Read Seeking Vengeance: Callaghan Brothers, Book 4 for Free Online Page A

weren’t.  They told the boss later they hadn’t realized the extent of the situation.  Nick was there within seconds of seeing her face, though, pushing through the crowd to get to her, and Nicki heard the sickening crunch even before the guy’s strangled scream.  That caught the security guys’ attention, and they took care of things from there, but the damage was done. 
    Afterward, when they were all called into the manager’s office, she played her part well, pretending it was difficult to speak coherently.  Not that it mattered in the end.  The night manager seemed more concerned with the fallout than anything else.  Nick was banned from the premises for disorderly conduct and she was reprimanded for inciting the situation and not following proper procedure. 
    Assholes . 
    The owner, at least, took the situation more seriously, taking the time to speak with her before her shift.  Unlike the night manager, he seemed like a decent guy.  He apologized for what happened, and for not being there personally to handle the matter.  He also said that Nick was welcome anytime – just not while she was performing.  The security guys were reamed out for not being on top of things, and she was assured they would be watching more closely from now on. 
    Those assurances eased her anxiety somewhat, but she’d learned a long time ago that a man’s word wasn’t worth shit.  Nicki wasn’t sure what happened with the douche bag manager, but he wasn’t anywhere to be found tonight.  Maybe he’d been fired, or at least reassigned to weeknights.  There was some small measure of satisfaction in that, at least.
    Hoping tonight would not be a repeat, she locked herself somewhere safe inside her own mind and let her body go, telling herself that it was just a job, nothing more.  This was a necessary evil, part of the role she had to play to get what she’d come here for.  She’d done a lot worse for a lot less in her lifetime.  But even as the lights and the music changed, signaling the interactive portion of the show, another tiny part of her soul died.  Again.  She wondered how much more she had left.
    The sight of a crisp hundred dollar bill raised in the air caught her attention.  It almost made what she was about to do worthwhile.  Almost.  She didn’t need the money anymore, but growing up in the streets having to struggle for everything was deeply ingrained in her psyche.  She took a deep breath and reminded herself why she was here. 
    God, how she hated this.  Just like most of the other women who worked here.  Some were putting themselves through school.  Others were trying to feed and clothe their kids.  One or two actually liked it, but they were definitely the exceptions.
    She wouldn’t be doing this forever, she reminded herself.  Only as long as she had to and not a minute more.  This, too, would soon pass and she’d be off to whatever was next.  Hopefully it would be something that wouldn’t warrant scrubbing herself in the shower for a good thirty minutes in scalding water afterwards, even though she knew the dirtiness she felt could not be washed away.  
    Maybe, after this, she’d disappear for a while, someplace out in the middle of nowhere where she could be alone and chuck her finger at the rest of the world.  Until then, she would shut the hell up and make the best of what she had. 
    Nicki pasted the sexy smirk on her face that had become second nature and got herself back into character, fighting her inner revulsion and summoning the courage for what she needed to do.  A quick check told her security was in place, watching.  She snagged the hundo out of the air and turned her back to him, swaying her ass suggestively before him.  For a hundred bucks, she’d give him a good show. 
    She put both hands on her cheeks and undulated for all it was worth, circling seductively with the music.  If nothing else, her job made her take über-good care of her body.  Jason, the