hurried downstairs and wandered into the busy dressing room, making a beeline for the bathroom. Inside, she approached the double sinks, flicked on the faucet, and splashed cold water on her face. She was so distracted that she didn’t even notice Cora come up behind her until the redhead’s face appeared in the bathroom mirror.
Olivia turned around, concern washing over her. “Cora, hey. You startled me.”
Her friend didn’t answer. Waves of hostility radiated from Cora’s body and her expression burned with stark fury. It took Olivia a second to register that the hostility was directed at her .
“Cora,” she said again. “What’s going on? Are you okay? Oh God, did something happen to Katie?”
“Leave my daughter out of this!”
She blinked in confusion. “What the hell is going on? What’s wrong?”
“What the fuck do you care?” Cora hissed. “You fucking slut. You’re the one who should have gone last night!”
“What?”
“He told me how much you liked it the first time. Why did he have to send me?”
Uh. All right. She had no clue what the other woman was talking about, but it didn’t sound good. At all.
“I don’t know what you think I did, but—”
Pain slashed into her cheek. Olivia raised her palm to her face, stunned. Cora had slapped her.
She took a step forward, but the redhead edged away. Her cheeks were flushed with anger, her hand shaking wildly as she lifted it to point an accusing finger. “Don’t come near me.”
“Cora—”
“I thought you were my friend, but you’re not . You’re no better than all the other sluts in this whorehouse.”
“What are you talking ab—”
“I thought we were friends! That’s why I got you this job, so I’d have someone to watch my back, someone who gave a shit about me. But you don’t. You never did, did you?” A maniacal laugh spiraled out of the girl’s mouth.
Gulping, Olivia dared to approach the hysterical redhead. She reached out her hand, only for Cora to slap it away as if she’d been stung by a hornet.
“Don’t touch me,” Cora growled. “I only came to tell you what you could do with your friendship .” She stumbled toward the doorway. “And tell that sick motherfucker he can shove his five grand up his ass. I’m going to the cops.”
Chapter 6
From the bathroom doorway, Olivia watched with wide eyes as Cora stormed out of the dressing room. Her mind reeled from confusion, and her cheek still stung from that slap. What the hell just happened?
What had Vince done to her friend?
Snapping out of her stupor, she charged across the room.
“Bad idea, Olivia.”
She spun around and spotted Candy in the process of lifting a tube of lipstick to her mouth. Dumbfounded, Olivia met the dancer’s blue eyes. “Why is going after her a bad idea?”
“It’s not the time. The boss won’t appreciate your interference.”
She bristled. “What makes you an expert on Vince?” Without waiting for an answer, she took another step toward the door.“Cora needs a friend. She needs me.”
“She needs to calm down,” Candy corrected, reaching for a flat brush and dipping it into a container of cream-colored powder. As if she had no care in the world, the dancer began applying her makeup, her voice gentle and oddly comforting as she went on. “Whatever happened with her and Vince, they need to work it out amongst themselves. You’ll make it worse if you get involved.”
“Why?”
“Because Vince likes you meek. Doesn’t he, Olivia?”
She remembered the last time she’d talked back to him, and the right side of her face experienced a phantom pain. She hadn’t been able to open her eye for days.
“Whatever you’re doing to control him, keep doing it,” the blonde advised. “Stay off his radar.”
Off his radar? She almost laughed. She was the only thing on that bastard’s radar.
“Why are you saying this?” Unable to help it, she glanced up at the camera mounted in the corner of the
Olivia turned around, concern washing over her. “Cora, hey. You startled me.”
Her friend didn’t answer. Waves of hostility radiated from Cora’s body and her expression burned with stark fury. It took Olivia a second to register that the hostility was directed at her .
“Cora,” she said again. “What’s going on? Are you okay? Oh God, did something happen to Katie?”
“Leave my daughter out of this!”
She blinked in confusion. “What the hell is going on? What’s wrong?”
“What the fuck do you care?” Cora hissed. “You fucking slut. You’re the one who should have gone last night!”
“What?”
“He told me how much you liked it the first time. Why did he have to send me?”
Uh. All right. She had no clue what the other woman was talking about, but it didn’t sound good. At all.
“I don’t know what you think I did, but—”
Pain slashed into her cheek. Olivia raised her palm to her face, stunned. Cora had slapped her.
She took a step forward, but the redhead edged away. Her cheeks were flushed with anger, her hand shaking wildly as she lifted it to point an accusing finger. “Don’t come near me.”
“Cora—”
“I thought you were my friend, but you’re not . You’re no better than all the other sluts in this whorehouse.”
“What are you talking ab—”
“I thought we were friends! That’s why I got you this job, so I’d have someone to watch my back, someone who gave a shit about me. But you don’t. You never did, did you?” A maniacal laugh spiraled out of the girl’s mouth.
Gulping, Olivia dared to approach the hysterical redhead. She reached out her hand, only for Cora to slap it away as if she’d been stung by a hornet.
“Don’t touch me,” Cora growled. “I only came to tell you what you could do with your friendship .” She stumbled toward the doorway. “And tell that sick motherfucker he can shove his five grand up his ass. I’m going to the cops.”
Chapter 6
From the bathroom doorway, Olivia watched with wide eyes as Cora stormed out of the dressing room. Her mind reeled from confusion, and her cheek still stung from that slap. What the hell just happened?
What had Vince done to her friend?
Snapping out of her stupor, she charged across the room.
“Bad idea, Olivia.”
She spun around and spotted Candy in the process of lifting a tube of lipstick to her mouth. Dumbfounded, Olivia met the dancer’s blue eyes. “Why is going after her a bad idea?”
“It’s not the time. The boss won’t appreciate your interference.”
She bristled. “What makes you an expert on Vince?” Without waiting for an answer, she took another step toward the door.“Cora needs a friend. She needs me.”
“She needs to calm down,” Candy corrected, reaching for a flat brush and dipping it into a container of cream-colored powder. As if she had no care in the world, the dancer began applying her makeup, her voice gentle and oddly comforting as she went on. “Whatever happened with her and Vince, they need to work it out amongst themselves. You’ll make it worse if you get involved.”
“Why?”
“Because Vince likes you meek. Doesn’t he, Olivia?”
She remembered the last time she’d talked back to him, and the right side of her face experienced a phantom pain. She hadn’t been able to open her eye for days.
“Whatever you’re doing to control him, keep doing it,” the blonde advised. “Stay off his radar.”
Off his radar? She almost laughed. She was the only thing on that bastard’s radar.
“Why are you saying this?” Unable to help it, she glanced up at the camera mounted in the corner of the
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