Page 66 of Dozer

During this general time frame, I fucked up a few times and had to be punished, but nothing major. A couple of strikes of the cane once, and ten minutes kneeling on rice a few times, but that was as bad as it got for a while — but then I had an orgasm whenI wasn’t allowed the first time he fucked my pussy after being pierced, and he put me on the fucking machines with a dildo in my ass and another in my mouth for three hours, andthenmade me kneel on rice for twenty minutes with a butt plug coated in hot pepper oil in my already-raw ass.

Most days, I wasn’t chained or locked up when Master left for work. He was back to working four ten-hour days now, rather than the three twelve-hour days he’d apparently worked for a while so he could have an extra day home with me. He’d still put me on my chain sometimes, and I had a feeling it was just a reminder, and not because he thought I wanted to escape.

When he decided I had learned all I could learn working in the laundry, I shadowed the people who worked in the bike shop office a few days, and then spent two eleven-hour-days a week handling customer service. Well, I had a thirty-minute break to eat, so it was really ten and a half hours, but it wassomuch better than folding clothes at the laundry. After about a month of that, Dozer decided I was up to being a waitress.

They gave me two tables the first day, the same two tables the next day, but then I went to the office to eat dinner with Dozer, and when I came back out, they added two more tables, so I had four.

On my fifth day, they gave me six tables and it was hell, but I managed mostly okay. The other servers had from six to ten tables, but I was never assigned more than six. My paychecks were a lot bigger here because the tips were substantial, but when I considered the cost of, well,everything, I realized I was busting my ass and still not making enough so I could live on my own. Not that I wanted to, but it seemed important I make enough I could support myself if I had to. I never again wanted to be in a position where I might have to go begging for help.

However, when I told Dozer I realized I wasn’t making a living wage, he sat down with me and showed me that somepeople do live on what they make as a waitress. He drove me to some of the cheap apartments in town, and even had me set an appointment to look at one of them and pretend I was considering moving into it. The place was horrid, and itsmelled. The appliances were awful, and the bathroom looked like something from a horror movie despite the fact it was clean.

But if I lived close enough to work and a grocery store so I could ride a bike, and if I bought only cheap food at the grocery store and never ate out at a restaurant, and if I was super-careful with the electricity, I could manage to live in that apartment on what I’d make as a waitress. But there would be no new clothes, and only one of the budget streaming services at a time. Also, I’d have to save up for six or eight months so I could buy dishes, silverware, towels, and a used television, because once I started having to support myself, there would be no money to save and hardly any money for extras.

It was disheartening, but it made me want to do my absolute best once I began apprenticing to be a tattoo artist.

And when I talked to the other waitresses, I learned most of them had a roommate, and that meant they could afford a cheap car, and a few extras here and there if they were super careful with their budget. One of them made dog collars and dog coats she sold online. Another was about to start cosmetology school to learn how to do nails, so she could work for the MC’s new salon, eventually. The MC was footing some of her tuition, which she’d pay back slowly over time once she was working as a nail tech.

And I’d eventually start apprenticing to be a tattoo artist. I had plans, and it felt good.

Chapter 51

Dozer

“We’ll have a visitor from the Charlotte chapter this week,” Duke told us during church. “If we like him and his ol’lady, I hope he’ll decide to transfer to us.”

“His ol’lady runs a body-mod shop,” Brain told us. “She specializes in scarification, though she also pierces. From what I understand, she runs a tight ship and manages the money end with a tight fist, and the employee end with a mix of compassion and attitude. She’s five-foot two inches tall, and they call her Babysaurus. ”

“We recruitin’ the brother or his ol’lady?” Gonzo asked.

“Her ol’man is part of the deal, sure,” Brain said, “but we’re hoping to convince their son to make the move as well. He’s only been patched a few years, but he’s a certified restoration expert. He’s a mechanic with some impressive certifications, too, but his talents are inside the driving compartment — dash, seats, flooring, doors. We have a decent upholsterer, finally, but as our reputation has grown, so have his hours, and we’re keeping him busy six and sometimes seven days a week.”

“Davy’s good, but he doesn’t deal well with stress, and he works long hours nearly every day of the week to help us stay on schedule,” Bubbles said. “He was good with it at first because he was just happy to have a job, but it’s not healthy for him anymore. I’ve talked to Brain about the need to either stopaccepting so many jobs that require upholstery, or looking at hiring someone he can share the load with.”

“We’ll get three people if this works out,” Duke said. “Babysaurus’s ol’man works security for their escort service. Their hotel and attached restaurant is totally legit, but one floor of it’s for the whores. It’s similar to the deal Marco’s setting up, and you all know we’re looking at either going into it as a joint venture, or merely acting as management during the daytime on a contract basis. Either way, we’ll manage the daytime business, and his vampires will come in thirty minutes after the sun sets. We’ll be responsible for making sure any girls purchased for the night make it home the next morning.”

“Which brings us to the next agenda item to vote on,” said Brain. “I’m advocating for us to go in as business partners on this — half owners. Gen is negotiating a deal for Marco to purchase a downtown hotel with a restaurant. They’re asking nearly nine million, but the game plan is to offer around seven and a half mil, with the understanding we’re looking at around two million in renovations. Some of that will go towards creating vampire-safe rooms, and those are in high demand despite the fact they go for three times what a regular room does. I figure our part of it, purchase price plus reno, will be approximately six million, because we all know how renovations go.”

“We have it,” Duke said, “but it’ll take us below where I like to be. I’d rather we not be out more than four million, at the present time.”

“Marco is used to running high-class escorts,” Slick said. “We’re known for having clean girls who can provide a service in a safe environment at our whore hotel, but that’s not the same as high class. His girls dress well, use proper English, and have had enough of a formal education to carry on a conversation with a successful businessman. Totally different clientele, and fees forgoing upstairs with a girl are many multiples of what it takes to buy one of our girls for an hour or two.”

“We need another two mil? So four of us loan half a mil to the club. Or eight of us loan a quarter mil,” Bubbles said with a shrug. “Brain can come up with a schedule to pay us back, but assuming we’ll all be whole within two years, I can pony up.”

Five minutes later, we had more than enough funds, and we voted to be business partners with Marco.

“Next item,” Duke said, “and sorry to blindside you with this Dozer, but we’re wondering when you’re going to tell Daisy you’re a wolf.”

I sat back in my chair and kept my face blank. “Was considering doing it when we return from our official honeymoon, or maybe waiting until the first anniversary of our quickie ceremony.” Our big wedding date was set six months from our quickie ceremony. Well, two days short of six months, but we wanted a Saturday wedding, and it was still close enough to be a half-anniversary. I’d get to celebrate marrying her twice a year, on our official anniversary and then on our half-anniversary.

“I think you’re in danger of an ol’lady revolt if you don’t do it soon,” Bash warned. “Angelica and Connie are thinkin’ of ways to not-so-accidentally tell her what they are, and I think they have Brianna convinced to help them make it legal, when they tell her.”

Fuck. Brianna was the mate of the Ringgold Alpha, and she could absolutely make it legal.

Because of my history of pissing off the ol’ladies, I’d kind of lost the moral authority to tell my brothers to control their women.

Angelica, Connie, and Brianna couldn’t tell her I’m a wolf, but once she found out they are, and learned about the ability to hear and scent that came with being one, she’d immediatelyunderstand that’s how I know when she’s lying, and everything else I know by scent, without her telling me.

“Harmony wants in on it, but she’s agreed not to because I’ve asked her to stay out of it,” Brain said.

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