the high rollers section where I waitressed. I saw Lacey leaning on the bar laughing at something Jonny said.
“Where have you been? You missed class,” she said as soon as I came to stand next to her.
“Hi, beautiful.”
“Hi , Jonny. I was really sick. I think it might have been food poisoning.”
“That’s the worst!” Lacey responded and Jonny cringed. The moment Jonny walk ed to the other end of the bar, Lacey leaned in close to me. “I heard you came back with Cormac? What’s the deal? Did you hook up with him?”
“No!” My face scowled when I said it.
“Really? Everyone here heard about you walking in with him at the crack of dawn, well, everyone but Jonny.” She nodded her head in his direction. “I don’t think anyone wants to tell him.” She finished with a little giggle.
“Shut up,” I said quickly, as Jonny walked back over to us.
“Jo, don’t look, but that creep that was bothering you the other night is back,” Jonny said.
“Where?”
“He’s in my section.” Lacey offered. “I heard about that too. They shouldn’t even let him back in the place.” She shook her head in indignation.
I looked over and saw the man named Tracker at a black jack table and my skin crawled. All I could see was fur and a large muzzle with pointy teeth now. It had been gruesome. Cormac said that he would have killed me violently if given the chance. Looking at him, I believed it. I had gotten the worst kind of vibe off him the night I had met him, but I had to let it go and just get to work. It would paralyze me with fear if I didn’t.
Once I got into the swing of things, it was strange how the routine made me feel a little bit normal, even with everything else going on. The casino was packed, and so I had been going nonstop since shortly after I started. I saw some of Cormac’s door thugs lingering here and there, but they blended into the background and kept their distance.
I’d been so busy, I’d barely noticed when Tracker got up and went to leave, but I caught the movement of the garish candy apple red leather jacket he was wearing as it moved across the room. I was relieved he was leaving, as I watched him cross the floor, wanting to confirm the moment he was gone.
“I hear you moved into Cormac’s?”
I rolled my eyes before I turned to face Vicky. Right now, it was just a rumor of me being with him. If she knew I was staying there, it was only a matter of time before the whole casino knew.
“Where I’m staying is none of your business.”
“You’re a whore. He’s just using you because you’re easy, so enjoy it while it lasts, because he’ll get bored and throw you away like the trash you are.”
“Get out of my face,” I said. She was in my personal space. That was almost as bad as touching me, in my book. “Or I’ll move you.”
“You think you can?” she sneered.
Vicky had pure ghetto running through her veins, but she was too stupid to have learned how to tone it down, like I did. She was also too stupid to recognize that I wasn’t a stranger to the streets myself.
I pulled myself to my full height, just a few inches shy of Vicky’s, and instead of holding back, I let every ounce of my own harsh upbringing show through. The nice , innocent, girl-next-door façade I usually wore slid from my features like butter across a warm skillet. I could see the shock on her face before I even uttered a word.
“You don’t know who you’re messin g with. Back off before I lose my patience and drag your skinny ass out of here, then beat you to within an inch of your life.”
“You’re a sicko ,” she said, but then she walked a little too quickly back to the bar and the safety of others.
“Very nice.” It was Cormac’s voice from behind me. I was annoyed on so many levels. First off, I was tired of people sneaking up behind me. It show ed how off my game I was. Second, I wanted to cringe at what he had just witnessed. I didn’t like anyone to see that side
“Where have you been? You missed class,” she said as soon as I came to stand next to her.
“Hi, beautiful.”
“Hi , Jonny. I was really sick. I think it might have been food poisoning.”
“That’s the worst!” Lacey responded and Jonny cringed. The moment Jonny walk ed to the other end of the bar, Lacey leaned in close to me. “I heard you came back with Cormac? What’s the deal? Did you hook up with him?”
“No!” My face scowled when I said it.
“Really? Everyone here heard about you walking in with him at the crack of dawn, well, everyone but Jonny.” She nodded her head in his direction. “I don’t think anyone wants to tell him.” She finished with a little giggle.
“Shut up,” I said quickly, as Jonny walked back over to us.
“Jo, don’t look, but that creep that was bothering you the other night is back,” Jonny said.
“Where?”
“He’s in my section.” Lacey offered. “I heard about that too. They shouldn’t even let him back in the place.” She shook her head in indignation.
I looked over and saw the man named Tracker at a black jack table and my skin crawled. All I could see was fur and a large muzzle with pointy teeth now. It had been gruesome. Cormac said that he would have killed me violently if given the chance. Looking at him, I believed it. I had gotten the worst kind of vibe off him the night I had met him, but I had to let it go and just get to work. It would paralyze me with fear if I didn’t.
Once I got into the swing of things, it was strange how the routine made me feel a little bit normal, even with everything else going on. The casino was packed, and so I had been going nonstop since shortly after I started. I saw some of Cormac’s door thugs lingering here and there, but they blended into the background and kept their distance.
I’d been so busy, I’d barely noticed when Tracker got up and went to leave, but I caught the movement of the garish candy apple red leather jacket he was wearing as it moved across the room. I was relieved he was leaving, as I watched him cross the floor, wanting to confirm the moment he was gone.
“I hear you moved into Cormac’s?”
I rolled my eyes before I turned to face Vicky. Right now, it was just a rumor of me being with him. If she knew I was staying there, it was only a matter of time before the whole casino knew.
“Where I’m staying is none of your business.”
“You’re a whore. He’s just using you because you’re easy, so enjoy it while it lasts, because he’ll get bored and throw you away like the trash you are.”
“Get out of my face,” I said. She was in my personal space. That was almost as bad as touching me, in my book. “Or I’ll move you.”
“You think you can?” she sneered.
Vicky had pure ghetto running through her veins, but she was too stupid to have learned how to tone it down, like I did. She was also too stupid to recognize that I wasn’t a stranger to the streets myself.
I pulled myself to my full height, just a few inches shy of Vicky’s, and instead of holding back, I let every ounce of my own harsh upbringing show through. The nice , innocent, girl-next-door façade I usually wore slid from my features like butter across a warm skillet. I could see the shock on her face before I even uttered a word.
“You don’t know who you’re messin g with. Back off before I lose my patience and drag your skinny ass out of here, then beat you to within an inch of your life.”
“You’re a sicko ,” she said, but then she walked a little too quickly back to the bar and the safety of others.
“Very nice.” It was Cormac’s voice from behind me. I was annoyed on so many levels. First off, I was tired of people sneaking up behind me. It show ed how off my game I was. Second, I wanted to cringe at what he had just witnessed. I didn’t like anyone to see that side
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