“Two reasons. Mainly because I meant it when said I wanted your first time to be special and this is definitely not what I had in mind.’ Duncan spread his arms to indicate the bathroom. “But also because I was so excited, I didn’t think I could last very long the other way. I wanted to make this about you. So you’d forget about that other guy.”
“Are you serious? That is just about the sweetest, messed-up thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Really? It sounds pretty stupid to me now.” Duncan shook his head and smiled ruefully at her. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t. This all pretty new to me. I’ve never serenaded a club full of strangers with my screams of excitement before.”
“You were pretty loud,” Duncan said and winced as Jessie poked a finger into his ribs. “But I don’t think anyone heard you except me and your sister.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really. There’s music and people talking out there. They’d have to be listening for it.”
“I hope so.” Jessie said, uncertain, but hopeful.
“Don’t worry, next time you put on a performance, I’ll make sure I’m your only audience.” Duncan kissed her softly. “Are you okay? Can we go out there now?”
“I’m okay, but how about you?” She blushed and looked down at the front of his jeans. They were still tented over his erection.
“Ignore it. It’ll go away.” Duncan said, opening the door and gesturing for her to go ahead of him.
“Are you sure?” She looked at him doubtfully.
“Yes, I’m sure. Just don’t look at me or touch me or smile at me for a few minutes.”
“That’s all it takes. A look?” Jessie glanced down again, clearly fascinated.
“Afraid so. Men are simple creatures. What can I say?” He shrugged his shoulders and followed Jessie out to the main room of the club, careful not to look at her curvaceous behind.
Chapter 14
The little blond on stage looked exactly like Duncan’s mother. Before the booze, drugs, and plastic surgeon got hold of her and turned her into a caricature of herself. The fluffy blond hair, fine-featured pixie face, and wide mouth still haunted his dreams. There was no denying the resemblance to Marie Elisabeth Reinhold McTavish Williams Zuarini. Terri-Lynne, the exotic dancer and former street kid, was definitely his half-sister, Theresa.
“Is it her?” Jessie asked, watching his stunned face with concern. They were standing to the right of the stage, close enough to touch the dancers as they performed a choreographed number to Prince’s ‘Kiss.’ The club had filled up while they’d been in the bathroom and most of the tables had people at them. Many men, but a few women watched the girls on stage.
“Yeah. It’s definitely her.” Duncan’s voice sounded weird to him. Distant and somewhat alien. He hadn’t been prepared for his reaction to seeing this girl up on stage. She should be like a stranger to him, but wasn’t. He felt the first stirrings of brotherly protectiveness and it disturbed him a great deal. He had no right to feel this way, but he wanted to take his jacket off and cover her up, while rushing her off to the nearest convent.
“What do you want to do?” Jessie asked, putting a hand on his arm. He looked strange. “Can I help?”
“You can tell me where the club manager is or better yet: the owner. We’ve got to get her out of here. Can’t they tell she’s underage?” Duncan turned his face away from the sight of Theresa gyrating on stage and glared at Jessie.
“They check ID here Duncan. She must have some false papers.” He just shook his head and Jessie got a glimpse at the man who spent his days hunting pedophiles and rapists. He was like a stranger to her; an intensely angry stranger. She pointed to the bar. “I don’t know if Percy is here, but we could ask the bartender.”
“No, you wait here. Or better yet. Go home and I’ll call you later.” He walked away from her without a glance. Jessie sunk down onto a nearby chair against the wall to watch him. Things were changing entirely too quickly for her. Two days ago, she hadn’t even been aware of Duncan’s existence, but now she felt bereft whenever he was out of touching range. His easy dismissal of her right now made it clear he didn’t feel the same way.
Jessie thought about leaving. Not just the club, but also the entire situation. She was in too deep already and she couldn’t deal with his changeable moods. One second he was desperate for her and the next she was an inconvenience. A nice, boring accountant with glasses and a fondness for playing Scrabble on Saturday nights seemed like a less challenging option.
But how would she ever be content with someone like that after spending a single day with Duncan? It was like she’d walked into one of the romance novels she secretly read, except instead of an exciting, spunky heroine to match the volatile leading man, she had somehow been miscast in the role. She didn’t know if she could survive much more of this, but how could she not try?
He made her feel alive. It wasn’t just the sex, though she did feel a rush of excitement just thinking about the way he’d laid her out on that lounge in the bathroom. She also loved the way he teased her, his concern for her, and his own little surprising insecurities. She even liked the fact that he was so dedicated to his sister. She felt a bit resentful at his abandoning her so quickly, but he wouldn’t be the man he was if he ignored his obligations.
Jessie looked back at the stage. Jamie was up there, belting out the Prince song enthusiastically. Her voice wasn’t great, but her confidence and grace couldn’t be denied. The tuxedo jacket she’d been wearing earlier was open; offering glimpses of the tiny black sequined halter Jamie had designed and made herself. As Jessie watched, Jamie slowly drew the jacket down her arms and threw it into the audience. From the back, it looked like she was completely naked from the waist up. A small crowd of older men in the first few tables went wild and grabbed for the jacket. Jamie just smiled slyly and continued her striptease.
Why can’t I be dynamic like that? Jessie asked herself. Look at her up there. There’s four other girls dancing around behind her and yet every eye in the place is on Jamie. She isn’t just beautiful; she’s charismatic too. If I had just a small fraction of that, Duncan would fall in love with me. Could she be like Jamie? Probably not, but next time she had Duncan alone, she would certainly try to act like she was.
The song was ending and the girls struck their final pose. Jamie ripped off the wig, allowing her long red hair to tumble down over her bare breasts and the audience’s applause intensified. The other four girls were stripped down to small bikinis. Jessie watched as Duncan, and Percy the manager, approached the stage. Duncan’s face was like a thundercloud. Percy, the cadaverous owner, trailed behind, looking like he was about to expire from worry as they stepped through the employee door to meet the girls backstage.
When the girls filed off stage, Duncan was waiting. Jamie was the first to reach him. She paused for a moment, blocking the stairway, while the other girls fidgeted impatiently behind her to get to the dressing rooms beyond. Jamie raised her eyebrows and gave him a speculative look. “Glad you could make it, Detective. Thought we’d lost you.” She watched for him to stare at her naked breasts, but his gaze never wandered.
Duncan looked her straight in the eyes. It was strange how Jessie’s twin didn’t effect him in the slightest. Jessie was perhaps a bit more voluptuous and had that delicious beauty mark above her lip, but other than that, they looked almost exactly alike. But if Jessie had been strutting around wearing nothing but a sequined G-string, he would have been beside himself with desire. This Martin sister left him unmoved, if a little embarrassed.
Jamie didn’t wait for his response; she just smiled knowingly at him and sashayed away slowly, seemingly oblivious to the many male eyes following her as she left the stage.
Theresa was the last to reach the bottom of the stairs and Duncan held out his arm to prevent her from walking past him and Percy. “What’s going on, Percy?” she asked, looking up at Duncan with a puzzled look on her gamine fa
ce. She obviously had no inkling that he was her brother, and Duncan felt a slight tinge of disappointment.
“This man,” Percy said, pointing at Duncan. “He says you ‘re under age.”
“Whatever, man. You’ve seen my papers.” She attempted to push past Duncan, but he was like a concrete wall. “Listen, I don’t know what your problem is, buddy, but I’m nineteen and Diego has the papers to prove it.” She waved her arm toward the main room where Duncan had noticed a large, dark-haired man sitting at the bar, watching his sister intently.
“Why don’t we bring old Diego in here to discuss this? Don’t you think that’s a good idea, Theresa?” The girl went pale when he said her name and she looked up at him with a wild look in her eyes. Duncan prepared himself for the chase, sensing that she was getting ready to run. But she didn’t. She just stared. “Do I know you?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“You used to. We share some common acquaintances.” Duncan gave Percy a sharp dismissive look and the man retreated back through the ‘employees only’ door. Alone now, Duncan and Theresa looked at each other like gunslingers at high noon.
“Like who?” Theresa asked.
“Your grandmother, for one.”
Theresa ducked under his arm and made a mad dash down the short hallway to the dressing room. Duncan was on her in a second, trying to hold her in a way that would prevent her from hurting herself or him. She fought: kicking and cursing and scratching. Her nails raked his neck before he could get hold of her right hand and he swore under his breath.
“I’m not going back to that bitch,” she screeched when she realized she wasn’t getting loose of the iron grip Duncan had on her. “I’ll just run away again. You can’t make me live with her.”
“Theresa, is this really better? Stripping?” Duncan asked, quietly and calmly, even though he felt very uncomfortable holding his almost naked sister against his chest.
“Diego says it’s just a stepping stone to better things.” Theresa said defensively. “Besides, it sure as hell beats begging, or living in that mausoleum with that controlling witch.” She gave another fierce wiggle and attempted to grind her heel into his instep. Duncan lifted her easily of the ground. She couldn’t weigh much more than a hundred pounds. Probably less. She gave a frustrated grunt and finally quit moving.
Duncan had to admire her spirit. “If I let you go, do you promise not to run?” Duncan looked down at her fluffy blonde head and felt a rush of tenderness toward her. “Maybe we can talk about this.”
“Yeah, alright,” she said grudgingly. Duncan eased her back down to the floor and let her go. He also took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders, having a brief flashback to the evening before with Jessie.
“Who are you exactly? How do you know Grandmother?” Theresa asked, looking up at him mistrustfully.
“She raised me.” He said simply.
“You’re Duncan, aren’t you?” Theresa asked excitedly. “I should have known. You’ve got grandmother’s eyes.”
Duncan himself had never realized this. He always thought of Evelyn’s eyes as being cold and remote. His eyes weren’t like that, were they? “Yeah, I’m Duncan. Your half-brother. Now, what are we going to do about this?” He held out his arms to indicate the club.
Theresa looked up at him slyly. “I don’t suppose we could pretend this was all a big misunderstanding. You could go out there and tell Percy you made a mistake, and I could get ready for the next show.”
“Nice try, but I don’t think so. You don’t actually want to stay here, do you?”
“What choice do I have?” She asked, looking up at him beseechingly. “I don’t have any skills, I can’t even get a crappy job because my social insurance number is traceable. Not to mention the fact that I can’t even use the papers Diego had made for me. He keeps them under lock and key.”
“What would you do if you did have a choice?”
Theresa looked confused, like she’d never even considered the possibility of things working out in her favor. “Well, in two months I’ll be eighteen and able to claim my trust fund. I was just hoping to hang on until then. Once I have my own money, and I’m of age, that woman can’t control me anymore. I’ll be free.” Her eyes lit up as she said these last words. “I was thinking about going to school. Taking theatre maybe. I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders and the jacket almost fell to the ground. She caught it and shoved her arms into the sleeves, smiling when the empty cuffs flapped over her fingers.
Duncan took a deep breath. He had no idea what to do. He couldn’t send her back to Evelyn. Obviously things were too volatile between these two strong-willed women to expect Theresa to quietly return to the old woman’s care. For a second, he thought about putting her in foster care, but he knew what happened to kids there. Occasionally it worked out, but sometimes it was a nightmare. Besides, how could he justify adding her to an already overtaxed foster care system when he was here? Not to mention the fact that his grandmother would never forgive him.
His conversation with Jessie that morning came back to him. She was right. The only real option was taking Theresa on himself. Could he play the caring big brother for two months? Make sure she didn’t return to this life. Didn’t steal him blind or get into even worse trouble. If he could get her admitted to one of Vancouver’s universities in another month and a half she might actually have a chance. How could he turn his back on her and look himself in the mirror exactly? Provided she would actually go home with him that is.
“What if I offered to let you come stay with me for a while? Until we can figure out something else.”
Theresa looked at him suspiciously. “Why would you do that?”
“Look, I’m a cop. I’m also your brother. Not some sleazebag off the street.”
“Well, you are in a strip club.” Theresa said, making it sound like he had standing reservations in pervert’s row.
“To find you,” he said, trying to be patient.
“How do I know you’re not some creep? I watch TV. Being related is no obstacle for some people.”
“You’re going to have to trust me. What’s your alternative exactly?”
Theresa’s face fell and she looked very much like a little girl being punished for some imagined infraction. “I’ve done alright,” she said defiantly. “It hasn’t exactly been a trip to Disneyland, but at least no one tells me what to do anymore.”
“What about Diego?”
“He doesn’t really tell me what to do. He just makes suggestions.”
“So, he suggested stripping?”
“Yeah, that was his idea. But how else was I going to pay him back? He found me begging outside a donut shop in Calgary and told me he could see a big career here for me here. He gave me bus fare and a room to stay in. He even bought me some clothes.”
“What else has he suggested?” Duncan tried to keep his voice even. If she knew how tempted he was to go out there and pummel her ‘manager’ she wouldn’t say another word.
“Well, there’s a VIP section of the club where girls give lap dances and stuff. They don’t have to do it. It’s their choice. Apparently the tips are great. Diego’s been trying to make me do that, but I haven’t been able to get up the nerve. It’s one thing to stand up on stage in a bikini, it’s another to stick your butt in some hairy, sweaty guy’s face.” Theresa gave him a disgusted look.
Duncan dreaded her answer to his next question, but he had to know how much hold Diego had on his sister. He hoped, at least for Theresa’s sake, that there was some validity to the rumors that Diego preferred girls even younger than her. “Is there anything going on between you and Diego? I mean, besides your professional relationship.”
“Gross. He’s like thirty,” Theresa laughed and made a retching sound.
Duncan tried not to look insulted. “How about drugs? Has he given you drugs?” Duncan prayed that Diego hadn’t gotten her hooked. He’d tried to see if she had track marks on her arms when she was on stage
earlier, but the dim lighting had made it virtually impossible to tell.
Theresa’s expression became guarded. “What do you mean?”
“I mean; has he tried to give you cocaine or heroine? Ex maybe?”
“NO! Of course not. Well, not really. I never took any of it. At least none of the hard stuff. Some of the other girls he invited over did.” Theresa seemed to realize she was talking to a cop. “Listen, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. You’re not going to arrest them, are you?” She looked genuinely worried.
Duncan fought the urge to laugh at her naiveté. Was it possible that she hadn’t suspected that Diego was a pimp in sheep’s clothing? “No, I’m not going to arrest anyone for doing drugs. I’m concerned with you right now. Are you sure there isn’t anything you want to tell me about this Diego character? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“No, not really. He scared me sometimes, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go. He doesn’t like it when I ask him too many questions.”
“But he never touched you?”
“No, sometimes I thought he was going to, but he never did. Mostly he just watched me. It was kind of creepy.”
“Do you have anything at Diego’s? Anything important?”
“Nah, just some clothes. I travel light. Everything I need is in my bag.” She gestured toward the dressing room.
“Is there a back exit?” He didn’t trust himself in a confrontation with Diego. Besides being tired and frustrated, he really wanted to destroy this man that preyed on young girls. Duncan couldn’t imagine anything more disgusting than taking an innocent and using their trust to exploit them. He would track Diego down later when he was more in control.
“Yeah, where the dancers come in. Are we leaving? Shouldn’t I say something to my boss? And Diego?”
“Your boss knows the situation and won’t have you back anyway. I’ve already threatened to revoke his liquor license over this. And your relationship with Diego is over, as of now.” Duncan wrapped a big hand around the wrist of his jacket and attempted to pull her toward the dressing room.
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