Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans

by Denise Grover Swank

  So this was what it meant to play with fire. The rules didn’t apply to these guys.

  I leaned forward so my face was closer to his. “Sugar, a girl needs to pay the bills.”

  Rich nodded his head toward his friend, and the guy put two more hundreds on the table. “This cover it?”

  “I’m new,” I said, sounding breathless, to my chagrin. “I’m not sure what that means.”

  A wicked grin stretched across his face, and his free hand landed on my waist, slowly sliding down my hip. “It means you’re mine for thirty minutes in a VIP room.”

  “I think I’ll need at least another couple hundred,” I said. “I bet I’m your first brand-new girl. That has to mean something.”

  I thought that would make him change his mind, but he seemed even more excited. “Okay. But first you dance for me here.” He released my wrist but kept his hand on my butt.

  Oh, crappy doodles.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man with dark blond hair walk through the front door. Unlike all the other men who had entered the club, he waited next to the bouncer. Heart in my throat, I turned slightly, nearly gasping when I realized it was Mason.

  “I see you’ve met Ruby,” Mud said from behind me, and I wasn’t sure whether I’d earned a reprieve, or if I was in even deeper trouble. I could only imagine what Mason would do if he knew what I was up to, and it wouldn’t be good for either of us.

  Rich’s eyes remained on me, a smile tugging the corners of his lips. “Ruby and I were just getting acquainted.”

  “I knew you’d like her, but she’ll have to wait until after business. He’s here.”

  Rich’s eyes turned dark. “Already?”

  Mud tilted his head toward the door. “Yes.” Then he walked toward his new guest.

  Rich pulled me closer and lifted the hem of my tank top, running his rough hand over my stomach before looking up at my face. “Wait for me, Ruby. I’m looking forward to really getting to know you.”

  My breath stuck in my throat as I waited for Mason to storm over and possibly get us both killed. My only hope was twofold—one, that my back was to him and he wouldn’t recognize me, and two, that this would the last place Mason would expect to see me.

  I didn’t say anything as Rich got to his feet, still staring into my face. For one horrified second I thought he was going to kiss me, but he bent his mouth to my ear.

  “I’m looking forward to later.”

  I shivered from fear, but he laughed as he lifted his head. “McDonald, keep an eye on her.”

  “Got it,” his friend said.

  I watched Rich strut to the door that led to the office and the entrance to the girls’ dressing room, trailing behind Mason and the club’s manager.

  I hurried back behind the bar, trying to gather my wits together, torn between running as far from this place as possible and figuring out a way to find out where the three of them went and what they were discussing.

  “Lowry’s comin’ on strong,” Kip said, “even for him. Mud was right.”

  I looked up at him, stuffing down my panic. “Right about what?”

  “Rich likes a certain type of girl, and you fit the bill.”

  “What? Brown hair?”

  He laughed. “Actually, yeah, that’s part of it. Long brown hair, not too skinny but not too stacked either. But it’s more than that. He likes ’em a little classy but not overly done up.”

  “Girl next door,” I finished.

  “Yeah.”

  “And he always gets what he wants, right?”

  “Anything he wants. The sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be—financially and otherwise.”

  Now it made sense why Mud had been so interested in hiring me. “We got interrupted. He had to go meet someone. Why didn’t his friend go with him?”

  “His friend isn’t important enough to meet the owner.”

  Mason was meeting the owner. That couldn’t be good. “The owner?”

  “They meet every Friday night, and then Lowry meets men in the VIP rooms later. But something different’s going on tonight. That guy at the front door is new.”

  I shot a look of surprise up at him. I’d been peppering him with questions, forgetting his rule about smart girls. So what did it mean that he was actually answering me?

  He shrugged, guessing the source of my confusion. “Lowry picked you. That means you’re in. The way he’s taken with you, he’ll probably have you with him for some of his meetings.”

  “Did Sapphire sit in on some of his meetings?”

  “Only the last night she was here. Lowry didn’t like her as much as he seems to like you.”

  “Because she wasn’t his usual type?” I asked.

  “Plus, she was a little bit too eager to suit him. But the man has his needs, and he couldn’t have Diamond because she belongs to the owner.”

  I hated the way he talked about us like we were property. But I had more pressing concerns than his misogynistic attitude.

  I had to figure out how to get Mason out of here.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “I have to go to the bathroom,” I said.

  “Now?” Kip groaned.

  “Yes.”

  He pointed to the door Mason had just disappeared through. “It’s in that hallway. Hurry.”

  I circled the counter, and Rich’s friend, McDonald, watched as I went through the door to the backstage area.

  The second door on the left was marked “Ladies.” I ducked inside the single bathroom and pulled out my phone. There was a text from Skeeter.

  Get the hell out of there.

  I wasn’t going anywhere. Not yet.

  I wasn’t sure what to do, so I called my best friend. “He’s here, Neely Kate.”

  “Mason?”

  “Yeah.” My voice broke as it finally sank in why he was here.

  “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”

  “He’s somewhere in the back with Mud, one of Skeeter’s guys, and the owner. I don’t know what to do.”

  “There’s nothing to do. You can’t stop him. Just walk out the back door and let’s go home.”

  “I can’t, Neely Kate. It’s Mason!”

  “Rose . . .”

  “No! Something doesn’t make sense. If the owner of Gems is meeting with Mason right now, and Mason is taking bribes from him, why were Skeeter’s guys trying to kill him?”

  “You saw visions of Skeeter’s men. Isn’t it obvious? Skeeter’s behind it.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “He promised me if I helped him that he wouldn’t hurt Mason.”

  “Rose, he lied to you. Why does that surprise you? He’s a hardened criminal.”

  I pressed my back against the door and closed my eyes.

  There was a knock on the door behind me, and I jumped.

  “I gotta take a leak!” one of the dancers shouted.

  “Just a minute!” I called out to her.

  “Rose,” Neely Kate said. “I’m beggin’ you. Come out and let me take you home.”

  Part of me said she was right. There was nothing I could do. This was what Mason had chosen. But I couldn’t wrap my head around the why of it. I knew him. Mason would never take bribes. There was something going on here I didn’t understand. What on earth would motivate Mason to throw everything away?

  What if it somehow had to do with me?

  “I’m not leavin’ yet.”

  The phone vibrated almost immediately after I hung up. Skeeter. I declined the call and seconds later Skeeter sent a text.

  You get your ass out of that building or Jed’s busting in to get you.

  I texted back. I can’t!

  Give me one good reason why not.

  Mason’s here.

  There was nearly a ten-second pause. You have fifteen minutes.

  Shit.

  The dancer pounded on the door again. “Come on!”

  I shoved my phone in my pocket and opened the door. One of the dancers I hadn’t met ye
t was in the hallway, fuming.

  “How long’s it take to pee?”

  “Sorry.” I tried to sound sheepish.

  She brushed my shoulder as she went into the bathroom.

  I headed back to the bar, and McDonald watched my every move. When I got behind the counter, Kip looked pissed.

  “Where the hell have you been?”

  “I told you,” I said, trying not to sound defensive. “I had to go to the bathroom.”

  “Well, you’ve been summoned, and now you’re late.”

  “Summoned?” I squeaked out.

  Kip pointed to McDonald. “He’s requested you.”

  “Oh.”

  He leered at me as I walked over to his table.

  “There you are, baby.” He patted the chair next to him. “Why don’t you keep me company?”

  I gave him a tight smile. “I thought I was supposed to wait for your friend.”

  “He wants me to keep an eye on you, and I can’t think of a better way.”

  “I can’t be gone too long from behind the bar.” I nodded my head to the side. “We’re short-staffed and all.”

  His grin turned menacing. “Why don’t you ask the last bartender how disobeying worked out for him?”

  I froze and grew light-headed. It was obvious he was talking about Nikko. I had to calm down and think this through carefully. I forced a sweet smile. “I’m not disobeying, sugar. It’s just that we’re so busy tonight, and I figure your friend is going to be gone awhile.”

  He tilted his head to the side, putting a toothpick in the side of his mouth. “Maybe not so long.”

  “Oh?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light. “I would think an important man like him would need lots of time for business.”

  A smirk spread across his face as he half-shrugged. “Turns out things ain’t what we thought they would be.”

  I sat down in the chair and leaned toward him, partially because my legs had begun to shake, and partially because I wanted to look way more friendly than I was feeling at the moment. Two people had disappeared only a week ago, probably for secrets they’d uncovered in this place. I didn’t want to end up like them, but I had a feeling Mason was in serious trouble, and I wasn’t about to leave him in a lurch. “You don’t say?”

  His eyes narrowed. “You seem awful interested in Lowry’s business.”

  “I love powerful men, and I knew the moment you and your friend walked into the joint that you fit the bill. I’m eager to get him into the VIP room.”

  His eyes glittered. “Don’t you worry.” He reached over and trailed a finger down my cheek. “Rich needs to help his associate deal with some unpleasant baggage, then he’ll be back for you.”

  Unpleasant baggage?

  I stuffed down my panic. I had to find Mason, but first I had to think of some excuse to get away from the table. I noticed his beer was over half-empty. “Let me get you a refill, sugar,” I said as I stood.

  “Sounds good.”

  On the way back to the bar, I racked my brain for an excuse to head to the back area. As I grabbed a fresh mug and got McDonald’s beer, my gaze drifted to the stage. One of the girls from earlier in the night was dancing, and there was no sign of Diamond.

  “I want to dance,” I blurted out to Kip.

  “Really?” Kip asked in shock.

  There was no way I was getting on that stage, but that was need-to-know information. And Kip didn’t need to know. The dressing room was through the door to the back, so this could be my only shot. I turned to him and nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Do you even have any experience? It’s Friday night, and the best girls work the stage.”

  My gaze drifted to McDonald. “I bet those two guys would love to see me dance.” I glanced up at Kip and waited. The company policy seemed to be to keep them happy. I hoped it would work in my favor.

  Kip studied me as though trying to figure out why I’d so drastically changed my mind in such a short period of time. Then he released his breath, his eyebrows lifted. “I’ll need to clear it with Mud first, and he’s in his meeting.”

  I couldn’t afford to wait. “I don’t have anything to wear. Can I go back and see if there’s anything that will work?”

  He laughed. “You’ll have to get one of the other girls to share, and good luck with that.” He looked around the room. “We’ve got a breather here, so why don’t you take McDonald his beer and then run back there to check it out. But get your ass back here pronto. This lull won’t last long.”

  “Okay.” I took McDonald his beer and set it in front of him. When I started to turn around after grabbing his old glass, he wrapped his hand around my wrist.

  “What’s your hurry?”

  “I have a special surprise for you.” When he continued to hold on, I added, “On the stage.”

  He chuckled. “Be sure to wait for Lowry to get back. He’s gonna wanna see.”

  I winked. “Don’t worry. He’ll be plenty surprised.” I was sure Skeeter had a thing or two in store for Rich Lowry.

  McDonald dropped his hold. “Then you best get going.”

  I dropped the mug off with the pile of empty glasses behind the bar.

  “Five minutes, Ruby,” Kip called after me as I hurried toward the backstage area.

  Once I was behind the door, I stood in the hall and tried to figure out what to do next. Even if I found the room where Mason was, how would I get him out? Shoot, for all I knew, Mason wasn’t the unnecessary baggage McDonald was talking about. But I couldn’t take the chance. At the very least, I had to make sure he was safe.

  The music from the bar filled the hallway, and I wondered how I was going to find him. I suspected he was in a room back here, but the music was so loud it was going to be difficult to eavesdrop.

  I ignored the restrooms, and the dressing room seemed too unlikely to waste time on. Mud’s office was at the end of the hall, but another short hallway intersected it. When I pressed my ear to the closed office door, I didn’t hear voices. That left two doors—one to the left, which I presumed led outside, and another to the right. When I put my ear to that door, I heard the murmur of voices. I covered my left ear to drown out the music from the other room, closing my eyes to help my brain concentrate.

  Mud’s voice rose. “He knows too much.”

  “You’re an employee here. Don’t forget your place,” a low male voice said, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I’d heard that voice before. I just couldn’t place it.

  “You can all blame each other later. Right now we have to figure out what to do with him,” Lowry said.

  “What the hell happened to our arrangement?” Mason asked. “I’ve lived up to my end of the bargain. I dropped the damned charges. Now you live up to yours. Where’s the cash?”

  My heart sank. Mason really had accepted a bribe. I’d hoped that this was all a misunderstanding, but he’d just admitted to it.

  “That was before,” the mystery man said. “Before I knew you were setting us up.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Mason asked, sounding indignant.

  “Nikko.” The room was silent before the man spoke again. “We know he was feeding you information.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “He told us, Deveraux!” I heard a loud bang, and I jumped. “It took us a few days to break him, but he sang like a canary.”

  I took a breath to calm down. Mason was in serious trouble. My heart hammered in my chest as I tugged my phone out of my pocket, my fingers shaky. I pulled up Joe’s number and had just pressed send when someone grabbed my lower arm, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh.

  I screeched in fright and lost my grip on the phone. Joe called out “Rose?” as it fell, but when it hit the tile floor, the screen shattered and went dark.

  I looked up into the angry face of one of the bouncers. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I got lost,” I blurted out. “I’m looking for the dressing room.”
<
br />   “Who were you calling?”

  “No one. I was pullin’ up MapQuest.”

  “To find the dressing room?” He squatted and picked up my phone, still holding my arm in a death grip.

  I considered bolting, but his bulky frame blocked my escape. “I need to get back to the bar. Kip’s gonna wonder where I am.”

  “You’re not goin’ anywhere.” He tugged my arm with one hand while reaching for the doorknob with the other. “If you’re so interested in what’s goin’ on in that room, how about we let you have a front-row seat.”

  “No, that’s okay,” I stammered, trying to pull free. “I don’t want to bother them.”

  “No. I insist.” He grinned and threw the door open, dragging me inside. “Look what I found snoopin’ around outside the door.”

  Four people looked up from a small table, their eyes widening in surprise, but Mason easily looked the most startled. I knew and expected to see three of the men—Rich Lowry, Mud, and Mason—but the fourth face shocked me.

  The missing veterinarian who’d master-minded the robberies to outbid Skeeter.

  Mick Gentry.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Well, well, well,” Mick said, leaning his elbows on the table. “What have we here?”

  The bouncer released his grasp and gave me a tiny shove. I stumbled further into the small room, then froze, unsure of what to do. They were sitting at a rectangular table, taking up four of the eight chairs. Mick sat at the head of the table with Mud and Lowry on one side, Mason on the other.

  “Who is she?” Mick asked.

  Mud’s face paled. “She’s a new hire. She’s taking Sapphire’s place.”

  “Guess she takes filling in seriously, including hanging out in places where she doesn’t belong.”

  Mason’s hand, which was resting on the table, tightened into a fist, but I ignored him and kept my gaze on Mick.

  Mick sat back in his chair. “What’s your name, doll?”

  I lifted my chin. “Daisy.”

  “Daisy what?”

  “Daisy Miller.”

  “What are you doing snoopin’ outside my door, Daisy Miller?”

  “I wasn’t snoopin’, I swear. It’s my first night, and I got lost.”