Colton's eyes bore into her. "I would have gone to her place, but King doesn't think it's safe for you to be left alone." It was the closest to an apology she was going to get.

Vida shrugged. "I don't want to disrupt your life anymore than I have, so it's no big deal. I had a male roommate my freshman year in college." Vida didn't tell him that Ty was gay; afterall, he had still been her roommate.

She saw the relief in his face. "Cool. We'll try not to bother you. See you in the morning."

"Goodnight." Vida turned back to the dishes, hearing another loud squeal when the bedroom door opened.

She finished the dishes and wiped down the counters before gathering her clothes to take a shower. Ignoring the female moans from the bedroom as she entered the bathroom, Vida turned on the shower, deciding to wash her hair before washing her body; it would briefly drown out those moans she was hearing through the thin walls.

When she was finished, she put on her pajamas and robe. Leaving the bathroom, she rushed down the short hallway as the bed banging against the wall started echoing through the apartment. Vida quickly made up the couch with the sheet and blanket she had set to the side before taking a shower. Turning out the light, she lay down, trying not to think about what was going on in the bedroom. A loud scream had her putting the pillow over her head, wishing she were anywhere other than here.

Her room at the strip club hadn't been much better. When the other bedrooms had been filled, the women she shared her room with would always invariably bring the men to their room. Sometimes they would wake her up to get her out of the room, yet sometimes they wouldn't care, merely ignoring her presence and getting to the business of getting the man off as quickly as possible so they themselves could go to bed.

Vida dozed off to sleep with the pillow still over her head. She was so exhausted by that point that she didn't wake during the middle of the night when a gentle hand removed the pillow, replacing it under her head. Nor did she waken when long fingers threaded through her silken hair, letting it fall softly against her soft cheek.

Chapter 4.

"Here comes Trouble," the announcer spoke above the catcalls of the men in the room, their avid eyes searching the curtain for Vida's appearance. She felt her stomach clench as she moved from the cover of the curtain into the lights focused on the stage.

The sequins on her outfit caught the lights and reflected the flashes of light throughout the room, drawing even more attention to her figure. Vida swallowed down the bile rising in her throat, forcing herself to blank the present from her mind. Pasting an imaginary picture of Sawyer across her mind, Vida began to dance seductively on the stage. How her mother could have done this for years defied Vida's imagination.

Deep sadness engulfed her. She knew how, the love a mother had for her child. Vida knew her mother had become pregnant at fifteen and ran away from home to live with her seventeen-year-old boyfriend. Her father had stayed until she was six months old then took off, returning to his own parents' loving arms. He left Goldie behind; however, her mother's parents were not as understanding and no longer wanted to have anything to do with her or their grandchild.

Goldie, despite being so young, was smart enough to manage to get child support, but it was barely enough to keep a cheap roof over their heads and not enough for much else. Uneducated with a small child, it took time for Goldie to get her GED and once she had finally earned it, not many more jobs opened up than before. She would manage to get waitressing or bar positions, but they paid little and barely covered the bills.

Vida hadn't been a healthy child. The low-income housing building was filthy and damp, setting off allergies. In addition, she had a genetic gastric problem that required her to have several surgeries, which forced her mother to miss work. Fired from another job, Goldie had turned to stripping. She could still remember the nights her mom would have a good night and wake her up when she came home.

They would go to the grocery store late at night and fill the cart with groceries that they both knew would have to last a while. The cute cereals and confections that other kids took for granted were pa.s.sed over for bread and peanut b.u.t.ter. Vida remembered well the days where that was all she had to eat and was aware that she didn't eat much better as a college student.

The change in music alerted Vida to the next set where she would start to remove her red camisole. Teasingly unfastening each b.u.t.ton slowly, she moved closer to pervert row before backing away, giving them the subliminal promise that she would soon be theirs if they could merely catch her long enough. When all the b.u.t.tons where undone, the music rose, building to the climax of her removing her top.

Thankfully, the music that started her next set was slower, allowing her to catch her breath. Moving towards the men, she allowed them to stuff their money into the string that circled her waist. Their fingers lingering as long as they thought was possible before one of King's men would make an appearance. It lasted several minutes, the music s.p.a.ced out to give her time to work from one side of the stage to the other before she moved back to the center stage, reaching down to pick up her top, giving the men one last look at her shaking a.s.s.

Vida walked slowly off the stage to the dwindling music and loud applause.

"d.a.m.n girl, you keep that up and King will set you up as a feature dancer in his other clubs," Sherri remarked, waiting for her own music to start.

"You look great tonight, is that a new outfit?" Vida ignored the comment about her working at other clubs.

Sherri brushed her hand against the leather chaps she wore and grinned. "Yep, I plan to make them have to run to the bathroom to jerk off."

Vida simply shook her head, laughing. Sherri was one of the few women who actually stripped because she loved the attention. It made her feel like a star for the short time she was on stage. She was a sweet, likeable woman that had taken the time to actually try to get to know her and Vida couldn't help responding to her natural friendliness.

"Is King out front?" Vida asked.

"I think so. I saw him there a few minutes ago."

Sherri's music queued. "Don't break a leg," Vida warned her when she saw her outrageously high-heeled cowboy boots.

Sherri grinned at her as she moved toward the stage.

Vida went to the dressing room and put on her robe. She brushed her hair back down until it lay flat; her dancing had turned it into a tangled mess. The other women in the room ignored her, busy getting ready for their own sets.

Vida went in search of King, finding him sitting in his booth watching a customer give the shot girl a hard time. His facial expression did not change as he saw Vida approach.

"King, may I talk with you?"

"Have a seat, Vida. I was about to send Henry for you."

Vida slid into the booth across from him. He was, as always, dressed in an expensive, dark suit that made him appear even more intimidating. King put off menacing vibes which the dark suit only enforced.

"Have you found anything out about Sawyer yet?"

"As a matter of fact, I found her." His lips tightened into a grim line.

"You have?" Vida couldn't prevent the excitement from her face.

"Calm down, Vida. It's not the best situation, but for now she's safe. Rick Redman works for Digger." King paused, waiting for her reaction. It wasn't long in coming. Everyone in town knew Digger, he was as ruthless as King. The difference was King didn't attempt to hurt you as long as you didn't f.u.c.k with him. Digger liked to f.u.c.k you up for fun.

"One of the men that Digger sold her to for the night has decided to keep her for a while. As long as he pays for her company, Digger will remain content. For a while."

Disappointment filled Vida. She had accomplished nothing, she hadn't been able to keep Sawyer from being sold and used. Pain filled her expression as she felt the fruitlessness of her attempts sink in.

"Vida, she's not on the street, nor has she disappeared never to be seen again. Digger knows that, if she disappears, I'll kill him. Right now, he's trying to push my b.u.t.tons, but not set me on a path of retaliation. As soon as I find out his price, you'll get her back." Vida listened as King tried to explain the intricacies of dealing with someone as dirty as Digger.

She nodded her head. "His henchman, Briggs, comes in the club sometimes. I could try to find out some information from him."

A cold glare was her answer. "Stay away from Briggs, he's Digger's enforcer. Let me handle it, Vida."

"Okay." Vida started to slide out of the booth.

"Where's Colton tonight?" King asked coldly, his eyes searching the room.

"Back at his place. He dropped me off and asked if Henry would give me a ride home."

"Quite the gentleman, isn't he?" he said sarcastically.

Vida shrugged. "I think I'm cramping his style; being in the way all the time."

"If anything happens to you, his style is going to be a little more than cramped," King threatened.

"Leave him alone, King, he's being really nice letting me stay at his place. I don't need him with me when Henry is here," Vida tried to reason with King.

King nodded his head reluctantly. "I'll tell Henry to walk you to your door."

"Thanks, King, for everything." She reached across the table and grabbed his hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Don't thank me yet," he replied grimly.

Vida simply smiled as she stood. It was time for her turn in the VIP room. The woman she was replacing would be angry if she was late. As she walked up the steps to the upper floor, she felt the men in the room watching. Several would also pay to go up to the room knowing she was on duty. Vida squashed down the b.u.t.terflies in her stomach; this was worse than actually stripping on stage. For each minute the men paid for, she had to actually act like she wanted them, which made them want to purchase more dances.

The next hour pa.s.sed swiftly as she served drinks and fulfilled two requests for lap dances. Vida's eyes widened when she noticed Briggs enter the room. He was always trying to find out what he could from the girls about King. King didn't mind, Briggs always spent a lot of money and King's staff was loyal. Moving forward, she decided tonight was going to be different. She was going to attempt to turn the tables on him and try to find out something they could use against Digger.

King would be furious, yet if she was careful, maybe he wouldn't find out. She would sneak the tip money from the lap dance to the other two women in the VIP room if they kept their mouths shut.

Sauntering within his eyesight, she brought him the drink he had requested from Angel. His eyes widened and his mouth parted when she bent low enough to allow him to see the pale globes of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s almost spill out of the red camisole.

"Can I get you anything else?" Vida murmured seductively, moving closer so that her perfume would surround him.

"Yeah, you can join me for a drink," Briggs said, not taking his eyes off her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Vida sat down close to him on the couch. Catching his eyes with hers, she paid him all the attention he wanted, giving only monosyllabic replies when he tried to question about herself and King.

Catching Angel's eyes, she motioned for her to keep Briggs's drinks coming.

When his sweaty palm covered her stocking covered thigh, Vida sighed to herself; the next hour was shaping up to be one of the most difficult of her life.

Colton held the door open for Wanda to leave, motioning for her to be quiet. With a quick kiss, she went through the door. He shut and locked it behind her, turning to go into the kitchen. Seeing the pillow on top of Vida's face, he was determined not to remove it this time, however he found his legs moving towards her anyway.

Lifting the pillow, he saw tears glistening on her face and touching the pillow he found it damp. He had given her a key, not even noticing when she had returned. Turning the pillow over until the dry side was up, he laid her head back down on it. Brushing her tears away with the pad of his thumb, he stroked her soft cheek. Her face turned away, moving away from the soft touch.

Colton studied the dark circles of weariness underneath her eyes. Vida, he had caught on early, actually slept very little, always staying busy with her computer or studying the books she carried around in her backpack.

She was unusual for a girl her age, so quiet and studious. Even when the customers tried to talk to her at the tattoo shop, she rarely engaged them back. Seth, the boy she had given her number to, had returned to the shop to work on coding with her. She was friendly to him, but he could see she kept a distance with them all. She had been staying with him for two weeks now and he had yet to see a genuine smile.

What was so surprising to him was that her mother, Goldie, had been full of life and laughter. She had worshipped her daughter and had been proud of her every achievement. It was hard to see her daughter completely full of restraint and wariness.

Colton was sure the death of Goldie two years ago had been extremely hard on her. Now her closest friend since childhood was in trouble. He knew it was probably weighing her down that she couldn't help Sawyer, just as she hadn't been able to help the friend who'd died. Goldie had often worried how losing such a close friend at a young age would affect her. Callie, Sawyer and Vida were the little troublemakers of the neighborhood. Now, only one was left.

Baring her body and doing the lap dances went against the repressed personality he saw in Vida. Emotionally, he wondered how she had remained so strong.

Turning away, he went to the kitchen to get a bottled water and looked at the clock on the microwave, seeing that it was almost four a.m. Finishing the water, he returned to the bedroom, lying back down on the rumpled sheets.

He had no problem filling his bed each night with a different woman, the tattoo shop and past pick-ups provided a steady flow to satisfy the hunger that had gone unfed the three years in prison. The only problem was he felt emptier and emptier with each additional encounter. Something was wrong and Colton was deathly afraid he knew what it was.

Placing an arm over his eyes, he tried to shut out the image of Vida from that first day he had been released from prison. He needed to get rid of her. Tomorrow night, instead of dropping her off at the club, he planned to go inside and have a talk with King. Vida had to go and King had to do something about it, regardless of the situation with Digger.

Chapter 5.

Vida stood nervously behind the curtain in her red camisole and underwear. She only had the two outfits; one red and one black. The other women raised scornful eyes when they saw her dressed in the same outfit night after night, however she refused to invest in new outfits with only two more nights to go.

Hearing her queue, she went out on the stage and began her standard set.

Colton stood in the shadows in the back of the room as he watched Vida come onto the stage. Her perfectly proportioned body was highlighted by the high cut of her underwear and showed her legs to their best advantage. The tiny piece of red material barely covered her p.u.s.s.y, while leaving her creamy a.s.s bare, the string disappearing between the luscious globes.

Colton battled his c.o.c.k, trying to keep himself from getting hard, but it was an impossible feat as Vida's next set began and she started removing her top. Her seductive twisting was arousing; not only to him, but every man in the room. She slowly unb.u.t.toned the flimsy camisole that hid her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, drawing out the tension in the men, denying them while at the same time providing tantalizing glimpses. When she could delay it no longer, the top was dropped, showing her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s in all their glory. The pink tipped nipples were hard from the air conditioning vent that was directed at her body, making her appear to want the men's l.u.s.tful leers.

His hands clenched into fists as he heard some of the men's shouts, studying their faces so he could have a word with them later. Then Vida's music changed and she moved towards the men in the front row She allowed their greedy hands to shove money into the thin string that barely held her thong on while she squatted in front of their faces. He was sure several of the men tugged on it harder than necessary, trying to break the tiny piece of material. Rising, she danced away from the front of the stage while the men begged her to come back. The music drew to an end, reaching the point where she bent down towards the floor to pick up her top, giving the men their money's worth by showing them her a.s.s as she waved goodbye between her legs. Colton wanted to storm the stage and smack her a.s.s hard.

A moment later, Henry motioned Colton forward, letting him know that King was finally ready to talk to him. As he moved towards the dark booth, Colton was surprised the light over it was turned off. Usually, when King was occupying the booth, the light was on. Now it was shrouded in darkness, giving complete privacy.

Colton took a seat across from him, watching as King leaned back against the expensive leather of the booth.

"Henry said you wanted to talk to me?"

"How much longer is this going to go on, King? I have a life-" Colton began.

King cut him off. "Which watching over Vida hasn't hindered in the least. You've had a different woman over every night, and other than a few hours of watching her at your shop and at night after she gets done here, you haven't been inconvenienced at all."

Colton refused to feel guilty. "She's complaining to you that I have women over?"

King showed his dangerous smile. "You've lived with her for two weeks and you don't know her better than that?" King shook his head. "You're a dumb son of a b.i.t.c.h. Tessa leads you around by the f.u.c.king nose and you believed every f.u.c.king lie she told you. Vida wouldn't open her mouth about you because she wouldn't want to jeopardize Sawyer's life. You need to learn the difference between an immoral b.i.t.c.h and a woman who's like her mother and has a heart of gold."

Colton stiffened in his seat. "I don't care what kind of woman she is, I want her gone."

King studied him. "Give me to the end of the weekend and I will make other arrangements."

Relief flooded through Colton, but before he could stop himself, he asked, "What kind of arrangements?"

King shrugged. "One of Margie's girls is leaving. One of her customers wants her full-time, so Vida can have her room and Margie can watch over her.

Anger flooded Colton. "Margie will f.u.c.king put her to work."

"What do you care, Colton? At least Margie will keep her safe and give her back when I get all this s.h.i.t cleaned up. If Digger gets her, she'll either be dead or disappear."

Colton bit back his anger, smart enough to know if he p.i.s.sed King off, he wouldn't leave the choice in his hands. "I'll let her stay. Just hurry it up, King."

"That was my intention all along." Satisfied, King motioned for the waitress to bring Colton a drink.

The waitress put a beer down in front of Colton, lingering by the table until King motioned her away. She left after a last smoldering look at Colton.