‘He pushed you away to protect himself, and you. Everything he has done has been his fucked-up way of trying to handle a situation, badly. I didn’t get it at first … not until you were gone.’
I look at him like he has two heads. Not pulled in by this BS and definitely not about to fall for some touching deeper understanding of his cousin. Alexi lacks depth … there is no hidden emotional layer. I have found that out time and time again.
‘Humiliating me and making me feel worthless? That’s not keeping me safe, that’s just a sadist who likes to screw your head up. He doesn’t get off on physically hurting women; he gets off on control and destruction of their emotions and mind. Mico, I adore you … but please. When it comes to Alexi just accept that I will never let him hurt me again, and you don’t know the half of what he did to me, only what you witnessed. Your loyalty is cute but misguided, and Alexi is just a cold bastard who sees dollar signs written all over me. I can live with that, I have accepted it is what it is. What I mean to him.’ I pat him affectionately on the shoulder. Pushing down all he’s making me feel and refusing to get mad or upset at this. I slide past behind him, signalling the end of this stressful conversation, to see what the girl at the bar is flapping her hands at. She is waving at me erratically and distracting me, thankfully. Mico just lets me walk off with a lingering look of mild agitation and am relieved to let that topic go to bed.
‘What is it?’ I snap at her when I get close, leaning over the bar and look down to see blood splattered all over her skirt and shirt. I realise she’s flapping around a sliced finger and there’s a smashed glass on the floor.
‘For God’s sake, stop that, put something on it and go see Mike at the back door. He is the first aider.’ I tut at her and slide into the bar via the lift hatch on the counter to take over for a minute. Wiping down the blood she leaves behind with a cloth and disinfectant spray and chuck it in the sink for her to deal with.
I take a few minutes to sweep up the glass and clean up her mess before she appears back beside me with a bandaged hand and a smile on her childish face.
‘Mike’s hot … I so would.’ She blushes, assuming we have some girly camaraderie, and I ignore her as she heads back to the far end to serve someone who has staggered over. Disinterested in which men my staff would fuck in here.
I let myself out the open end which leads to the hall and walk smack bang into the smug prick I have been avoiding all night.
Just bloody great!
Fuck my night!
Not Alexi this time, but Tyler, as he makes his way to the restroom beside the kitchen. It’s like being shocked with a taser and my blood runs cold as every part of my skin prickles with hatred. I exhale heavily.
‘Well, well, look what the cat dragged in?’ He slurs my way, obviously intoxicated and the stench of booze on his breath hits me in the face. He looks me up and down, blocking my escape and leans out in front of me with a hand on the wall, so I can’t get past. Dressed like a typical street goon in a cheap suit and tie, a little step up from his usual attire but still … he looks like shit.
I take a deep breath and try not to show him that every part of my body has hit the adrenaline shakes, and my mind is practically clawing at me to get the hell away from him—instant claustrophobia. I stand taller, rest my hands across my chest as I cross them and do a good job of holding my own.
‘Tyler.’ I try for polite and lift my chin a little higher, refusing to be intimidated by this creep, even if he did try to kill me and dump me in the river. My time with him is long gone, he’s nothing compared to Alexi in terms of torment. If I can handle Carrero, then Tyler is nothing but an irritating fly in my soup.
‘Camilla, Camilla.’ He slurs again, obviously a little lax on the booze, and he takes a long, slow, sleazy appraisal of me. Eye raping me disgustingly and let’s his putrid eyeballs nestle on my tits for the longest time.
‘Can I help you with something?’ I try not to show my obvious hatred for the moron or the way my skin is crawling; Business tone on and a charming fake smile—Hostess under pressure.
‘Check you, looking all Queen Carrero in his little kingdom. Never pegged you for the manager type. What did you do to win the big guy’s favour? Bend over and take it anytime he wants it to get this job? Suck him off like the pro you are and wrap him around those little fingers, you devious bitch.’ He laughs at his own comment, a snarly, almost creepy smile, and I just push down the urge to punch him in the throat. Obvious jealousy that someone he deemed fish food found a higher standing than him in his own world. That must bite like a bitch.
‘Classy. Can see you have no concept of someone’s usefulness.’ I sigh heavily again and try to move past him to get away from this agonising conversation, but he blocks my way for a second time. Moving himself physically in front of me and halts my passing. I simmer my anger and try to just hold my shit together.
‘I remember how useful you were … makes me get an ache in my pants. Baby, you look so very fuckable in this get up.’ He breathes on my face, leaning forward, and I lean back away from it. Dodging booze stink and trying not to gag at both his shit come on lines and the smell of the little rat.
‘Fuck off Tyler, go have a wank somewhere that’s not my club. No one needs to witness those levels of horror.’ I try for a third attempt to get past him, but he blocks me again, bodily moving in right against me this time, running a grubby finger down my arm and I shrink away, slapping at it.
‘Don’t touch me!’ I warn, hackles rising as irritation moves to anger at the nerve of him. I hate that the creep still thinks he has a right to put a hand on me.
‘Touch you? I used to have these pretty red lips wrapped around my dick anytime I wanted. I miss them, figured when Carrero tosses you in the trash we might make ourselves a new little arrangement.’ He runs his finger up over my lips and I recoil as though he has just burned me; Shoving his fingers away with so much rage swimming through me. Despising the very air he breathes.
He literally makes my skin crawl and I step back, putting some space between us and cringe visibly. Nausea swirling up from both anxiety and the fact he is vile.
‘Look, baby. I sucked your tiny little prick because I had no alternative to get what I needed. It was so bad; I think I might only eat girls for the rest of my life. You left me traumatised. Not even battery acid could remove the taste of your rotten shrimp from my mouth, for months.’ I flutter my lashes at him innocently, words steeped in venom, and that nasty snarl spreads across his face as fury ignites.
‘Soon as he cuts you loose, you and I are going to play. Put you back where you belong. Your face in my lap.’ He grinds his teeth at me, obviously angered and losing his cool. The threat in the tone is genuine and he means every word.
As much as I stand and smirk and act like I don’t care, the rage inside of me is eating me up. I open my mouth to retort with a sassy put-down to show this little prick where his place is, and then jump when Alexi’s voice moves in behind me. My body freezes with the approach of body heat at my back and then strangely sags as soon as I know for sure it’s him. I can sense it’s him, even without his voice, and I physically relax. Not triggered with him behind me the way I normally am, because he signals safety.
Tyler is in so much trouble now.