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“You want to tell me, then, how my head of security missed someone bringing a gun into my club?” Gavin took a step into Dodd’s personal space, enough to make Dodd swallow hard, Adam’s apple bobbing as he tried not to retreat. “Not only that, but no doubt those guys are affiliated. Mobsters.” Gavin shook his head. “Fucking head of security.”
“I’m so sorry,” Dodd apologized. “I guess I was just really focused on getting this performance right since it’s my first one and I didn’t think?—”
“It’s pretty clear that you didn’t think,” Gavin cut in.
“Please don’t fire me.”
Now Dodd was begging, and I had the sudden urge to walk away, so I didn’t have to see it, but I was more or less trapped between the three men.
“Sienna, what do you...” Gavin’s voice trailed off when he looked down at my arm.
I followed his line of sight and saw that the place where I’d been grabbed was already turning black and blue.
“Dodd, you’re fired.” The words were ice cold. “Get dressed and get out of my club. And be thankful I’m not throwing your naked ass out on the street.”
The color drained from Dodd’s face, and I watched half a dozen emotions play across his features.
“Dodd’s not the one who hurt me,” I mumbled. All eyes were on me now. “And he protected JJ and Liza when the fight broke out. He made a mistake, but there’s no permanent damage to anyone. Please don’t fire him.”
Dodd looked at Gavin hopefully and we all watched as our boss appeared to think things through.
“All right,” Gavin said. “You’re not fired.”
Dodd’s relief was short-lived.
“But you’re no longer the head of security. I can’t have someone making that big of a mistake and staying in charge.” Gavin jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “You’re working the door until further notice. Starting now. Get some clothes on and get out there.”
I caught a flash of anger in Dodd’s eyes, but then he nodded and headed toward the dressing room.
“As for the rest of you,” Gavin raised his voice, addressing everyone in the room. “Take the night off with pay. If you’re still shaken up on Monday, call off. It won’t count against your sick days.” He looked down at me. “That includes you.”
I nodded instead of arguing, which should’ve told me I was more freaked out than I was showing. I was trying hard to bury everything until I could be alone. I knew once I actually processed what’d happened, I’d need time to pull myself together.
“I’m going to get my things from the office,” I said, giving Gavin and Fury each a smile before calmly walking away.
I closed the door to my office and leaned against it, finally letting out the breath I’d been holding. My legs trembled, and I slid down to the floor, wrapping my arms around myself. The reality of what had just happened hit me like a freight train.
“Fuck,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
A gun. There had been a fucking gun in the club. Inside the room where my dancers were performing. Where I was standing. The image of that asshole waving it around flashed through my mind, and I felt bile rise in my throat.
I scrambled to my feet and barely made it to the trash can before emptying the contents of my stomach. As I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, I caught sight of the bruise forming on my arm. It was an angry purple, a stark reminder of how close I’d come to... what? Being assaulted? Shot?
I thought about JJ and Liza, how scared they must have been. And Dodd... God, what a mess. He’d fucked up, sure, but he didn’t deserve to lose everything over one mistake. At least Gavin had listened to me.
A knock at the door made me jump, my heart racing. I quickly wiped my face, trying to compose myself.
“Come in,” I called, hoping my voice didn’t betray me.
The door opened, and Fury stepped in, his eyes immediately locking onto mine. I saw concern etched across his face, and something else... anger? No, not anger. Worry.
“Sienna,” he said softly, closing the door behind him. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. He took a step closer, and I could see him battling with himself, like he wanted to reach out but wasn’t sure if he should.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry if I scared you earlier. When I saw that guy with his hands on you, I just... I saw red. I didn’t think, I just acted.”
I blinked, surprised. “You’re apologizing? Fury, you have nothing to be sorry for. You saved me. You and Gavin... if you hadn’t shown up when you did...” I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
