WIth a Twist: (The Club #9) by M. Stratton, The Club Book Series Page B
Authors: M. Stratton, The Club Book Series
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the wings of my costume. I looked at myself in the full length mirror in the locker room at The Club. It had been one year since Ricky attacked me and was killed. The past year had been filled with a lot of healing and a lot of love.
Bryant was by my side whenever I needed him. There were some dark times, but he was there, my knight in shining armor, my prince who brought me back into the light. We spent time going over the land and house he bought from Gordon. We decided to remodel what was there, keeping the history instead of tearing it down. We wanted to make it into our “castle” to live happily ever after in.
One of the few arguments we ever had was the fact that I wanted to keep working at The Club. Obviously, we didn’t need the money, but I needed to work and it was something I was good at. Besides, even though Ricky was dead, I didn’t want him to win by getting me to never go back there. I also felt like I owed Jet and Tally for taking care of Ricky, for helping to protect me. They were great about me having all the time off I needed. One of my lasting scars was that I didn’t want to spend the nights away from Bryant. When he had to travel for business, I went with him. I needed to have him next to me if I was going to get any sleep. Every day, I became a little stronger, but it was a long process.
Bryant didn’t want me to work tonight, but I had to. I had to come full circle. Taking a deep breath, I turned and left the locker room. Every time I left this room, for a brief second, fear would course through me, wondering if Ricky would be there waiting for me, like he always had in the past. But he was never there. As far as anyone knew, he had quit and moved on. His apartment was empty and his last check was cashed. I have no idea how they managed it, or what they did with his body, and I never wanted to know. I was just glad I never had to see him again.
Walking into the bar area, I saw him waiting for me, leaning up against my end of the bar; my knight in shining armor, my prince, my everything. He didn’t know what I had planned for this night, I knew if I told him, all he would do was worry about me, tell me we didn’t have to do this. But this needed to be done. We both needed it if we were going to go forward.
I had been watching the time and flipped the switch accordingly. I hadn’t been back up on my hoop when customers were around in over a year. I had never taken my angel wings back home after that night, so they were here for me to practice working the hoop with them on when I was ready to take flight again.
Slowly and carefully, I moved around the hoop to the music, my confidence growing with every beat. But still, I did not look at my prince. It wasn’t until the end when I moved, that I remembered where it all started. I arched backwards over the hoop, crossed my ankles and held onto one of my heels as I looked down into his gaze filled with pride and love. And just like that first time, I reached down with my free hand, needing to touch him. But this time, I already knew he was real. When he raised his hand and our fingertips touched, I knew I was home, with him.
The hoop gave a little shake and I moved so I was sitting on the hoop. This time when my feet landed on the ground, they weren’t shaky. I knew exactly who he was and what came next. Tally came behind the bar and squeezed my shoulder.
“Thank you,” I said to her.
“Go, enjoy your man.”
“I will.”
I walked from behind the bar and held my hand out to Bryant. “Do you trust me?” I asked him.
“Of course.”
“Then come.” I led him back through The Club and down the hall to the last room on the left.
“Starr...”
Turning around, I smiled at him. “This, this is for us. I need to show you that I am stronger than I was before, that I can do this, and that he doesn’t hold that kind of power over me anymore. You,” I cupped the side of his face in my hand. “Your love has made me believe in
Bryant was by my side whenever I needed him. There were some dark times, but he was there, my knight in shining armor, my prince who brought me back into the light. We spent time going over the land and house he bought from Gordon. We decided to remodel what was there, keeping the history instead of tearing it down. We wanted to make it into our “castle” to live happily ever after in.
One of the few arguments we ever had was the fact that I wanted to keep working at The Club. Obviously, we didn’t need the money, but I needed to work and it was something I was good at. Besides, even though Ricky was dead, I didn’t want him to win by getting me to never go back there. I also felt like I owed Jet and Tally for taking care of Ricky, for helping to protect me. They were great about me having all the time off I needed. One of my lasting scars was that I didn’t want to spend the nights away from Bryant. When he had to travel for business, I went with him. I needed to have him next to me if I was going to get any sleep. Every day, I became a little stronger, but it was a long process.
Bryant didn’t want me to work tonight, but I had to. I had to come full circle. Taking a deep breath, I turned and left the locker room. Every time I left this room, for a brief second, fear would course through me, wondering if Ricky would be there waiting for me, like he always had in the past. But he was never there. As far as anyone knew, he had quit and moved on. His apartment was empty and his last check was cashed. I have no idea how they managed it, or what they did with his body, and I never wanted to know. I was just glad I never had to see him again.
Walking into the bar area, I saw him waiting for me, leaning up against my end of the bar; my knight in shining armor, my prince, my everything. He didn’t know what I had planned for this night, I knew if I told him, all he would do was worry about me, tell me we didn’t have to do this. But this needed to be done. We both needed it if we were going to go forward.
I had been watching the time and flipped the switch accordingly. I hadn’t been back up on my hoop when customers were around in over a year. I had never taken my angel wings back home after that night, so they were here for me to practice working the hoop with them on when I was ready to take flight again.
Slowly and carefully, I moved around the hoop to the music, my confidence growing with every beat. But still, I did not look at my prince. It wasn’t until the end when I moved, that I remembered where it all started. I arched backwards over the hoop, crossed my ankles and held onto one of my heels as I looked down into his gaze filled with pride and love. And just like that first time, I reached down with my free hand, needing to touch him. But this time, I already knew he was real. When he raised his hand and our fingertips touched, I knew I was home, with him.
The hoop gave a little shake and I moved so I was sitting on the hoop. This time when my feet landed on the ground, they weren’t shaky. I knew exactly who he was and what came next. Tally came behind the bar and squeezed my shoulder.
“Thank you,” I said to her.
“Go, enjoy your man.”
“I will.”
I walked from behind the bar and held my hand out to Bryant. “Do you trust me?” I asked him.
“Of course.”
“Then come.” I led him back through The Club and down the hall to the last room on the left.
“Starr...”
Turning around, I smiled at him. “This, this is for us. I need to show you that I am stronger than I was before, that I can do this, and that he doesn’t hold that kind of power over me anymore. You,” I cupped the side of his face in my hand. “Your love has made me believe in
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