Page 10 of Indulge
“Because you don’t belong here.” She plants a hand on her hip, giving me a slow once-over. “This is for locals only. And you aren’t welcome. Go back to one of your fancy clubs and sniff some coke off a rich guy’s dick for some money.”
Wrong answer.
I step closer, lowering my voice until it slices. “Why don’t you ask my name, bitch?”
She scoffs. “You’re a nobody.”
I smile sweetly. “Humor me. Ask.”
“Fine. What’s your fucking name?”
“Bella King.”
Her bravado falters.
I tilt my head, lips curving into a grin that never touches my eyes. “And do you know who owns this bar?”
Even pissed as I am with my brothers, I’m not stupid enough to drink anywhere outside our grip.
“T-Theo.”
“Very good. Now, are you going to apologize?”
Her smirk returns, brittle this time. “Your brothers ain’t here, are they? So no. I ain’t scared of you, Bella. You’re just the little sister. No one gives a fuck about you.”
I breathe deep, fury sparking in my veins. If I start something now, my brothers will storm in, and I’ll be the one paying for it. But there’s no way I’m letting this slide. I’ve spent my entire life playing this game. And she just touched a nerve.
So I step aside with a sweet smile. “You know what? You’re right. I am no one. Go ahead. Order your drinks.”
I pluck my vodka from the counter, hook my arm through Louise’s, and lead her toward the high chairs by the dance floor, my eyes never leaving the brat at the bar.
“What are you going to do, Bel?” Louise asks, wary.
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
I finish my drink in one long swallow, waiting.
By the end of the night, the club has thinned. The music still pounds, but the crowd is drifting toward the exits. The arrogant little bitch from earlier stumbles toward the bathroom alone, makeup smeared, confidence drowned in cheap cocktails. That’s my cue.
The bathroom is dim, mirrors cracked, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. The stink of bleach clings to the air. She’s bent over the sink, reapplying lipstick with an unsteady hand, when I push the door open and let it slam shut behind me.
She catches my reflection in the mirror and laughs weakly. “What? Come to cry because I stole your spot at the bar?”
“No.” I lock the door with a sharp click. “I came to thank you.”
Her brows knit in confusion. “For what?”
I step closer, the click of my heels echoing on the cracked tiles. “See, I was bored. Another night at another bar my familyowns. Same drinks, same music, same dull faces. Then you gave me entertainment.”
She straightens, forcing bravado back onto her face. “Your brothers aren’t here, Bella. You can’t hide behind their names tonight.”
She pulls out her phone and I step right behind her.
“Who says I need to hide?” I grin. “Do you know what I had to do just to survive in that house? How many bones I’ve broken to prove I’m not just the little sister?”
Her phone slips from her hand, clattering to the floor. I pick it up, slide it into my clutch, and close the distance.
“First lesson in this life: don’t leave evidence lying around.”
