The Demon's Ballerina

Ch 8 - Zane

I had to leave Charlie to go deal with Olivia.

When I got to the place she was staying, I glared as I walked up to the front door. The house was in disarray – cigarette butts and liquor bottles littered the porch, a front window was broken and boarded up sloppily, and the front door used to have glass in the middle. Now it was just plexiglass, or what appeared to be plexiglass. The man who opened the door frowned at me. It wasn't much warmer inside than it was outside. Olivia was staying here?

"Girls aren't taking clients today. Get lost." At his words, I slammed my hand against the open door, jerking it out of his hand. It slammed against the wall so loud another man came into the front room from the hallway, a gun in hand.

"I'm not a client." I started, trying to remain calm. Olivia had failed to mention that she had a pimp.

Let me take 'em.

Not yet. We have to try and play nice, first.

"So who the fuck are you, and how'd you get this address if you're not a client, huh, hot shot?"

Fuck this. My turn.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly in my blood-covered hands, gritting my teeth at Olivia's sniffles coming from beside me.

"Zane, what was-"

"Shut up." She whimpered at my tone but fell silent. I'd wasted enough time on her already. "You're going to be staying with Link-"

"No!"

"-until you have this kid." I finished, getting off the exit to his cabin. I'd had to leave Charlie in the mountains to bring Olivia back to Link's. Instead of spending the rest of the afternoon inside Charlie, I had to deal with Olivia's whiny shit. "Yes, you are. I need you to be monitored, and he's-"

"Why can't I just stay with you?" She whined. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm staying with my brother right now."

"Jason would let me-"

"I said no."

"What about your fiancée? Where is she staying?"

"With her parents." She crossed her arms over her chest. "What?"

"Never took you for a pedo." I reached out and grabbed her arm. "Zane-"

"If you know what's good for you, Olivia, you'll stop pushing my buttons." I let her arm go, saw her rub it out of the corner of my eye. "Do you know who the father is?"

"One of my clients." She mumbled, wrapping her arms around her middle.

"Does he want this kid?"

"He doesn't know I'm pregnant."

"Do you want him to know about this kid?" I saw her shake her head in my peripheral. "I had Link draw up the contract. Once you sign, that's it. No changing your mind, no demanding more."

"I know, Zane." She took a deep breath. "Your fiancée, will she be a good mother?"

"I believe so, yes." I'd peeked in on her while she taught the classes at the gym during the week. She was a natural with children, and they loved her.

"I can't love this kid, Zane. I don't want it. I was fine with how my life was-"

"You were fine being a whore?" She flinched but didn't respond. "Olivia, you cannot-"

"I was happy with what I had." She insisted, lifting her chin in that haughty look she'd mastered in high school. "It wasn't much, but it was something that made me fast money and occupied my time while I wait for my inheritance."