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Copyright © 2023 by Bella Di Corte
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This book is a work of fiction.
Names of characters, places, and events are the construction of the author, except those locations that are well-known and of general knowledge, and all are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental, and great care was taken to design places, locations, or businesses that fit into the regional landscape without actual identification; as such, resemblance to actual places, locations, or businesses is coincidental. Any mention of a branded item, artistic work, or well-known business establishment, is used for authenticity in the work of fiction and was chosen by the author because of personal preference, its high quality, or the authenticity it lends to the work of fiction; the author has received no remuneration, either monetary or in-kind, for use of said product names, artistic work, or business establishments, and mention is not intended as advertising, nor does it constitute an endorsement. The author is solely responsible for content.
Disclaimer:
Material in this work of fiction is of graphic sexual and violent natures and is not intended for audiences under 18 years of age.
Copyright © 2023 by Bella Di Corte
Editing by: Alisa Carter
1
LEONORA
There are so many ways to die. And like everything else in life, each one is subjective.
Take, for instance…drowning. I’d heard once that it’s a peaceful way to go, beautiful even, but for me, it would be hellish. I’m a fan of water, but with me watching it while I hold a cold drink in my hand. Not while it floods my lungs.
Or take, for instance, what was going on in the club I worked at in Vegas called Dynamic. A guy wielding a gun in one hand and a machete in the other came in demanding his money back. Money he’d spent the night before watching the show.
Was it strange?
Yeah.
Was it unexpected?
Nah.
But I could probably think of better and more peaceful ways to die. Like Jack had told Rose in Titanic…in her warm bed when she had lived her life.
What a way to go, right?
I wasn’t sure why water imagery kept coming to me. Maybe because the girls were all arguing about Jack and the wooden raft earlier.
Could Rose have scooted over some?
In my humble opinion, all guys deserved to take the freezing dip, so…
Splash, mofos. Hope you all can swim.
All the peaceful imagery wasn’t going to help me, though. I was probably going to end up in two parts, my head rolling away from my body, picking up MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—Francine, one of the girls, was studying to be a nurse and gave us all lectures on medical stuff) on these filthy floors for good measure.
The madman pointed the gun at Roxy, who was fairly new and the youngest. I stood in front of her and kept my hands up. “Calm down. Give us a chance to get your money.”
One thing about Dynamic—we tried to take care of each other. We outnumbered Vinny, the owner, and his security guard, Sam, but they were still the powers that be. We had to group together to make a shield in this place, even if Vinny and Sam were halfway decent.
Thinking of Vinny and Sam…where the fuck were they?
The guy moved the gun and machete with me as I moved toward the register. Underneath the counter was a panic button, but it went straight to Vinny’s office instead of the police department. He was frigging cheap and didn’t want to pay the subscription fee. I hoped he was in his office.
I set my finger on the scan thing—the highest-tech thing we had at Dynamic—and waited for it to read my fingerprints so the register would open. At the same time, I hit the panic button underneath the counter. That, however, was old as fuck, with wires sticking out of it. An electrical jolt flashed through my body. It felt like my veins had just gotten fried and my hair was standing on end. There was no doubt that I visibly vibrated.
