by Romi Hart
And she had to see him. She’d wasted enough time, taken enough risk of losing him. At this point, she felt like every second counted. Her eyes darting through the texts and the worried way Eli sounded were too much for her to just ignore – and with how much she missed him, Rory wasn’t about to wait any longer. Nearly prying her car door from its hinges, she swung it open wide and hopped in. If Eli’s messages were any indicator, he wouldn’t be upset to see her, even at the strip club. In fact, with renewed confidence, Rory hit the gas pedal and peeled out, headed to the last place she ever imagined seeing the man she had fallen for. This time, for better or worse, she was going to bare her heart.
Tire tread rolled through the dirt as she turned off the main road into the large driveway that led up to the strip joint. She wouldn’t have pictured herself coming here in a million years. But it was what brought her here that mattered. Glancing into her rearview mirror, Rory ran her hands over her hair and wondered what she was going to see when she walked inside.
Mentally preparing herself for half naked women to surround her, she pulled at her tank top, assuring she was covered and hoping that none of the patrons would gawk at her as if she was one of the entertainers. Frustrated with herself for wasting so much time on her appearance, she cut the engine and got out, slamming her car door behind her. She popped the lock as she crossed the parking lot. It was still early, and the sun hadn’t yet fully set, which meant Rory could see clearly everything that was coming and going as she headed for the entrance. She sighed briefly, inhaling a deep breath and reminding herself inwardly that she was fine.
“Can I see some ID?” a large bouncer asked her as she approached the front door. She gave a shrug and slipped her driver’s license from her wallet, holding it out to him so he could read over it. He looked vaguely familiar, and she reminded herself that Eli and the Devil’s Flames were in charge of security here.
“Everything look okay?” she asked impatiently. The bouncer gave a shrug and opened the door.
“Enjoy your stay,” he muttered. Rory nodded and entered, immediately greeted by the sound of rhythmic rap music thrumming in her ears. It was a dark inside, and she had a hard time making out things until her eyes adjusted. On center stage, one of the redheads she had seen hanging out in Eli’s bunk was deeply involved in her act, and Rory could tell that she and her pole had spent a lot of time together. She walked up to the bar, glancing away from the scene just as the chick turned upside down and spread her legs on the pole.
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“If you’re here to apply you’re going to have to come back during day-time hours. We don’t do walk in auditions during showtime.” Said the woman behind the bar polishing glasses.
Rory quirked a brow and shook her head, unsure whether to be offended or not. “I’m not here to audition. I’m looking for someone.”
“If you’re looking for one of the girls, Skye’s the one to talk to.” She gestured with a head nod as a woman walked up beside Rory.
The new woman addressed her with a deep Long Island accent. “You’re looking like deer in headlights. Can I help you?”
“I’m not sure. Are you Skye?” Rory inquired.
“The one and only. Follow me, I’ll take you somewhere quiet enough to think without your head roaring, and we can talk.” Skye turned and weaved through tables, dragging long, manicured nails over them and smiling at men as she went, heading toward the back of the club.
Rory followed after her as she led the way, not sure what else to do under the circumstances. The woman was gorgeous, and even in a skimpy dress that barely covered the essentials, she looked classy. Skye paused, pulling a set of keys from her hip ad unlocking a black door that read in bold script, OFFICE.
“Come on in,” Skye stated, holding the door for Rory as she waited. She brushed past the tiny woman and took a seat in front of a dusty old black desk littered in papers that she was positive hadn’t seen the light of day in well over a decade. Skye walked around to the opposite side and took a seat.
“So, I’m guessing you’re Rory, and you’re here looking for Eli,” Skye began, folding her hands together as she leaned back in her chair. Rory sat back, lips parted in surprise.
“How’d you know?”
Skye scoffed. “Honey, I’ve known Eli for a long time, and we’ve had a few chats. Especially lately. I’ve got to be honest with you, though. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s lost it over you.”
Rory scowled, glancing over the perfectly etched body of the woman seated across from her, and as she processed that Eli had spent a generous amount of time with this gorgeous creature, apparently talking about her, she almost smiled. Now, that was information that gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. Eli was surrounded by women like Skye, and yet, he’d blown up her phone daily while she was gone, like she was his only thought. “He’s been beside himself with worry. It’s kind of sad, honestly,” Skye continued.
Blushing at the insinuation, Rory shook her head. “I didn’t want to burden him or distract him from work. That’s why I’m looking for him. I actually came home early. Something seemed not quite right, and then I turned my phone on and saw his texts…” She trailed off, feeling a little odd about confessing to this stranger.
“Eli didn’t know what to think when you disappeared like that. Men are weird creatures, honey. Take it from someone who milks them for money every chance she gets,” Skye laughed. Rory shrugged, her mouth parting to speak.
Several loud pops cut her off, followed by screams.
Rory’s eyes widened as she spun around, and Sky shot out of her chair. “What the fuck is going on?” Skye threw the door open as she shrieked. Looking up and down the hall, with the sound of chaos getting louder, she lifted her hand as she glanced back at Rory, “Come on, follow me, and stay close.” The two of them stepped out into the open, and Rory immediately ducked as the door to the main room opened, and the scene flashed at her. Shots flew, and women ran, the glamorous colors and bright lights more than she could stand. She screamed as the banging of gunshots came louder, closer.
Screaming and crying filled the air, and she couldn’t believe Skye led her into the melee. Shuffling from table to table, Rory kept close to the woman who suddenly stopped and buried her head in her hands.
“Goddamn it,” she whispered, shaking.
Rory reached out and placed her hand on Skye’s knee gently squeezing, hoping to provide some comfort. “We should go back to the office and call the police.” She tried to sound strong and sure but heard the fear in her own voice.
Skye snapped her head up with a warning glance and shook her head adamantly. “No, no cops. That’s the last thing we need right now,” she hissed. “And Eli doesn’t know you’re here. I have to keep you safe, or he’ll slit my throat.” She turned back toward the office. Rory glanced at the fight, violence everywhere with fists flying and guns still blazing, but she didn’t see Eli anywhere. Wasn’t he heading up security?
“Where is he?” Rory demanded as they both rushed back past the door into the hallway, closing themselves in the office.
Skye locked the door, which Rory found comical. How was that going to stop gunshots?
“I’m not sure, but I only saw two shooters. There could be more outside for all we know.”
A pang of fear and guilt shot through Rory’s chest as she realized she had made a tremendous mistake coming here and might not get a chance to say what she needed to say. What if this was it? Eli could be outside bleeding to death right now, and she was terrified. She should never have left. An unwelcome tear rolled down her cheek.
“Don’t go getting soft on me. There’s some serious shit going down, and I need you to be the badass bitch Eli’s told me about,” Skye told her.
Rory shook her head in disbelief. “But I’m not. I ran off instead of confronting him with how I felt. It was all just to get his attention,” Rory argued, knowing she needed to keep her head straight but ready to panic. Losing her mind a
t a time like this wouldn’t change the outcome.
“Either way, you’re here now, and you’ve got to stay calm.” Skye turned to her, leaning against the door, and pinned her with a meaningful look. “Eli is a genuine soul. When he loves, he loves with all of his heart, and he won’t let anything get in the way of what matters to him. Believe me, the way he blew up your phone means he’s got a reason to live. He’ll find you. Do you honestly think he’s going to let some gun toting assholes with bad aim screw that up for him?”
Rory scoffed, her stomach starting to cramp from all the stress. “I’m not sure what to think, but I don’t want to see him get killed.”
“He’s not going to get killed, but you need to take this time to ask yourself some personal questions about what you want.”
“That’s why I left!” she cried, exasperated. “I had to think it through, and that’s why I came here. I made a decision, and I have to tell him about it. I know I made a promise to him, but I can’t keep it. I can’t keep hiding how I feel.” Was she really having this discussion in the middle of a gunfight? In the back of a seedy club with a stripper that she’d just met? Life really was unpredictable.
And dangerous, she thought as another bullet sounded like it hit the wall just outside the office.
“Hold onto that,” Skye told her, keeping a brave face but obviously getting flustered that the threat hadn’t been neutralized. Rory, too, realized that the longer it lasted, the more likely it was that someone would get hurt. “Eli’s never acted like this before, not since I’ve known him. You’re something special.”
Skye’s words gave her hope. She still felt guilty for leaving without telling anyone, to a place where she couldn’t have her phone, causing so much worry. But at the same time, it had brought out the truth of her feelings and, apparently, it had driven something emotional in Eli as well. As she sat there hiding in the office of the strip club under Eli’s protection, she had yet another epiphany.
This was his job, and she had to accept that this sort of danger was a big part of his life if she wanted to be another part of it. And even as yet more gunfire sounded outside the locked door, Rory couldn’t see how anything, even this, could scare her away from making that commitment if he let her. She was hopelessly in love with him.
“My mama always told me that actions speak louder than words. And what better way to show you care than with action? Maybe blowing up my phone all weekend was the action that Eli used to tell me that he cares.”
“I’d take that as a pretty big hint from the strong, silent type like him,” Skye snorted as it quieted just a bit outside their small space.
Her heart settling a little, Rory frowned and asked, “Why does this place see so much trouble?”
“In general, men are jackasses, especially when they drink. In particular, the Ravens like to stir up trouble. And they bother us mostly because of the Ruby Twins.”
“I’m guessing you mean the two redhead dancers.”
“Scarlett and Ginger,” Skye nodded, pressing her ear to the door. “They used to date some Ravens, and both of them have kids. This is a strip club, sweetheart, in a seedy area. Men like to rough it up, think they own us. But the shit’s been escalating, and a few guys tore the place down a few days ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had been paid to do it, probably by the Ravens.”
“Is that why Eli and the Devil’s Flames handle your security? Because of the Ravens?” Rory asked.
Skye shook her head. “The Devil’s Flames handle security because Scarlett and Ginger deserve to be left alone so they can take care of their kids. Something their fathers, who are Ravens, don’t bother to do. Eli handles it personally for me. Sometimes, even the good guys get a little out of hand, and Eli hand picks the bouncers from his crew to make sure we’re all comfortable. I don’t trust anyone else,” Skye admitted.
Rory was floored. It was a lot of heavy information, and she hadn’t considered that Eli continued this project because he was the only one who could. He truly was a good man.
“I try to mind my own business around here,” Skye continued. “Most of us do. We use stage names, and no one really knows who anyone else is. Because most of us need to hide from someone. That’s why I hightailed it out of Long Island, got far away, and never looked back. I don’t know everything about these girls, but I know enough, and most of them are just trying to get a few dollars together for a fresh start.”
“I guess there are some problems you have to run from,” Rory mused. She felt terrible. She’d called herself weak for running earlier and had probably insulted this woman, who was so kind and insightful, once you gave her a chance.
“Sometimes running is the only option. It’s better than getting your face blown off,” Skye stated, widening her eyes as she nodded to the door, “Which is pretty much what we’ve done. And we have stellar security. Imagine if someone else was in charge,” Skye ranted cynically.
There was definitely a lot more to Eli’s life than she’d considered. This life was fraught with danger and, even in peaceful times, chaotic and unsettled. She’d seen it firsthand now, and it drove home that she couldn’t imagine her life if something were to happen to Eli. Like Leigh had forewarned her, he was a street soldier and that meant sacrifice and risk. Risk that, up to this point, she hadn’t been sure she could handle. But, now, seeing why he laid it all on the line, why he was determined to do this, she could never ask him to walk away from it. And she just respected him more for his devotion to it, to these women who she’d judged so quickly and unfairly. The moment she finally found him, the love she felt would pour from her.
Popopop! New gunfire sounded, the rest of the fight starting to make its way inside. She flinched and thought back to Eli on her doorstep, telling her he kept this life private because of the enemies they had and the danger it could bring to her. At the time, she had thought it was him being dramatic and making excuses not to get involved, but she saw the truth of it now.
“Oh, god,” Skye uttered softly with a trembling lip, her face turned upward. Rory started to ask questions when she heard a man shout, from above, footsteps on the roof, and then the blast of a gun firing and bringing pieces of the ceiling down into the room. She ducked automatically, hearing the screams of another woman right outside.
“I know you’re here, Sarah! You might as well come out. Fucking whore!”
Rory turned to Skye, realizing she must be Sarah, and shook her head, but Skye went to stand in the middle of the debris, right where the man could shoot her without even aiming.
“Benny, what the hell are you doing after all these years? You could have had any the pussy you wanted on Long Island, and you damn well did. I thought we were done with this. Are you out of your mind?”
Just those few words explained so much, and Rory flinched as the door was kicked in to reveal two more gunmen. Benny jumped down into the room, and he had a leather jacket on, as did the other men, but she couldn’t make out the club insignia.
He started arguing with Skye, and Rory could tell she wasn’t going to be able to stop it and drag Skye out of there with her. But she had to find a way out and get to Eli. The two men at the door seemed distracted and amused by the exchange between Skye and Benny, so she began to crawl around the edge of the room, inch by inch, barely moving, looking for a way to get past the two men before they took note of her movements. She made it within five feet of the exit, and the two men had stepped forward as Skye started to claw at Benny. It was her chance.
She stood swiftly, her head ringing and echoing with the bang of a gun, and she turned, terrified that Skye was dead. A strange heat and searing pain blasted through her, and she felt herself falling as the world went black.
16
Eli climbed off his bike, parking it in the lot in front of the strip club, not in a space but feet from the door. He hated leaving it out in the parking lot here because the area was so seedy, but so far, no one had dared mess with it, directly under a camera and floodligh
t.
He had an odd feeling as he walked into the strip club, like something was buzzing in the air. He wasn’t big on intuition and omens, but he didn’t get these sensations of impending doom often, like something bad was going to go down. He instinctively patted his Glock and knives, tucked safely away to comfort himself. As long as he had those, he had a way to deal anything that did happen.
"Hey. doll," Ginger crooned as he walked inside. He gave her a smile and wave as she and Scarlet practiced their act onstage. It was going to be a hell of a busy night. Those two drew a crowd, and sometimes, that led to big trouble, like those damn Ravens. It irked him that they harassed the women who were taking care of children they’d spawned and thrown away. It was just a reckless waste of time.
Gomez had taken a great MC and turned it into filth, the kind of club that stirred up shit all over town for no reason except to look badass. MCs were about a brotherhood, business alliances, and motorcycles, not wreaking havoc and threatening the people they should be protecting.
"Any more trouble from those boys?" he asked, taking his station in the corner by the back door, a vulnerable spot, a dark corner where anyone could sneak in, corner one of the girls coming out of the dressing room, or reach out and get a stowed weapon. On high alert, his eyes darted back and forth from the main floor to the door leading to the back hallway, which he could just see from where he’d taken a stance.
"It's been calm. Either ya'll scared them off, or they’re waiting for the right moment. I hope it’s the former, but I’m prepared for the latter."
Eli agreed. Silence could be more sinister than leveled threats and open attacks.
Settling in, he watched idly as the women got ready. He made eye contact with the other muscle here tonight, both visible and invisible, and he took text reports from those outside to assure everything was kosher and to coordinate both action and breaks.