Secrets We Keep: Ruthless Sinners Book 3

by Wilder, L.

  “No, not as a stripper, Marlowe,” I chuckled. “As a bartender. In three or four nights, you could make more money than you do here in two weeks.”

  “So, I’d actually get to keep my clothes on?” she asked timidly, showing once again how innocent she really was.

  “I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise.” My eyes drifted over her, and the thought of having her enticing curves on display for anyone other than me made my stomach twist into a knot. Damn. Maybe I was more interested in Marlowe than I’d thought. “Why don’t you come by tonight and check things out for yourself?”

  “I would, but I have to work.”

  “You don’t think Gladys can make it a few hours without you?”

  “Maybe. It’s a weeknight, so things should be pretty slow.”

  “Then, it’s worth a shot.” I took a step back and stuck my head through the doorway and called out, “Hey, Gladys. Is it all right with you if Marlowe leaves tonight around eight?”

  “Fine with me,” she shouted back. “Planning on closing early tonight anyway.”

  “Good deal.” I stepped back into the kitchen with a smile. “Well, looks like it’s all settled. I’ll be back around eight to pick you up.”

  “Wait...You don’t have to come pick me up. I can drive over.”

  “Not without a car, you can’t.” I’d already called and talked to her mechanic. The fucking transmission was shot and the starter was flaking. It was going to take some time to get the parts in, and when they did, it was going to cost a pretty penny to get it up and running again. Marlowe had enough bad news for one day, so I decided to hold off on telling her until later. “I’ll be back at eight.”

  Without giving her a chance to argue further, I turned and walked out of the bar. As I got on my bike and headed toward Stilettos, I started thinking about the offer I’d made to Marlowe, and I began to wonder if I’d made a mistake in suggesting she work there—not because I was worried she wouldn’t do a good job. Hell, she’d give Lisa, our lead bartender, a run for her money, but Marlowe was timid and sweet. At the strip club, she’d be a lamb in a den of lions. If she was going to make it there, she’d have to put some grit into her step and prove she could handle whatever came her way—including the horny assholes who’d want to get in her pants.

  I’d have to make sure she knew what she was getting into, and not with just the customers. She’d have to understand how things worked with the club as well, but before any of that could happen, I’d need to talk to Menace. He was the one in charge of the books and did most of the hiring at the club, so he’d have the final say in whether or not she could work there. There was just one problem. We’d barely laid eyes on Menace since he’d been consumed with finding that professor, Schommer. He was always cooped up in his office, hammering away at his computer, and it was no different today. When I walked into his office, I found him sitting at his desk staring at his monitor, and from the looks of it, he hadn’t slept in days. Hell, he didn’t even notice I’d come in.

  “Hey, brother. You got a minute?”

  “Yeah.” He turned to look at me as he continued, “I could use a break anyway.”

  “You having any luck on finding Schommer?”

  “I think so. Just have to follow up on a couple of leads, and if everything goes the way I think it will, we should have this guy by the end of the night.”

  “Damn. That’s awesome.”

  “Will be if this is really the guy.” His eyes narrowed. “He who you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “No, not exactly.” I walked over and sat down in the chair next to his desk. “I wanted to see if the club could use another bartender.”

  “Not that I’m aware of. Why?” Concern crossed his face. “There a problem I should know about?”

  “No, that’s not why I asked.”

  “Then, why are you asking about a new bartender?”

  “You know Country’s grandmother runs Crockett’s, right?”

  “Yeah, I know all about Gladys.” A smirk crossed his face as he continued, “She’s great and all, but I don’t think she’d be a good fit for Stilettos, brother.”

  “Not talking about Gladys, asshat. I was talking about Marlowe. She’s been working there for over a year, and now that Gladys is closing Crockett’s, she’s looking for another job.”

  “You think she’s got what it takes to work here?”

  “Wouldn’t have mentioned it if I didn’t. I told her to come by tonight so she could check things out, but figured I needed to make sure we had a place for her before I said anything more.”

  “Yeah. We could always use an extra hand, but you know, I’ll have to look into her before we actually hire her.”

  “I figured as much, but I bet it’s doubtful you’ll find anything. All the girl does is work.”

  “I’m sure you’re right, but gonna check all the same.”

  “Understood.” As I got up, I told him, “I’ll find out what she thinks about this place tonight and let you know.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Before walking out, I looked back over to him and said, “Let me know if you need any help with the Schommer situation.”

  “You know I will.”

  Chapter 6

  Marlowe

  Rafe did little to prepare me for my visit to Stilettos. I could only assume he’d thought I’d been to a strip club before, but I hadn’t. I’d seen one in a movie or some crazy TV show, but I’d never actually stepped foot inside one—until now. When I first walked into the club, I was hit with blaring music and flashing strobe lights, throwing me into an immediate sensory overload. With all the scantily dressed women bustling around the different tables and strippers gyrating on the stage, it was like I’d entered another world. I tried to hide the fact I was feeling out of sorts, but it was a lot to take in, especially when you’ve been as sheltered as I had. I’d only been to Crockett’s and a few random nightclubs, so I could only imagine the expression on my face as I followed Rafe over to the bar.

  When we sat down at the counter, I tried to swallow my feelings of insecurity, but I knew I’d failed miserably when Rafe leaned over to me and asked, “Not what you were expecting?”

  “Yes and no.” It was hard to put into words what I was thinking, so I just shrugged. “It’s nothing like Crockett’s.”

  “It’s more like it than you might think.”

  “How so?”

  “Just like over there, people come here for a good time. They have a couple of drinks, enjoy the company of a few friends, and”—a sexy smirk crossed his face as he motioned his hand behind us—“we serve the same booze.”

  “Well, Crockett’s doesn’t have a DJ.” I pointed above my head. “It doesn’t have all these bright, flashing lights, and in case you didn’t notice, it doesn’t have all the sexy strippers. It just has me.”

  Rafe’s eyes grew intense, and his voice low and gruff as he replied, “If you ask me, you’re sexier than any woman in this place.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “I’m not kidding, Marlowe.”

  “Sorry, but I find that a little hard to believe.” I glanced over at the stage, noting the dancer’s perfect figure and hair, and the sudden rush of insecurities made it difficult for me not to think of Kate. She, too, had a way of making me feel inadequate in so many ways. I hated it then, and I hated it now. Trying my best to shake the feeling, I feigned a playful smile and motioned my hand over at the dancer. “I mean, look at her. She’s absolutely gorgeous. Every guy in here is fawning all over her.”

  “Yeah, she’s beautiful, but there’s no comparison between you and her. Hell, there’s no comparison between you and any of the women here.” He leaned in close enough for the warmth of his breath to caress my neck, then whispered, “If you could see what I see, then you’d know just how fucking tempting you really are.”

  The raspy tone in his voice was enough to send a chill down my spine, but it was the way he looked at me that had my ent
ire body humming with need. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was the most desirable woman in the room, and I liked it. I liked it a lot. I could feel a blush creep across my cheeks as I smiled and said, “Thank you. You’re very sweet.”

  “Nothing sweet about me, baby. I can assure you of that.” He gave me a wink, then motioned over to the bartender and said, “Just telling you like it is.”

  I didn’t argue. Instead, I remained silent as the bartender came over to take our order. Like all the women there, she was attractive with long blonde hair and a killer figure, but she was older than most of the waitresses and dancers. I felt a tiny twinge of jealousy when she leaned in towards Rafe and purred. “Hey there, handsome. I thought you’d already gone for the night.”

  “I just went to get a friend of mine.” He slipped his arm behind me as he inched me closer and said, “I’d like you to meet Marlowe.”

  “Hi, Marlowe.” The woman extended her hand out to me and said, “I’m Lisa.”

  “Nice to meet you, Lisa.”

  “I’ve been trying to convince her to come help you out at the bar.” He nodded his head towards several waitresses who were standing in a line at the counter, waiting for her to get them their drink orders ready. “Certainly looks like you could use a hand.”

  “That’s the understatement of the century.” She turned her attention to me and asked, “You got any experience bartending?”

  “I do. I’ve been bartending over at a place called Crockett’s for just over a year now.”

  “Isn’t that Country’s grandmother’s place?”

  “It is.”

  “There a reason why you’re looking to make a move?”

  “Gladys’s decided it’s time to retire, so she’s selling the place.”

  “Oh, man. I hate to hear that.” Lisa glanced over and sighed when she noticed the line of impatient waitresses had almost doubled during our brief conversation. “I guess I better get to it.”

  I’d been in her situation many times and knew how overwhelming it could be, so I offered, “I could give you a hand ... At least until you get caught up.”

  “You sure?”

  “As long as it’s okay with Rafe.” I turned to him as I asked, “Do you mind if I help her out for a few minutes?”

  “Can’t think of a better way for you to test the waters.” He motioned his hand towards the bar. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  I got up and made myself comfortable behind the bar. It was twice the size of Crockett’s, so I took a moment to memorize everything from the stock of alcohol to where they kept the glasses. I wanted to make sure I knew how things flowed, so I waited for Lisa to make a few drinks before I got started. Once I felt like I had a grasp of how things worked, I jumped in and started with my first order. I tried not to think about the fact that Lisa was watching me from the corner of her eye. Instead, I did my best to focus on the task at hand, and just as I’d hoped, I was able to fill the order quickly with no issues. After that, I filled one order after the next, barely stopping to take a breath. To my surprise, I was too busy to even notice the women dancing on the stage or the men who were drooling all over them. I simply concentrated on making drinks, and I was actually kind of enjoying myself.

  I’d just started making an amaretto sour when Lisa came up behind me and smiled. “Damn, girl. You’re a natural at this.”

  “No. Not so much.” She chuckled as I admitted, “I didn’t have a clue about bartending when I first started, but Gladys was very patient with me and taught me everything she knows.”

  “Well, it clearly paid off.”

  “Thanks!”

  For the first time since I’d stepped behind the bar, I glanced over at Rafe and found him watching me with a slight smirk on his face. Damn, I never found a man to be so sexy. I could’ve stood there staring at him for hours on end. Realizing I was missing an opportunity to spend more time with him, I placed the drink I’d just made on the tray, then made my way back over to my seat. As I sat down, he asked, “Well, what’d ya think?”

  “It was good. I think I could work here.” I glanced over my shoulder at the crowd of men and women who circled the different stages, watching as they tossed bills on the platforms, and sighed. “But all of this will take a little getting used to.”

  “I’m sure it will, but you have to remember something.” He turned to face me as he continued, “This place is just a means to an end.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “It’s not just about sex.”

  “Oh, really?” I motioned my hand over to one of the girls who was grinding up against some guy, tempting him to get a lap dance. “You could’ve fooled me.”

  “Well, yeah. Sex definitely has a part to play in it.” He chuckled under his breath. “But that’s not the only thing. Coming here gives people an escape—a place where you can forget about work and all the bullshit at home for a little while.”

  “You could do that at the movies.”

  “Maybe, but I doubt a movie can distract a man as well as our girl Candy can.”

  I rolled my eyes and giggled. “You may have a point there.”

  “So, should I tell Menace you’re interested in the position?”

  “Menace?”

  “He’s the one who does most of the hiring around here. Once I give him the go-ahead, he’ll do a background check and—”

  “A background check?” I asked, sounding more horrified than I’d intended. It wasn’t that I had anything to hide. I’d never been in any kind of trouble or associated with anyone who had, but I feared there would be questions about my past I wasn’t prepared to answer. “Is that really necessary? I’ve been working at Crockett’s for all this time, and Gladys never did a background check.”

  “There a reason why you seem so concerned about it?”

  “I’m not concerned. I was just wondering why he thought it was necessary.”

  “It’s standard measure for all new hires. It’s a way for us to make sure we know who we’re bringing into the fold.”

  “Okay. That makes sense. I’ll get him whatever information he needs.”

  As the words left my mouth, I thought back to the day I’d left San Antonio and the mix of excitement and sadness that had filled my heart as I prepared to leave. Before pulling out of the driveway, I looked up at our large two-story home and searched for any sign of my parents. I hoped one of them might come out and try to stop me from leaving or at the very least give me a hug goodbye to show they actually cared about me, but they were nowhere to be found. Kate, on the other hand, was standing in her bedroom window. Despite all the hurt feelings and bitterness, I loved my sister, I truly did, but as I’d sat there looking into her cold, dark eyes, I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d felt the same about me.

  I was pulled from my thoughts when Rafe placed his hand on my thigh and asked, “You good with all this?”

  “Absolutely. Leaving Crockett’s and starting here is a lot to take in all at once.”

  “It definitely is.” He studied me for a minute, his eyes searching mine, then he replied, “I think it’s time to be getting you home.”

  “Yeah, you might be right.”

  Rafe took my hand in his and lead me out to the parking lot. After I buckled on my helmet, he helped me get on his bike behind him, and then we were on our way to my apartment. Unlike the time before, I didn’t even notice the lights or anything else about my surroundings. Thinking about the day I’d left home had dredged up feelings and memories I’d tried desperately to put behind me, and no matter how hard I tried to push it from my mind, one of my worst memories came rushing into my thoughts.

  It was Christmas morning. I was seven, maybe eight, and Kate was five. We were gathered around the tree opening presents. As usual, my parents made a huge fuss over every present my sister unwrapped, going on and on like they’d never seen anything so adorable, while I sat off by myself and opened mine with little notice. I didn’t mind. At that m
oment, I was too anxious to care. I’d written Santa a thousand letters, each one pleading him for a Mommy and Me doll, and I couldn’t wait to see if I’d actually received one. When I’d gotten down to my last present, I eagerly reached for it and started ripping away at the paper. To my grand surprise, it was the exact doll I’d been hoping for. Without thinking, I held the box up in the air and gasped. “Momma, look! Santa brought it.”

  Without even turning her head to look at me, she answered, “That’s great, Marlie. I’m glad you got it.”

  “I love her!”

  “I want dat dolly, Momma,” Kate fussed

  “Well, I’m not sure if Santa brought you one of those dolls, sweetie.”

  Big crocodile tears filled Kate’s eyes as she whined, “I want to play with the dolly, Mommy.”

  Mom quickly turned to me and said, “Marlie, let your sister play with the doll for a little while.”

  “But I want to play with her...Santa brought her to me.”

  “I’m very aware of that. I’m also aware of the fact your sister is upset and crying on Christmas. You being stingy with a silly toy isn’t helping matters.”

  “But Momma...”

  Her tone grew angry and demanding as she ordered, “Give your sister the damn doll.”

  My heart immediately dropped into my stomach as I watched Kate hop up and rush over to me. She extended her hands and greedily wiggled her fingers as she waited for me to hand over my precious doll. Knowing there’d be a huge argument if I didn’t give it to her, I handed my sister the doll and pleaded, “Please be careful with her.”

  Without responding, Kate snatched the doll from my hands and raced to her room, leaving her mountain of toys behind. I gathered the few gifts I’d been given, and as I started towards my room, I glanced over to my parents. They were both talking amongst themselves and never even seemed to notice when I left. I carried my things to my room and put them away, then lay across the bed and cried for what seemed like days. I probably would’ve stayed there all day if Mom hadn’t called us all in for dinner. Reluctantly, I pulled myself out of bed and made my way into the dining room. Just as I’d sat down, Kate came be-bopping in with my doll in her hand. She dropped it into my lap with a huff.