Page 35 of Ravage
“You’re welcome,” I grit out through the pain.
Kellan’s still glaring at me with eyes narrowed, so I just huff and decide not to bother helping with anything further. I wore gloves the entire time and now my blood has been removed from the scene. There’s nothing here linking me to this man. Whether or not Jack and Kellan took the same precautions is on them; unless they know of a way to get rid of the body completely. No body means no murder.
When I check in on Jackson, he doesn’t seem fazed. He’s watching me carefully, but his face is blank, and he hasn’t reacted at all to what I did with killing the guy or cleaning up Kell’s mess.
I turn and freeze when pain lances through my side. Gritting my teeth, I force myself to keep moving through it. I leave without another word between us, and the silence echoes louder than anything else that could have been said.
Chapter eleven
Raegan
A shower doesn’t wipe away the misery that has me in a chokehold.
Murderer.
Even though I’m trying to do the right thing, even though I’m doing what I must to survive, I’ll never get away from being exactly who Gordon told me I was.
A murderer.
A villain.
If only the guys knew what our enemy had done to me in our year apart. What Gordon made me do. For him. To him.
Don’t think about it, I remind myself before I spiral into those dark memories. I shove them back down, locking them away and repeating that Gordon is dead. He can’t hurt me anymore.
My fingers shake as they probe gently at the cut on the right side of my torso. It isn’t deep enough to need stitches, thankfully. I patch it up with first-aid items Elias has stocked in the apartment and tape a long stretch of gauze over it. I wince at the touch, but there’s no blood on the gauze at least. Better.
Now that my thoughts and emotions are both haywire, I decide that I need to drink or dance until I’m ready to collapse if I’m going to have any chance at rest tonight. I can make money dancing and check in on Portia while I’m there, too, so it’s killing three birds with one stone. Thankfully, Hype is still open for a couple more hours.
I put on a short, tight sheath dress with a halter top and sweetheart neckline. I’ve been able to buy a few dress options in my weeks here working the club at night with no rent to pay, and once again, I send another mental thank you to Elias.
Even though Elias’s security personnel are all throughout the club, I still pack two knives. Complacency is a fast road to death in the world I’m in.
I leave the apartment and head downstairs to the nightclub. The only way to get to the apartments is through a back door in the club, which is a great way to avoid unwanted visitors and I’m sure was Elias’s intention since he offers them to most workers in the nightclub.
It's late in the night, and the club is still packed, so I have to push through to make it to the bar where I know I’ll find the sweet, glittery girl.
Portia is mixing a drink behind the bar. I head over there and walk behind it, deciding to barback for a bit to listen in on her and have a reason to be close. I start with topping off the ice trays, then work on restocking anything that’s low or out.
She’s chatting away with everyone who orders drinks, but after the third customer, I realize it’s all surface conversation. By all appearances, she’s being sweet and personable, but she’s also quick to move on to the next person and end the conversation, so no one even realizes it wasn’t them that did it.
When there’s a lull in orders, and she starts wiping down her area, I move up next to her and start drying glasses. “Hey there, Glitter.”
She turns to me with a smile, but it isn’t until she recognizes me that her face lights up. As if her first smile was the one that she pastes on for anyone who speaks to her, but this is her real one. “Rae! I’m so happy to see you!” What’s crazy is that she actually sounds like she means it. “I have to say, you are one of the hottest dancers up there. Your box fills with money faster than anyone I’ve ever seen,” she gushes.
I focus down on the glass I’m drying. “Oh. Thanks.”
“Elias told me you were just working to get some extra money, but you could really make a career out of dancing.”
I burst out laughing and set the glass down. “For shaking my ass? No, I don’t think they pay for that. Maybe strip clubs, but I’m not doing that.” Not unless I have to.
She shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe you could work with Elias to set up some sort of show that has you and other girls doing a routine up there together timed with the music and lights.”
That…actually sounds cool. Dance routines aren’t something I’ve done, but it can’t be that bad, right? Just one song.
I shake my head. Nope. No time for that.
“That does sound fun, but I don’t think I have the time right now. Besides, Elias isn’t here to pitch the idea to anyway,” I add, hoping to steer the conversation in his direction.
