Dare to Dance: The Maxwell Series by S.B. Alexander

had me rushing up two flights of stairs to apartment three.
    After we closed the door, I laughed out loud. The place was bare except for a dilapidated couch, a rickety coffee table made out of boxes and plywood, and a wicker basket full of wine bottle corks that sat next to the couch. “Not much to steal if we wanted to.”
    “We wouldn’t do that.” Norma stuck her head in the fridge. “Right?”
    Alex was giving us a break. I wasn’t about to ruin the opportunity to get squeaky clean and sated. As Norma rummaged around for food, I went in search of the bathroom.
    After two hours of showering, eating, and raiding Alex’s closet, I felt like a human again. My hair had never been silkier, my skin was clean and smooth, and the shampoo I’d just used made my hair smell like coconuts. Not to mention, I was wearing new clothes. I borrowed a pair of jeans, boots, and a pullover sweater with sleeves that fell to my fingertips. The clothes were looser on me than on Norma. She’d found jeans, a pair of Chucks, and a tight-fitting cotton shirt that accentuated her large breasts. Her short blond hair was shinier than I’d ever seen it. We went as far as applying a little foundation. For me, the makeup was more to cover up my bruises. We found a plastic bag in the kitchen and stuffed our dirty clothes in it before we made our way back to Firefly.
    The restaurant had more people in it now, at least around the bar. I wasn’t surprised, considering it was approaching happy hour. I glanced around for Alex but didn’t see her. We claimed the same booth in which we’d sat earlier.
    My stomach cramped. “I need to use the restroom.” The ham I’d eaten wasn’t agreeing with me. I rushed down a long hallway, following the sign to the restrooms, and flew into the ladies’ room. When I was done, I headed back to Norma. I was just taking a left out of the restroom when Tommy’s voice reverberated from a room down the hall to my right.
    “You will do as I say,” Tommy yelled.
    “I’m not working for this jerk,” Alex retorted.
    I only hesitated for a second. As I did, my stomach gurgled. I crept closer to the office door, which was slightly ajar, and smacked into Alex as she hurried out.
    Her eyebrows went up. “Ruby?”
    Tommy loomed behind Alex. “The girl from the fight?” He whistled as he shoved Alex out of the way. His dark eyes were dancing. “Are you here to fight again?”
    “Not a chance.” Then again, it depended on the money. I shook off the thought. The social worker would definitely question me if I showed up to visit Raven with bruises and cuts all over my face. More importantly, I couldn’t scare my daughter.
    Norma came up behind me. “What’s going on?”
    Tommy smirked as he laid eyes on Norma. “What have you two done with yourselves? Did you find a sugar daddy? Or did Dillon and that dude, Kross, find you the other night and take you in? Dillon is like that. He finds girls and gives them a warm bed. Fucker is always on my ass.”
    “If you didn’t try to screw Dillon out of money or stab him in the back with the cops, he might not want to chop off your head,” Alex spat.
    “Shut the fuck up.” Tommy’s face turned red. “And stop drooling over the asshole.” He sounded jealous.
    Alex threw him the finger.
    Tommy ignored her and turned to us. “What are you ladies doing here?”
    “They need a job,” Alex said. “Waitressing.”
    Tommy waved his hand. “Come in, ladies.”
    With Alex and Tommy arguing, it was probably best that Norma and I came back later. “It seems you’re in the middle of something,” I said.
    “We were finished.” Tommy walked deeper into his office.
    I followed with Norma and Alex on my heels.
    Behind the door, a man lounged on a leather couch. He was dressed in an expensive business suit and had one leg crossed over the other. His large stature overpowered the piece of furniture he sat on, and the dim light from a table lamp enhanced his fat nose. The way