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“Because, Pen, I see a little of me in you. I see the fight you wear like a badge of honour, and beneath it, I see the hurt…” her voice trails off as she swears under her voice. “Look, I’m gonna level with you. I have a vested interest in this. You get protection at my club. You get to dance—”
“Dance?” I scoff.
“Yes, dance.”
“I have nothing against strippers, but that’s not the kind of dance I want to perform.”
“What? No!” Grim barks out a laugh. “Jebmight have agreed for you to be a stripper, but I only agreed for you to be aperformer. If he’s too thick as shit to understand the difference, then that’s his problem, not mine. We shook on it, he can’t break the deal now.”
“What are you saying?”
“You’re going todance, Pen. There’ll be no stripping for you. Like everyone else Friday night, I was mesmerised. It’s a rare feat to be able to command attention from a room full of violent gangsters without resorting to bloodshed or sex, but you did that. I want you dancing in my club. You are the best. I want the best.”
“Wow,” is all I can manage to say. I hadn’t expected that. I thought I was fated to strip and bare my skin for a bunch of unruly bastards to salivate over. This was not what I was expecting.
“You will be paid a good wage. I treat my employees well. Does four hundred pound sound reasonable to you?”
“A month?” I question. It’s less than what I was earning at Rocks, but I guess I could make it work. I only really need it to buy food and I can make do without all the fancy dance gear anyway.
Grim laughs. “No, Pen. I’m not Jeb. I actually appreciate my employees. Four hundred pound a weekend.”
“A weekend?!” I blurt out, incredulous. “You sure I’m not stripping?”
“Positive. You dance at my club every Friday and Saturday night. You get to choose the songs. Dance solo, with other performers, whatever. I give you free rein. My girls have never danced as well as they did with you in the cage with them. If you want to use them in your performances, then go for it. If you want to bring in others, then do that too but I want to check them out first. I can’t just let any old Tom, Dick or Harry into my club.”
I swallow hard. Is she for real? This is too good to be true, surely. “Are you serious?”
“Never more serious in my life.”
“So what does Jeb get in return…? I mean, it’s none of my business, but I don’t understand why you would make a deal with someone you said you hate in order to stop me from being sold to Malik Brov. Why would you do that?”
“Listen, Pen. I’m a successful businesswoman because I know how to spot a good opportunity. After your performance Friday, every damn crew were asking when you’d be dancing next. They come to my club to see a fight, to bet, to fuck, to get high and drink. But if I can get them in my club to watch you dance, then you can bet your arse I’m going to cash in on that.”
“Right,” I reply.
She sighs heavily. “I’m also a woman of my word, Pen. I made you a promise. I kept it.”
“How much did you pay?” I ask, holding my breath. I appreciate what Grim has done, but just because she’s allowing me to dance instead of strip, doesn’t mean I’m not owned by her now, and if I know Jeb well enough, it definitely doesn’t mean he’s relinquished his ownership of me either. I’m not stupid.
“Believe it or not there are things that are way more valuable than printed paper and coins.”
“Like what?”
“Information. Jeb wanted information. I gave it to him. Well, what he wanted to hear, anyway.”
“What information? What do you mean by that?” I ask, realising I’m pushing my luck, but asking anyway. David’s devil voice murmurs into my ear, reminding me that I’m still beholden to him too.
“And that really is none of your business,” Grim responds, ending that thread of our conversation. “Look. I got you out of a sticky situation. You get to dance at my club, you get a level of protection being an employee of mine, and I get a new arm to my business. I’ve been looking for a way to make my club more upmarket.”
“Fair enough,” I respond, not really knowing what else to say.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love a good, old-fashioned, vicious cage fight like anyone else, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of class thrown in too.”
“Are you saying I’m classy?” I can’t help but laugh, shaking my head at the bizarreness of this conversation.
“I guess I am. So, are you okay with my terms?”
“In all honesty, do I really have a choice?”
