Chapter 3

Unable to comprehend what this man is saying, I can only stare at him, baffled. "What does that even mean?" I asked.

The man lifted a brow. "Exactly the way it sounds." 

My heart raced in my chest. Was this man saying he wanted me and not the money? But for what?

"No, absolutely not!" My father chimed in. "Shoot me. I know precisely how your girls turn out. They all end up pregnant and spend the rest of their lives as mob wives." He said, shaking his head in refusal. 

My eyes grew wide. 

"If you don't shut up, I'm going to shoot you and still keep her." The tattooed man proclaimed in a deep voice.  

"What exactly does this entail?" I asked hesitantly. "What do you want me for?" I added. 

"Bristol, don't do this." My father pleaded with me. 

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The man sent a right hook to my father's head, knocking him out of the chair. 

"DADDY!" I screamed, worried, and I was quickly at his side, but the man grabbed me, dragging me away, and pinned me against the wall. 

"Give me an answer!" He barked. 

This man was pure evil, and he got off on my fear, but there is also something unexplainable in his eyes of sapphire. 

"You promise to leave my father alone?" I asked softly. 

His hand went above my head as he leaned into me, bringing his lips to my ear. "You have my word." He whispered. "But this is not a one-night thing. It's the rest of your life." He added. 

"Please, Bristol!" father begged. 

The man's body tensed against mine, and I knew he was going to kill my father if I didn't answer. He moved away from me to go after my father, but I gripped his firm bicep, pulling him back to me. "It's a deal." I swallowed as I sealed my fate. 

The all too familiar smirk appeared on the man's face. "Good girl." 

"Why would you agree?" My father said in sobs. 

I gave my father a regretful glance. "Daddy, I don't have a choice," I explained. 

"Enough talk time to say goodbye." The tattooed man said, clearly satisfied he won. 

"NO!" father said.

"Daddy, stop! Take care of yourself. No more gambling. Promise me." I said. 

A heavy breath heaved in my father's chest. "I promise." He agreed. 

When he tried to come towards me, the bouncer snatched him up real quick. 

"Hey! Let him go," shouting. I faced the tattooed man. "Really? It's like that? I can't even hug my father goodbye? I just gave you my entire life for GOD knows what, and this is all I get?" 

"Boss, we don't have time for this. Club opens in an hour." The bouncer said, annoyed. The dumb-dumb can actually speak what a surprise he's not a robot. I thought.

Annoyed, the man sighed. "Hurry!" He ordered. 

The bouncer looked at his boss and shook his head, and he ignored his goon. 

I brought my attention back to my father and stepped over to him, wrapping him in my arms. "I will be okay as long as you don't do anything stupid, don't go to the police. That will only get us both killed." I whispered, and my father nodded in understanding. "I love you, and don't forget to eat. Ask Brinley for help if you need to." I added. 

"What am I supposed to tell your friends?" My father asked, which was a good question. What would we tell my friends when I suddenly have a different life?

Tattoo guy stepped forward, interrupting our talk. "You tell them she works for me at the club, but if you tell them anything else, she is dead." 

"Fine!" my dad huffed, then held his head low. He felt defeated and guilty for getting me into this mess, but I would do anything for him. He is all I have left. 

The man threw the keys at my father. "Now, leave before I change my mind." 

without another word, they escort my father out, and tears flood my eyes. 

"Don't cry, Barbie. I think you will like it here," he chuckled, which enraged me. 

I glared daggers at him. "I hate you," I hissed, turning away from him. 

"You can hate me all you want, but I own you, so get downstairs and put your uniform on," he said, tossing a small pair of shorts with a top that looked like it would barely fit one breast, let alone two. 

I rolled my eyes at him and stomped for the stairs like a toddler. I felt his gaze on me the entire way out. 

After changing, I pulled my long hair into a messy bun and grabbed an apron from a nearby shelf in the stockroom full of beer bottles and liquor. 

"Ugh, here goes nothing," I mumbled to myself, then headed for the bar. 

The club filled up fast, and music blared while couples danced and ordered drinks. I leaned against the bar, waiting for the bartender to get my order as I glanced over the sea of people. 

"What do you need?" An unfamiliar voice shouted over the bass, and I faced him. Before answering, I looked over his features. He was young, maybe a few years older than me, but still in college. Boyband tousled hair and a killer smile. He differed from the tattoo guy. His demeanor was friendly. 

"Sex on the beach." Finally, giving him an answer. 

He grinned. "So soon, we just met." He laughed. 

I shook my head in disappointment. "Really?" I pursed my lips, annoyed. "That was pathetic." I declared with a straight face, but then a small smile formed.  

"But it got you to smile."

"Can I just get my drink?" I said, scratching my temple with annoyance. 

"Coming right up." He smiled, and I couldn't help but laugh under my breath at his humor. 

As he walked off, I focused back on the crowd when I saw the tattooed man standing on the balcony. The tattooed man had his eyes trained on me. I rolled mine at him, annoyed, and turned away from him, but who I found myself looking at next was not expected. 

"What the hell Bristol!" Cole sneered. 

With my eyes wide, I tried pushing him to go back the other way. "You need to leave and like now." 

Cole gripped my wrist. "Like hell I will," he shouted. "You disappear and tell no one what's going on. Then I find you working at the same club. What are you fucking the owner?" 

I gave him a look of disgust. "Oh my God, I'm working. Can you please leave? Before you get me in trouble." 

Cole shook his head slowly from side to side. "Wow, you won't give it up to me, but you spread your legs for the club owner."

I'm taken back by his assumption. "That's all you ever think about." 

"Everything okay here?" the bartender asked, looking between the both of us. 

"Mind your damn business!" Cole yelled. 

I held my hand up to the bartender. "It's okay. He was leaving. Can I have my drink, please?" I said, holding out my tray for him to place the drink on. 

"Yeah, here you go." He placed it on the tray while eyeing Cole. 

As I walked away, Cole yanked me back, causing the drink to hit the floor. "Damn it, Cole!"

"Don't walk away from me." Cole threatened, clearly pissed about being dismissed. "You are mine. Let's leave now!" He demanded, pulling me away as I struggled to getaway. 

"COLE, STOP!" I screamed, tugging at his grip. 

Within seconds, the tattooed man had Cole at the base of his neck, pointing a pistol in his face. "She is mine. Get that straight!"' The man snarled with a tight grip on Cole.

My body shook from fear, but I stepped between the two men with my back against the tattooed man's chest, separating them even though Cole was an ass. I didn't want to see him dead. "Cole, leave now, please," I begged, and he could tell I was trying to save him from something terrible. 

"Fine." He huffed and walked away, glancing back at us over his shoulder. 

A heavy sigh escaped me, thinking I avoided my boyfriend getting killed. When I faced the boss, he looked furious. Shit. I thought. He pulled me off the club floor, pushing me towards the back room. 

As he stopped, he spun me around to face him. His large hand covered my jawline quickly. "Are any more of your friends going to cause problems?" 

I shook my head no. 

"Of he comes back, he is dead." He swore. 

I nodded in agreement, unable to give him an actual answer since his grip was tight on me. He dropped his grip and walked away, but I stopped him by placing my hand on his forearm, and he glanced down at my hand. "Since you say I'm yours, can you at least tell me your name?" 

The tattooed man hesitated but proceeded anyway. "Alek." and walked out. 

After what happened, I needed a few minutes to let my brain catch up, so I sat in the room, and the bartender walked in. 

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, his expression concerned. 

"Yeah," I answered, looking down at my feet, a bit embarrassed. 

"The boss seems protective of you. He usually never interferes with personal affairs." He stated. 

I laughed. "And you think that's a good thing?" and I continued laughing, but it turned hysterical at my expense. "My life is so fucked." I added, I felt laughing was the only thing that could help to avoid crying. 

"Alek is a dangerous man, and to have him on your side is not a bad thing." He exclaimed, making excuses for this man. Ugh, that irritated me. 

I huffed. "Oh great, you know what his man is capable of, yet you support it."  

The bartender sat on a box across from me. "Hey, I don't know why you ended up here, but he is my boss and has given me a chance when most wouldn't."''' He explained. 

I scratched my head in irritation. "I don't exactly want to be here, as you can see." 

He glanced down, realizing I'm not here of my own free will. "Sorry, I didn't know the full story, but we need to get back out there before Alek comes back and accuses me of messing around with you, and that would be the death penalty for me." 

My brows knitted together, confused. "He only wants me as a slave." 

He chuckled. "That you got wrong, he doesn't do what he just did for someone he wants as a slave." He declared, standing.  

"Whatever," I replied, blowing it off. 

"The name's Kevin, by the way." He said, holding his hand out. 

For a moment I hesitated, but then gripped his hand, shaking it firmly. "Bristol." 

"Nice to meet you, Bristol." 

I gave him a slight smile, then walked past him, going back to work. 

The night was dragging on and only got busier. Alek stood on the balcony watching over the crowd, but I kept catching him gawking at me. I think little of it, only that he is making sure I don't run. 

"Here's your whiskey," Kevin said, placing it down on the bar for me to grab. 

"Thanks." I turned on my heels through the crowd towards the business executive who ordered the whiskey. 

At the table, I placed the man's drink gently down on a napkin. "Here you go Sir. Anything else I can get you?" 

The man gave me a once over and seemed sceptical of my appearance. "You don't even look old enough to work here." 

With a sigh, I forced myself to be nice. "Well, I am Anything else?" 

"How about when you get off we go out on the town?" The man suggested, and I cringed. 

"Sorry sir, I'm seeing someone." I lied because technically I was on the outs with Cole, so I was really single, but didn't want him to know that. 

He eyed me as if he was reading my mind. "Oh really? I'm sure he is not a man. You seem like the type that dates total douchebags." The man laughed. 

I sent him an icy glare. "That would be none of your business. Now if that is all I need to get back to work." I said, not giving the man any more of my time and walking back to the bar. 

As I approached, Kevin came over. "What was that all about?" 

I placed the tray down, flopping down on the barstool. "Creeper tried to hit on me."

Kevin chuckled. "That happens a lot here." 

"I'm just glad it's almost over." I said in relief. 

"Oh, but wait for tomorrow its men only." Kevin explained. 

"Wait what?!" I asked, surprised. 

"Yeah, you didn't know?" Kevin asked. 

"Oh god what happens on men's only night?" I asked, ready to take back my question. "Wait, not sure I want to know." 

Kevin broke out in laughter. "Let's just say it involves strippers." He continued to laugh and shot me a wink. 

I placed my hand over my face. "Maybe I should have let him kill me." 

"Who?" Kevin asked with his brows knitted, perplexed. 

"Nothing, I'm going to clean off some tables." I said, taking my tray with me. 

The club slowly emptied, with few patrons left. I helped Kevin wash the glasses and refill the liquor wall. 

"Sure you are old enough to be doing this?" Kevin grinned as he wiped a glass dry. 

My eyes glared at him. "Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm not a child." 

"Sorry you look so youthful your beauty has everyone stunned." Kevin said. 

My cheeks flushed red. "well thanks, but I'm eighteen so I'm youthful." I explained. 

"Wow." was all Kevin could say. 

"What?" I replied, curious why he seemed so shocked. 

"The boss likes them young." He laughed. 

My mind rambled. Is Alek a lot older than me? Was he wanting me for one thing and one thing only maybe he knew I was a virgin?

I cleared my head of the thoughts. "Geez, is he old or something?" 

"Nah, he had to mature early when leading a mafia came at a young age because he lost his family." Kevin told me. 

"Oh." was all I could say because I felt terrible for this man, even though he forced me to give up my life for my father. 

"Hey, I got to run to the back and grab some tequila. You okay here by yourself?" Kevin exclaimed. 

"Yeah, Ill be fine." 

Kevin hurried off toward the stockroom.

With my back to the patrons, a familiar voice spoke. "Bristol?"