Read Online Love or Money by Elizabeth Roderick - Free Book Online Page A

cheeks heated up again, with anger this time. She knew all about Isaias’ “favors.” She was about to risk asking her what it was when the door to the dressing room burst open.
    Both of them turned, startled. Isaias stood in the doorway, looking at Riel with a strange smile.
    “ Safety training? ” he said. Riel’s heart clenched. “You’ve been telling guys you couldn’t give them lap dances because you needed safety training ?”
    She and Laina exchanged a quick look, and Riel thought she saw amusement and some pride in the other woman’s eyes. It gave her courage, and she sat up straight, staring him down.
    “You can’t make me do that, Isaias. You can make me dance, but you can’t make me touch anybody.”
    His strange smile grew a bit wider, and Riel began to wish she’d chosen different words. Maybe she should have been a bit less defiant.
    “We’ll see what I can make you do, Rielita.”
    “I’ll go over it with her tomorrow,” Laina said quickly. “I’ll make her comfortable. You’ve got to give her time, Isaias, this stuff isn’t as easy as you’d think.”
    There was a moment when Isaias didn’t say anything, and Riel’s heart pounded in her throat. He let out a breath. “Okay, whatever, just…I don’t want to hear any more stories about you, Riel. You’ve caused me enough problems as it is. Now come on, let’s go home.”
    He turned and walked out. Riel and Laina exchanged a long look. “Thank you,” Riel murmured, and she saw a flash of Laina’s beautiful but perturbed smile before getting up and following Isaias out the door.
    It was raining hard outside, the parking lot a mess of oily puddles and sopping trash, gloomy in the grey twilight. Riel shivered as she climbed into the passenger seat of Isaias’ truck, shivering harder when he cranked the engine and the vents blasted chilly air. She pulled her arms inside her damp sweater, wrapping them around her bare torso, but it didn’t help.
    Isaias sat with the engine idling, not making any move to pull out of the parking lot. With creeping dread, Riel could feel him watching her, and finally forced herself to meet his gaze. His eyes were hard and mean, and she instinctively cringed away against the passenger door.
    “You’re so full of shit, Riel,” he said.
    “Isaias, I—”
    He pounded the steering wheel. “How hard is it to rub up on some guy? It’s not like you’re virginal. Why you gotta fuck with me like this after all I’ve done for you?”
    Riel’s fear battled with her anger, and she worked at suppressing both of them, her heart hammering. Instinctively, she put her arms back through her sleeves, so she’d have the use of them. “It’s not as easy as you think, like Laina said. Just give me a little while to get used to the idea.”
    He smiled in a way that made Riel feel like she was falling into a dark abyss. “I could get you used to the idea,” he said. “You need a lesson? I’ll give you a crash course.”
    The heater vents were starting to warm up, but she suddenly felt much colder. He reached out and caught her wrist.
    “Isaias—”
    He pulled her toward him, and she tried to jerk away. He grasped her wrist tighter, pulling harder. “Come over here, Riel, I’ll show you how it’s done.”
    Riel’s ears rang. Her gaze darted out the windshield, looking for a means of escape, someone to cry out to, but all she saw were dumpsters and soggy blackberry vines in the vacant lot next door. “Isaias, please…”
    “The hard-to-get act is interesting, but it’s time to let it go.” He caught her other wrist, his fingers crawling up to her elbows, pulling her halfway out of her seat. Riel felt sick, not knowing what to do. If she fought him, he’d probably hurt her. He had before when she hadn’t done what he wanted. Possibilities flashed through her mind in a panicked montage. If he left bruises on her, would it get her out of working at this place for a while?
    “Come on, Riel.”
    He tugged