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“You look like the weight of the world is crushing you,” the bartender says softly. Wren is my best friend, and her concern is etched across her face. She’s a bombshell, with her thick black hair cut into a bob, framing her delicate features. Her deep brown eyes are filled with warmth and understanding, and she carries herself with confidence and poise. Her outfit, though, is another story.
Wren is clad in a skimpy bartender outfit, barely covering her perky breasts. The tight fabric hugs her curves, leaving little to the imagination, showcasing half of her boobs and ass.
“Ugh, this place is disgusting,” I mutter, my eyes darting around the room. “How can you stand working here?”
Wren scoffs, her fiery temper flaring up. “You think I like it? Hell no! But it fucking pays the bills, and I’m not about to let my siblings starve. I’m just doing what I gotta do.”
I sigh, massaging my temples and motioning for another drink. I need something to help suppress the pain and quiet the thoughts that are ripping me apart. Wren crosses her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing with worry.
“What’s happening to you? You can’t keep locking me out. I’m concerned about you, and I want to help. So, spill it; tell me what’s eating away at you.”
I stare into my drink, feeling the weight of her gaze. “It’s…it’s my brother, Nilo. He’s in trouble, and I don’t know how to help him. And Nana, she’s getting worse. I’m drowning, Wren. I don’t know what to do.”
She reaches over the bar and squeezes my hand. “Fuck, Soph. I am so sorry to hear that. We’ll figure it out together. But first, let’s get you out of this hellhole.
“No,” I say, my voice trembling. “I…I need a job, Wren. I need to work here, too.”
Wren’s eyes widen in shock. “Soph, are you sure? This isn’t the kind of place you should be work—”
“Hey, sweetheart,” one of the men interrupts Wren, suddenly appearing behind me with a sleazy grin on his face. He’s flanked by two other men, their leering gazes making my skin crawl. “You look like you could use some company.”
Wren’s eyes flash with anger, and she steps between us, her hands on her hips. “Back off, assholes. She’s not interested.”
The other man sneers, reaching out to grab my arm. “We weren’t asking you, sweetheart. Step aside and let us have some fun with your little friend here.”
Wren doesn’t budge, her voice dripping with contempt. “You touch her, and I’ll break your fucking fingers. Now get lost before I call security.”
The men hesitate, clearly not expecting such resistance from the fiery bartender. But their lewd expressions don’t waver, and they continue to leer at me as if trying to undress me with their eyes.
“Wren,” I say quietly, “it’s okay. I can handle this…” but before I can react, Wren reaches under the bar and pulls out a handgun, a fierce determination in her eyes. Casually popping a piece of gum into her mouth, she chews it with a deliberate, menacing air. Pointing the gun at the men, she makes a crude gesture with her free hand and coolly tells them, “Fuck off.”
“Bitch.” The men’s eyes widen in shock, and they immediately back away, muttering curses under their breath as they disappear into the crowd.
Wren lowers the gun, giving me a quick, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Soph. I’ve got your back, no matter what.” She slides the gun back under the bar. My mouth drops open, and I gawk at the fierce badassery my best friend just displayed.
I let out a shaky laugh, aiming for levity. “Thanks for being my own personal badass guardian angel, Wren. Who needs Charlie’s Angels when I’ve got you?” I swallow hard, the lump in my throat refusing to budge. There’s so much I haven’t shared with Wren – my darkest secrets, the perilous people I’m entwined with, and the wickedly delicious night I spent with Luka, a Bratva lord who left me quivering and craving more. Yet, I can’t bring myself to let her in. I can’t let her see how low I’ve fallen or risk pulling her into my shit mess right now.
Wren scrutinizes my face, her brow furrowed with concern and frustration. “Soph, I know you’re hiding something from me. You’ve been so fucking secretive lately, like you’re concealing a goddamn bomb.”
Forcing a weak smile, I try to sidestep her probing. “You’re reading too much into it, Wren. It’s just… Things have been pretty intense lately, that’s all.”
Her eyes narrow, clearly not buying my flimsy explanation. “Bullshit. We’ve been friends since we were wearing retainers, and I know when you’re lying. So out with it. What the hell is happening?”
My mouth opens to say something, but I halt as an unsettling shift ripples through the room. A pair of men in black suits materialize, their towering presence casting an ominous shadow. Their icy, predatory gazes give me cold shivers, and I catch the flicker of fear in Wren’s eyes.
Then, like a dark tide of sin and danger, more men emerge from the shadows, their very presence radiating an unsettling aura of trouble. A tense silence envelops the strip club, broken only by the faint rustling of clothing and the clinking of glasses as the patrons and staff, without a word, slip away like shadows into the night. It’s as if they all understand an unspoken rule: when trouble comes knocking, it’s best to make a swift exit and avoid its menacing grasp.
My breath catches in my throat as a chilling laugh echoes through the room. Aleks, a sinister smile on his face, steps forward, his presence casting a pall over the bar.
“Well, well, well,” he drawls, his voice dripping with malice. “What a lovely little reunion we have here. How touching.”
Wren’s face contorts with rage as she sizes up the man who’s invaded our sanctuary. “Who the fuck are you, and what do you want? Get the hell out of here!”
Aleks chuckles darkly, not the least bit fazed by her outburst. “Feisty, isn’t she?” he says, his eyes moving between Wren and me. “I like that in a woman. It makes things so much more…interesting.”
His predatory gaze lingers on me, sending a shiver of revulsion down my spine. Wren’s fury reaches a boiling point, and she lunges for the gun hidden beneath the bar. But before her fingers can close around the weapon, one of Aleks’s henchmen strikes her in the stomach, sending her crumpling to the floor, gasping for air.
“Wren!” I scream, horrified, my heart pounding in my chest as I watch my best friend struggle to breathe. Aleks’s laughter only grows louder, cruel and mocking, as I rush to Wren’s side, tears stinging my eyes.
