Shutout (The Renegades Series Book 5)

by Melody Heck Gatto

  “My number? Don’t you mean Alison’s?” The cashier brought a box to the register with the cupcakes Hailee ordered, pulling her attention away from her odd situation.

  “That’ll be nine ninety-nine.” Damn these cupcakes weren’t cheap.

  Hailee handed the woman a ten-dollar bill. When the lady handed her back a penny, Hailee tossed it into the container that said “take a penny.” Turning to leave, she realized Ken, er, Kurt, was still standing behind her.

  “Hailee? What do you say?” His smile grew.

  She hadn’t noticed before that his teeth were perfectly straight with not one space. Obviously years of braces had gone into that smile. She must’ve been staring at his teeth too long, because he cleared his throat loudly on purpose.

  “What?”

  “Your number? What do you say?”

  “Um…” Why my number? Shouldn’t frat boy be asking for that, and thank God he isn’t.

  “I know this seems odd, but I felt a connection with you. Yeah, that sounds stupid, sorry.” His eyes traveled along her arms, studying her tattoos, then he lightly ran a finger over them, giving her goose bumps.

  He was creepy. I’d actually prefer lame frat boy to him. Over his shoulder, Hailee saw Alison stand up ready to leave, and Hailee wanted out of here fast.

  “I guess.” Grabbing his cell phone out of his hand, she quickly typed in her number, then called herself so she’d know what number to block. I can send his number right to voicemail and save myself the headache. Just because she gave him her number, it didn’t mean she was going to go out with him.

  Seriously, where were all the non-creepy, preferably tattooed guys? Apparently they weren’t in this cupcake shop. Do tattooed men even hang out in cupcake shops?

  “I’d love to take you out sometime. We could go to the movies or dinner, or both?”

  The acid in her stomach swirled around, causing an ill feeling to creep up her throat. Slow down your roll there, Barbie’s boyfriend.

  “Hailee, you ready?” Alison had finally escaped the boring frat boy and was frantically waving her hands, motioning at Hailee from the doorway. “Let’s go!”

  “I thought you’d never be ready,” Hailee whispered, as she held tight to her cupcake box and scurried out the door.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Dominic

  Dom slowly opened his eyes and rolled over, glancing at the sleeping blonde in his bed. He didn’t even remember her name, but it didn’t matter. As asshole-ish as it sounded, she wouldn’t be staying. Gently he shook her shoulder, hoping she wasn’t passed out.

  “Hey, time to wake up,” he said in a loud whisper. Please wake up easily. Looking at the clock, he decided he could still get a few more hours of much needed sleep if she left now.

  The blonde rolled over, a soft hum rumbling from her lips. “Hey.” She opened her brown eyes and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

  Every time he did this, he felt terrible. It had never been his style to be such a dick, but missing Hailee had done bad things to him. A guy has needs. Those words were the only thing that made him feel okay about being such an ass.

  His guest was a blonde with brown eyes; not his type. He only took blondes home so they wouldn’t remind him of Hailee. With her light brown hair, her sparkling blue eyes, Hailee was one of a kind and she would stay that way. She was the only “type” he had and ever would.

  “Is it time for breakfast?” the nameless blonde asked.

  Time for his dick move. “Honey, hate to do this to you, but there’s a one-hundred-dollar bill on the kitchen table for your trouble and twenty so you can get yourself some breakfast and coffee.”

  Her pointed look said it all. This was the part he hated the most. It wasn’t that he meant to treat the girl like a prostitute, but giving her the money was the least he could do to make sure she was able to get herself home. Still, it made him feel like shit, and he knew he deserved whatever was coming.

  “What the hell? Are you serious, Zanetti?”

  Closing his eyes for a moment, he waited for her to leave or start breathing fire. “Sorry to say that I am. I told you I didn’t want more than one night.” It’s not as though she wasn’t warned. Even if it was a shitty thing to do to her, or any girl. But it got him laid, and that had been his only goal at 2 a.m. the previous night when he’d been drunk and horny because she’d been rubbing herself all over him and begging him for it.

  The blonde jumped out of bed, pulling the sheet with her to cover herself up. Not like I haven’t seen all that already. He grabbed at his head as she yelled at him while she picked up her clothes. A headache made his head throb.

  He hated this. Why couldn’t they just go? For one hundred dollars, I would just bolt.

  She mumbled as she slammed the bathroom door, something about social media. Shit. Why do they all go straight to posting on the internet? Paige was going to kill him if he caused a media mess. He’d never had a female PR person until her. The men didn’t get on his case as much as she did, even if she was just trying to help him. This asshole persona wasn’t him, and even he knew it.

  “Dominic Zanetti, I hate you!” the girl screamed as she ran out of his room.

  He’d had enough. Did she really think this was a forever type thing? He’d made it perfectly clear that it was a one-night deal and she’d been so eager to agree to it last night. Dragging himself out of bed, he pulled on some shorts. He’d drunk enough last night that the room spun. Leaning on the doorway, he called to her as she grabbed her keys and purse. “Hon, you knew it was only one night. I never misled you.”

  “Fuck you!” She turned quickly to run, but slammed right into Kaden with an “Umph.”

  “Woah, darlin’!”

  The fact that Kaden was in only sleep pants must’ve caught her attention, because she was no longer screaming obscenities at Dom, but staring at Kaden. I knew she was a typical bunny.

  “Kaden O’Conner?” She gasped, then fluttered her eyes and pouted her lips. Yep, just a bunny.

  “In the flesh.”

  “I’m out.” Dom didn’t really care if she left hating him, but that twinkle in her eye when she ran into Kaden made him think she’d already forgotten about him. Maybe Dom should’ve been bothered by that, but all he felt was relief. He retreated to his room and locked the door behind him. He had a few more hours to sleep, and he intended to take advantage of every second.

  * * *

  The team passed by a burley security guard and entered the club.

  “Welcome to The Cat House,” a shapely and barely-dressed blonde cooed in a breathy voice, way too close to their faces. She handed them coupons. “Here are free drink vouchers, boys, but you have to buy two to get one. Enjoy your night!”

  “Free booze — good deal!” Matt said over the deafening music. Leaning close to the blonde, he spoke way too loudly, and sounded even more sleazy as his words slurred already. “You must be new here? I wouldn’t mind seeing more of you tonight.”

  “Just ask for Lexi, and I’ll show you as much as you want,” she replied as she ran her pointer finger over Matt’s bottom lip. Then she licked her finger slowly before walking away, and then sending Matt a sly smile as she looked back at him. She sure knows how to work it, and Matt is falling for every bit.

  Dominic had purposely left most of his cash at home. He knew how this worked. The girls convinced you to pay for dance after dance until they emptied your wallet, and as fun as that sounded, he had no intention of wasting that kind of money.

  “Yeah, that’ll cost you a shitload of money,” Patrick commented. “Not like you don’t spend enough here as it is.”

  “And it’ll be worth every fucking penny,” Matt said, his eyes already glazed over as he searched the hazy room for Lexi, but she had already disappeared into the crowd. “Oh well, I can enjoy the scenery until I find her.”

  Matt had become a frequent visitor at The Cat House since his girl, Lindsey, had left him a few months back. It was at his insistence that
the team had ended up here tonight. Being Tyler’s bachelor party, he wouldn’t hear of spending the night anywhere else.

  Kaden leaned over to Dom and spoke, trying to keep his voice low. “Thanks for the bunny this morning.”

  “Purely unintentional.” Dom shook his head. “The argument was ridiculous. She knew it was just a one night only kinda thing.”

  “I’m thinking she wasn’t too hurt over it after all.” Kaden winked.

  “Quit your chitchat, ladies.” Matt pointed at Kaden and Dom. “Gentleman, off to the VIP area!” Matt threw his hands in the air and pointed in the direction of the VIP area. He led the group across the room full of half-naked women and drooling men.

  The VIP area was a room off the main floor, tied off with red velvet ropes. Dom followed the guys up a few steps to a platform that overlooked the chaotic crowd. A black, shiny stage ran along the length of the private room and was illuminated with fluorescent lights. Looking out into the sea of drooling fools slobbering all over the dancers, Dom was grateful Matt had reserved the VIP area.

  “Drinks are on me, boys.” Matt pointed to the two scantily dressed servers carrying pitchers of beer up into the restricted area. “Start off with the beer, but get whatever you want.”

  A bar sat in the corner of the room, and two large-breasted young women stood behind it, giggling as they watched the team file in. One of them was dressed in barely-there leather hot pants, and a crop top t-shirt that only just came down past her tits. The servers wore extra short schoolgirl skirts or lingerie bikini bottoms with thigh-high stockings, and shirts that tied under their breasts.

  Heat crept up from Dom’s neck into his face; he tugged at his collar. Is it hot in here or is it just those outfits? Damn.

  Matt shouted to the bar, “Ladies, I’m buying tonight. Let’s get some grub and keep the beers coming, plus whatever else the boys want.” The girls nodded in response. He pointed to the tables around the stage. “Men, take a seat. The entertainment will start soon, and I know you don’t want to miss this.”

  Dom twirled a chair around backwards and straddled it, folding his arms on the back, while the other guys pulled up chairs at the tables.

  “Meatball, what are you? Twelve? Sit like a fucking adult,” Matt scoffed.

  “What?” Dom’s arms raised in question. Matt had never been this pushy, but he’d turned quite jaded since being single.

  Matt pointed at him and spun his finger around in an invisible circle, wanting him to spin his chair around.

  “I think you’re embarrassing the ambassador of The Cat House,” Tyler said to Dom, while nodding towards Matt.

  “Oh yeah? We’ll see who’s embarrassed, you wait. I’m just enjoying my usual hangout, but this party is for you, the future Mrs. Paige Martin. And just hope Mrs. PR Lady doesn’t get wind of what happens here tonight,” Matt said with an evil grin before taking a glass of beer and downing almost all of it in one gulp.

  “I don’t embarrass easily.” Tyler relaxed in his seat, taking a drink. “And Paige knows we’re here; she’s perfectly okay with it.”

  “Well, I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?” Matt grinned. “And what’s the missus up to tonight, anyway? Is she out having dongs in banana hammocks shaken in her face?”

  “Shut up, dude. She’s out with Rylee and Melanie, and I hardly think the girlfriend of the General Manager of the club and the team’s PR rep are going to want to take her to a strip club. They went out to dinner at some super-ritzy place on Mt. Washington — you’ve probably never heard of it — and then Ben was sending them to a private wine tasting.”

  Dom couldn’t help but laugh. These two were comical, but he also didn’t think that Matt was kidding. Given the chance to embarrass the team captain, he had a feeling Matt would take it, and what better opportunity than at Ty’s bachelor party?

  “What are you laughing at, rookie?” Matt snapped.

  Dom shrugged cockily and pushed up the sleeves of his hooded sweatshirt. “Fuck you Matt, I’m not a rookie.” He flashed Matt the one finger salute. Something told him Matt had had quite a few before they’d even stepped foot in this place, which was nothing new lately. Lindsey had done a real number on him when she left.

  “Don’t you worry, bro. I figured this was your first time in a place like this, so I have a special surprise for you, too.” Matt winked.

  Matt treating him as if he were a kid was starting to piss Dom off. “Whatever, bender.”

  Matt could be such a fucking jerk sometimes. It wasn’t Dom’s first time in a strip club, and he wasn’t a rookie anymore. Since he was one of the younger guys on the team, Matt thought it was funny to call him that. It wasn’t. The comments were getting old fast, but Matt had become like a junior high bully; the more you reacted to his lame ass comments, the more he picked on you. It was best to just grin and bear it. He wouldn’t go away, but maybe he’d get drunk and pass out, at least.

  “So, Dom…” Kaden leaned in so the other guys couldn’t hear. “You don’t mind if I call that girl from this morning, do you?”

  “Who? The blonde?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think you went for blondes,” Kaden said. “Oh yeah, that’s right, you don’t. That’s the only way you can kick them out in the morning without feeling bad. Anyways, before she left she slipped me her number, after I slipped her something of course, and seriously, she was kinda hot, so can I call her?”

  “I don’t care what you do with my leftovers; I won’t be seeing her again. She was all bent this morning even though she knew the score from the beginning. So, whatever, dude. Have at it.” Dom tried to push aside the dark feeling that crept into his chest. This wasn’t him.

  He told himself the blonde had used him as much as he’d used her. But treating women that way didn’t sit right with him. It wasn’t how he was raised, and the fact that most of the other young guys on the team did the same thing didn’t make it right either. It didn’t matter that the girls came on to them. He didn’t have to indulge in disrespecting them.

  He sighed and took another drink of his beer. The one nighters were getting old anyway, and what happened this morning was enough to convince him to stop going there. They didn’t help him forget. He only ended up feeling empty, because they weren’t—

  “Hope you’re hungry!” The waitresses smiled as they set multiple plates of fried food on each table.

  Tyler, Sam, Patrick, Kris, and Dom all sat at the same table. Matt, Kaden, Torin, Kyler and Mateo sat at another, and Roman, Tanner, Kash and the other guys filled in the last two tables. Silence fell over the group as everyone dug into the plates of food.

  Soon the music got louder, and colored lights lit up the stage in front of them. A tall and curvy topless young woman with long blond hair strutted onto the stage and swung gracefully around a pole. She wore only G-string bikini bottoms. Blondes, not my thing.

  On the other end of the stage, a girl with black hair threaded with blue strands jumped onto the other pole, flipping herself upside down so her feet secured her onto the pole and her hair hung down onto the stage. She gently twirled around and slid down the pole before flipping back onto her feet and obscenely rubbing onto the metal bar. Now this one, she’s kinda hot.

  Almost immediately the younger guys whistled and cat called. Some tossed bills onto the stage, and others shoved them into the hot girl’s G-string. Matt seemed fascinated with the blonde, heavily focused and shoving cash into her bottoms. Pat, Kris and Dom hung back with Tyler and watched the chaos ensue.

  “These guys never seen a girl before?” Patrick joked. “Damn. I hope I never looked like that.”

  “You really want me to answer that?” Tyler said with a grin.

  Before anyone could say much more, a redhead with white pasties on her large fake breasts appeared and pulled Tyler up and out of his seat. “You’re coming with me,” she said as she pulled him up onto the stage and shoved him into a chair.

  Tyler had a grin pasted on his face, but he looked
uncomfortable as hell. He’d been a player before he met his fiancée Paige, and a strip club scandal was surely something he didn’t need right now. Especially seeing how Paige was the team’s PR person. Matt was right; she’d surely see any photos or posts about Tyler being here.

  The young woman obviously didn’t care, because she danced around Ty, rubbing her breasts against him before straddling him and grinding her G-string against his blue jeans. She leaned back into his chest and pulled his head down against her tits.

  “Poor Tyler,” Patrick commented, dripping with sarcasm as another girl joined in grinding around Tyler.

  “Yeah.” Dom rolled his eyes. “Poor Tyler.” Ty was surrounded by hot, almost naked girls. Plus, his fiancée was hot. So, yeah, poor Tyler. Wait, he wasn’t supposed to think that way, since Paige was their PR person and she really was a sweetheart of a gal. Paige always was a good sport with Dom’s lighthearted flirting.

  Matt was fully immersed on the girl dancing in front of him and slipped another bill into her bottoms, not moving his eyes from the prize. “Don’t be jealous, Dominic.”

  Dom was far from jealous. Sure, Ty had it all — team captain, beautiful fiancée, and currently tits being shoved in his face. He was the face of the hockey league and the heart of the Renegades. He was also Dom’s friend. Ty and Kris had really taken him under their wing since day one, and they’d grown closer as friends.

  “So when’s the big day?” A busty blonde rubbed up against Kris.

  “In a couple of weeks.” Tyler beamed.

  “Oh, so will we see you guys a few more times before then?” she asked, as she did her best to dance up on Kris.

  He wasn’t moving from the table. Poor guy looked awfully uncomfortable. Dom was surprised that Kris was even here tonight. After all, he had a gorgeous wife and a little boy at home; he had no need for strange tits in his face. Dom was pretty sure Kris was only here to support his friend Ty, and to make sure Matt didn’t harass any of the guys into doing anything stupid.

  “I wouldn’t count on it. Our game schedule is pretty busy; that’s why we’re here tonight.”