Tempting Country: Ruthless Sinners MC

by Wilder, L.

  Sadie was Jagger’s ol’ lady. They’d been together since high school and were good together. Where he was standoffish and often hard-edged, she was sweet and outgoing. She kept him grounded, and he loved her for that. We all thought they’d end up married with kids and the whole nine yards, but after a few months of Jagger behind bars, they’d called it quits. He’d never admit it, but we all knew it wasn’t an easy decision for him. He loved her, and they could’ve had a real future together, but being in prison changed him. The longer Jagger was locked up, the more closed off he became. He tried to convince himself and everyone else that he no longer wanted any part of the outside world. His face was void of expression when he answered, “You know I haven’t.”

  “Because you pushed her away.”

  “She had no business hanging on to me or to what we had. That shit ended the second I was put behind bars.” Anguish marked his face. “We had a good thing, but it’s over. Been over for a long time. Seeing or talking to her isn’t gonna change that.”

  Before I could say anything more, the guard called out, signaling our time was up. Jagger quickly stood, then bro-slapped my bicep. “Guess that’s my cue. It was good to see ya, brother.”

  “Good to see you too.” When he started to walk away, I called out to him, “Take care of yourself back there, and let us know if you need anything.”

  “You know I will.”

  I waited until he was out of view before going back through security. As soon as I made it out to the parking lot, I got on my bike and headed to Stilettos. I had a long day ahead of me, and I wanted to get an early start on the bar inventory. On the way over, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jagger. I hated that he was stuck in that fucking place when any one of us would’ve done the same thing in his situation. It was a no-win predicament, but I wasn’t giving up. I’d keep at it until I found some way to get him out of there.

  Thoughts of Jagger were still rattling through my head when I pulled up to the back door of the club. I was so out of sorts I didn’t notice Hawk in the parking lot until he called out to me, “Yo, Menace. What are you doing here? I thought you were going out to see Jagger.”

  “I was, and I did.”

  “How was he?”

  “He’s been better.” I unlocked the door. “He was involved in some kind of altercation but wouldn’t tell me much about it. Just that he had it handled.”

  “This something Viper needs to be aware of?”

  “Jagger would say no, but yeah, he needs to know.” Following me inside, I told him, “This thing didn’t directly involve Jagger, but he stepped in. So, like it or not, he’s in it now.”

  “Damn.” Hawk was the club’s sergeant-at-arms. His job was to keep the club and the brothers safe and in order, and to make sure they followed the rules. It was difficult to do that when one of us was behind bars. I could see the concern in his eyes when he said, “I’m about to head back to the clubhouse. I’ll talk to him and see how he wants to handle this.”

  “Sounds good.”

  We walked into my office, and I sat down at my desk while Hawk remained standing and asked, “So, how many girls you planning on hiring this week?”

  “Three or four. Maybe even five. I’m still working on the numbers to figure out just how many we need.”

  “Well, Country and Lynch have volunteered to help out if you need a hand sorting through any of the applicants.”

  “Oh, yeah?” I chuckled. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

  “All right, then. I’ll leave you to it.” Before he walked out of my office, he joked. “I gotta say, you really got it made, brother.”

  I wasn’t surprised Hawk felt that way. He wasn’t the only one. Every one of my brothers envied my role at the strip club, but it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. There was a time when a great pair of tits and the provocative sway of woman’s hips would’ve had my dick roaring to life. I’d hammer one out with one chick, then move to the next. It didn’t take long to learn that I wasn’t just looking for strippers with great tits and ass. I also had to find chicks who knew how to dance and had a good head on their shoulders. I didn’t need them bringing all their fucking troubles knocking at our door. Trust me when I say it wasn’t an easy task, but I knew better than to try and convince my brothers of that. I’d just be wasting my breath, so I just did what needed to be done and kept my mouth shut.

  As soon as I got settled at my desk, I started working on the inventory for the bar. I was just starting to make some headway when there was a tap on my office door. I looked up and found Marlowe, who was Rafe’s ol’ lady and one of the club’s new bartenders, standing in front of me with a stack of papers in her hand. “I have a few more applications that you might want to look over.”

  “Thanks.” I took the papers from her hand and dropped them down on my already messy desk. “Give me five minutes; then you can start sending them in.”

  “You got it.”

  She walked out, and after I wrapped up the last of the inventory, I cleaned off my desk and prepared for our first applicant. A few minutes later, Marlowe appeared at the doorway and asked, “You ready?”

  “Yeah.” I reached down and grabbed the first application. After looking at the name, I said, “Go on and send in Jessie.”

  “You got it.”

  Shortly afterward, a cute brunette with a radiant smile and just the right amount of curves walked in. She was wearing the typical short skirt and a bright red tank top that clung to her breasts—the same kind of thing every chick wore when they came into my office. I could tell this wasn’t her first rodeo when she stepped up to my desk, extended her hand, and said, “Hi, I’m Jessie. I’m here about the night dancer-stripper position.”

  I nodded, then motioned my hand towards the chair in front of me. "Have a seat and tell me about what experience you have.”

  “Okay.” She sat down and continued, “I’ve worked at the Pink Pony for almost three years now. I’ve done really well there, but I think it’s time for a change.”

  “Oh, really? And why’s that?”

  “Nothing in particular,” she lied. “I just think it’s time for me to move on.”

  “Mm-hmm.” I should’ve pushed for more information, but I was eager to get this shit done. “You have any priors I need to be aware of?”

  “Nope. I have a clean record. No STDs or psycho boyfriends. I’m in my third semester at Nashville State.” She was cool, calm, and collected. It was clear Jessie was confident in her abilities when she said, “I’m good at what I do, and you won’t regret hiring me.”

  “Okay, then. Let’s see what ya got.”

  Without having to clarify, Jessie got up and started to dance around the room as she slipped her tank over her head, revealing her perfectly round, fake breasts. She swayed her hips in a circular motion while easing her miniskirt down her long tan legs. Jessie was right. This girl was good. I could only imagine what she could do with a pole. When she started to remove her thong, I held up my hand and said, “That’s good. You can stop there.”

  “You sure about that?” A lustful spark flashed through her eyes when she added, “I’ve got other skills you might be interested in.”

  “You won’t be needing those skills here, Jessie. If you get the job, you’ll make plenty of money. You don’t have to—”

  “I know I don’t have to.” She placed the palms of her hands flat against my desk as she leaned forward and purred. “I want to. I think we could have a good time.”

  It was tempting, very tempting, but I looked down at my groin and there was nothing. Not so much as the slightest twitch. Neither of us were interested in sinking into her or any of the other strippers that came into this office. I’d been in a position like this many times before and had made the mistake of taking various women up on their offers. It was fun, but only for the moment. Things inevitably turned out fucking insane. They’d either think it meant more and become a psycho stalker or they’d expect particular privileges �
�cause they sucked my dick. I was too old for that kind of shit, so I shook my head and said, “Not gonna happen. Now get dressed, and I’ll call if you make it to the second round.”

  “Second round?”

  “The top four applicants will come back later tonight for a full audition.”

  “Oh, okay.” She quickly got dressed, and on her way out, she said, “Thanks for the opportunity.”

  I nodded, then looked down at my desk in search of the next application and had just picked it up when Marlowe peeked her head inside the doorway. “How’d it go?”

  “Not too bad.” I glanced back at the paper and said, “You can send in…Brittney.”

  “Sure thing.”

  She hadn’t been gone long when Brittney appeared in my doorway. I could tell the moment she stepped into my office she wasn’t eighteen—not even close. I quickly sent her on her way and moved to the next. Like Brittney, I could tell the second she walked in she was a no-go. The chick had two left feet and looked completely stoned. I was starting to get impatient when I told Marlowe to send in Brandy. I went through the same spiel with her that I’d gone through with Jessie, and to my surprise, she’d also been working at the Pink Pony. The same held true for the next girl … and the next. I wasn’t a fan of taking business from another club, so when Mazie, yet another girl from the Pink Pony, appeared in front of me, I asked, “What’s going on over at the Pink Pony?”

  “Nothing,” she lied. “It’s just time for me to make a change.”

  “Hmm. Your other buddies said the same thing.” I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms as I pushed, “I’m not buying, so why don’t you tell me what’s really going on, or we can end this thing right here and now.”

  The young redhead let out a defeated sigh, then said, “It’s Gary. He’s the manager, and I guess you could say he’s been abusing his power.”

  “How’s that?”

  “He has full control of our schedules, so if we want a good shift or any kind of change to the schedule, we have to provide him with certain services.” She sat there in her cropped tank top and barely there skirt, and a look of innocence crossed her face as she admitted, “For some girls, it isn’t a big deal, but for me, it’s a really big deal.”

  “Sounds like Gary is a fucking tool.”

  “Gary is a huge fucking tool, but he’s my boss. I’m kind of stuck with him unless I can find another job.”

  “Well, you and your friends won’t have to worry about that shit anymore.” I placed her application with the other possible candidates, then said, “You can tell the others to be expecting a call back.”

  “Really?”

  “No guarantees, but I’ll do my best to find a place for you all. If not here, somewhere that will do you right.”

  “Thank you so much, Mister—”

  “The name’s Menace, and no need to thank me. At least, not yet.”

  “Well, I appreciate you trying to help.” She grabbed her purse, then skirted over to the door. “I’ll look forward to your call.”

  I was feeling pretty good about things when she walked out of my office. Between Mazie and her other friends from the Pink Pony, we had the shifts covered and were in good shape. I was about to tell Marlowe we could call it a day when a woman appeared in my doorway, and not just any woman. This one wasn’t anything like the girls who’d come in before her. She had the deepest blue eyes, soft porcelain skin, and hair so white it made her look like an angel. She was wearing jeans, a white lace top, and sandals—not the kind of thing you’d expect a woman to wear to a stripper interview. Red flag.

  “Excuse me. The girl out front told me to come see you about the position you have for the…um...the str-dancer position.”

  She couldn’t even say the word stripper. Red flag.

  “By dancer, I hope you mean stripper because this is a strip club.”

  A bright red blush crept over her face the second I said stripper. Red flag.

  “Oh, yes. Of course.” She tried to recover by adding, “That’s what I meant.”

  “Mm-hmm. You got a name?”

  “Yes.” She smiled bashfully and tucked a strand of her silky hair behind her ear as she answered, “Aubrey. Aubrey…um...Cash.”

  There was no way in hell that was her real name. Yet another Red flag.

  I should’ve sent her packing right then and there, but I didn’t. There was something about this chick that had me thinking about Mallory. I’d tried to reach out to my sister many times over the years, but she’d made it clear that she had no interest in reuniting as brother and sister—I simply brought too many memories to the table. Even though she wanted nothing to do with the memories or me, I tried to keep an eye on her. I knew she bounced around from job to job, so I’d put money in her account from time to time. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever considered working in a strip club, and if so, had she come face to face with a guy like me. If so, I hoped the guy would give her a chance to see it through. It was that very thought that kept me from sending this Aubrey chick on her way. Doing my best to play along with her charade, I asked, “So, you’re here about a job?”

  “Yes.” She stepped over to my desk and offered me her application. “I was hoping to interview for the opening you posted.”

  “Do you have any experience?”

  “No, but I’ve been told I’m an okay dancer, and I’m a quick learner.”

  “Being a quick learner isn’t going to get you very far in a place like this.”

  Her eyes skirted to the floor as she inhaled a deep breath. It was as if she was trying to muster the courage to say whatever was on her mind. After several minutes, she looked up at me and said, "Peter Brant suggested that I come here if I ever needed a job.”

  “Peter Brant?” I didn’t know the Brants all that well—just that they were Lynch’s grandparents who owned a diner out in Colorado. They’d come down when Lynch was patched in. It was easy to see they were both good people who loved their grandson, which made it that much harder on Lynch when they were murdered during a burglary at their diner. “He and his wife were killed over six months ago.”

  “Yes, I’m aware. It was awful the way they died, but...I knew them before any of that happened. Look, I really need this job.” I heard the urgency in her voice, and I couldn’t deny it got to me. I wanted to know why Mr. Brant would suggest that a woman like her should come work in a strip club—a place she clearly didn’t belong. “I’m sure there have been lots of women who’ve applied for the position, and I’m sure they all would do an incredible job, but I give you my word that none of them will work harder than me. I just need a chance to prove it.”

  Beautiful. Well spoken. Determined. I liked her, but the woman standing in front of me was no stripper. She was all class and could get a job anywhere, which intrigued me. I was curious as to why she was so desperate for a job. I shouldn’t have cared. It wasn’t my job to care, but I did. I wanted to know just how desperate she really was, so I said, “Okay, let’s see what ya got.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Let’s see the moves. The goods.”

  “You want me to strip? Right here? Right now?”

  “If you can’t handle that, the door’s right behind you.”

  Aubrey turned her head and glanced back at the door, and for a moment, I feared she’d bolt, but she didn’t. Instead, she inhaled a deep breath and slipped off her sandals. Her trembling fingers reached for the buttons of her shirt, and she started unfastening them one by one. Her eyes met mine as she slowly slipped the white cotton fabric over her delicate shoulders, letting it slide down her arms. That’s when it happened. All my good-guy, brotherly instincts went flying out the window, and my cock, which had been completely flaccid all morning long, stirred to life and started throbbing against my zipper. Fuck.

  I wanted to look away, to have a moment to collect myself, but I was completely mesmerized as I watched her top drift down to the floor and pool at her feet. She was trying her damn
edest to come off poised and self-assured, but I could see that glimmer of insecurity flickering in her eyes. Aubrey was clearly nervous, but she didn’t let that stop her from dropping her hands to her waist and unfastening the button of her jeans. With her baby blues still locked on mine, she lowered the zipper and hooked her thumbs in the waistband. I thought she’d simply stand there and undress, which suited my aching cock just fine, but then she started seductively swaying her hips from side to side, all the while slowly removing her jeans.

  Her little show wasn’t like anything I’d expect to see on one of our stages, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t sexy as fuck. It was. There wasn’t a man on the planet who wouldn’t pay a pretty fucking penny to see her on stage, but that shit wasn’t going to happen. Hell, the mere thought of anyone else seeing her so exposed, so vulnerable made my stomach twist into an angry knot. When Aubrey reached behind herself and started to unhook her bra, I was done. I couldn’t take it a second longer, so I held up my hand and said, “Stop.”

  “But—”

  “I said stop.”

  Two

  Parker

  I couldn’t imagine feeling more mortified as I did standing there in front of the Stilettos’ manager in my bra and underwear. I don’t know what I was thinking going in there—I blamed the other applicants for my unexpected boost of self-confidence. Before going back for my interview, I’d overheard some of them talking about how they hated where they were working. Apparently, they were all tired of being harassed by their manager and hoped working at Stilettos would be the answer to their troubles. They all sounded so certain that things would be different, that they wouldn’t get screwed over working here and would be protected by the brothers. I didn’t know what they were talking about until it was my turn to go back to meet with the manager.

  I was standing outside his office when I heard Mazie tell him about the issues she and the other girls had been dealing with at their other job, and he was pretty cool with her. Hearing that he’d help her out of a bad situation made me think Mr. Brant was right to send me here. Maybe these tough, badass bikers might have a good side to them—at least one of them did. I tried to hold on to that thought as I walked into his office and told him I was looking for a job. Sadly, that comforting feeling went flying out the window the second I started taking off my clothes.