Dimitri agreed.
They headed toward the building. When they entered, the ambiance assaulted them.
This was definitely a gentleman’s club run by Dimitri Gideon. The strippers weren’t trashy, and they didn’t assault you the second you walked in the door.
As they headed in, the bartender waved at him. “Boss! Good to see you,” he stated.
“I need to see Usher. Send him my way, please. I’ll be in the owner’s booth.”
The man pulled out a phone and made a call.
“It’s not bad in here,” Greyson added. Honestly, had he not been married, he might fraternize a place like this—if he was into lap dances and such. He’d never been a strip club kind of guy.
Who wanted to share a woman?
That made him think about Emma and how Thomas Christ had dated her.
He must have scowled.
“You have resting bitch face, Grey. Try not to scare my girls away. They’ve dealt with enough bad shit.”
He tried to smile.
“Well, that’s marginally better. Hey! The food is excellent,” Dimitri stated. “Would you like some lunch?”
Greyson stared at him. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not. You can have a club with half-naked women and still have elegant service. The women in here are very expensive. I’ve made sure of it to keep the scum out. Apparently, Tony Mays was let in.”
Greyson knew why.
Who would mess with the Vegas mob? While Dimitri was a killer, he wasn’t part of the organized crime syndicate in Vegas. Well, that was until he’d gotten tied up with Greyson.
“Okay, order. I can eat.”
Dimitri waved a woman over. She wasn’t dressed like a stripper. She was in all black, and smiling.
“Anastasia, get us two burgers and two bourbons please,” he stated.
She smiled and hurried away.
“There’s a redhead staring at you,” Greyson offered.
He glanced over and then focused on the man he called friend beside him. “Yes, that’s Gabrielle. She was working for a call girl service, and I hired her for an evening.”
“So you’ve had sex with her?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you take this broken bird in?”
“Because the call service was beginning to cater to people who weren’t so gentle with women.”
Greyson stared at him.
“She’s staring at you like she wants to crawl back into your lap.”
“I don’t date, and I don’t do multiple nights with hookers,” he stated, as Anastasia placed their drinks in front of them. “Thank you, Ana.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Gideon. I hope you enjoy your food.”
Greyson watched the women disappearing into back rooms with men in suits. There were enough bouncers to equal out the paying clientele.
“You’re an enigma.”
“Why?”
“You come across as this asshole who sleeps with hookers, but you’re not a total asshole,” Greyson said, grinning at him.
“Sex is a necessity in life. I hire the women because I want to help them, and get off. If they’re underage when they arrive, I immediately get them out of that situation. If they’re consenting adults, I let them come here to work.”
Greyson watched him emotionlessly.
“They’re going to sell themselves whether I tell them not to so this works better. This is Vegas. I only try to get them into a better situation. Anastasia is going to school at night. She’s working here during the day, but she chose not to strip. There’s no sex in my clubs. That’s a rule.”
Greyson was going to bust the man’s ass, but the bouncer was heading their way, and he was carrying two waters with lemon wedges. Apparently, people did double duty.
He slid into the booth. “Sorry, Boss. Dina was in the middle of a dance, and I didn’t want to leave her alone. I thought you might like some water. The chef has been heavy handed with the fry salt.”
Dimitri laughed. “He’s trying to get people to buy more drinks. I’ll give him a raise.”
The man smiled.
“Usher, thank you for taking some time out of your day to talk to me. This is Greyson Croft.”
“Yeah, the mob guy. Nice to meet you, sir. What do you need?” he asked.
Greyson could tell that he’d also been someone helped by Dimitri. He had half of his face covered in burns. Yeah, Dimitri was a good person.
He was out to save the world well before he and Emma came crashing into his life.
“We need to talk to you about two men,” Greyson stated. “Do you recall Tony Mays and this man coming in about two weeks ago?” he asked.
He slid his phone toward him.
“Yeah, they were in here. He was weird, and he,” he said, pointing at Mays, “was disrespectful. He slapped Ana on the ass like she was a piece of meat.”
“Well, she is working in a strip club,” Greyson stated.
“She’s a human being. She’s not someone you can abuse for shits and giggles,” he said, getting angry.
“Calm down, Usher. He’s just trying to get information out of you.”
“Well, it pisses me off. They came in here, they acted like they owned the place, and they degraded the women. Then he paid for a lap dance.”
“Who? Tony?” Greyson asked.
“No, the other guy.”
Well, this was interesting. Greyson was curious if he was going to do the same thing as he did with the other club.
“Was he drunk?”
“Yeah, he was.”
“And who did he ask to dance for him?” Dimitri asked, taking a bite of his food.
“Dina.”
Dimitri pointed at a woman at the bar having a soda. “That’s Dina Sweet, and she’s been working for me for a few months.”
“She’s a nice kid,” Usher stated, cracking his knuckles. “When she told me that Tony Mays tried to rough her up, I was pissed.”
Dimitri lifted a brow. “When did this happen? Why wasn’t I told?” he asked.
“She did her dance for him, and then the second guy wanted one too. She didn’t tell me until after. Apparently, he pulled his man meat out, and wanted her to do things we don’t do here.”
Dimitri wanted to hurt him.
Tony Mays was a dead man if he thought he could come into his businesses to wave his dick around.
He’d remove it.
“I was so mad. I followed them out of here, but they drove away. I don’t like anyone picking on the girls. I was going to kick their asses.”
“Will you get Dina?” Dimitri asked.
“Yeah, boss. I will.”
When the man walked away, Dimitri lowered his voice. “They are a couple—in case you’re curious why he got so angry over what happened.”
That wasn’t what Croft was thinking.
“What?” Dimitri asked, sensing his friend was tripped up on something. His face said it all.
“And he’s okay with watching his girl go into a room with some other man? I don’t get that.”
“Well, you’re a caveman. Maybe they are both trying to survive. Usher has a shitload of medical debt. I’ve offered to help him, but he’s too proud. He loves Dina, and she needs to work. Not everyone has money, Greyson.”
He had a point.
“You’re all riled up with the whole Emma situation, so that’s why your mind is going there. Besides, some men get off on their women flirting.”
Greyson looked horrified.
Dimitri started laughing. “Present company excluded. It’s different strokes for different folks, Greyson. I’ve learned that here in Vegas.”
He had that right.
He was irritated Emma dated before him, but having her flirt and shake her ass for some other man?
HELL.
NO.
It wasn’t ever happening.
If it did happen?
He’d burn the city to the ground.
“D
ina,” Dimitri said, sliding over in the booth to give her some space. “This is my friend, Greyson Croft.”
“I’ve seen you on TV. You’re that mob guy the whole city is talking about.”
He shook her hand. “I am.”
Greyson immediately liked the girl. She was pretty, smiling, and she was wearing an elaborate costume. It was intricately stitched and created.
There was no way a stripper could afford something like that on her paycheck. So, it made him curious about her.
Maybe it was the cop in him.
“What do you need from me?”
They asked her the same thing they asked Usher Pitts. The woman listened intently, and finally, she got it.
“Well, the last guy was the weirder one.”
That was curious.
“Why do you say that?” Greyson asked.
“When you go into a back room, you expect a man to be sexually turned on and ask inappropriate things. I’ve seen more dicks this past week than most women see in their lifetime.”
“I’ll handle that issue,” Dimitri stated.
She smiled at him. “Thank you, boss.”
Greyson got it.
He knew things like that were a sad testament to Vegas, but fairly accurate. Tourists would come, expect to get lucky, and then do inappropriate things.
Thus, the bouncers.
“What happened once he was in there with you?” he asked.
Dimitri hoped it wasn’t like someone slapping Anastasia on the ass. He didn’t like that his employees weren’t reporting things like this to him.
Then again, it probably happened more often than not.
“The first guy was gross, but I did my dance and got it over with so I could be done with him. The second guy…he wasn’t interested.”
“In what?”
“A lap dance. He only wanted to talk to me.”
Yeah, this sounded very familiar.
Greyson went there, “Let me guess. He asked you about Tony Mays, and what he said to you.”
She looked surprised.
“YEAH! He even tipped me fifty bucks even though I didn’t dance for him.”
“What did you tell him?”
“The truth. Tony Mays doesn’t come in all that often, but a few times, he has and he will take phone calls in the middle of the dance.”
“He took a phone call while a pretty girl is grinding in his lap?” Greyson asked.
She blushed. “Yeah, I know, right? At first, I felt bad about myself. Then I realized it’s him. He doesn’t really…”
She stopped.
“What?” Dimitri asked.
“He doesn’t really get it up. When you’re lap dancing, there’s only one way to tell if you’re doing it right.”
She pointed down.
Greyson began laughing.
“Sorry, but I long for the moment when I can tell Tony Mays that to his face. There’s something poetic about me calling him impotent.”
Dimitri got it, and it amused him too.
“So, what did you tell the second man?” he asked, pointing at Dalton Harding.
“The truth. He was talking about moving some piñatas and their guts to a safer place.”
Yeah, Greyson’s warehouse.
He was going to kill Tony Mays when he got his hands on him. The man was screwing with the wrong person. It was one thing to be a pain in his ass.
It was another to try and get him and Emma tossed into jail for drug running.
That shit wasn’t going to fly.
“Anything else?” Dimitri asked.
“No, sir. It was a quick conversation, he tipped me, told me to keep my clothes on, and that he had daughters at home. He was a nice, but weird man.”
Greyson wanted to say something, but this was Dimitri’s domain. If it was up to him, he’d tell Dina the same thing.
Then, he couldn’t help himself.
“So, are you dating the man we spoke to first?” Greyson asked.
“Yeah, I am. He’s a really nice guy. People see his face, and they see the burns. I see his soul. It’s beautiful. We want to get married, but money is tight. He won’t take any from anyone, so we’re saving every penny we can to start a new life.”
“Why don’t you go home?” he asked.
“I don’t have a home. My parents threw me out. I had a pregnancy and gave the baby up for adoption. I don’t have anywhere to go. Vegas is my home, and so is this club.”
“What if I could help you out?” he asked. “You could stop dancing, and Usher could stop bouncing in a strip club.”
Dimitri stared at him.
“Are you poaching my employees?” he asked.
“Hear me out, okay?” Greyson offered.
“What do you mean, sir?” she asked.
“I have a few theaters, and we need staff. Usher could work the doors there and you could maybe be placed in one of my departments for costumes. I noticed that your outfit is really pretty.”
She ran her fingers across what little of it there was. “I made it myself.”
Yeah, he thought so.
The girl had skill, and it didn’t involve selling herself or shaking her ass. He wanted to help them out.
Greyson needed to do it, so at least he could say Vegas didn’t swallow his whole soul.
He still had some left.
“I might be able to give you that start you were talking about. Working for me does come with a big pay increase. I don’t want to anger your boyfriend, so I’ll let you both work it out as to if you’ll take it.”
She stared at him. “We don’t want charity.”
He laughed. “You’d be working for my brother. He’s a pain in the ass. He’ll stand over your shoulder and check out each stitch in the costumes you make. He’s gay and takes his job way to seriously.”
She got excited.
“Can I ask Usher?” she asked her current boss.
He nodded.
When she was gone, Dimitri sipped his bourbon. “It bothered you so much that his girl was shaking her ass for other men, didn’t it?”
He laughed. “I’m sorry, Dimitri, my friend, but no man really likes that. He’s swallowing it because he’s got pride. I’m going to give some back, and save a couple from Vegas. I know she works for you, but now she’ll have a career and they can get married.”
He patted him on the shoulder. “If I owned other businesses like you, I would have done the same thing.” Dimitri knew his well of helping was limited.
Greyson’s was so much deeper.
“Thank you, my friend,” he stated. This definitely made up for the little scuff they’d had earlier.
Greyson smiled.
He was glad Dimitri wasn’t mad.
Dina and Usher came over.
“Mr. Croft?”
“Greyson,” he corrected.
“Is it an up and up job offer?” Usher asked. “I don’t want no charity. We’re going to make it in the world so we can look back and be proud.”
He shrugged. “Why would I offer two people I don’t know charity?” he asked. “I simply noticed her costume was gorgeous. That will work to my advantage, and better costumes means more money for me. If anything, it’s working to my advantage.”
He seemed to think about it.
“The theater work will pay the same as it does here, but you’ll get to be around your girl and work more convenient hours. I figured that would work better for you.”
“It would, sir.”
“Then if you both want it…”
“We do.”
“You’re hired.” He pulled out his business card and scribbled a number on it. “Monday, call this number. It’s my office. My brother will get you situated.”
Dina stared at Dimitri. “I’m sorry, boss. I hate to do this to you,” she said, holding the card.
“Dina, do it. You can have your life. You know ‘Black Spades’ is about rehab before you fly the nest.”
She gave him a big hug.
Dina gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You told me that day my life would change, and I didn’t believe you. I hoped and prayed, but now I have a great guy, and a new career. Thank you, Mr. Gideon. I love you.”
Usher smiled at him in gratitude. “You brought us together. Thank you.”
Dimitri just nodded.
They watched the two walk away, hand in hand.
Greyson didn’t bust his ass. He could have, but he knew that Dimitri hated sentiment.
“Go ahead.”
“What?”
“Tell me I’m a big puddle of mush and I should be ashamed of myself.”
He put his bourbon down.
“Actually, you’ve created a great thing here, and I’m proud to call you part of my family. You’re doing a good thing, Dimitri. I want to do that too.”
He relaxed.
“Thank you.”
“That being said, while lunch was delicious, and the company fun, we have to get this train moving again.”
He knew he was right.
Greyson tossed down a huge tip, even though he didn’t have to do it. He was in a giving mood.
Dimitri and Greyson got up and headed out. Outside the building, they noticed the car was still there.
Well, there went his good mood.
The cranky was back.
“We have to lose the tail first. I don’t want to drive to Tiffany Harding’s house with someone on our ass.”
He agreed. “So let’s lose them.”
“Oh, and Croft?” Dimitri said.
“Yeah, what?”
“Try being a softie with your wife.”
He sighed. “Are we back on that again?” Croft asked.
He didn’t say a word.
He simply smiled. He knew his friend. He’d fix it and make it right. Greyson Croft always did.
* * * G r e y s o n C r o f t * * *
The two cops watched them enter the club, and then exit it. While they sat there, they’d run the place.
“I can’t find the owner,” stated Lester Lucas.
“Why the hell are they going to strip clubs?” Heath Spencer asked.
The other man shrugged. “Maybe the rumors are right and he’s getting pussy on the side.”
“I don’t know. He’s pretty protective of Emma Croft. No man is going to play watchdog if he’s over the bone. Know what I mean?” he asked.
Lost Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 2) Page 26
