Unmasking the Truth by faze1315 (phonics readers txt) 📖

I pushed the curtains out of my ways and marched out into the main room. My client only feet away from me with a red hand print across his face. I strapped my mask back on and straightened my corset. "Sapphire, why are you acting up?"

 "This creep, tried getting under my clothes," I cast a glare back towards the creep. His few hairs were slicked back, he wore a nice suit, but it was thin and showed the bulge in his pants. "I told him to stop, but he practically held me down and climbed on top of me."

My boss sighed as he motioned for the bodyguard to take the man away from me. My boss grabbed me by the hair and pulled me into his office. "I know you have been here for awhile now and are the most wanted, but this bullshit has got to stop."

"This bullshit?" I stood from my chair and slammed my hands on his desk. "I was almost raped four times this week, had you get the bodyguard twelve, and you want me to stop my bullshit?!"
"Sapphire, calm down."

"No, you calm the fuck down!" I collapsed in the chair and silent tears ran down my face. My boss was actually a very sweet man, never tried anything with his workers and let them stay here if they don't have a place to sleep.

"I know this is putting a lot of stress on you, why don't you take the night off?"

"I can't, I need to pay the bills this week," I wiped the tears from my face and stood on my two wobbly legs. "I am good, just had a tiny breakdown."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," I walked out of his office and into the private bathroom. I wiped the massacre form under my eyes and reapplied my eyeliner. Putting on some lip-gloss, I studied myself in the mirror. I had dark brown ringlets for hair pined up in a bun. My eyes were dark blue; that is how I got my name. Sapphire.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I am a stripper, sadly. My true name is Sapphire, Sapphire Banks.

My college Sandy walked into the bathroom. "Girl, are you alright? I heard what happened."

"Yeah, I am fine. It wouldn't be Mega Bucks if you didn't kick someone out, right?" I nervously laughed and walked back to the main room. It was dark with bright pink sofas for anyone to sit and watch the show. A lighted stage lined with poles, where the strippers danced.

We all wore the same black corset with black underwear, fishnet stockings and black heels. A beautiful half white mask was the main attraction though. Feathers spread across the top. That was the main reason I picked this strip club, because of the masks. At least if someone I knew came in, they wouldn't be able to recognize it was me.

My first week here I was moved up to a personal stripper. I don't dance on the stage anymore, clients could request me and we go into a private room.

I took a huge sigh as I walked into the examination room. At this club, the private strippers are chained to the wall and a man walks in. He examines us and chooses the one he wants.

Four others stood in the room with me, waiting for Anthony to come in and chain us to the wall. It didn't take long for my arms to be locked into the chains and another client to walk in.

He stood six feet tall towering all of us. Dark shaggy black hair hung in his face, a body that could make a girl melt in her shoes, and eyes that looked into your soul. he wore a button up shirt and faded jeans.

The man walked back and forth, studying us. Many girls whistle out to him, or slide against the wall to get his attention, but I stood still. My head hung low, ashamed that this man sees me like this.

I didn't know the dude, but his option mattered a lot to me at this point and chained to the wall, begging for him wasn't the first imppression I wanted him to see. I stared at my feet, clicking my heels waiting for the agony to end.

My chin was harshly pushed up, the man stood inches away from me, studying my face. My breathing picked up and I shrunk back into the wall. Our breathes mingled together in unison and I couldn't help, but beg to the gods he would pick me.

"This one," he had a low husky voice that brought shivers up my spine.

"Smart choice," Anthony unlocked my wrists and showed the man the way toward our own private room. My hands sweat and I couldn't quite get a handle on my nerves. The man in front of me had a way about him, the sent me sweat glands on ultra speed.

He opened the door for me and I walked past him into the room. It was a pretty small room with a black couch pushed to the far corner. The walls were a dark red and the floors black tile.

I made my way over to the couch and sat down, waiting for him to sit down next to me. I closed my eyes and took a couple of breathes, forcing my nerves to calm the fuck down. When I opened them, his hazel eyes were intensely staring at me. "I don't want a lap dance."

"W-W-What?"

"I am not here for a stripper," he leaned back in the couch and folded his arms under his head.

"Then why are you here?"

"Why are you?" he avoided my question.

"Because I work here," I snapped and crossed my arms. He might be sexy as hell, but my temper could not stand him. "You avoided my question."

"I know," he gave me a small smirk. "Kids don't grow up saying I want to be a stripper. Why are you here?"

I turned to tell him to go screw himself, but I was caught in his stare again. It was very intense, but beautiful. I made my insides burn and my outside freeze. "I have large bills to pay."

"Like?"

"That is for me to know-" I was cut off by the sound of gun shots. I didn't have enough time to react, before the man grabbed my hand and we ran out of the room. "Take a left!"

I started for the door, but a voice froze me in place. "Sapphire, you ran out of time." I turned around to find one of Chris' henchmen. He was a large man with a gun in his hand.

"Sapphire we need to leave," the man tugged on my arm, but my feet wouldn't move.

"Where is Chris' money?"

"Sapphire!" I struggled internally, telling myself to place one foot in front of another, but I just couldn't. Another gunshot and the henchman fell to the ground in a bloody mess.

I turned around to find the man with a gun in his hand as well. "Fuck it!" He tossed me over his shoulder and slammed his body into the door. The cool air was welcomed to my sweat body.

I could feel my fear fade away, a peacefulness replacing it. Blocks away from the club, the man placed me onto my feet. "Can you walk again?" I nodded, knowing my tongue was still heavy and unusable. "Bloody hell, now you can't talk. Where do you live?"

My mind left him and I slumped to the ground. I couldn't think straight and eventually my eyes grew heavy. My head hit the concrete, but by that time I was in a peaceful slumber.

I struggle underneath the covers, I tossed and turned, but the covers still stuck to my sweaty body. I kicked my feet multiply times; since when was the covers so thick. I turned my head and opened my eyes.  Outside the window you could see a park just below and a lttle further back a river.

I jumped out of bed, falling to the floor because the blankets were still wrapped around my feet. "Where the fuck am I?" My crappy apartment was never this clean or bright before. The walls were a bright shade of white as mine were a dull yellow. The carpet was just that, a carpet! I had hardware floorings, or at least I thought I did.

Stumbling to the door, I walked into a bathroom, not excactly where I was heading. I stood by the mirror, excamining the mess I call my face. My makeup was smudged and my hair was slicked back with... is that blood? I patted my head and looked at my fingers. Crusty red blood fell to the floor. I thought back to the night before. Was I shot?

I walked back to the bedroom, stopping at another door to listen beyond it. pans and pots were clinking on the other side of the door. I wasn't sure if it was safe, but I grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around me, hoping to cover some of my ice cold skin. I slowly opened the door and walked to the kitchen were a very large man stood.

His back was towards me, but I could tell he was very handsome from just looking at his back. Muscles rippled down his arm and towards his think legs. His hair dark and shaggy curled around his ears and stopped above shoulders. "Uh, hello?"

The man turned around and images of last night flashed in my mind. Chris's men came to the club last night. I could have been dead by now if it wasn't for... "I see you are up now," he placed a cup of coffe on the table and picked one up for himself.

Shuffling towards the table, I sat down and sipped the coffee. Many things raced through my head, but the main one was what I was wearing. Still in my stripper clothes, I sat next to the most gorgeouse man on earth, who pretty much rejected me last night. "Thanks for saving my life," I mubbled and sat the coffee down.

"It was nothing really." He turned around and placed his mug into the sink. "If you don't mind me asking why was the man after you last night?"

I sighed knowing I wasn't going to avoid this question, "My brother was a druggie. He owes a loanshark more than we could have paid for. Anyways one day he just uped and left without so much as a goodbye. Sine the loanshark can't find him he is now after me." I looked down at the table, "that is why I am what I am." I motioned to my clothes and looked up at...

"You know my name, but I don't know yours."

"Oz."

"Nice meeting you Oz," I stood letting the blanket fall and placed the mug in the sin next to his. "If you don't mind, could you give me a ride back to my apartment?"

Oz walked into the bedroom and left me standing in his kitchen. I was about to go after him, but something caught my eye. I picked