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Willa gets up and walks off to one side of our private area. She makes a phone call. Our conversation over for now, I text Lennon the name of the club and she tells me she’ll be here soon.

We finish our drinks and get another dance in before Lennon shows up. She wrings her hands as she walks toward the roped off area. The dress Dizzy bought her is super cute. It falls to the knee and hugs her hips, belly, and boobs in such a flattering way. “You look fantastic.”

Dizzy and Willa agree.

“I’m too awkward,” she admits, her eyes bounce from her dress to the dance floor to some random couple kissing in a dimly lit corner. They eventually settle on the drink in my hand. “I don’t do any of this. Sonatina doesn’t like it when I’m not available.”

That is exactly why she needs this.

“Why do you put up with her treating you the way she does?” I take her hand and lead her over to the bar.

“It’s the job,” she says.

Carmine blacklisted me because of Sonatina. She set me up to look like a criminal. There’s almost no doubt in my mind that the bitch has had an ongoing impact on my ability to get a job...

“I understand.” I hand her the cocktail menu. “Pick something out and we’ll go dance.”

“I don’t know what I’ll like.”

“Let’s see...” I help her pick out a drink from the menu and then we all hit the dance floor. With the help of the alcohol in her cocktail and the pumping music, she starts to loosen up. She’s still timid. But I can tell she’s having fun when she starts to sway her hips to the beat. The tension she carries with her everywhere begins to melt away.

Some guys come over and try to flirt with us. We ignore them when they attempt to dance too close... until one of them grabs Willa and attempts to grind on her.

She turns into a stone statue. “Get your hands off me.”

“Aww, come on, sweetheart.” He ignores her request and continues to grope her, a leer on his drunk ass face. “Don’t be like that.”

“You have three seconds,” she tells him. “One.”

“Okay.” He lifts his hands in surrender. He glances at each of us. “You and your friends are all dressed like you wanna get some. You don’t have to be such a frigid bitch.”

Oops, big mistake.

She spins around, and he screams in a high-pitched voice full of pain and terror. He turns the kind of pale that is usually accompanied by vomiting.

“They don’t call her a ball buster for nothing.” Dizzy giggles in my ear.

“Oh shit.” Willa has the creep by the balls.

Her hand twists. “You’re going to stop groping women like it’s your goddamn right. Stop blaming them for your bad behavior.”

“Get off me,” he screams. “You’re crazy.”

“Bouncers incoming,” Dizzy warns Willa.

“If I ever hear about you treating another woman the way you just did, I’ll come for you.” She leans in and whatever she says next I don’t catch. But I’ve never seen a man turn that pale.

“Okay everyone, time to go.” The bouncer bursts into our circle. Another one closing in.

Willa releases the creep and turns to the bouncer. “Sorry, that’s my bad.”

The bouncer grabs her upper arm, and she lets him escort her from the dance floor. The three of us follow behind, the other bouncer making sure we don’t try to stay.

“Are you always this much fun?” I ask Willa when we’re outside the club.

She rubs her hands together like she’s brushing them off. “Is there any other way to be?”

Rook comes out of the club. “Are you ladies alright?”