Chapter 1

JUNE

June was starting to regret gulping down five shots of gin just for five hundred bucks. The money was too much to pass up, too tempting, so with a forced smile, she'd poured them down her throat. Now she was paying the price.

Five hundred dollars had felt like jackpot earlier, but now with her vision blurring and her legs barely holding up, she wished she hadn't taken up the weird man's offer.

He got off watching her get drunk, and she was stuck with a throbbing headache. She'd thrown up twice, and a third was coming up fast. A high-pitched ringing in her ears turned every sound around her into a distant echo.

God, she hated this job, but it paid well and for someone responsible for fending for four mouths, she had no choice. But it was becoming too much for her, like she was teetering on the edge of a literal breakdown.

June groaned, slumping down on a crate in the backroom before burying her head between her knees. This night needed to end already.

June stayed like that, hunched over, until the spinning stopped and the pounding in her head dulled enough for her to stand. Her legs trembled beneath her, but she forced herself to move and staggered to the sink. She avoided her reflection as she rinsed her mouth under the tap, not needing to see the mess she was right now.

When she finally left the restroom and stumbled into the hallway, her gaze landed on a familiar girl standing by the wall with a huge guy looming over her.

She vaguely remembered the girl's name as Lola because they both worked part time at the same cafe. They didn’t talk, mostly because June sucked at making friends or even small talk. She preferred staying in her lane, keeping to herself.

The hallway by the strip club’s back entrance was almost always deserted, so it was just the three of them.

Lola was tall, but the man easily towered over her. He was built like a linebacker and his face screamed trouble.

They were talking, but June's head was still too foggy to make out what they were saying.

She decided to hurry along in case she was interrupting something when she heard a smack.

The sharp sound stopped June in her tracks. She snapped her head towards them, blinking through the haze. Lola was clutching her cheeks, glaring hard at the man.

"I don't know where the hell your money is." She yelled at the man's face.

The man wasn't done. He grabbed her throat, shoving her against the wall. "You fucking slut, I gave you my card last time. Where is my money?"

"I don't have your card, or your money, piece of shit." Lola clawed his hand.

He let her go with a shove. "Where is my fucking money?"

June's stomach dropped, and the dizziness she felt cleared in an instant. Before she knew it, her legs were carrying her to Lola. She crouched beside Lola to check her face. "You good?"

Lola gave a shaky nod, though her face was twisted in pain.

Anger heated her blood, she straightened and squared her shoulder to face the man. "What the hell?"

"None of your business." The man glared down at her with a dismissive look. "Walk away."

It wasn't her business, she barely knew Lola, but she couldn't let this asshole hurt Lola because of some stupid cash.

"No, you walk away. She said she doesn't have your money."

The guy’s face twisted into a sneer. “You better walk away, bitch,” he said, shoving her by the shoulder. June stumbled but caught herself.

She shot back "Your mother raised you to hit women?"

His eyes flashed with anger, and he took a step toward her, making her brace herself for his worse. “You wanna repeat that?”

June knew she should shut up. Should walk away like he said. But maybe it was the gin, or maybe it was that part of her that couldn’t stand assholes like this, she shot him a cold smirk.

“Bet the bitch is your mother. Clearly, she didn’t teach you not to hit women."

The man lunged at her, his hand swinging before she could react. She dodged it but the slap still landed on her neck with a sharp sting.

It snapped the last bit of fogginess right out of her head, leaving her glaring up at him.

“You feel better now?” she spat as she ignored the sting radiating through her skin. “Did that slap boost your fragile little ego?”

With the way she loved to run her mouth, one would think she would know how to defend herself, but no, she couldn't hold her punch. Not against this huge man anyway.

"What?" The man cocked his head, equal parts disbelief and rage. Well, that made both of them. The alcohol in her system was still working its magic, apparently.

"Need me to repeat that too?"

He looked ready to take another swing when two bouncers appeared from nowhere, dragging him back. He shouted and struggled, cursing she and Lola as he was hauled away.

She crouched down again and lifted Lola gently by the waist before leaning her back against the wall. “You good?"

"Yeah." Lola pressed her hand against her head.

June's eyes caught a drop of blood trailing down Lola’s face. “Your head’s bleeding. You should probably get to the hospital.”

Lola wiped at her forehead with her hand, pulling it back to see the smeared blood. “Shit... guess I’ll use his money to pay for it.”

June blinked. “Wait… you took his money?”

"Yep." A wheezy laughter escaped her mouth.

“You’re insane,” June said, though she couldn’t stop the incredulous smile spreading across her face.

"Whatever. They are just assholes anyway." Lola shrugged, pulling a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. She lit one up and took a slow drag before blowing the smoke toward the ceiling.

June shook her head, half in disbelief, half in admiration. “Unbelievable,” she muttered, and glanced down the hallway where the bouncers had dragged the guy away. “You planned that, didn’t you?” The bouncers were here at the right time for it to be a coincidence. She had someone call them.

The ways she shrugged was enough answer for June.

"What if he tracks you?" June asked as she eyed the bleeding cut on Lola's forehead.

Smoke curled from her mouth as she wiggled a wristwatch in the air. The glint of gold caught in the dim light. “Doubt it. The guy’s so rich, he probably doesn’t even care. Look.” She smirked. “He wears a Rolex.”

"You stole his watch too." This girl was something else.

"He dropped it," Lola corrected. "And I picked it up."

She was amused by this as she lowered herself to the floor, her legs folding beneath her as she sat beside Lola. "I deserve a cut for taking a hit for you."

"Not my fault you jumped in." Lola's eyes flicked sideways, though her voice held no malice.

"So, I guess it's my fault for helping you."

"Not my words." A small chuckle broke through her words.

They both laughed quietly before silence settled in, broken only by the soft sizzle of the cigarette as Lola took another puff. Smoke swirled around them, and June found herself staring at it, momentarily lost in thought.

"You know smoking isn't allowed in the club." She glanced at Lola out of the corner of her eye. June doubted that she cared.

"Don't care," Lola's shrug proved her right.

“Of course.” June let out a small sigh as the strangeness of the moment hit her. She wasn’t used to this—talking, laughing, sitting next to someone like this. She usually kept to herself, kept others at arm’s length. And yet here she was, feeling oddly… okay.

Lola pulled her cigarette from her lips and let dangle between her fingers. "You know I always think you were a stuck-up bitch."

"What?"

Lola waved the cigarette in the air as if explaining the obvious. “I mean, you never talk to anyone. Not here, not at the café.”

June raised both of her eyebrows.

"Yeah."

"I—." June started, but stopped herself. She was about to explain that it wasn’t because she thought she was better than everyone. But because she didn’t know how to connect, she was awkward as hell. Instead, she muttered, “Whatever.”

Lola chuckled before her expression shifted into something mischievous. “Oh, by the way, I saw your VIP walk into the club earlier.”

June’s heart skipped, knowing who Lola was referring to, but she kept her face passive.

“I don’t have a VIP."

Lola raised an eyebrow, cigarette dangling between her lips again. “Please. The man only shows up here every Friday just to see you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She mumbled.

"Oh, please you're blushing," Lola teased.

"I'm not." She shot back, though the heat rising in her cheeks betrayed her. "I find him extremely annoying." And she did so much.

He was a perfect picture of a cocky, handsome, arrogant and rich man. He seemed bored to death and was using her to pass the time. She could tell he just wanted a plaything, a body to warm his bed and June refused to be such for any man.

"Sure," Lola snorted.

She furrowed her forehead. "how did you even know this?"

Lola took another drag, blowing the smoke out slowly before smirking. “You’d be surprised how much people know about you.”

June’s lips twisted into a thin line. “I’m honored, I guess.”

"You don't want to keep him waiting." Lola said with a knowing voice, and she rolled her eyes.

For a few minutes, she stayed seated just for the love of it. As she finally stood to leave, she hated the way anticipation coiled in her chest. There was something about the idea of seeing him that unsettled her. Annoyance, sure. Irritation, definitely. But the thrill? That she couldn't help.