out who had screamed.