Chapter 3

(Frankie @ "her work place")

"I don't know what to do Sadie."

"Tell him the truth. Frankie, he is your brother he should understand." Her best friend and roommate was trying to help but so far it wasn't working.

"You don't understand Reese. Our past thrived on us not becoming as bad as our parents. And I'm afraid that I've failed. I mean look at the mess I've gotten myself into." Frankie looked down at what she was wearing. It had been two months and she still felt dirty every time she suited up for work.

"Frankie it isn't exactly your fault-"Sadie was interrupted by Daryl the bouncer.

"Evana, you're up next, Mercury you have 5 minutes." Daryl said to the two by their stage names. He paused and smiled by looking at the two who were barely dressed and he continued to stare.

The two noticed and looked at one another. Sadie rolled her eyes and decided she was going to be the one to speak. "Thank you Daryl you can leave." He continued to stare. "As in now!" She raised her voice. With that he left and was still snickering.

"Ugh, I hate it!" Frankie exclaimed.

"Then take a chance, quit. I'm sure if you tell your brother he could do something about it." She rolled her eyes, jealous of having a friend who could get out of the fix easily and mad that she was so stupid not to see it.

"You and I both know that won't work. This isn't just a club; it is like selling yourself to the devil. Once you know the backstage and what goes on behind the curtains you are caught in a trap and there is no way to get out. And I should really shut up now before I get us both into trouble." She sat down in the chair.

"Oh my God you guys," Kelly, a fellow stripper under the name of Apricot, came in from her performance. "There are three really hot guys who just walked in. Young and fresh."

"Really? Wander if they are undercover cops still looking for something to bust Marcel on." Sadie said.

"Nope, two of them are cops. I've seen them while side walking. I think one of them is Davis, he is a hot one black and thick." She licked her lips. "And the other one…. I don't know his name, but his partner is a bitch. I think he rides with a woman they call Yakes, Yokes, Yoke—"She couldn't think of the name.

"Yokas! Is that her name?" Frankie's eyes grew wide.

"Yeah that is it, Mercury you have never been on the streets how do you know?" Kelly didn't know her real name and didn't care.

"Shit, that's Reese's partner! Oh God, he's here." She looked to her roommate for help.

"Calm down sweetie. Apricot are you sure, it is the cop that rides with Yokel or whatever her name is?" Sadie asked in affirmation.

"I'm pretty sure, man they found me on the sidewalk and gave me such shit, but the partner, ooh he is something to look at." She licked her lips again.

"What do I do? I can't go out there Sadie." Frankie was getting panicky.

"The back door. Go, I'll tell Marcel you got really sick. Go, now." She said to her.

"Thank you," She hugged her and left the room.

"What's going on?" Apricot (Kelly) asked.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Sadie said and went on.

Frankie peeked out the door and saw that Kelly's visions were true. There she saw her brother with 2 other guys at a table. Laughing and having a good time. She was just about to get out the back door when Daryl grabbed her.

"And you are going where?" He had her by the arm. He was a big guy at about 300 lbs. Fat and ugly, bald headed smelly and missing teeth. There was no way to fight him.

"I didn't feel well, so I thought that I would go home and sleep it off. I'll come in early tomorrow I promise Daryl." She pleaded.

"If you were just anyone that worked her, I would let you go. But you are Marcel's #1 girl. You know that. And you just can't leave. Marcel would miss you, and since my ass is on the line as well I don't think it would be a good idea." By now he was dragging her up the stairs to the office.

The door opened and there he was. Tony Marcel, a night club owner and so much more that the cops had been trying to get him on for years. He had the great looks of a real Italian, only he was born and bread in New York. But every girl who knew him called him the Italian Stallion. Frankie always kicked herself for ever seeing anything in him when she started at the club.

"What have we got Daryl?" He said in a calm voice. That was good, he sounded like he was in a good mood. Things must be going well tonight.

"Little Miss Mercury here says she doesn't want to go on tonight. Tried to sneak out." Daryl pushed her in the office.

"Thank you, I'll take care of it." He said, and the bouncer left. Tony smiled and was thrilled to see the fear in the girl's eyes as he got up from the desk and walked toward her. "Frankie, Frankie, Frankie. What am I going to do with you? Trying to leave without so much as a goodbye." He walked up to her and put his hand on her cheek. She shook it away, but he grabbed her shoulders tightly then. "Now why would you want to leave and not make me money, huh?"

"Can't I have a night off Tony? I'm here 6 days a week and do 3-4 performances a night while everyone else works 2 or 3 days and 2 performances a night." Frankie tried to reason with him.

"Oh, so your little dancing feet are tired. Well, that's understandable. Okay you're right. You deserve a night off the stage." He shrugged his shoulders in the wanna-be Godfather way.

"What's the catch Tony?" She knew he had something going on in his brain, and she didn't know if she liked it.

"No catch. In fact I was just thinking today that you deserve a promotion. Move on to the next step. You know take it to the next level. You are so good on stage I think you are also good in bed as well." He had a horrible smug on his face.

"Tony, I can't do that. Please, anything but that." It sounded whiny but it was real.

"Please not that," he mocked. "Look, you owe me big time. And I think this is what you are doing. Remember our deal? You wouldn't want to break it would you?" She hated the smile he bared. "Lyla is about ready to go out side walking. Daryl is giving her the word now. Go and learn something." He pushed her out the door.

He sent her out with Lyla? That woman hated her. And she would do anything Tony said just to get his approval. She was jealous of Frankie, though Frankie really didn't know what for. She hated the way she was treated. And wasn't proud of anything she did.

"So I hear you are going out with the big girls tonight." Kelly met Frankie at the bottom of the stairs.

"Have fun, I'm sure you will with Lyla." She laughed and walked away.

"What in the hell have I got myself into?" Frankie said under her breath as she walked into the room full of the side walkers.

"Well, well, if it isn't miss pretty princess herself. Ready to get into the X rated movies instead of those PG-13 ones you have been in." Lyla laughed.

"Whatever. Let's just do this okay." Frankie didn't let her fear show to the girls.

"Oh we'll do it alright. Tony told me to take special care of you. Maybe get you two or three customers tonight, how about that virgin Mary?" She smirked. "Come on precious lets turn you into a bad apple." Lyla laughed and grabbed Frankie's arm and off to the street they went. Frankie didn't even think prayers were going to help her out now.