Cursed Ch. 09

"He doesn't realize how wrong he is about me. I've made too many boneheaded decisions in my life, especially this week. I'm a total fuck up. Steve is better off having nothing to do with me."

"Except that doesn't address Steve's financial problem. Anyway, I talked to him about my idea. At first, he was reluctant, but I persisted until he accepted that my plan was the only way out of his mess. Even then, he doubted that you would go along with the deception. I got him to agree to let me discuss the idea with you. So, what do you say?"

"Sarge, I come with a lot of baggage. Steve has no idea what he's getting himself into, but it's the least I can do after everything he's done for Amber and me. When would we perform the ceremony?"

"We'll have to do it tomorrow, so my buddy in the Town Clerk's Office can get it into the system before someone from the hospital's business office checks on Amber's insurance coverage. How about tomorrow afternoon around two? My minister has Sunday morning services to perform."

"Two sounds good, but where do you want to perform the wedding ceremony? I need to stay near Amber."

"If your daughter is awake, we could perform the ceremony here in this room. There is enough space if the two witnesses stand in the doorway. Otherwise, there is a chapel on the first floor."

I couldn't believe that I had agreed to marry Steve tomorrow without a proposal from him or even discussing the matter. Thankfully, it was a farce. I couldn't imagine what he would think about being married to a prostitute once he found out. I guess the insurance company wouldn't care about my means of employment.

Sarge said he had to make some calls and left me alone with Amber to wait for the doctor. There was a muted TV on the wall and the local noon news came on with a big 'Breaking News' banner stating 'Two bodies recovered from city reservoir.'

Last night in the party room, the DA called the police chief to determine if he was coming to Carmen's party. I remember something about a body being recovered from the town reservoir near Tony's Pink Pussycat Club. The possibility that the dead man might be Carmen's missing rival had sent the city fathers running off in a panic. I guess it's one thing to accept bribes and another to associate with a murderer. Politicians are so self-righteous. At least the news had saved me from an all-night gang bang.

The news anchor said the police chief would be holding a news conference any minute. She announced that a second body had been recovered late last night. The station showed footage of divers in the river working under floodlights. The anchor speculated that one of the bodies might be the owner of the Pink Pussycat, who had been missing for the last week. The station showed the marquee of The Pink Pussycat with 'The Ice Queen Bares All' still displayed. The camera panned around to show The Doll House across the street. A large poster read 'Now Featuring the Ice Queen.' The anchor mentioned reports of a bitter rivalry between the owners.

The station switched to a reporter standing by the reservoir while they waited for the conference. He was interviewing the fisherman who had snagged the body. "The dead man was wearing a sports coat over a flowery shirt. I noticed a heavy gold necklace. It looked like he had been shot in the back of the head. I didn't see the second body because the police cordoned off the area."

I felt a tear running down my cheek. I had worked for Tony for nearly four years. He was an asshole, but he had been good to me. When I recalled him raping me and then selling my body to my best friend's husband, I realized I would be a prime suspect.

I started sobbing when the Police Chief confirmed one of the victims was the owner of The Pink Pussycat. The second victim was my best friend's husband. The chief stated that the murderer had shot both Tony and Frankie in the back of the head. I fought against a knot of nausea in my guts. The police might suspect Carmen of Tony's death, but why would my new boss be interested in killing Frankie? He was nothing more than a drunken customer.

On the other hand, I had plenty of motivation. Both men had raped me last Saturday after the club closed. I knew that I was innocent, but could I convince the police? Hopefully, no one but me was aware of my degradation. I groaned when I remembered hearing the back door of the club slam shut while Tony and Frankie were assaulting me. Someone had seen my rape. Would they turn me in to the police?

I was staring at the weather forecast when the doctor entered the room. I stood while he checked Amber's vitals. Finally, he turned to me.

"Are you Mrs. Wilson?"

It took me a second to respond. I nodded yes, even though Steve and I wouldn't be married until tomorrow.

"Mrs. Wilson, I have encouraging news. The lab work shows the monoclonal antibodies are having the desired effect. We'll know more tomorrow, but I'm authorizing the fourth dose now. Do you have any questions?"

The report was overwhelming, and I collapsed on my chair. I reached for my daughter's hand and started crying. I felt an arm on my shoulders and saw Sarge kneeling beside me. The only question I could think of was how Steve would be able to pay $400,000 for Amber's treatment?

Sarge said, "Doctor, do you know when she will come out of her coma?"

"If tomorrow morning's lab results are as good as I expect, we'll start bringing her out of the induced coma. She could be awake by noon."

#

I stayed with my daughter until four in the afternoon. Sitting by her side and praying made me feel like a good mother, but it failed to take my mind off my other problems. The longer I sat there, the more my sense of dread overwhelmed me. Carmen had said if I failed to show up for work, he would impose the harsh penalties specified in my contract. Marrying Steve might save my daughter, but I was doomed to a life of degradation and prostitution.

The other possibility was that they might convict me of murdering Tony and Frankie in retaliation for my rape. I wondered if a life sentence in prison could be any worse than working for Carmen. The thought of Amber being swallowed up by Child Protective Services unleashed a flood of tears. If I married Steve, would he take care of my daughter while I rotted in jail?

I got so anxious that I couldn't sit still any longer. I told Sarge I was exhausted, and he offered to take me home. I hadn't counted on Steve being there. Greeting him was awkward. We said hello and not much more. Both of us knew we would get married tomorrow in a sham ceremony.

Sarge left to finish his shift watching Amber. After muttering something about the snowstorm clearing up, Steve went outside to shovel the sidewalk.

Once I was alone, I tried thinking about preparing for my shift at The Dollhouse. Thanks to all the drugs and alcohol I consumed last night, my head wasn't working right. Damn, the overdose of Ecstasy had left me completely screwed up. There was something important I needed to do before going to the club, but the thought kept evading me. I spent several minutes mindlessly pacing in the bedroom Amber and I shared before deciding to take a hot shower to clear my head.

Thankfully, the steamy air seemed to help. When my fingers discovered the stubble growing around my sex, I remembered Carmen ordering me to shave before showing up for work. Thank God for a simple task that I could handle. I tried to convince myself that shaving off all my pubic hair was what was nagging me.

After drying myself with one of Steve's plush bath towels, I wrapped it around my damp body. It was barely large enough to cover my naked body, and I had to overlap the ends carefully to hold it in place. I started drying my dark red locks with the hairdryer Steve had provided. Damn, a girl could get used to living in luxury.

Unfortunately, I couldn't keep my mind off the news about Tony and Frankie's murder. The killer must have shot the assholes soon after they had taken turns raping me. Was there anything besides the rape that might implicate me in the execution? That question reminded me of the pistol Ashley had loaned me. It was what had been nagging me.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. What if Ashley had shot her husband out of jealousy? She had been the last dancer besides me in the changing room. Maybe she had watched her husband rape me. Perhaps Ashley had slammed the exit door in a fit of rage. She could have waited in the parking lot for Frankie to leave. Maybe, she was surprised when Tony walked out with her husband to ensure the Russian debt collector wasn't lurking around. Would she have also shot Tony for raping her best friend? If she was angry enough to kill Frankie, what would stop her from shooting one more asshole?

Ashley had loaned me her pistol a couple of days after the double murder. It was too big of a coincidence. I had to get rid of the gun. I remembered that Ashley had asked me to return it. Maybe the easiest solution was to give it back.

I got a chair and stood on it to reach the box I had buried in the back of the top closet shelf. As I stretched to pull the box out of its hiding place, the towel I was wearing came undone. It piled on the chair at my feet. I kicked it aside to avoid tripping before retrieving the box. I opened it and stared at the Ruger LC9s Pro. The nasty weapon still smelled of burnt gunpowder from when I had shot the Russian debt collector. I realized that my fingerprints were all over it. Ashley had said something about cleaning the pistol after using it, but I didn't know how to go about it.

Instead, I took out an old towel from my dance bag. Ashley had loaded the clip and inserted it, so I knew my fingerprints weren't on the bullets. All I needed to do was wipe down the outside. I had no idea how to do anything more. There was nothing I could do about the smell. Once I finished my superficial cleaning, I put it back in its box and wiped the outside.

I got nervous about the box, which proudly displayed the Ruger logo of a bright red Phoenix bird and the pistol model designation. I didn't want anyone in the club to see me giving Ashley what could be the murder weapon. I left the box on my bed and hurried off to the kitchen, where I'd seen a stash of paper bags. If I needed further proof that my brain wasn't working right, I got it in spades when I burst into the kitchen stark naked. Steve had come in from the cold to warm up. He'd just brewed some coffee. I shrieked as I nearly ran into my benefactor. I stopped with my hand on Steve's sweaty shirt. Neither of us said anything for what seemed like an eternity of embarrassment.

Finally, I blurted out an excuse. "I'm sorry. I forgot you were here."

Steve's face was red, and his mouth was moving, but no words came out for another moment. I could tell he was struggling to keep his eyes on mine.

He didn't blink as he said, "No need to apologize. You have free run of the house. I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee Would you like a cup?"

The comical nature of the situation got to Steve first. He started with a chuckle that quickly grew to a hearty belly laugh. I got carried along with him. Soon, I was laughing so hard tears were running down my cheeks. For a moment, the tension of the last week melted away.

When I regained control, I said, "I'd love a cup. Give me a minute to throw on some clothes."

I stood on my toes and kissed him on the cheek before turning and running back to my bedroom. I didn't need to look over my shoulder to feel his eyes on my bare ass. It reminded me of the night we met when I was still innocent.

Steve has been totally out of place in The Pink Pussycat when his friends paid me to give him a lap dance. I'd been strangely attracted to him as I ground my crotch against his. I had sat straddling his lap for a moment after the song ended. His sad eyes seemed to bore into my soul. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before hurrying off to take my turn pole dancing.

I remembered pausing to look over my shoulder. Steve's eyes had been locked on my ass, covered by form-fitting yoga pants that had seen better days. I filed away the information that Steve was an ass man hoping it would come in handy. A dancer needs to use every angle that could increase her tips.

I looked for some clothes to wear to work. I'd been planning on doing laundry, but my day hadn't followed the script. I pulled on some threadbare pink bikini panties. Unfortunately, all my bras were in the dirty clothes hamper. Since I only needed the outfit to wear to the club dressing room, the tattered flannel shirt and baggy jeans I'd worn to the hospital would have to do.

It was getting late when I joined Steve in the kitchen for coffee. We sat in silence until Steve mentioned that the snowstorm had dropped nine inches. I thanked him for the use of his wife's winter coat. Neither of us talked about the elephant in the room. I was afraid discussing the plans for tomorrow's wedding might jinx it. All I wanted was to help Steve escape the consequences of his lie. I didn't want to think of what would follow the wedding. Carmen had control of my future, and dwelling on it would only cause me more pain.

I yawned as I got up to get a second cup of coffee.

Steve said, "I'm going back to the hospital to relieve Sarge. You look exhausted. I think you should stay here and get some more sleep. We probably won't know anything about Amber's recovery until tomorrow. If anything changes, I'll let you know."

After Steve left, I had just enough time to grab a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before heading to work. I was sitting at the kitchen counter eating my sandwich when my snack reminded me of Amber. It was my daughter's favorite. Once the tears started, I couldn't quit sobbing. 'Get a grip, Tiffany. You're stronger than this. Hell, things are about to get a lot worse. As bad as last night was, I can't imagine what horrors Saturday night at The Dollhouse will bring.'

I threw the rest of the sandwich in the trash and grabbed the paper bag I'd been after when I exposed myself to Steve. I stuck the box for the Ruger LC9s Pro in the bag and buried it under my yoga pants in my dance bag. I took a deep breath and headed to work. Fortunately, the streets had been plowed, and I had no problem driving Steve's wife's car to the club. I arrived early and had to force myself to leave the safety of the warm Honda Accord. Inside, The Dollhouse was getting warmed up. I ignored the catcalls as I made a beeline for the changing room.

A hanger on the handle of my locker held my ruined uniform. I could fix the strap on the top of the babydoll pajamas with a safety pin, but there was nothing I could do to replace the missing crotch of the skimpy bottoms. I would have to spend hard-earned money for new shorts unless I wanted to start the night with my shaved pussy exposed.

I opened my locker and crammed my dance bag inside. I laughed when I realized that Carmen wouldn't let me wear any of the outfits in the bag. The only reason for bringing in my bag was to conceal Ashley's pistol.

I was lost in thought when another dancer entered the room. It took me a bit to remember her name.

"Sparkle, have you seen Ashley?"

The girl looked at me like I'd lost my marbles.

"Haven't you heard? Ashley's husband was murdered. Carmen said she could take the rest of the weekend off."

I groaned. Of course, Ashley wasn't working tonight. I felt terrible. She was my best friend. I should have gone to her when I learned the news.

Sparkle said, "I almost forgot. Carmen wants to see you in his office before getting dressed in your babydoll uniform."

I was exhausted from yesterday's long night at the club. The last thing I needed was a motivational lecture from Carmen in his din of inequity. I still had terrible memories of my grueling job interview yesterday. Alberto had argued that he needed to break my rebellious spirit before he would even consider hiring me. The assistant manager had proceeded to bend me over at the waist and rape me with an ice-cold glass replica of Carmen's cock. The bastard threatened that he wouldn't hire me if I took my hands off the floor. Carmen seemed thrilled when his protégé drove my body to an intense orgasm despite my best effort to resist. I hated the pair of them. I doubted Carmen's cock was half the size of the monstrous glass dildo.

The door to Carmen's office opened before I could raise my hand to knock. Alberto leered as he held the door open.

Carmen was smiling as he boomed out a welcome and a command. "Ciao, Tiffany. Come in quickly before you let out the cool air."

As I entered the room, Carmen's nasty assistant grabbed my bicep and forced me against the front of his boss's desk. The desk was clear except for the big glass dildo Alberto had used to break my spirit. My vagina clenched hard at the sight of the cold column of glass as I remembered it pounding deep into my abused pussy. Despite the cold air blowing on me from the overhead vent, I broke out in a sweat.

I tore my eyes away and looked up at the disgusting sight of Carmen's toad-like face. I lost the staring contest when he licked his repulsive lips.

I knew I was in deep trouble as soon as I saw Jose in the corner setting up a professional video camera on a tripod. There was another Italian hanging back in the corner opposite the cameraman. He looked like a younger version of Carmen, only he was much taller, and there were serious muscles under the fat. Behind me, Alberto was leaning against the door, blocking my escape.

Carmen said, "You already know Tony's cameraman. Jose says we need more videos for the website." The fat frog gestured to the stranger in the back corner. "I also want you to meet Gino, my nephew from Naples. He had problems with a woman and had to leave Italy in a hurry. I'm going to teach him the business."

I glanced at Gino. He seemed to be practicing his imitation of Carmen's leer as he undressed me with his eyes. I could only imagine the asshole's woman problems. I have no idea what was so exciting about my body. I was wearing a loose flannel shirt and baggy jeans that hid my figure. Still, Gino was a relative of Carmen, and he would have probably looked at a nun wearing a habit with similar depravity.

Carmen continued. "You did fairly well last night under Alberto's supervision, but I cannot spare him to babysit you. My dark friend warned me that you were too generous to the customers and sometimes let them get away with things without paying. The need to keep an eye on you provides the perfect opportunity for Gino to learn the business from the bottom up. I want my nephew to help you be your best. He will supervise your every move."

I swallowed hard. It was obvious what kind of man Gino was. There seemed to be no end to the number of misogynist assholes working for Carmen. I was used to being on my own in Tony's club and tried to refuse his offer.

"Carmen, I don't need any help."

Carmen held up a hand to stop my protest. "Scusa, mia bella puttana. Thanks to your reputation as Tony's fallen Ice Queen, my club is packed, and everyone is eager to fuck you. Last night, we were saving your sweet pussy for the auction, but tonight will be different. Tonight, you will be allowed to satisfy our customer's every whim as long as they can pay for it. I expect you to work your ass off and make a lot of money for me. I need Gino to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't give anything away for free."

Carmen turned to his nephew and said, "We have Tiffany booked in the party room at ten to entertain some important Japanese managers from our city's biggest employer. It is critical that they leave satisfied. She will work the floor and take her turn pole dancing until they arrive."

Ashley had warned me on multiple occasions about the party rooms. My experience last night confirmed her opinion. I hurried to correct Carmen. "I'll be entertaining the Japanese gentlemen in the Asian Room."