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I quickly rubbed my eyes, doing my best to dry my tears and get myself together. I had to get my head back in the game if I was going to survive work tonight. It was a busy night, so it was one of the most important for collecting tips. I would be better off just doing as I was told.

I made my way to the changing rooms, feeling stupid for not coming in the right outfit and makeup. I should have just done it at home rather than having to waste time doing it here…I always behaved hastily under pressure.

I quickly threw on a tight red mini-dress which emphasized my cleavage, slim waist, and round ass, and put on some red lipstick and lipgloss onto my plump lips. This would have to do.

I let out a sigh I didn’t know I was holding as I stared back at my reflection in the dressing room. My dark brown hair fell past my shoulders, my dark brown eyes were bloodshot and watery. My milky brown skin looked tired and exhausted. I could hardly recognise myself anymore. It was like I was staring back at a complete stranger. This wasn’t the way life was supposed to go. This wasn’t what I was destined to do for all my life. There had to be more to life than this…

I shook my head before turning on my heel, and made my way to the stage to join the other strippers. I started dancing seductively against the pole, wrapping my legs around it, doing my best to put on a good show, even though I had bile in my throat whenever I saw the men stare at me with their perverted glances.

“WOOOHOOOO!” came the cheers of the crowd as I took my dress off so I was just in my lingerie, a transparent bralette and a thong.

I wished I didn’t have to do this job.

I had to work at a coffee shop in the daytime too, just to make ends meet.

I had to look after my sister on my own with nobody else in the picture, and that’s why I struggled so hard. No mother, no father, no proper friends, no other siblings.

I had a really rough childhood.

That childhood brought me to where I was today.

Dancing naked in front of a bunch of perverted men, getting money thrown at me only for my boss to take it all.

Getting my wages cut over the smallest mistakes.

Getting harassed by creeps at the club, trying to touch me inappropriately and get sexual favors.

I didn’t want to do it, but Boss insisted I never fought any of the men, because them getting what they wanted meant more money for the business.

I was trapped with no way out.

This was the only life I knew, and for all I knew, this was the only life I was ever going to lead.

Nothing was ever going to get better for me.

I was sure of it.

But I suddenly found myself rubbing my chin in thought, mesmerized, as my eyes locked with a man in the crowd. A man who had unexpectedly entered the club, and looked like the last man who would come to a place like this. He looked out of place, foreign, almost like he didn’t belong here.

A man with dark brown hair, pale hazel eyes, a rough, scruffy beard, and light brown skin. He was wearing a black jacket with a shirt that was half unbuttoned, revealing a skull tattoo across his chest…

And he wouldn’t take his eyes off of me for one moment.

Every part of him screamed power, dominance, fearlessness. His presence radiated the room.

Who was this man that had just entered the club?

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raven

This man looked incredibly intimidating.

I felt uncomfortable dancing almost naked with him watching me.

I just wanted to hide.

I could feel my insides swimming with nerves, not wanting to stay on stage for a minute longer. I almost felt ashamed and embarrassed that this man had to see me like this. He looked powerful, and he would probably see me as a cheap whore. People always made assumptions about people and judged what they didn’t know before they even got to know a person…

And I knew this man was probably doing the same.