Chapter 6

HARPER's  POV

The commotion that was caused in the club brought the show to an end, and all the dancers had to return to the dressing room at once.

“Harper !” Morgan almost screamed out his lungs while shouting what he considered my name, even though I had tried to correct his severally.

“Where the hell do you think you are going? You just ruined everything!” He glared in high contempt, breathing so much fury.

“You just made me lose money tonight, and you will pay for it!” His words were laced with so much anger, but I knew that he was just trying to shift the blame to me so that he could force me to do his bidding again.

“You will work for three days straight!” He pronounced the punishment I already knew was going to be my fate.

“No wonder your family didn’t want you around! You are such bad luck!” He scoffed before he walked away, grumbling in anger.

There was nothing else I could do but accept everything in good faith. I held onto my heels with both hands while I walked into the dressing room, avoiding the glares of some of the other girls in the room.

Most of the older girls detested me for stealing their spot because I had become a sensation within just a few months of working there, but I hated what I was doing.

I knew that they blamed me because the night had suddenly come to an end, meaning that they were not going to receive more tips from the men who gushed over them.

“Don’t pay attention to whatever they say to you, Bella.” A soft female voice said to be, causing me to turn at once.

It was Rivera, the only dancer I spoke with. It seemed like we had a similar fate, and we got along so easily that many thought that I knew her before I was sold to the club.

“Are you ready to go home?” She asked, her face bright as always, while it was complemented by her long brunette hair, something I admired so much.

The only response I could give to her was a nod, and she understood that I was very exhausted after dancing for over an hour, only to be blamed for causing the show to end.

I wondered what my fate would have been if Asher wasn’t there to save me. But nothing baffled me more than the fact that he knew not only my name but also my mother’s name.

Rivera and I headed out of the club as soon as we changed into more decent clothes. We lived in the same rented apartment where Morgan kept some of his girls, especially those over whom he had full control.

“I believe that someday everything is going to be fine, Bella.” Rivera rehearsed one of her usual lines while we strode along the streets of Whiney Peak, with just one street light and the rays from the moonlight barely enough to lighten the way.

It was past midnight, and the only sound we could hear was that of our footsteps tapping on the hard floor.

“I need to take this call,” Rivera said as soon as she heard the sound of vibration inside her purse while she took out her phone to see who was calling.

“It’s Tony!” She announced excitedly, always happy each time her boyfriend called. I already knew what that meant.

“I am so sorry, Bella. But I have..,”

“It’s okay, Rivera, I understand.” I didn’t wait for her to finish since I knew that she was definitely going to go to Tony’s place since they had not seen each other for a while.

Rivera hugged me before she turned the other way, leaving me alone while I watched her disappear into the darkness.

Taking in a deep breath, I decided to continue my walk home.

I had barely staggered up to ten steps when I heard the sound of silent footsteps from behind me.

“Who is there?!” I scoured the entire place, but the only thing I could see was buildings and a bike parked a bit far away from where I was standing.

I knew someone was following me, and it wasn’t long before my heart began to beat so fast that I knew that I was in danger.

“Hey, you!” A cracked voice said from the darkness, and the danger lurking appeared in the form of a huge thug with a cigar in his mouth.

But he wasn’t alone. Two others looked just like him, and it was obvious that they were going to do something terrible to me.

“What do you want?” I tried to get away from them, but they had already surrounded me, finding so much pleasure while they laughed sinisterly.

I already knew that my life was over at that moment because of the stories of the girls who disappeared and never came back.

“Come on, bitch! Boss wants to see you!” The leader of the gang forcefully grabbed my hands and started pulling me to a corner where a black car was parked.

When I realized that screaming was not going to help me in any way, I tried to drag myself out of his grip, but his cohorts grabbed me as well.

“Stupid bitch! Stop struggling!” One of them reminded me that I was no match for them with a resounding slap.

I almost lost consciousness at that moment, and my vision had become a bit blurry while the three of them dragged me toward the car.

“Let her go!” A compelling voice ordered, and I recognized Asher at once.

I didn’t realize how much he was feared until the men dropped me and ran into their car before they sped off. He was indeed a terror in Whiney Peak.

“You shouldn’t be walking home alone all by yourself, Harper. It’s too dangerous for a beautiful lady like you.” He gently pulled me up, but his face was as plain as always.

He led me to his car and decided that he was going to drop me home just to make sure that I was safe.

“Goodnight, Harper. And do not forget everything I said.” He waited until I was indoors before he drove off.

He had become a mystery I was definitely going to solve. But all that mattered at that moment was to get some sleep since weakness had invaded my bones.