Claiming His Fate Read Free

going, beautiful? I got a lap you can sit on right here.” Drunk Matt laughed and turned to his friend. “I've got a lot more she could sit on down here as well.”
    I pushed his hand off my hip and turned, scanning for security as subtly as possible. Drunk guys in this place were trouble; drunk younger guys were dangerous. Matt fell into the dangerous category if his baby face was any indication of his age.
    “Now boys, I do believe I told you the rules when you walked in. No touching unless I touch first. And absolutely no lap dances. I'd be more than happy to find you one of the dancers if that's what you're looking for.”
    “Fuck the dancers. I want your big ass bouncing on my cock.” Drunk Matt thrust his hips off the seat of his chair as he jerked his arms up and down. So very charming.
    “Sorry, Matt. But my big ass and I are not for sale. Now let me get you your drinks.” 
    Drunk Matt laughed but released me nonetheless. My hands shook as I took those first steps away. Face burning and fighting the urge to scream, I strode to the bar. I was so damned tired of this place.
    “G and T and a Folgers, please.”
    Caleb nodded once and glanced up. I took a reflexive step back as his eyes met mine. Those eyes were the creepiest shade of green—unnaturally pale, the color nearly washed out. The unusual color and huge red scar running across his cheekbone made the hair on the back of my neck stand up every time he looked at me.
    He smirked, his top lip curling over his canine teeth in a way that spoke of aggression, of predator versus prey. And by the look on his face, he knew exactly how uncomfortable he made me.
    “Hey, girl.” Chanel approached the bar with a smile and a swagger, interrupting my bizarre interaction with Caleb. She was a pretty girl with a huge rack. Perfect for waitressing at Amnesia Gentlemen’s Club. 
    “Hi, Chanel. How're the boys?”
    “Two rum and diets, a sex on the beach, and a bucket of lights.” Once she finished giving Caleb her order, she turned and grinned. “Oh lord, David is driving me to drinking. I swear that boy is seven going on seventeen. But little Michael is my perfect baby still. He got two new teeth this past week and barely even made a peep about it.”
    I smiled. Chanel was a great mom—kind, loving, and concerned. She often reminded me of my own mother, whom I missed every day.
    “Two teeth?” I tutted and shook my head. “That's crazy. You tell that baby to stop growing.”
    “I wish.” She sighed and brushed a piece of hair off her face. “How's Julian doing? You get him into that special school yet?”
    My smile froze, turning plastic in an instant. “Um, no. Not yet, but I’m working on it. Oh, there’s my order. See ya later.”
    I grabbed the tray of drinks Caleb set on the counter and hurried away. It was never easy talking about Julian's health. All my coworkers knew about the accident that had taken our parents’ lives and left Julian without his sight, but none of them fully understood what he went through every day. None of them had ever been around a kid who’d lost the use of one of his senses. It was agonizing and cruel, and the school teaching him a new way to navigate the world cost a fortune. Hence my working at a strip club.
    The degree I’d earned in Computer Information Systems didn't do me a lot of good once I realized how crappy the places hiring paid. I quickly figured out the better choice financially was working here for cash. When the crowds were decent, I'd make more in tips in a weekend than I made in a week sitting behind a computer in a cube.
    Lessons learned and all that.
    The rest of the night was pretty much the same—deliver drinks, flirt, wipe down tables, smile, do my best not to smack the handsy jerks who didn't follow the rules, flirt some more. By the end of my shift, my feet hurt, my back ached, and I reeked of beer due to a clumsy drunk and a full drink tray.
    There was nothing I wanted more than a shower, a