[06] Slade

by Teresa Gabelman

  “Good to know,” Jill nodded, following the women and wondering briefly if Sloan somehow managed for her be at George’s table. If so, he was damn good.

  “Hey, don’t knock it,” a woman who was walking past grinned. “And Monica, you’ve got a gorgeous vampire at your table. I tried the fucking thing after hours with his hot ass, but he didn’t bite. No pun intended.”

  The women laughed. Jill joined in, knowing she was talking about either Duncan or Damon.

  “I’m up for the challenge.” Monica pushed her boobs up, fluffed her hair and licked her lips. “Once you go vampire, it’s hard to find a good fuck with your own kind.”

  “You ready?” Cherry smiled at her.

  “Yes,” Jill replied, smiling back, but her hands were clenched so tightly, she felt one of her press-on nails bend.

  “You’ll do great, girl, and remember security is thick out there, so any problems, just let them know.” Cherry squeezed her arm before they exited the back room and walked onto a stage.

  Jill followed, but stopped when Cherry did. The women were all positioned on the stage. A man’s voice filled the room and Jill had no idea what he was saying, nor did she care. She did, however, place a sexy smile on her face as she scanned the room. She found Duncan and Damon right away; they were both looking at her. She followed Damon’s eyes as he looked away toward a man, George Groper. The tables they sat at were round and large, with a gold-plated stripper pole going through the center to the ceiling. Every table had one chair with one man. Small steps were placed for the girls to climb up on the table.

  As the women moved, Jill once again followed. She watched closely and imitated Cherry, swaying her hips provocatively, praying she didn’t fall on her face. She really should have been trained to walk in the damn shoes.

  “Just follow me. Your table is to the right of mine,” Cherry said over her shoulder with a smile. Soft, sexy instrumental music played as they walked down the steps from the large stage and to their tables.

  Jill sashayed to her table, her eyes meeting George’s for the first time. He picked his glass up, taking a long drink, his eyes looking her up and down. He looked younger than in his picture and actually handsome, but there was something about his eyes that bothered her. A somewhat haunted look.

  Climbing the three small steps carefully, Jill glanced to see the other women posed on the pole and stand perfectly still. She followed, doing the same thing. Looking down at George, he had his phone out sending a text. Her eyes shot to Damon, who glanced away from the woman at his table to her, but for a brief second, his eyes shot to George then away. Within seconds, the music started. It was a seductive beat of music. Jill began to move her body, but she felt like she was going to hyperventilate.

  “Jill, slow your breathing,” Slade’s voice soothed in her ear. “You are doing great. Try to bend so we can get a shot of his phone when he has it out.”

  Nodding, Jill cursed when she made eye contact with George. He was probably wondering what the hell she was nodding at. She gave him a shy smile, but he didn’t smile back. She had no clue how long she danced, but in all honesty, she had to respect the women around her. This was damn hard work. Some songs were slow and seductive, while others were fast and grinding. Thinking she was surely failing big time at this mission, she felt a hand on her leg. Looking down, George waved someone to bring a chair. Jill carefully stepped down, her feet throbbing as George stood, holding the chair out for her. She noticed a few other girls sitting talking with the men they were dancing for.

  He downed the rest of his drink, raising the empty glass to the waitress before sitting down. “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Lola,” Jill said in her sexiest voice, smiling shyly, wondering if he liked the shy-girl routine. Until she figured it out, she’d play that part.

  “Nice to meet you, Lola. I’m George.” He nodded at her, and then looked at his phone. “What would you like to drink?”

  Looking up at the waitress, Jill frowned, not knowing what to order.

  “All the girls have a two drink maximum.” She smiled down at Jill, realizing she was new.

  “Oh, I’ll have what he’s having.” Jill didn’t know what else to say unless she ordered a diet Pepsi, and well, that wasn’t sexy and didn’t inspire a man to open his soul to her.

  George raised his eyebrow to that, but he didn’t say anything.

  Jill felt sweat bead across her forehead. She honestly didn’t know what in the hell to say and suddenly wished she was back on the table dancing, which was saying at lot.

  “Tonight your first night?” he asked, placing his phone back down before looking at her.

  “That obvious, huh?” Jill thanked the waitress when she put her drink in front of her.

  “No, not at all. You’re very…talented,” George laughed, lifting his drink up and taking a swallow. “It’s just I usually get the new girls.”

  Following suit, Jill took a large gulp of the drink the waitress sat in front of her and about spit it back out. Her eyes watered and her throat burned like fire. “Holy shit,” Jill sputtered as George chuckled, patting her on the back.

  “Jesus, Jill, slow down on that stuff,” Slade’s whispered voice echoed in her ear.

  “Are you okay?” George leaned toward her, his smile genuine.

  Jill nodded, trying to smile her sexy smile, but failed miserably. “What is that?”

  “Jack and Coke,” he laughed, shaking his head. “More Jack than coke mind you. Just take smaller sips and it will go down nice and smooth.”

  Touching her throat, Jill laughed, “Packs quite a punch.”

  “That it does.” He lifted his drink up with a grin, taking another long swallow.

  Once Jill regained her composure, she smiled at George. “So why do they give you the new girls? Why don’t you just find one you like and ask for them?”

  “No, I’m fine with the new girls.” He glanced around. “Just gives me someone new to talk to who doesn’t give a shit what I’m saying.”

  “Well, George, my feet are killing me, so thank you for asking me to sit,” Jill gave a teasing grunt, putting her elbows up on the table, leaning in.

  Giving her a small smile, he texted something else on his phone, a large frown playing across his face. Jill did her best to see, but the angle wasn’t right. He slammed his phone down hard on the table then took another drink, almost draining the glass.

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but work is driving me crazy,” he sighed, his eyes searching hers as if looking for some answer to an unasked question. “So what made you decide to do the half-breed gimmick? Good job on the fangs by the way; they look real.”

  Okay, she was stumped. She heard cursing in her ear, which indicated they weren’t going to be much help. Well, this could go one of two ways; he could take her in for being a half-breed or he could not give a shit. She was hoping for the not give a shit.

  “They probably look real because this…” she waved her hand over her face, “is not a gimmick.” The cursing in her ear stopped, replaced with dead silence.

  “Ah, shit.” George scooted away from the table. “You need to…you shouldn’t be at my table. Do you know who I am?”

  Well, shit, that didn’t go over well. “No, actually, I don’t. Should I?” She played dumb.

  “I’m Mayor Ferguson’s Deputy Mayor.” He reached over, draining his glass, motioning for another.

  “Ah…” Jill frowned, also taking a drink, but a much smaller mouthful. This time, she savored the burn in her throat, because she was about to either blow this mission all to hell or open it up for a victory in their favor. “So you’re one of them. Yeah, maybe I need to switch tables or is that what you’ve been doing on your phone, calling in the breed roundup team?”

  He slammed his glass down, gaining attention from those around them. Jill’s eyes shot to Damon who was ready to stand, but she shook her head slightly. George leaned in toward her. “I’m not like that son of a bitch
or his cunt of a fiancée.”

  Jill remained silent, listening to Slade in her ear wishing he would be quiet so she could think. This ear thing was a really bad idea. “Dammit, Jill, be careful.”

  He waited until the waitress set down his drink and left before turning on to her. “I should have been Mayor, not him.”

  “And you would have done it differently?” Jill chuckled, shaking her head, hoping to hell her hunch about George paid off. “This war on half-breeds has ruined my life. Why do you think I’m slinking around at night working in dark clubs, dancing for strangers half-naked? I had a great job working in a finance office, but because of your boss, the Mayor’s ‘Stop the Breeding of Half-breeds’ campaign, I can’t even walk down the street without the fear of being locked away.”

  When he didn’t say anything, but simply stared at her, draining his glass, Jill figured she’d blown it big time. Dammit, she read him wrong and she’d failed; Sloan was going to be so pissed.

  “When I signed on with Tom Ferguson, he was actually a pretty stand-up guy.” He glanced down at his phone before continuing as Sloan snorted in Jill’s earpiece. “We believed in the same things, wanted the same things for the community and he was a shoe-in to win because of his affiliation with the police force. He talked me into supporting him as his Deputy Mayor. I figured it would help me in my future pursuit in politics, but it only feels like I’ve sold my soul to the devil.”

  Jill took another sip of her drink, ignoring the warning from Slade to slow down, but she needed this drink. It was easing her nerves tremendously. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because that’s who I feel I work for now.” George laughed without humor. “I’m so stuck in deep shit; I don’t know how to get out.”

  “So quit, resign or whatever a Deputy Mayor would do.” Dammit, she wanted to dive deeper into the ‘sold his soul’ comment, but didn’t want to sound too eager and clue him in.

  “I’m in too deep for that now.” True fear flashed in his eyes. “No one leaves unless told to leave, and that doesn’t happen either. They just disappear.”

  “What changed everything?” Jill leaned back, taking the drink with her. “You seemed to be on track with the Mayor during his campaign.”

  “His fiancée happened,” he hissed, pure hatred coloring his face. “Once she came into the picture, everything changed and the whole half-breed campaign began. It was her way or no way. I tried everything I could to talk to Tom, but she had him wrapped around her finger. She actually cornered me, telling me that if I was a good boy, she’d take good care of me…meaning sex, but if I crossed her, I would disappear.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jill took another drink, setting it down, then placed her hand on his arm. “You seem like a real great guy, wanting to do right.”

  “Yeah, real great guy,” he snorted, draining another glass.

  Jill couldn’t believe he was still able to talk after drinking so much. “What I don’t understand is where the VC Council is in all of this? Have you gone to them?” Okay, this was the big one; she just tossed out the big guns.

  “I’m watched all the time because that bitch doesn’t trust me.” George frowned, fingering his glass. “This is the only place I can escape to, but I know someone is in the parking lot or nearby ready to follow me. If I even glance at anyone on the VC Council, I’m a dead man. She has a real hard-on for those guys. Plus from what I understand, she has a traitor high in the ranks there; that’s how all the paperwork and meetings went through to Washington without the Council ever knowing until it was too late.”

  More cursing from every Warrior with a mic overwhelmed her hearing. George’s cussing brought her attention back to him.

  “What in the hell am I telling you all this for.” George’s voice was shaky with fear. Small beads of sweat broke out across his forehead. Nervously, he grabbed a napkin, wiping the sweat from his brow.

  “George,” Jill tried to break into his freak out.

  “Jesus, I need to quit drinking.” George took another gulp of the drink the waitress kept filled. “I must be out of my damn mind telling you all that.”

  “George!” Jill said with more force. When he stopped and looked at her, Jill gave him a comforting smile. “I’m a stripper and a half-breed. Even if I wanted to tell anyone anything, who would believe me,” she laughed, trying to calm him down.

  He nodded, trying to gain control. “I’m afraid, with no way out.” He looked at her, his eyes turning serious. “You need to be careful, Lola. Alice hates your kind for some reason and will stop at nothing to get rid of all of you.”

  Jill knew exactly why Alice hated her kind. Hell, Alice hated her the most and the feeling was more than mutual. “Have you been in their so called halfway house?”

  A haunted look shadowed his eyes. “Yes, and do whatever you can to stay out of there. It’s a nightmare.”

  “What do you mean?” Jill pushed. “Are they being mistreated?”

  When he didn’t answer, Jill straightened up, trying her best to keep her anger at bay.

  “Just stay away from there,” he warned. “I did my best to stop it, but I’m only one person and this is way bigger than me. She has hired a bunch of…well, I don’t know who they are, but they are a cruel looking bunch who does her dirty work.”

  “I have friends in there,” Jill lied, but then again, she realized she may not be lying at all.

  George looked at her with pity. “I’m sorry.” He sighed, “Really I am.”

  Glancing at Damon and turning to take a peek a Duncan, Jill made a decision that probably wasn’t hers to make. Her eyes went back to Damon and he narrowed his eyes at her as if he knew exactly what she was about to do.

  “Jill?” Slade’s voice filled her ear. “What are you doing?”

  Ignoring his voice and Damon’s stare, Jill looked back at George. She better not be wrong on this, but so far, she had been dead on. “What happens if the Mayor and his fiancée go down? Do you take over as Mayor?”

  His eye flashed to hers. “Yes, but−”

  “Listen, I may know someone who can help you, but you have to help them.” Jill tried to read his reaction, but couldn’t. “Would you be willing, even knowing the risks? Do you really want to make a difference or is that just you talking through your Jack and Coke?”

  “Son of a bitch!” Sloan shouted in her ear. “Jill, stand down. You do not have authority…”

  Jill acted like she was fixing her hair, but pulled the small hearing device out of her ear. Glancing at Damon, who she could see better than Duncan, he leaned back in his chair rubbing his ear clearly indicating that Sloan was telling him to warn her to put it back in so he could bitch her out more. She opted not to do that. This time, Jill took a big swig of her drink; she was going to need it.

  “There is no one who can help me,” George said, but held a glimmer of hope in his gaze.

  “Actually, you’re wrong, but it’s your call.” Jill shrugged as if she couldn’t care less what he did. “I think it would be wonderful if someone actually stepped up against the Mayor and his fiancée, but unfortunately, proof is what they need and can’t get, but you can.”

  He sat back in his chair, staring into the distance. Jill allowed him to soak it in. Hailey walked over at that moment. “Mr. Groper, is there something wrong?” She cast Jill a dark look. “I can get you another girl if you’d rather. Lola is new.”

  George snapped out of his daze. “No, she’s absolutely fine. Thank you.”

  “Oh, okay.” Hailey smiled first at George and then at Jill. “Just wanted to make sure my best customer was being treated fairly.”

  Once she walked away, George turned to Jill. “You’re not really a stripper, are you?”

  Knowing that even though she took out her earpiece and couldn’t hear anyone, they could all hear her. “No, I’m not.” She looked him in the eye. “But I do know someone who can help you.”

  “Give me a lap dance.” He scooted away from the table.
r />   Okay, now that confused her. “Ah…what?”

  “In my right suit pocket is my card.” He fanned his suit jacket out, plastering a fake smile across his lips. “I think my cell is tapped, but if you call about decorating my house, I’ll know it’s you and the bastards listening will ignore the call.”

  Jill finished off her drink and then grabbed his, finishing his off, numb now to the burn. Standing, she walked toward him, straddling his legs. She began to move her body, touching him. Her hand slipped into his pocket feeling cards, taking one, she pulled her hand out, but crumbled the card as small as she could to hide it in her hand; she had nowhere else to put it. Glancing sideways, she saw Duncan head her way, and brought the card up to George’s shoulder, waiting for him to pass, knowing what he was doing. He stumbled right when he got to them, running into the chair. Their hands touched and the card disappeared from hers.

  “Hey!” She tried to right herself. George’s hand kept her steady. “Watch it.”

  “I’m sorry,” Duncan replied drunkenly, but kept on heading toward the men’s restroom.

  Jill continued her dance. Leaning down close to George’s ear, she sighed, “You really need to stay out of places like this when you become Mayor.”

  “Can I really trust you?” he whispered back as she started to pull away.

  “About as much as I trust you.” She smiled down at him. “Trust goes both ways.”

  Chapter 19

  Jill headed toward the car barefoot. Those damn freaking shoes were going to burn the first chance she got. Putting her earpiece in, she frowned; this was going to be painful.

  “Hey,” she said, waiting for the fallout.

  “Hey? Hey!” Sloan yelled, making her grab her ear. “That’s all you’ve got to say is fucking HEY?”

  Swallowing hard, Jill glanced around the parking lot, digging in her bag for her keys. “Actually, no.” She opened the door, getting in; okay, she actually fell in. Maybe those last two drinks with the girls in the back was a bad idea. “I don’t think I should be driving.”