A/n: hey guys, look, I posted on Saturday. I wasn't sure this was going to make it up on time because we had a death in the family, but here we are. Thanks to ibewaiting (jennifer) for being my Beta. I really appreciate everything you do for me. Thank you guys so much for continuing to read my story and for your continued votes and comments.
I rode in with Marc. Brandon took off ten minutes earlier on his bike. It was beautiful. It was all chrome, black and bright colored flames that looked amazingly real. Brandon was like a proud father showing her off to me, telling me how long it took him to build her and the different techniques he used on the flames to get the depth and appearance of movement. I was impressed to find out that Brandon had a shop near North where he built custom bikes. It was apparently a thriving business for him. I might have to find out how much one costs. I know North has been talking about getting a new bike for a while. Maybe the rest of the family could chip in and we could buy one for him. Or at least put a significant down payment on one and let him finish hashing out details for the customization. For that matter, with how beautiful Brandon's bike was, maybe I could work out a deal with him to get him to make me one. He'd probably be thrilled to find out I could ride. But, Marc finally barked at him to take off because we needed to get going. Raven had already left in his black SUV. I asked Marc why we didn't all just drive in with Raven and they both laughed at me. Marc made some comment about needing me to get to the club in one piece as he climbed into his black truck after helping me up into it.
We headed up the highway toward North's place, and drove past the exit I would have taken to get there. It was another two exits before we got off the highway. The area becoming more rundown as we headed north. There were boarded up houses on every block, cars in the front yards, or on blocks on the street. Graffiti covered buildings, fences, abandoned homes, burned out street lights and some vehicles I doubted worked at all. The houses that looked like someone still lived in them were rundown and in only slightly better condition from the ones that had boarded windows. The whole neighborhood was depressed with it's dead grass, broken down cars and shoddy homes. It made me sad.
"I know, sunshine." Marc reached over and patted my knee. "The Academy is making progress, but they haven't made it this far yet. It's a slow process and we can only help those who want it. Some of these people don't think anything will help, or don't care enough to want help to change it." These were people hurting, bleeding out, who had given up hope of ever being saved. These people had nothing, so they had nothing to lose. From the looks of the various tags, gangs ruled these streets, and most likely, so did violence and drugs. They fed off of broken dreams.
"The club is in this neighborhood?" I asked, wondering what I was walking in to.
"It's still a mile or two down the road. The block it's on is marginally better than this area. It's still dangerous. Don't go outside alone. Don't drive to the club by yourself, or leave by yourself unless it's an emergency. The jewelry Corey gave you also has a gps tracker we can use to locate you if something happens." I nodded my understanding. I don't think I would willingly leave the confines of the club without one of the guys. This was a rough neighborhood. No wonder the gangs had gotten their hands in whatever the owners were doing.
"Can you hear me?" My earpiece came to life suddenly and made me jump in the car seat. Marc was just pulling into a fenced lot behind a large brick building covered in graffiti and gang tags. There wasn't any light back here from what I could tell. They probably kept it dark to hide the illegal activities that went on here. Not that I thought the police really paid much attention. By the looks of it, they had given up on this area as well.
"I can hear you loud and clear, Corey." I said quietly. Marc grinned over at me, likely hearing Corey or Axel in his earpiece as well, checking in before we headed inside. It was about an hour before club opening.
"Good. I'll stay quiet unless I need to convey instructions or information to you for some reason, otherwise, Axel and I will be here monitoring the mics and cameras. If you head into the restroom, we'll mute your mic. It'll still record, but we won't hear anything over the speakers and we'll look away from the camera. We need to keep tabs on you everywhere, especially since you're more vulnerable in the bathroom, but we'll try to respect your privacy as much as possible."
"Ok. If I need your attention for some reason I'll say 'unicorn', if I'm in trouble and need help, I'll say sunshine." I winked over to Marc to acknowledge his nickname for me.
"Got it. Unicorn for attention, sunshine for help." The earpiece was quiet after that. We had parked and Marc was at my door, offering a hand to help me down.
"We've all got our personalities established inside. Whatever happens, we have your back. Ok?" That's right. I'm not going to survive as sweet Sang Sorensen in this place. I'm Chastity Beltz. I cringed even thinking the name. This was going to be mortifying. But Marc had filled me in on the backstory on the drive to the club. Poor family, rough neighborhood. Everyone at the club is scraping by, living paycheck to paycheck, so we are too. Most of the waitresses grew up around here, so they are familiar with violence, drugs, and gangs. I was going to have to dig up some of my experience with my step mother and the abuse I endured in order to relate. But, instead of being broken, meek Sang, I would be loud and obnoxious Chastity who wouldn't take crap from anyone. I'm glad I had continued with the lessons from Nathan, I might need those fighting skills at some point on this mission. The Toma team assured me a few times that all I had to do was make nice with the waitresses and get some information. But it wasn't going to be that simple. Those girls weren't just going to welcome a stranger into their fold. I was going to have to prove myself to them. That probably meant going toe to toe with a few of them, or a couple of guys. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment to let the veil of my identity fall over me, and when I opened them back up and peered up at Marc, I was Chastity, his cousin from a crap family, struggling to get by and willing to fight if I needed to. I wasn't afraid of anything. I steeled myself, embracing the new me.
"Ok cuz, lead the way." I directed at Marc, my voice stronger and more authoritative than it was moments ago. It had an edge to it, my eyes had a glint that warned of trouble. I channeled my inner North and Gabriel. I'd need North's attitude and Gabe's mouth. Marc's mouth fell open as he stared at me. I whacked him on the arm. "What are you, fucking deaf? I swear Marc, if I get fired before I even get to work this shift I'm taking it out of your ass. You know I need this money." I crossed my arms under my chest and glared hard at him.
I had just noticed a girl pulling in as I opened my eyes. Her car a sad rust covered sedan. I think it had been maroon at one time. It was show time whether Marc realized it or not. He recovered quickly and shoved past me, acting pissed I told him off. I could tell, even in the short time we'd hung out together before this mission that his eyes weren't mad, they were soft, and I think I saw some respect in their depths. I jogged behind him to keep up with his long strides. He waited just inside the door for me to catch up.
"Look, Chas, I need this job as much as you do." He scowls at me in the dim hall. "If you fuck something up and get me canned I'll own your ass." Marc jabbed a finger in my chest, his eyes went hard.
"Screw you Marc. I'll probably be the best damned waitress they've got here." I threw back at him. I was actually enjoying this a little. Was that weird of me?
"Whatever. The office is back here. Follow me." He took off again, but at a more leisurely pace. The lights were on inside, but everything was still dark and it didn't look very pretty. The leather stools were beat up and the vinyl covered bench seats and couches didn't look any better. There were stains on the walls and the whole place smelled like stale cigarettes and sweat. It was gross. He leads me down another hallway beside the bar, there's a door that says 'Employees Only' and the next one says 'Richard Johnson, General Manager'. I do my best to cover my giggle at his name. Dick Johnson. Hilarious! The guys would go nuts over this. Except, I can't tell them. That sobers me up. Marc knocks on the door with three solid raps of his knuckle.
"Enter." A deep voice from within orders. I saw Marc take a deep breath, look at me out of the corner of his eyes and open the door. His shoulders back, a picture of relaxed confidence.
Mr. Richard Johnson sat behind a large mahogany desk. It was sleek and shiny under the fluorescents. Mr. Johnson was surprisingly young. He couldn't be much older than twenty-five. His cafe-au-lait skin was offset by carmel hair, cut short on the sides but left long on top, it was styled messy, as if he just crawled out of bed. His eyes were almost amber, a warm brown that was welcoming one moment and predatory the next. His smile that he flashed Marc was brilliant with perfect white teeth and a slight dimple in his left cheek. He was built too. The well tailored black suit jacket he wore strained around his shoulders and over his tree trunk arms. He was a beautiful man. Too bad he was likely pimping out underage girls.
"Hey boss, my cousin's here for her first shift. You said you wanted to meet her and go over a few rules?" Though Marc looks confident, his question of Mr. Johnson seems to make me think that this guy is the one in charge of everything. The club, the illegal activities at the club, the gang involvement, the potential prostitution ring, everything. This was the head honcho. Duly noted Marc. You may be in charge in other areas of this club, but in this room, you're nothing. Ugh. This guy hasn't said anything and he's living up to his name if Marc has to act like this around him.
"Yeah, yeah." He waves us in and motions to the chair in front of him. "Chastity is it?" His eyes roam over my exposed skin leaving a slimy trail, making me feel dirty and gross. "I can see the family resemblance. Sit down, sit down. Marc, you can go, thanks for bringing her to me." Marc nods and turns. He gives me an encouraging smile as he passes, shutting the door behind him.
"Thank-you, Mr. Johnson, for the opportunity." I start, sitting in the chair before him. I figured giving him attitude right off might get me kicked out, so I'll play the grateful employee.
"Marc tells me you're only seventeen?" Again his eyes roam over me and I am now counting down until I can get into Corey's shower.
"That's right, I just turned seventeen." I'm glad I already memorized the info on my fake license or I might have missed that. I thought they were kidding when they wanted me to pretend to be younger. I didn't think anyone would believe them. But, they all told me without a doubt people would believe I was younger. It was because I was smaller and more delicate. I wasn't as frail as I was at Ashley Waters, I had some serious muscle packed on, but I looked smaller than most girls my age and could easily pass as a girl who just turned seventeen. Also, if the other women thought I was younger, they'd be more likely to look out for me and protect me if they thought it was necessary.
"Well, you know I'm taking a chance with you. You need to be eighteen to serve alcohol in South Carolina, so I'm bending the rules for you. But, Marc assured me you're a smart girl and you'll keep your mouth shut about it. I've got a couple of other girls in the club serving who are under eighteen as well, so you should get along here fine. This week, you're working tonight, Wednesday and Thursday. If you work out, then I'll put you on the schedule for our busiest nights, Friday and Saturday." He paused, taking me in. "Interesting choice for your first night. The pink uniform. Most girls feel more comfortable in the black." He almost looked disappointed.
"Well, pink is my favorite color, so when Marc brought me the uniforms, I just knew I had to wear that one." I tried to skirt the insinuation that perhaps Marc warned me against the black. He did, but I didn't want Dick to know that.
"I'm going to pair you up with Trisha she's been here about two years, she's a fine waitress. You'll shadow her for a few hours and if you think you can handle it, I'll let you go solo. Stay out of the VIP section, that's reserved for our top girls. You need to prove yourself to me to make it there. It takes a special type of girl to work VIP." His smile turned lascivious and it took all my willpower to not shiver and make a face at him.
"Thank-you Mr. Johnson." I say, thinking I've been dismissed.
"One more thing, Ms. Beltz. Oh, you parents were cruel weren't they? Chastity Beltz. Oh my." I fight the urge to roll my eyes at him.
"They thought it was clever, sir. I've heard it all, so I'm pretty immune to anything anyone could come up with at this point." I turn to leave.
"I do need to verify one little detail before I let you out of the office. A matter concerning your uniform." Ugh. really? This guy is a total perv. He thinks I'm just barely seventeen and he wants to make sure my undies glow in the blacklight? I turn back to face him, halfway to the door.
"Sure, anything. I thought I met all of the requirements." He just grins at me as he flips a switch on his desk. The lights go out in his little office and black lights come on around the room, making things glow eerily. The stains on the carpet and the furniture glow brightly. I really hope it's just food or bleach and not some type of bodily fluid. I cringed at that thought. I may not be able to sit down in here again.
"Can you lift your skirt up a little. I need to make sure that caveat has been met, or I'll have to send you home and likely won't consider you for employment any longer." I give him a smirk and turn, inching my skirt up so he can see the plain white underwear glow brightly; hating to be exploited even this little bit, but if all the girls endure this treatment, better for me to get my job done as soon as I can to put a stop to it. So, I will endure the harassment for now. So many things I can never tell the guys about. They'd likely rip this guy's throat out, or at least make his life a living hell until he left the area. I hate secrets, but once the job is over, I can regale them with my adventure. I dropped my skirt and the lights came back on, blinding me for a moment.
"Was there anything else you needed from me, or can I go start my training?" I ask, a little attitude thrown in at this point. I don't want him to think he can take any additional liberties. I want him to think I'd be more trouble than I'm worth.
"You're good for now, I'll need you to stay a little late to finish some paperwork for me. I didn't want to bother with it if you weren't going to last." He has a glimmer in his eye as he mentally undressed me. I don't say anything else, I just leave.
"If nothing else, we should get him out of the club. That's disgusting! But, you handled yourself well. I'm sorry you had to endure that. He doesn't do the panty check with every new girl, but we should have warned you it was a possibility. If you want, I can crash his computer system. I'm already hacked in." Corey chirped in my ear. It made me smile, but I didn't respond. I walked by a couple of bruisers wearing black security shirts, they eyed me like a starving man at a buffet. This place totally gave me the willies. How did the other girls tolerate this?
Marc was leaning against the bar chatting and laughing with a few other girls in similar uniforms. An older girl with ebony skin and short black hair which was braided in a complex pattern, was wearing a white uniform. It looked stunning against her skin, however, they were right, you could see everything under that uniform. But, she seemed to be unphased at the exposure and acted confident. She was beautiful, tall, thin and willowy. I envied her. I wish I was even a few inches taller. Her large chestnut eyes seemed to catch everything around her as she stood straight, with her shoulders back and relaxed. She was perfectly proportioned and I instantly felt like a troll next to her. I didn't let it show though. Thank god for Academy training. I swaggered up to them, not missing a step or letting my mask slip.
The ebony skinned girl was standing across from Marc. The girl on his left was younger, maybe around my age, I'd say perhaps she was nineteen. She had skin the color of cocoa powder and was just a couple of inches taller than me. She was well endowed and her neon green top stretched tightly over her bust. Her skirt fell just above the lower portion of her cheeks, failing at completely covering her rear. Her chestnut hair had golden highlights, worn straight, falling to just below her shoulders. The girl to Marc's right was as tall as the ebony skinned girl. She was tanned, with long wavy blonde hair, and big blue eyes. She was wearing the blue uniform. She reminded me of models I'd seen on the cover of magazines. Where did Dick find these girls? They were beautiful. What was I doing here? Surely someone realized that I didn't belong with them. I caught Marc's attention as I approached.
"Hey there Chas. Let me introduce you to these fine young ladies." He drawled lazily as he leaned back against the bar. "This beautiful woman in white, who breaks my heart every shift because she turns me down, is Genisha." Genisha nodded hello. "This little beauty in green is Jasmin, and this heartbreaker," gesturing to the girl in blue, "Is Candy."
"Hey. I'm Chas." I smiled and waved. If I could just go with my nickname that Marc was calling me, that would save me so much hassle.
"So, you're Marc's cousin, huh?" Jasmine asked.
"Unfortunately." I rolled my eyes at him like it was a burden I had to bare. The girls all laughed at my joke.
"Seriously though, he's one of the nicer ones here. Watch out for some of the security guys. If they think they can get a show, they won't step in very quickly. The only two who have our back on the floor are Raven and Brandon."
"Is Chas short for something?" Candy asked, mischief in her eyes. She must know, or she wouldn't just ask like that.
"Yeah. Chastity, not that the name really fits or anything. But, my parents thought they were being clever or something." I shrug it off, hoping no one makes the connection to the last name. But no, Candy is someone I'm going to have to watch out for.
"So, Chastity Beltz?" She laughs humorlessly. "That is unfortunate."
"As I said, my parents thought they were being clever. Everyone just calls me Chas."
"When you were ten we started calling you Tity." Marc piped in, his grin huge.
"I swear to gawd, Marc, if you start that up here, I will cut your dick off." I glare at him. He unsuccessfully tries to cover a laugh by turning it into a cough.
Genisha puts an arm around my shoulder, "You've got spunk kid. You might just make it here at the club. Don't let anyone give you any shit, you hear me?" I nodded up at her, still awed by her beauty. "Who are you training with tonight?"
"Mr. Johnson-"
"Call him Dick, kiddo, cause that's what he is." Genisha winked at me. I barked out a laugh, not expecting comradery so quickly.
"Ok, Dick said that I would be training with Trisha tonight." I gauged the girls reactions. Candy frowned slightly but Jasmine and Genisha smiled, their eyes lighting up.
"You'll be on our side of the club. Trisha is one of our girls, she's good people. She'll watch out for you. You'll have me over there as well to help out if you need something too. Genisha is on the other side with Candy." Jasmine piped up excitedly. I felt much better being teamed up with these girls rather than Candy. I got the distinct impression that Candy ran with a different group at the club. I was a little afraid that the separation indicated those who may be involved in the prostitution and those who weren't, which meant that if Candy's crew was involved, I was going to have to make nice. Meh. That didn't appeal to me at all. I need to give it a few days though, get a sense of the crew and figure out how the cliques in the club worked.
"You're the fresh meat I've got to train tonight, huh?" I got a whiff of lillies as I felt the presence approach from behind. I turned to greet my trainer for the evening. My eyes met bare bronzed skin, I gazed upward and swear I had just come face to face with an amazon warrior. She wasn't willowy like Genisha, Trisha was built. Hard, sculpted muscle defined her. She had an obvious six pack a lot of guys would be envious of and reminded me of some pictures of female bodybuilders I'd seen. She wasn't the manly body builder, but she was toned and could probably hold her own against most men, punch for punch. I wouldn't have doubted it for a moment if she revealed she was a boxer or something. I guessed she was closer to Genisha's age and as tall as North or Silas, but only because of the heels on her shoes. They were a mile high.
"You must be Trisha. I'm Chas, I'll try not to make your night hellish." Trisha, Jasmine and Genisha all laughed at that. Candy was quiet next to Marc, watching my interactions like a hawk. Something was off about her.
"I like you already newb and you're so young and little! You're like a doll. The guys will eat you up." Trisha patted my head playfully. She wasn't being mean or condescending, so I wouldn't bark at her, but I didn't want her to think I was helpless. I might not be able to take her out in a fight, but I could hold my own pretty well, I was sure of that.
"They may be surprised to find that I bite back. I may look small, but I'm spunky and have been in my fair share of fights. I think I can hold my own." Trisha grinned down at me.
"You'll fit right in, hunny. Follow me, I'll get you acquainted with our section and show you how to submit drink orders and the such before the crowds get here." She walked off toward the far end of the club where plush couches sat.