The Alpha Triplets And The Rogue
Chapter 52

Erica’s POV

Ashley and I pull up outside of a seedy looking bar. It is only a few blocks from the apartment that I am hoping to get. If I get the job I wouldn’t have any problems walking to and from work. Even in the middle of the night I would be comfortable walking to and from work. My father made sure that I learned to fight. I know how to take care of myself.

Ashley puts the car in park and clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth. “I am not going in there,” she says. Her nose is wrinkled up in disgust.

“You don’t have to,” I say to her trying to sound brave. “You can go ahead and head back to the pack house. If I run into trouble I will call you.”

“All of your s**t is in my car,” Ashley reminds me and I chew on my l*p.

“Okay. Just wait for me here,” I tell her as I get out of the passenger side. “And lock the doors.”

As soon as I shut the door I hear the locks click. I look through the window and Ashley holds up her fingers. “Ten minutes,” she yells. “I am giving you ten minutes.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” I tell her.

Turning around, I take a deep breath and walk towards the bar. The front door is open but it is empty inside. As my eyes adjust to the low light of the bar, I look around at the place that I am apparently desperate to work in. There is a worn down stage in the center of the bar and tables set up around it. A shiver of disgust runs down my spine as I think about being a stripper.

‘Don’t you dare,’ Envy growls lowly in my mind. ‘Our body is for our mates and our mates alone.’

‘Our mates don’t want us,’ I hiss back at her as I ease my way through the tables towards the bar.

“We are closed,” a man yells out from behind the bar.

“I am looking for Romeo?” I try to sound confident. “I was sent here by… umm…”

“Enzo,” the man behind the bar finishes my sentence for me. “He owns the apartment building.”

“Right,” I say, slightly embarrassed that I didn’t ask for Enzo’s name myself.

“He said he was sending over a girl,” the man behind the bar looks up at me. “He didn’t think that you would actually show.”

“I’m here aren’t I,” I sigh. I am not sure I really should have showed up but this seems like the only choice that I will get.

“You a dancer?” The man asks.

“No,” I say a little too quickly and a little too loud.

“Have you ever been a waitress before? Been a bartender?” I bite my bottom l*p and shake my head no. “You aren’t making a very good argument for yourself.”

“I am a fast learner. I promise.” I tell the man behind the bar.

The man steps out from the bar and flicks on the main light. I shield my eyes from the blinding light. “I am Romeo.” The man tells me.

He walks around me in a circle. Looking me up and down as he circles me. “My name is Erica,” I spit out.

“Well, Erica,” Romeo says with a smile on his face. “You got one thing going for you. You have curves for days.” He puts two fingers under my chin and lifts up my face. “And you ain’t half bad to look at either.”

“Thank you?” I respond.

Romeo then leans in and sniffs me. “What are you running from?” He asks me.

“Are you a…” I can’t bring myself to finish the sentence.

“Rogue?” Romeo finishes for me with a chuckle. “No sweetie. I am not a rogue. I belong to the North Pack. I just live out here.”

s**t. I ran straight into the arms of another werewolf. “This was a mistake. I should go.”

“Look kid,” Romeo says with a smile on his face. “I don’t care what you are running from. Your business is your business. I was just curious is all.”

“You won’t tell anyone I am here?” I say with my eyes glued to the ground.

“Princess, as far as I am concerned your name is Jasmine and you just showed up to be my new bartender. You’re hired.” Romeo has a concerned look on his face.

“Jasmine?” I ask.

“No one here goes by their real name,” Romeo tells me. “I have already forgotten that your name is Erin.”

“Erica,” I correct him and Romeo sticks his fingers in his ears and pretends not to hear me.

“You can start tonight but you’ve got to find something sexier to wear than…” Romeo gestures to my sundress. “…this.”

“Sexy?” I ask.

“Yes, Sweetheart. This is a strip club. You have to look the part even if you aren’t on the menu,” Romeo laughs.

“Okay,” I sigh. “I think I can come up with something sexier than this.”

“Be here at nine,” Romeo says as he flicks off the lights and goes back behind his dimly lit bar.

Turning around I go to sprint out of the bar. I trip over several chairs on my way out. Looking over my shoulder I see Romeo shaking his head and chuckling to himself.

I burst out of the bar and let out a sigh of relief when I see that Ashley is still waiting for me in the parking lot. She has the music blaring as loud as it will go and is singing at the top of her lungs.

Tapping on her window, Ashley lets out a shriek of fear. She rolls down the window and glares at me at the same time.

“You scared the s**t out of me,” she says as she unlocks the car door.

Climbing into the passenger side of the car I plaster a big fake smile across my face. “I got the job.”

“You were in there for twenty minutes,” Ashley ignores me. “I didn’t think that you were coming back out.”

“Whatever,” I say grumpily. “Take me back to the apartment building. Enzo owes me an apartment.”

“Who?” Ashley says as she puts the car into drive.