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Dark, beady eyes locked with mine. “Watch where you’re going, sweetheart.”
A squat man with a beaky nose blocked the narrow corridor outside of the changing rooms. He regarded me with a cynical twist of his thin lips.
“Excuse me.” I stepped around him.
He moved back in front of me. “Miri, isn’t it? I’m Deano, Jed’s cousin.”
My stomach dropped. He rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth and glanced over his shoulder. He flashed a cold, hard-eyed smile. “You owe me …”
“I know. I’m sorry. I can get it … Give me a couple of days.”
He blew out a breath and his gaze drifted from my trainers and lingered on my chest. I pulled my team jacket tighter.
“Nah. That don’t work for me. You’ve had enough time, but it’s fine, the two of us can come up with an alternative arrangement.”
He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a business card with the wordsPurple Leopardembossed in gold on a black background. “I own a strip joint. A girl that looks like you would do well. You can work off the debt dancing.”
I took the card from him, turning it over in my hands. “Me? No. I don’t dance.”
His lascivious gaze swept over me. “Just keep your trap shut with the customers. You look like a classy bird until you open your mouth and that voice comes out.”
My lips thinned with anger. “Excuse me?”
“You’re going to have to rein your accent in a bit.”
My temper flared. I didn’t let people intimidate me on the pitch. I wouldn’t let them bully me off it, either. The only way to deal with bullies was to let them know you wouldn’t stand for it. I straightened my spine. “And you might need to rein in your bullshit. I’m not dancing, and there’s nothing wrong with my accent. I’ll get your money my own way.”
His laugh raked me. “Jed said you were a firecracker. No worries. The punters like a girl with a bit of spirit. It’s not the girls with the best moves that earn the most. It’s the girls with the best chat.” He tipped his head in a nod. “I’ll see you at 7 p.m.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t want me for this.” I swung my arms out in exasperation. “Look at me. I don’t even own a dress.”
“We’ve got dresses. You’d better be there.”
“You’ll be waiting all night. I’m not coming.”
His mouth took on an unpleasant twist. “Has Jed told you much about me?”
“Just that you’re his cousin. Listen, I know that—”
His vicious expression silenced me. “You don’t want to piss me off, Miri. That’s the last thing you want to do.”
My chest tightened. “I’ll get the money, but I’m not dancing.”
“Yes.” He leaned in, tilting his face toward mine so close my nose filled with his scent of petrol and cigarettes. Malice filled his eyes. “You are, and if you don’t show, there will be consequences.”
“What consequences?”
His eyes were flat and hard. “Bad ones.”
I opened my mouth and closed it again. What answer could possibly make this situation better? There was no way I could do it. He’d have to wait for his money, whether he liked it or not.
Deano gave me a brief nod and sauntered away. His cold words lingered in the air long after he’d left.
“Don’t mess me about, Miri. I don’t like being messed about."
Chapter 6
Gabe
