Brutal Read Online Free Page A

I’m just getting ready to go on, but I wanted to check on you first. How are you holding up?”
    “I’m good, I swear. I keep waiting for him to show up and piss me off, but he doesn’t, so that’s progress yeah? I just need to let it soak in that he isn’t coming back.”
    “Hell yeah, that’s progress,” I say. “I’m here til close, but my cell is on if you need me, okay?”
    “I’m pulling a double, so I’ll text you tomorrow and we’ll make some plans, cool?”
    “Don’t text me before noon, because you know I need my beauty rest. Love you, Macy, and I mean it,” I say
    “Not before noon, got it. Love you back, Venessa, and I mean it,” she says.
    We give our goodbyes and disconnect while I glance in the mirror. I look good, but not great. These long nights are taking a toll on me. That, and these F me pumps I’m wearing; great for the calves, but hell on the feet. I squish my breasts into my corset, put a little extra spray into the hair, do ten squats to get in my exercise, and when I clear those doors I’m no longer Venessa Cross. I am Kharma.
    I do the usual meet and greet, taking the time to pretend I’m interested in these people. It takes me about thirty minutes to get to my platform, because the crowd is hyped. I like that, it gets me hyped, too. I don’t have to set up because Max hired two tech wizards who do it for me. Cory and Blu handle all the technical stuff for me, including my killer light show, and smoke machine. In return, they bar back for Max, and I let them do some spinning toward the end of my last set. They’re good kids. It may be a club, but better in here than out there.
     Friday nights cater to those who want to dance specifically: hardcore hip-hop, techno, and absolutely no fucking disco or pop music. Saturdays are metal based, and I keep it dark and painfully loud. Mosh pits are encouraged and so is fighting, which happens a lot. I love that shit. I love aggression like some girls love appletinis.
    I relieve the boys of their duties, and they head back to the bar. I quickly prepare myself mentally for the first set. I tap the mic to get the crowd’s attention and yell, “Detroit sure does look fucking sexy tonight! How are my lovelies doing?”
    With all the screaming and clapping I can’t make out a thing and that means it’s live in here.
    “Welcome to Lush, the D’s dirty little secret. I’m Kharma, but you can just say ‘bitch’ and I’ll answer to that, too. I don’t take requests, but I do take offense, so don’t offend me by sitting down, standing still or leaving, alright? Hook your servers up, and stay away from the bouncers, yeah? They’re some mean motherfuckers! Now get your sexy asses on the floor or a table if you fancy, and move that mutha fuckin’ ass!”
    I go right into “Dance all night” by Poison Clan, and the place goes flat out insane. Smiling to myself, I do some of my signature moves and get a little nasty with the masses. It’s the only time I let go. The music allows me to be the me I should have been, instead of the me I turned out to be. It’s a small reprieve, but I’ll take it.
    I never let a track play long, I don’t care how hot it is. Keep them wanting more, is what I do. I start to do a little spinning, really putting on a show. I fucking love the bass, the screaming, the pheromones all coming together. I start to mix in Eminem’s ’Bezerk’ to keep them revved up. After that? A little Danny Brown, with a heavy dose of Kendrick Lamar and A$ap Rocky. I’m spinning, dancing and lost in the moment; truly feeling young for a minute when I notice two very large men approach the platform, with security looking really pissed off.
    I ignore them because they’re probably just trying to get to the bar, when both men push security out of the way and they flank me. I look from left to right, not understanding the situation. I also see Max and Anthony Gallo in a dead run to get to me. Why is security just fucking