Jason leaned forward slightly and pressed a button on the sleek-looking black box at the edge of the desk. “Ben? Inform the ladies that we’ll pay time and a half for anyone willing to stick around for another hour, but keep them on the stage. No more lap dances, no exceptions. And tell Security to keep their eyes open.”
After receiving a gruff acknowledgment, Jason turned his attention back to her. “Look. You’re a great dancer, Nicki, but I don’t need the hassles. First your brother goes Rambo on a customer - ”
“He was protecting me!” she interrupted.
Jason shot her a warning glance. “That’s what I pay Security for.”
Color rose in her cheeks and flames danced in her eyes. “Then maybe you don’t pay them enough, because they suck at it.”
“They would have handled it, Nicki. They wouldn’t have allowed any harm to come to you.”
“Bullshit.”
Jason exhaled heavily and rubbed his eyes. He was clearly reaching the end of his patience. That made two of them.
“I am not arguing with you about this, Nicki. You are not the first girl to get groped. Call it an occupational hazard, if you will. Surely you’ve had to deal with things like this before.”
He didn’t give her an opportunity to respond before continuing. “I have a business to run. What concerns me more is what occurred tonight. That’s likely to cause me problems. I can’t allow that to happen again. It is one thing for your brother to go all knight-in-shining-armor. Quite another for Sean Callaghan to do so. There is a big difference between a fractured hand and a room full of dead bodies. It would be bad for business and mean a whole lot of paperwork that I would just as soon avoid.”
“What the hell does Sean Callaghan have to do with anything?”
“Why don’t you tell me, Nicki?” he countered. He pushed another button and brought up her lap dance. Another tap and the image froze. Nicki gasped. Is that what everyone saw? Her fingers were tangled in Sean’s short, silky hair, the other hand digging into his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, lips parted, her head thrown back in ecstasy. Sean’s eyes were on her, his focus absolute, his expression...fierce.
A potent combination of heat and shame rushed through her. She tossed back the remaining brandy in her glass, stalling for a moment until she could get herself back under control.
“Nothing. He’s just another guy trying to get his rocks off, that’s all.”
Jason snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Nicki glared at him. Inside, her mind was working on damage control. Instinct told her that beneath those puppy dog eyes and all-American smile was a clever, intelligent man. And intuition told her that he was trying just as hard to figure her out as she was him. He wasn’t the run of the mill adult entertainment pimp; there was far too much intelligence and cunning in those soft brown eyes.
Once again, she had the distinct feeling there was a lot more to Pine Ridge than appeared on the surface. And again, she reminded herself that it was irrelevant beyond the fact that there was another male around whom she would have to be especially careful.
“So what you’re telling me is – hypothetically speaking, of course - is that it’s alright to tease men into a frenzy, but not to take any pleasure in it?”
Not that she would ever admit to such a thing. Stripping was a lot like acting, really. None of it was real; it was all smoke and mirrors to create the desired effect. The lights, the music, the costumes, the stage, the props – they were all part of the scene. The men paid for a good show, and she gave them what they wanted. And if, on rare occasions, she wasn’t faking the whole I-get-off-on-being-bad thing, what of it? No one was the wiser.
Never admit to anything. Yep, that was a plan.
He smirked. “There’s nothing hypothetical about it. And I think you’re smarter than that, Nicki.”
Unless... maybe he was talking about something else? Had someone come to him about the questions she was asking? She was very careful with whom she spoke, but nothing was foolproof. There was a fine line between appearing garden-variety curious and ferreting out intel.
No, she reasoned, this had to have something to do with tonight. Nicki didn’t believe in coincidences. She wondered what, if anything, had happened after she’d gone backstage. Had Sean done something? The look in his eyes had been intense; his warning echoed through her once again. Maybe some asshole had made a snide remark, or commented on her performance and Sean had reacted.
She suppressed a shiver. Somehow she knew that Sean’s warnings were not to be taken lightly. He had this dark aura around him, this sense of intensity, of danger, that threatened to draw her in like a moth to a flame. All the more reason she had to stay the hell away from him.
Dare she ask? No, she decided, she’d only be asking for trouble, and it might suggest an interest she did not have. She had enough problems without making any more for herself. She was overreacting, that was all. Too much excitement, not enough sleep, post-climax lethargy and a reduction of brain function – it all amounted to the same thing.
Jason had to be referring to her behavior specifically. If there had been trouble on the floor, she wouldn’t be sitting here now in his office with a brandy in her hand. Nobody called you to their office and gave you a drink to tell you that someone else fucked up.
“So I am fired.”
“I want you off the floor for a while.”
She dropped her eyes, looking at the hands that were clenched in her lap. Shit. This is what happened when she forgot herself, when she allowed her own selfish thoughts to take over, even for a few minutes. And to what end? It hadn’t even been real.
Oh, she had thought it was at the time, but now that some of the fog had left her mind she could see it for what it was. Sean had sought her out, waved that bill knowing she wouldn’t pass it up. And she’d taken the bait hook, line and sinker. It was nothing but payback for her little “handshake” in the garage. It was no less than she deserved, she figured. Mess with a man like that and there were bound to be consequences.
Now she had to try and salvage what she could. There was too much at stake to bail out now, no matter how much she might want to. She was too damn close. “It won’t happen again.”
“No,” Jason agreed, “it won’t.”
Nicki had a choice to make. Stand up and walk the hell out of his office or swallow some of her pride and stay. If she walked out now – without having achieved what she came for – then the past few weeks of PDH – public displays of humiliation – were for naught. It chafed, but there really was no other choice.
“I need this job, Mr. Michaels.”
His eyes widened slightly as if surprised. She was kind of surprised, too. Her voice hadn’t held even an inkling of the defiant tone she was trying so hard to squelch.
“I’m not firing you,” he said finally. “Yet.”
“But you just said - ”
Jason held up his hand. “I said I don’t want you on the floor for a while. In the meantime, perhaps there is something else you could do.”
Nicki’s eyes widened further, then narrowed angrily as his words registered. She stood up so quickly it startled him. There were limits, and then there were hard limits.
“Shove it up your ass, Mr. Michaels. I’ll scrape gum off the sidewalks before I whore for anyone.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” She turned and was almost at the door before he stood as quickly as she did and took three long strides across the room.
“Hold it right there.” His voice was deeper, angrier than she’d ever heard it, not that she had much to go by as a frame of reference. His arm shoved the door closed before she had a chance to slip through it and he looked down into her face. She glared right back up at him, giving him her fiercest fuck-off-and-die stare.
“Don’t make me hurt you,” she warned in a low growl. Her mind was already playing through the series of moves that would most efficiently take him down.
“I strongly suggest y
ou don’t try.”
Her eyes flashed, but she made no attempt to make the first move to try to inflict any damage.
“Pull that righteous stick out of your ass and just listen for a moment, will you? I’m not asking you to do any such thing. That part of the business is strictly mutual consent, understand?”
She blinked. “Then what are you talking about?”
“I was thinking maybe you could work the bar. Can you tend?”
“Oh. Um, not very well,” she stumbled, taken aback by his offer. “I mean, I worked in a small town bar for a couple of months once, but it was nothing like this.”
“We can train you.”
Nicki thought about it. It could work. Bartenders heard more gossip than pole dancers. And while she would still probably be expected to wear ridiculous, skimpy clothes, at least she’d be behind the bar and out of immediate groping reach. She had to play her part, though.
“How does the pay compare?” she sniffed, crossing her arms.
“The base pay is significantly lower, but the potential for tips is much higher based on increased customer interaction.”
“Can I have a day to think about it? My mind is a little fried right now.”
“Sure,” he said. “I wouldn’t want you to start on a Saturday anyway, too busy. If you’re interested, come by Monday, around four.”
She nodded. “Thanks.” Then she breathed a sigh of relief as she walked back to the dressing room.
* * *
“Satisfied?” Jason twisted the lock on his office door and turned around as Sean slipped silently from the private washroom.
“Yeah,” he grinned. “You did good, Jacie.”
Jason sighed. He should have known the minute Sean Callaghan showed interest in her she was trouble. Hell. He’d learned a long time ago that it was a good idea to stay far away from anything the Callaghans showed a particular interest in, but especially women. And his little tête-à-tête with Nicki Milligan only reinforced that little gem of wisdom.
He walked back over to his desk and poured another brandy for himself. Generally, Jason allowed himself one drink at the end of a stressful night. Tonight he was making an exception. He didn’t bother pouring one for Sean.
“What the hell have you gone and gotten yourself into now?” he asked his old friend.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sean shrugged, but he couldn’t completely hide the wicked intent in his eyes. When Sean barged into his office an hour ago, he had been very specific – no more interactive show segments with Nicki. If Sean wasn’t such a good friend (and he hadn’t owed Sean a few favors), Jason would never have even considered such a crazy suggestion. Nicki was a goldmine - she drew the men in, no doubt about that. Attendance had risen in the couple of weeks she’d joined the staff, and that was no coincidence. The atmosphere was definitely more electric when Nicki was around. And yeah, it heightened the tension, but Jason had no doubt he could handle it with a few more well-placed men. Keeping her out of the show was going to hurt his bottom line.
He’d told Sean as much, but Sean wasn’t the least bit sympathetic.
Hell, after watching the show those two had put on, Jason couldn’t really say he was surprised. He’d had his eyes glued to the monitor during her performance, every bit enthralled as those down on the floor. A woman in the throes of pleasure was impossible for any healthy man to ignore, and Jason was no exception.
“Right,” Jason scoffed. If Sean didn’t want to come clean, it was no skin off his nose. They already had a hell of a lot of secrets between them; one more wouldn’t matter. “But we’re even now, true?”
“Yeah, we’re good. Later, Jacie.”
Jason shook his head as Sean cheerfully whistled his way down the corridor to the private exit. The two of them went back a long way, and Jason had never seen Sean so proprietary over a woman. Sean wasn’t exactly a flowers-and-roses kind of guy, prone to romantic gestures. It was kind of amusing, actually, seeing his badass friend smitten. He always knew that when Sean fell, he would fall hard. The funniest thing was, Sean probably thought he had it all under control.
Sean was going to have his hands full with this one, though. Nicki wasn’t like most of the women who worked at Angels. It was easy enough to understand their motives – kids, college, mortgage, but none of those seem to apply in Nicki’s case. Whatever drove her wasn’t so obvious.
A drug habit, maybe? Instinct told him no. She kept herself in excellent shape, and her focus and control were unquestionable. Supporting someone else? Again, not likely. A background check listed only her brother as next of kin, and he had his own job in town (working for Sean Callaghan, no less).
Even more intriguing than her underlying motivation was the woman herself. Stunningly lovely with her dark hair and unusual eyes, he could easily picture her in an elegant ball gown at a gala premiere, yet she wore the whole bad girl persona like a second skin. She came across tough as nails on the outside, but sometimes – like those few minutes when she thought he was firing her – he had the impression she was as fragile as fine crystal on the inside. If anyone could reach her there, that was.
Jason sighed heavily and resumed his seat behind the desk to start going through the night’s receipts. Whatever her deal was, she was Sean’s problem now.
The thought made him smile.
* * *
Nicki was in her own little world as she made her way back to the dressing room. The few others still there looked at her questioningly, hoping for some scoop, but she refused to meet their eyes. It took only a few minutes to don her street clothes and grab her few personal belongings. There was no sense leaving anything here if she wasn’t sure she was coming back.
Nicki peeked cautiously out of the club’s back entrance. Club security kept things pretty tight, but there were usually a few losers out there, hoping to get lucky. It looked strangely empty, tonight, though. With a sigh she pulled down her baseball cap and pushed the door open slowly, half expecting someone to appear out of the shadows. She gripped her keys between her fingers in one hand and fisted a small roll of solid steel in the other, just in case, as she walked quickly across the lot.
It shouldn’t have been a surprise when she saw him by her bike, leaning against the black and silver Harley parked next to it. She ignored him, mounting her quasi-Ducati as if he wasn’t even there, glad beyond measure when her badly-shaking legs didn’t give out on her completely. As far as she was concerned, they were even. She’d invaded his space, he’d invaded hers. End of story.
“Aren’t you even going to acknowledge me, Nicki?” His deep, male voice caressed her as tangibly as if he reached out and touched her and made her tingle in all the right places. It evoked a small but potent echo of the sensations that had rippled through her body only an hour ago. And it pissed her off.
“It meant nothing,” she bit out, cursing herself for saying anything, for even feeling the need to.
She heard his soft chuckle, hating how it made her nipples so goddamned hard. “Somehow I don’t believe that. Or do you come for every man you give a lap dance to?”
“Get over yourself!” White hot fury and embarrassment burned through her so hot she half expected to burn to ash right where she stood, taking him with her. No such luck. Sean remained where he was, blue eyes glowing, radiating that sexy, arrogant manner that oozed dominance and made her crazy. She’d never met a man she felt was strong enough – or worthy enough – for her to even consider voluntary submission. And, goddammit, she wasn’t about to start now.
Nicki kicked the bike hard, and took off like a bat out of hell. Visions of his intense blue eyes raking over her possessively followed her all the way home.
Chapter Five
“So you’re on babysitting duty today, huh?” Maggie carried a big plate of warm cookies over to the table, along with a quart of whole milk. She slid herself down carefully in the seat adjacent to his, her expression tight.
“Yeah, kind of,” he said wi
th a sheepish grin. “But you know I love you, right?”
“You love my cookies,” she corrected on an exhale, but her smile was genuine. As an only child, it had been quite a culture shock for Maggie to find herself as part of a big family when she hooked up with his brother Michael, but she was adjusting nicely. One of them was almost always with her now whenever Michael got called into the hospital. He didn’t like leaving her alone at their farm when she was already three days past her due date, especially when he worried that her irrational fear of doctors and medical procedures in general might keep her from getting to the hospital on time.
“Hey, Mags, you ok?”
“Yeah, I’m awesome,” she said, sounding slightly winded. “I think your nephew’s going to be a linebacker for sure.” She grimaced as she rubbed her belly and blew out measured breaths.
Sean grinned boyishly. “Can I?”
“Knock yourself out.”
Sean gently placed his hand over Maggie’s distended belly. She guided him to the side. His hand visibly jumped.
“Holy shit, Mags. That kid’s strong!”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” she said, wincing. “I think I might need my ribs taped after the delivery, though. Ever since he turned he’s been doing a number on them.”
Within a few minutes, she exhaled and gave him a grateful glance. “Thanks, Sean. I think he recognizes your voice already. He does that whenever he hears one of you, and refuses to calm down until you acknowledge him.”
“My pleasure. These cookies are awesome, by the way.”
“Thanks. This waiting is driving me crazy, so I’ve been baking up a storm. So, are you going to tell me about her or do I have to wait to get the dirt from Taryn?”
He should have known. Maggie didn’t miss anything. She was also the only one Sean could talk to. She never laughed or made jokes at his expense, always listened, always had time for him. Her little farmhouse in the country had become the place to go when any of them needed to get away from the rest of the family for a little while. Helping out Michael was just a bonus; he would have found himself here regardless. Plus her cookies rocked.
Seeking Vengeance: Callaghan Brothers, Book 4 Page 5
