Page 30 of Dare to Dance
“Three,” Kross’s brother said in a light tone. He pointed to Kross. “But he’s the one you don’t want to fuck with.” He wasn’t as broad in the chest as Kross, and his hair was shaggier.
“Kody,” Kross said, his eyes fixated on me. “Can you make sure Penelope and her friends are okay. I’ll be just a minute.”
“Nice to see you, Ruby.” Kody sauntered off, leaving me alone with two angry men.
Kross glared at me as though I was the one who had never returned his calls. “You and I are talking before I leave here.”
“Oh, now you want to talk? Years go by, and out of the blue, I’m supposed to drop what I’m doing to talk to you? Yeah, think again. I have a job to do, and you’re interfering.”
“No, you don’t,” Tommy said. “We had a deal. You’re fired.” He held his bruised jaw.
Like hell I was. “As I said, I’m finishing my shift.” I glowered at Tommy then Kross. “We have nothing to discuss.”
Kross folded his large arms over his chest. “I’m not leaving, darling.”
“I’m not your darling. You lost the right to call me that when you all but ran like Freddy Krueger was chasing you.”
Tommy disappeared into his office.
Kross pushed up the sleeves of his shirt, exposing the head of a snake on his right forearm. He looked ready to rumble.
I laughed. “Is that move supposed to scare me?” The man I knew wouldn’t hit me. He was frustrated, but I wasn’t about to let him bully me into talking when he wanted me to.
“I said I was sorry for not returning your calls.” His voice was softer.
“Kross.” The blonde wiggled her curvy hips up to him. “What’s going on?”
I had a sudden urge to tell the girl to take a hike. But once again, she was the perfect distraction.
“I’ll give you time.” The hardness in his tone returned. “But don’t get any ideas of running because we’re talking tonight, even if I have to get my cop friend to put out an APB on you.” He grasped the blonde’s hand and stalked out.
My mouth fell open. I wanted to scream, shout, and tell him to fuck off. Instead, I stormed into Tommy’s cluttered office. I needed to save my job first, then I could deal with Kross.
“You’re definitely fired. I don’t want cops sniffing around this joint. Who the hell is Kross to you, anyway?” Tommy plopped down onto his couch. “He keeps asking about a baby. Care to elaborate?”
“Are you firing me or trying to be my shrink? I mean, why do you care?”
He moved his jaw from side to side. “The fucker can hit.”
“First, you started it by spitting in his face. Second, you don’t strike me as a whiner. You run a business. You set up illegal fights. You deal with bad men.” Maybe my last statement was a shot in the dark, but his business partner, Trent, was bad in my book. “Why are you afraid of Kross? Or is it that friend of his?”
“That dude”—he pointed to the door—“is wired to kill. If I were you, I’d tell him about his baby. Well, if there is one.”
“You can’t fire me,” I said as though I owned the club. “Look, I promise Kross won’t be a problem anymore. Besides, you need the help out there.” Alex had been right about the band drawing in a crowd.
“A deal is a deal.” He rested his head against the couch. “I’ll have a check for your wages cut when I run payroll next week. I would highly suggest you get your sweet little ass out of here and tend to the open wounds that boy has.”
I stomped my foot. “You’re not firing me.” Tears burst out. “Please, Tommy. I need this job. I don’t want to sleep on the streets anymore.” I wasn’t certain if Alex would keep letting Norma and me stay with her if we didn’t have a way to pay her.
Tommy appraised me, a habit that was getting extremely old. “Tell you what. I just lost my fighter for next Saturday. You fight, you get to keep waitressing.”
I didn’t want to fight. I wanted a job that didn’t give me bruises or cuts or cost me my life.That could happen waitressing. You could slip on a spilled drink and crack your head open.But the odds of that happening were higher if I fought.
I joined Tommy on the couch. As soon as my body sank into the soft leather, I wanted to close my eyes and take a nap. “Why do you set up fights with women? Why not men?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “Guys like to see women fight, and I make more money. Look, Ruby, you’re good. You have great footwork. You could make a lot of money. I could make a lot of money. Who knows? I’ve had some girls who become so good, they go into legal professional boxing.” His voice held compassion.
I’d never thought about fighting professionally. I could make money that way too. The professional arena would also be safer. I would have to toss around that idea a little bit more. “I always wanted to do ballet.”
