Was he toying with me, taking the piss. And I thought my night couldn't get worse.
“Well, it's been a long night.” Great, now I was on the defensive.
I took another gulp of wine and forced my eyes to his. They didn't hold that burning fire like before, yet they weren't completely relaxed either. A light frown seemed to be permanently etched on his face, the weight of the world heavy on his shoulders.
“Do you wanna get out of here?” he said suddenly, “you don't look happy.”
Holy shit. Did I really look that glum. I bet everyone here thought the same. This random moody bitch sat in the corner. What a fucking downer. Crash was probably trying to remove my sucky presence from the room.
“No, it's OK, I was about to leave anyway. It's your brothers birthday, you should stay.”
“Trust me, I'm not having a great time either. The last thing I want to deal with right now is small talk, but that's all these events are. The same fucking conversations over and over. It's doing my head in.”
He arched one of his eyebrows up a touch, awaiting my reply. “Come on, I'm leaving, you can follow or not.”
I smiled. What's the harm.
“OK, give me a moment, I just need to use the bathroom.”
“Sure, I'll wait. It's over there at the end of that bar.”
I stood and followed the direction of his finger over into the corner of the room. Tess was draping herself over Zack at the main table, his twin Cade and a group of others all laughing and joking raucously. Tess clearly had no trouble integrating herself into a new group.
I reached the corner of the room and passed through a door. There were a series of doors down a short corridor. I noticed the sign for the ladies and walked towards it, my ears pricking up to the sound of raised voices through another door, sitting ajar on its lock.
My curiosity got the better of me as I passed by, the bathroom just over to my right. I stopped briefly, lightening my footfall and listening closely. It sounded like Alice, heightening my interest.
“I just don't want to be here any more,” she said, trying to keep her voice down. “Can we just go Kyle, it's creeping me out.”
“No one knows you baby. Can't you just relax and have a good time?”
“But what if the concierge is up there, at the front desk. What if he sees me, recognizes me?” Her words were slightly frantic, no doubt made worse by booze.
“He's not here any more Alice, he probably doesn't even work here. Did you see him on the way in?”
“No, but..”
“Well then what's the problem?”
“He might be working late or something, I don't fucking know. Why are you being such a dick about this. You told me yourself not to come here, remember?”
“Yes, but that was ages ago. The dust has settled now, nothing's gonna happen to you, to us. What was I gonna tell my brothers? That I can't come to their birthday. I had no control over where they planned to host it.”
“Yeah well I didn't need to come. I shouldn't have agreed.” Her tone was hardening.
“OK, lets just give it another hour. We'll go back in, hang with my brothers, have a drink, and relax. I swear we'll leave in an hour and then you'll never have to come back here again. Deal?”
I slowly crept towards the bathroom as a brief silence fell inside the room. Then I heard Alice mumble her agreement as I quickly slinked into the bathroom and shut the door behind me, making sure to close it without a sound.
My breath poured out of me as I heard Alice and Kyle open the door outside and walk back off down the corridor.
The mystery of that girl deepens further.
Chapter 9 - Crash
Crash
The light spilled into the room, burning through my eyelids and waking me up in a flash.
“What the hell Mel, I told you not to open the fucking curtains so early.”
“Sorry babe, but it helps wake me up.”
Mel was a 'comfort girl' as I called her. Not a prostitute. No, I would never pay for it. She was just a girl I knew. A girl who helped satisfy my needs when I needed them taken care of.
I rolled over and covered my eyes up with the pillow. How this girl survived on only a couple of hours of sleep was beyond me.
My memory swilled with images from the previous night. I looked over to see my tux hanging loose on a chair. Zack and Cade's party, what a fucking drag.
I had no mind for such formal events right now. No time for them. No interest in them. The thought of spending hour upon hour chit chatting about nothing of importance was beneath me. Now I was swimming with the sharks.
I'd seen Elle there, sitting alone across the room. Poor girl looked like a tree in the middle of an open field, totally secluded and out of place.
I went over to her and asked if she wanted to leave. Kill two birds with one stone: save the poor girl and save myself.
I took her upstairs into the hotel bar. It was quiet there, only a couple of late night guests lingering around, nursing whiskey and their troubles. We fitted in perfectly.
She began to come out of her shell as we spoke. I guess she wasn't overly comfortable in large group situations. She was young, only about 20, so that sort of thing might be intimidating.
She was sweet though, innocent and untouched. She might have been a virgin for all I knew. It wasn't just the way she looked: cute blonde hair, big blue eyes, button nose. It was the way she looked at me, her eyes glancing at me when she thought I couldn't see, this coy expression on her face when I said she looked pretty.
It appealed to me in a way I didn't expect. I'd lived my entire life fast and loose and liked my women just the same. But I was 27 now and had never had a proper relationship, never felt anything more than lust towards a girl. Kyle had been the same as me and now look at him. He was thinking of giving up everything for a girl. It was a feeling I couldn't compute in my head.
When I asked her about her previous relationships, her eyes flashed in a way that told me she had a serious history with someone. I don't know why, but a tinge of jealousy struck at my core.
She avoided the question, though, and turned the spotlight straight back onto me.
I gave the sort of answer that I always would when a girl asked me that sort of question. “Never found the right girl. Been really busy with work recently.”
It wasn't much of an explanation to explain over 10 years without a girlfriend. But then again, maybe it was the truth. I didn't care to give it much thought. It was easier that way.
I didn't stay too long with her. If I did, she'd probably see the real me behind my facade. I saw her off in a cab back to her dorm at about 2 AM. Weird to think that was only 4 hours ago now.
She'd given me this look of thanks when we said goodbye and kissed my cheek. I enjoyed the touch of her lips. They were soft and warm, her touch as light as she was.
I told the cab driver to get her home safe. There was a menace to my words. I didn't trust anyone, that was my problem. His eyes told me that he knew who I was.
She'd be safe then.
One she'd left I hailed my own cab and made a call, reverting to type. I arrived at Mel's place 20 minutes later and she saw to my needs. Now she was my normal type of girl. Easy, experienced, hot as fucking hell.
She had this jetblack hair set against her tanned skin, a set of fake tips making her slightly top heavy. The surgeon had done a fucking good job - they didn't look fake at all.
She curve of her ass as she bent down in front of me was enough to make a man weep. The feel of it when I slapped it with my hand gave me that feeling of power I'd always craved. Power over women. Power in business. Now I had power over my family.
For some reason though. For some fucked up, deranged reason, this shy little girl from California held a power over me.
A modicum of power, this tiny strand of power, but power nonetheless.
Chapter 10 - Elle
Elle
It was a Wednesday evening when I sat up against t
he wall of the dance studio, looking at my reflection in the mirror covering the opposite wall.
Lexi sat beside me, her hair slick with sweat, darkened by it. We looked like sisters, two little Aryan girls sat side by side.
Only she was prettier, and a better dancer. The girl was as graceful as a swan, and just as flexible.
We sat there now, panting as the other girls in the class disappeared out of the door. Our instructor, Claire, lingered for a moment in the corner before setting off as well.
“You will remember to lock up won't you Lexi? I'll leave the keys in the lock for you. Just drop them through my office letterbox when you're done.”
Lexi had been a student here for a while, so was entitled to these little perks and privileges. This one simply meant she could keep on training and dancing in the studio for as long as she wished on Wednesday evenings.
I'd learned that Wednesday was her only night off, so we often went for a drink after to catch up. She might well have been the nicest girl I'd ever met. Everything I said was greeted with genuine interest. Not feigned or overdone, just completely real and sincere. She was so smiley and laughy, with one of the cutest giggles I'd ever seen. I was frankly amazed that she was single,
“I don't really have time for a boyfriend,” was her answer. “What with my classes and my job in the evening, you know. Anyway, I'm not sure many guys would be happy about my job.”
It was something that she never really spoke about. She told me she just worked in a club. I assumed that she meant behind the bar or in the cloakroom or something. I wasn't one to probe in general, but had to ask.
“Why would a guy have a problem with your job though? Aren't you a waitress or barmaid or something?”
She screwed up her face a little. “Not exactly. I used to work behind the bar, now I work in front of it.” She was suddenly a little abashed, her words less bouncy and jovial.
“What do you mean?”
She paused. “I don't know Elle, its probably not something you wanna hear about.”
“Oh come on, you can't leave me hanging like that Lexi!”
“You'll probably disown me when I tell you.”
I said nothing but just stared at her with open eyes, nodding my head a fraction to coax the truth from her lips.
She took a deep breath. “I'm a stripper, OK Elle, an exotic dancer.”
My head flew back, shortening my neck as my eyebrows shot up in a look of genuine surprise.
“A stripper! No way!”
She nodded coyly.
“Shit, whoa, I mean seriously? A stripper? Are you pulling my leg or something? Is this a wind up?” I was laughing. I don't know if it was awkwardly or nervously or whatever.
Her tone remained drier than the Sahara. “Nope, God's honest truth.”
I sat back, my mouth open a little bit. I'm sure it wasn't the sort of reaction she wanted. But then, it was probably what she expected. I guess that's why she hadn't told me before.
“I never, ever in a million years would have pegged you for that. Seriously, a stripper?!”
“YES! I knew I shouldn't have told you. I knew you wouldn't get it.”
“Hey now, how do you expect me to react?! It's just so not you Lexi.”
“Well, to be fair Elle, you don't really know me that well.” Her words were a little biting, a little frosty. What did I expect? I was literally laughing in her face about her job.
Not cool Elle.
“I know, look, I'm sorry babe. I shouldn't have reacted like that. So is it like stage dancing in a club?”
Gosh this conversation was going to be totally out of my comfort zone.
“Sometimes. Sometimes it's private dancing.”
“And do you, you know....go nude?”
She nodded, her face still more disgruntled than I'd ever seen it. I guess that was understandable.
A short silence cascaded down onto us, an awkwardness hanging in the air. Maybe I should never have asked. Can I go back in time? Where's the Time Traveller and his machine?!
“So where is the club?” I asked finally, breaking this painfully awkward silence.
“It's on Pine Street, you probably won't know it. Not much down there really.”
I was careful with my words. I didn't want to annoy her any more or make her feel ashamed or embarrassed in any way. I had no place to do that. Lexi was a great girl, and a great friend. I had no idea why she did it, but she must have had a damn fine reason.
“So, how did you get into that?” I asked, ensuring my tone was light and not interrogatory in any way.
“Well, I know this is gonna sound funny, but I actually wanted to do it. Seriously. I love dancing, and it's just another style I enjoy. I really don't mind getting my kit off, never have.”
“But those guys ogling you. Isn't that a bit, I dunno, creepy?”
“That's a frame of mind. I find it sexy. The power I have over them, it appeals to me. And, well, this place doesn't come cheap, so the money really helps!” Her tone was lightening up again, a cheeky grin spreading over her face.
“And anyway,” she continued, “it's not like an open strip club where anyone can come down. Any potential client is carefully vetted, so it's all safe and secure. Seriously, any place owned by the Logans is always well organized and safe.”
No way. The Logans! The name shot into my head like a bullet.
“What's than name again?” I asked, trying to keep a lid on my shock.
“The Logans. A guy called Kyle Logan runs it. It was owned by his dad, Charles, but he was killed not long ago. I guess maybe Kyle owns it now.”
Holy shit! Alice's boyfriend runs a fucking strip club!
I couldn't contain my amazement at it, my face flying wide open. “So weird. Such a small world! So Alice's boyfriend runs a strip club?!”
Alice. It just came to me. She'd told me a while ago that she met Lexi through work. And she was seeing Lexi's boss.
NO WAY! That's how they met! She was a stripper too!
“Hang on,” I said quickly, the realization hitting me like a sledgehammer. “Answer me this. Truthfully. Is Alice a stripper as well? Is that how she and Kyle met, at the club?”
Lexi screwed up her face as she liked to when faced with a difficult question. I didn't know her that well but I knew that she was dreadful at lying.
She nodded slowly, an “i've been caught” expression on her face. “Yep, although she only worked for a few months. She doesn't do it any more.”
I literally couldn't believe it. Although, it kinda all made sense now as well. Alice had been really coy when I'd asked her how she knew Lexi. She'd said they used to work together, and then shut down. Well, at least that was one of her secrets drawn into the light.
The fact that Kyle ran a strip club didn't shock me at all, though. I mean, the family owned a bar, a club, a casino. Why not have a strip club as well? They probably owned a brothel too. Maybe a bookies. Pretty much anything that dealt in a vice.
“Hey, Elle.” Lexi's voice brought my back into the room and out of my head. “If you talk to Alice about this, don't react like you did with me. Seriously, I know she won't like that. If it were me, I probably wouldn't even mention it to her. Bit of a sore spot.”
“How come? What happened.”
I was never much of a gossip but this was just too good to miss. I felt like I was an extra in Days of Our Lives or something, all this family drama going on around me.
“Well, it was always forbidden that any staff members see each other. Kyle's dad, Charles Logan, he was not a guy you wanted to mess with. He ruled that place with an iron fist. I mean, I liked it because it meant no guy would ever get frisky. But it also applied to staff. If you got together, or even just had a one night stand or something, you'd be in big, big trouble. Like, lose your nuts trouble. Seriously, there was this one security guard who was castrated for dating a stripper. Castrated! Can you imagine that!”
I really didn't want to.
“Anyway,�
�� she continued, “when Charles Logan died, I guess Kyle and Alice thought they could become official. So she stopped working there and the rest is history.”
But it wasn't quite, was it. I remembered back to the night I arrived. Crash had been furious with Kyle, and they seemed to be arguing about Alice. It seemed that maybe Crash was trying to continue where his father left off. He did seem to have that dominant way about him.
“It's like living in a soap opera round here,” I said, “Even people's secrets have secrets.”
“Yeah well I've got mine out of the way! Other than that, what you see is what you get with me.” She laughed, her jovial spirit returning.
“Anyway, I'm sure you've got a few little secrets of your own,” she kept on. “Like moving here mysteriously in the middle of the year. You still haven't told me about that.”
“Yeah, well that's a long story!”
She locked at the imagined watch on her wrist. “I've got time...”
“OK, buckle up babe, cos this ones a doozy.”
Chapter 11 - Crash
Crash
My fist was pushing down so hard on my desk I thought it was going to crash straight through it.
“What do you mean, there's no link?” I seethed through my teeth.
“I couldn't find anything Crash. Nothing. There is nothing linking your fathers killing to Mr Coopers people. If they did it, there's no evidence at all.”
“FUCK!” I roared. “Then who is fucking responsible?!”
He remained calm in his seat. Jones was never phased by anything.
“Your father had lots of enemies. There's a laundry list of people it could have been. I'll keep searching, but you might have to resign yourself to the fact that you may never know.”
Never know. I couldn't live like that. I had to fucking know. I had to.
“OK, get back on it. I don't want you sleeping until you can give me something.”
He stood and nodded. A loyal man, Jones, always there for my father, always here for me now.
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