Take a Risk (Risk #1)

by Scarlett Finn

  ‘Probably not,’ he said. ‘But I’ll be around. Call the club if you need me.’ She could also report developments to Chavez, and the message would get through to him, but he wouldn’t complicate things by saying that in front of his brothers.

  ‘Need you?’ Lyssa asked with a smile. ‘And if you find yourself ready, you know how to find me.’ She sipped his beer again and let her eyes slink to his when she put it back in his palm, then turned to Blaser. ‘I’ll see you Thursday, boss.’

  ‘Sure thing, Cherry.’

  ‘Nice to meet you, Mr. Warner,’ she said to Ruger.

  ‘Call me, Ruger.’

  ‘I doubt we’ll meet again. Word is that you’re a bit of a drifter.’

  ‘An adventurer,’ Ruger grinned. ‘But we’ll meet again, I have a feeling Colt will make sure of that.’

  ‘My favourite Warner,’ she said with innuendo that drove fire to his loins.

  Turning to her, he read her mischief. ‘Behave yourself.’

  ‘I’m going home,’ she said, brushing her fingers across his ass as she moved past him. ‘Night, Warners.’

  Lyssa took her time leaving, but he was glad to see the smile on her face, she deserved a bit of frivolity in her life.

  ‘Now I get it,’ Ruger grinned and slapped a hand on the bar when he turned to Colt.

  ‘Yeah, yeah,’ Colt said, prepared for the ribbing.

  ‘She’s a beaut,’ Ruger said. ‘Where did she come from?’

  Colt drank his beer, having no intention of answering, which Ruger gleaned, so he turned to Blaser.

  ‘She came in here the week before last looking for him,’ Blaser said. ‘They disappeared in back then she came back this week wanting a job.’

  ‘Really,’ Ruger said, switching focus back to Colt. ‘You’ve got no problem with her working here?’

  ‘She’s waiting tables,’ Colt said.

  ‘And when she graduates to dancing?’ Ruger asked. ‘You’re going to be ok with that?’

  ‘She won’t be here that long,’ Colt said, trying to erase the mental image of Lyssa grinding and stripping for other men in this place.

  ‘That right?’ Blaser said. ‘Are you going to run off one of my waitresses?’

  ‘She makes her own choices,’ Colt said. ‘I just get the impression that this is temporary for her.’

  ‘You know her better than I do. You two spent a while upstairs tonight.’

  ‘Talking,’ Colt said, omitting the truth about the kiss.

  ‘Whatever,’ Blaser said. ‘But our staff turnaround isn’t high here unlike other strip clubs because we treat our girls well. Maybe Cherry will like it here and want to go all the way.’

  He didn’t appreciate his brother’s attempt to rile him, but Ruger laughed which alleviated some of the tension.

  ‘If Colt gets that girl you know he’ll protect her body with his life. He’s a possessive sonofabitch.’

  ‘Like you’ve ever shared a woman you cared about,’ Colt said to Ruger.

  ‘Oh now he admits that he cares,’ Blaser said to Ruger’s jeer.

  ‘Foreign to you though, isn’t it?’ Colt said to Blaser. ‘You’ve never cared about another soul in your life.’

  ‘Whoa, hey,’ Ruger said. ‘Let’s keep this friendly, Colt, if you want the girl then go and get her, we’ll support you. Blase, you should know better than to piss Colt off, he still has buddies down at the precinct. And you know I’ll tell our future sister in-law this story next Christmas.’

  Blaser laughed and Colt shoved Ruger off his stool. ‘You’re not too old for me to kick the shit out of you, you know.’

  They began rough-housing in good humour until Blaser came around the bar and gave them both a shove.

  ‘If there’s going to be bloodshed in my bar it’ll be shed by me,’ Blaser said.

  ‘Are you kidding? Mom wants us all around for dinner tomorrow night,’ Ruger said. ‘I don’t want to explain all your bruises. She’ll ground me or something.’

  ‘Your worst nightmare, staying in one place for more than twenty minutes, Colt said.

  ‘And what about your bruises and broken bones?’ Blaser said. ‘Colt’s right, you know we can kick your ass. You’re a little wimp.’

  ‘In your dreams,’ Ruger said, shoving Blaser.

  ‘Grab the beer, let’s go upstairs and play a few frames,’ Colt said. ‘We’ve got to catch up before Ruge disappears again.’

  ‘I missed you too, bro,’ he said, trying to yank his resistant brother into a headlock while Blaser went back for the beer.

  ‘Knock it off you two and get moving. I’m in the mood to play for high stakes tonight.’

  ‘No problem,’ Ruger said, taking the case of beer from Blaser. ‘I could use the money.’

  The three laughing brothers headed up the stairs for a rare, but overdue, night of male bonding.

  Chapter Seven

  ‘I can tell that this is important to you. It’s a breakthrough and you should be proud,’ Lyssa said to Bobby, her last patient on this Wednesday night.

  When he had rescheduled his appointment, which was meant to be on Monday, she had worried that his reluctance to attend displayed a desire not to return to therapy. That was sometimes a problem with patients who felt like they weren’t making progress fast enough.

  ‘I am,’ Bobby said. ‘It’s taken me so long to get to this point.’

  ‘Yes,’ Lyssa said. ‘But it’s proof that all of this work we’ve done together is working.’

  ‘You’ve been so positive,’ Bobby said. ‘You’re so understanding.’

  ‘We’ve been here for nearly an hour and you haven’t mentioned your date on Saturday night. How did it go?’

  Bobby paled and pushed his palms into the couch by his thighs. ‘I called it off.’

  ‘No,’ Lyssa said. ‘You liked this girl, Deshana, and she sounded nice. Why did you cancel?’

  ‘I just… couldn’t I… if I went out with her she would eventually want to go to bed and… I’m not ready for that.’

  ‘There’s no pressure for you to do anything physical. I’ve explained that to you before.’

  ‘It starts with the goodnight kiss, that’s when a girl knows how a guy feels.’

  ‘Did you kiss her goodnight?’

  ‘Sort of,’ he said, though she wasn’t too sure what that meant. ‘I didn’t want her to get any ideas. So I kept it brief.’

  ‘Your anxiety about this is what causes the issue. You have to remember your exercises and remember how far you’ve come. We’re going to get through this.’

  ‘You’re the only woman who hasn’t abandoned me,’ Bobby said. ‘When I go through the steps you taught me it’s you I think about.’

  ‘And that’s fine,’ Lyssa said. ‘A calming influence can help before you try to initiate intimacy. Be patient with yourself and let it come naturally.’

  ‘Thinking about you helps me,’ he said and she got the sense that he meant as more than a calming influence.

  ‘I am your doctor, Bobby. I’m here to help, but you can’t rely too heavily on me. I won’t be around forever. Eventually you’ll have advanced far enough for us to end our sessions.’ His eyes flared in panic. ‘But we’re a ways away from that. We’re out of time this week, but I want you to think about calling Deshana and making another date, ok? Think about it.’

  They set their next appointment, then Lyssa went about bringing Bobby’s file up to date. Tonight she was hosting a dinner party, which Suzette had insisted they have. Her best buddy had wanted to do something later in the week or at the weekend, but because she was due at Risqué Lyssa’s diary was full; except she couldn’t admit that to Suzette. To cover for her lack of availability, she had acquiesced to the dinner party tonight.

  Not known for her cooking skills, Lyssa did her best to throw something simple together before she grabbed a shower and got changed. Her guests’ arrival was imminent, and she had just finished tidying up when the front door opened and Suzette’s voi
ce carried up the stairs.

  ‘It’s us, Lys!’

  She appreciated that her friend called out, otherwise she may assume that her stalker had walked in. Though door had been locked, and only Suzette had a key. But for all she knew a locked door meant nothing to a stalker, who knew what skills he had.

  Lyssa put out placemats and was about to retrieve the cutlery, when Suzette walked in on the arm of her tall, charming fiancé Pete Thames. Ready to greet them, she faltered when Keith, Pete’s best man, came in behind them.

  ‘Keith,’ Lyssa said through her plastic smile. ‘I didn’t realise that you would be joining us.’

  ‘The more the merrier, right?’ Pete said, helping himself to a beer from the fridge and then giving one to Keith.

  The men went to the living room area giving Lyssa the chance to glare at Suzette before she went for the silverware so that she could finish setting the table.

  ‘What harm can it do?’ Suzette whispered when she approached Lyssa’s side. ‘The guys can entertain each other and we can talk.’

  ‘You could’ve left the guys at home then,’ Lyssa said.

  ‘He likes you,’ Suzette said, earning her another glare. ‘It’s a good thing. Keith is a great guy and he makes good money.’

  ‘And that’s a reason to date him? I’m not interested.’

  ‘Why not? He’s cute and it might pay to have a guy around the place. Maybe it will scare off this madman who is obsessed with you.’

  Except Colt had already told her that the stalker wasn’t on the street watching her constantly. ‘So I should sleep with him and keep him around just in case someone is watching? What if it pisses him off?’

  ‘Keith?’

  ‘No, the stalker,’ Lyssa said, contemplating how her stalker would react to the introduction of a man into her life. Dating hadn’t been a priority for her of late. So far though, her admirer hadn’t threatened physical harm and for all she knew romance wasn’t his ultimate goal. In truth, his motive was still unclear, although the roses he delivered did indicate he had personal feelings for her.

  ‘That better not be the reason you’ve stopped dating,’ Suzette said, straightening a fork.

  ‘I didn’t consciously stop,’ Lyssa said. ‘It’s not a priority in my life. Have you forgotten what the dating scene is like? You found Mr Wonderful, I don’t think it’s as easy for us all.’

  ‘You don’t have to do the dating thing with randoms. I’ve brought you a Mr Wonderful direct to your dining room table.’

  Through the arch that led to the living area she took a long look at Keith’s profile. He was about five eleven with short brown blonde hair and blue eyes. His appearance was nice enough, but she couldn’t help except to compare him to Colt and as far as her libido was concerned there was no comparison.

  ‘He doesn’t measure up,’ Lyssa said, finishing off setting the table. She took a glass jug from the kitchen unit to fill it with ice water for the centre of the table.

  ‘To what?’ Suzette asked, following her and retrieving glasses for the table. ‘The idea of fairy-tale Prince Charming? I would have thought you’d have a more realistic idea of men than that. You work with men in relation to sex and relationships all day. Plus, you’ve been married and lived in a real relationship. How—‘

  ‘I met someone.’ That revelation shut her friend up. The women stared at each other for a few seconds and Lyssa had to laugh at her friend’s shock. ‘Is that so unbelievable?’

  ‘Yes,’ Suzette said. ‘I didn’t know you were looking. How long have you been keeping this from me?’

  ‘I’ve not been hiding it,’ Lyssa said. Revealing her attraction to Colt was a compulsion because she was already lying to Suzette about too many things. She hated to be dishonest with anyone, especially a friend she valued so dearly.

  ‘Who is he? Where did you meet?’

  Lyssa put down the full water jug on the table and was about to move the salad over, but Suzette got hold of her and pulled her around so that they faced each other.

  ‘We met in a bar.’

  ‘You went to a bar alone? Why did you do that?’

  ‘Sometimes being alone in this house sends me nutty. I needed to get out.’

  ‘And you met Mr Wonderful?’ The shock in Suzette was subsiding. As she relaxed, her smile began to emerge.

  ‘I wouldn’t describe him as that. He’s contrary and aloof, but he’s got a great sense of humour… and he knows how to kiss.’

  Suzette gasped and lowered her volume. ‘Have you had sex with him?’

  ‘Not yet,’ Lyssa said. ‘I’m waiting to see how he wants things to proceed.’

  ‘You’re waiting around for him? Is there something wrong with him? Oh, is he a virgin?’

  ‘He’s divorced, so I doubt he’s a virgin,’ she said. Suzette now let her go to the salad. ‘But there’s nothing wrong with a person who is a virgin at any age, there are often extenuating circumstances.’

  ‘I just insulted one of your patients, didn’t I?’ Suzette said, springing up to sit on the kitchen counter. ‘Well, this gives us cause to celebrate… though Keith will be disappointed.’

  ‘Can we keep this between us?’ Lyssa asked. ‘Just for now, until I see how things go.’

  ‘If you want,’ Suzette said. Lyssa went to pour wine for them. ‘So tell me about him, when can I meet him?’

  ‘One step at a time. Let’s not rush him.’

  ‘You do know just how to make a guy last,’ Suzette smirked. ‘You’re fully trained.’

  The women laughed and the men came in. ‘What’s so funny?’ Keith asked.

  ‘How long until dinner?’ Pete asked.

  ‘Everyone take a seat and I’ll serve,’ Lyssa said, sharing a smile with Suzette.

  Since they were all here, and there was food, it made sense to be social. The wedding required them all to spend time together and Lyssa had no objection to forging a friendship because with the union of Pete and Suzette they’d all be a part of each other’s lives for a long time. So for tonight she’d be civil, but she’d make it clear there was no scope for anything more intimate between her and Keith.

  The night had to be drawing to a close. Conversation around the dinner table had been pleasant but benign. The food hadn’t been spectacular but it had been edible, which offered a reprieve for her. Night was all around them. She and Suzette had finished a bottle of wine. Pete was driving so he’d stopped drinking after his first beer and Keith had moved onto the Scotch.

  ‘Only a few short weeks,’ Suzette said, patting Pete’s thigh.

  Frequently, talk returned to the wedding, which made sense because it was something they all had in common.

  ‘Plenty of time to plan your escape,’ Keith said to Pete who laughed.

  ‘Not a chance, this is it for me,’ Pete said, lifting his arm around Suzette who pressed a loud kiss to his cheek.

  An echoing crash startled them all, glass had shattered and a thud followed, bringing them all to their feet.

  ‘What was that?’ Pete asked.

  ‘A window broke,’ Keith said. ‘Sounded like it came from downstairs.’

  The men started out toward the hallway, Lyssa moved to follow, but Suzette seized her. ‘Let them check it out.’

  ‘I want to know what it was.’

  ‘If he’s down there—‘

  ‘You think that the stalker who has been keeping his distance so far has suddenly crashed through the window?’ Lyssa asked. ‘This is my problem, I have to see it.’

  Tugging her arm free, she ran on the route the men had used with Suzette beating a path behind her. In the waiting room, at the back of her property, beyond her office, Keith stood at the broken pane which had splintered glass over the grey fabric couch at the rear of the room. Pete was in the centre of the room holding a brick.

  ‘This was no accident,’ Keith said, peering into the darkness of her yard. ‘Whoever did this couldn’t have done it from the park. He had to be in your garden.’
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  Pete stalked toward Suzette shaking the concrete block, which was not much bigger than his fist. ‘This is what’s going on? You’re here when this kind of shit is going on?’

  ‘He’s never done this before,’ Suzette said.

  ‘Who are you talking about?’ Keith asked. Suzette came away from the men to Lyssa’s side.

  ‘You have to call the cops,’ Suzette said. ‘This is a violent act. It’s vandalism.’

  Lyssa nodded because Suzette was right, though she didn’t relish the idea of giving a statement when they’d all had a few to drink and it was so late, and she had a Risqué shift tomorrow after a day of patients. But there was no excuse not to alert the authorities about this.

  ‘We’re going home,’ Pete said, tossing the brick behind him and grabbing Suzette’s arm.

  ‘No, we can’t go.’ Suzette pulled back. ‘We have to stay and support Lyssa.’

  ‘The police will need statements,’ Keith said and Pete resolved himself with a sigh.

  ‘Fine,’ he said. ‘Where’s the phone?’

  ‘I’ll do it,’ Lyssa said. ‘I’m sort of old hat at this now.’

  The adrenaline had worn off by the time the police arrived. Pictures and statements were taken, with all of the witnesses being interviewed in separate rooms. Eventually the police left and her heart began to slow to a sane speed.

  Closing the door behind the police, she got a broom from the closet by the back door and began to sweep up the glass in her waiting room. Luckily the floor was hardwood, so it made the glass easier to sweep. Except the rock used to smash through the window had gouged the wood meaning it would require to be refinished.

  The chill from the outside breeze invading her home curled like unwelcome fingers around her vulnerable shoulders. Lyssa couldn’t stay down here alone, she couldn’t even bring herself to turn her back on the broken window. The ink of black sky and the gentle rustle of distant trees whispered like voices of intimidating warning. She couldn’t turn off the light or she couldn’t see to work. But with the overhead light on she would be lit up to the outside world, framed in the shattered pane for anyone outside to admire or despise.