Big Girls Don't Cry

by Taylor Lee

  She laughed.

  “No, I don’t think I can afford a boy toy like that, but I have to admit, I love riding on it.”

  “That’s good, because I wouldn’t let you buy one.”

  She frowned.

  “Why not? I thought all you macho men liked women in leather.”

  “Ah, sugar, we do. But we like them better when they’re wrapped around our backs hanging on tight.” He added with a wink, “Preferably in handcuffs.”

  His jeans tightened at the thought. The flood of heat that pinked her cheeks didn’t help. Damn, just looking at her flushed and starry eyed was an aphrodisiac his unruly cock didn’t need. Thank God for the tabletop. Not that it was likely he’d settle down before they had to leave.

  At that moment, the waitress arrived with their food. Lexie’s eye widened like saucers at the platter of food the woman plunked in front of her. Given that Jake had done the ordering, the woman winked at him. Her laugh was as brash as her bright red hair.

  “I dunno, honey. I don’t think she’s eaten that much food in her life, let alone one meal.”

  Reading the nametag pinned to her ample chest, Jake agreed. “I think you’re right about that, Trixie.”

  ~~~

  Several hours later, Jake dropped her off at the house. He hopped off the bike and lifted her off before she could get down. He picked her up like she weighed nothing. He proceeded to take off her helmet and strapped it to the back of the bike.

  He smiled down at her.

  “Thanks, Lexie, for indulging me.” He stroked her cheek. “It was a great afternoon.”

  She choked back a gasp at her flutter of excitement at his touch. She backed away quickly, needing distance.

  “It…it was great, Jake. Thank you.”

  His eyes narrowed, then he nodded as if he understood.

  “Yeah, it was, darlin’.” He gazed at her for a long moment then added, “Brady’s going to come and get you tonight. I’m taking a different tack. But I’ll be waiting here for you when you are done.”

  She nodded and almost ran up the steps. When she turned back to wave at him, he was watching her, a knowing smile quirking his lips.

  Watching him ride off, Lexie struggled with her feelings. She had loved being with him. They’d laughed and talked as though they’d known each other for years. And she’d eaten more than she could remember ever eating at one time. The problem was the motorcycle. Pressed against him, drinking in his scent of leather and strong male almost did her in. From the way he’d taken her hands in his and pressed them against his taut belly, she knew he was on to her. She wanted to think she hadn’t given herself away, but his quizzical grin when he lifted her off the bike and the way he’d stroked her cheek confirmed if it was a secret, it was one they shared.

  ~~~

  As they’d agreed, she met Bella at the club precisely at 7 p.m. It was virtually empty. Without the strobe lights and pounding music, it looked like a large dining hall. Hard to believe that at nine o’clock it would be filled with raucous laughter and hundreds of men and women out for a night of high stakes entertainment.

  Bella ushered her in to the ante room to the back office. Lexie hoped her need for privacy meant that Bella was ready to talk. She decided to keep the conversation light to see if Bella was forthcoming.

  “Hey, are we supposed to be back here? Isn’t this the boss’s office?”

  Bella gave her a satisfied smile.

  “Sergio doesn’t mind if I’m here. I spend a lot of time in this office.”

  “Cool. Is he a good boss?”

  Bella laughed. “I think so.”

  Lexie grinned at her. “Sounds like you’ve got something going on with the big boss.”

  “Hmm. You might say that.”

  Lexie tugged on the brief panties to her outfit.

  “I gotta tell you. I’ve worn some indecent costumes in my life, but this one beats them all. How the heck do you keep this thing from this thing from riding up your butt? “

  “Honey, that’s the idea!”

  “Who designed this thing anyhow?”

  “That would be Sergio. He likes his girls. And the more you can see of them, the better.” She gave Lexie an appraising glance. “He’ll probably come after you next.”

  Lexie put up her hands. “Uh huh. No way. I’m off men for a while. After this last guy that I’m still trying to get rid of, I’m done with men. They’re too needy. I need a break from men.”

  Bella winked. “Well, honey, I can tell you, if you aren’t interested in that blue-eyed hottie, there isn’t a girl working here that wouldn’t lap him up in a second! That is one righteous man. Those eyes, and damn that butt. Tell me, honey, is he as hot in bed as they say he is? What is it they call him? The ‘all night wonder’?”

  Lexie hid her shock. Both at the familiar way Bella talked about Jake and the flare of anger at the idea of any of the gorgeous women who worked here going after him. She frowned, “Please, let’s not talk about him. I’ve got enough on my mind.”

  Getting control of her emotions, she focused on the mission.

  “Bella, I don’t want to sound ungrateful because I’m so grateful that I got the job here.”

  “You should be. Hell, girl, there a line a mile long of girls wanting to work here. In case you didn’t notice, every girl in this place scores at least a ten on a hot chick scale of one to ten.’

  Lexie nodded.

  “I know that. But I’ve run in to some bad shit lately and I could really use some cash. You…you mentioned last night that I might be able to get a little on the side.”

  Bella was dismissive. “Hell, honey, I’m not talking about filling out your personal stash. Uh huh. This deal is bigger by a magnitude of about a thousand! Tell, me, girl, are you interested in making some serious money?”

  “Damn! Who isn’t? But…I don’t want to put out. I’m in a bad place right now.”

  “No, honey, I’m telling you this isn’t about sex. It’s about…doing business. If you know what I mean.”

  Lexie hoped she looked puzzled.

  “You mean drugs?”

  “Yeah, honey, that’s exactly what I mean. But not your nickel and dime shit. This is the big time.”

  Lexie gasped.

  “Are you like…like a dealer?”

  Bella sneered. “I prefer to say I’m a business woman. Me and the other girls here have walked into a goldmine. We tapped into an operation that is bigger than any I’ve seen. And I’ve seen a lot.”

  “So…so… Sergio runs it?”

  “Hell, no! He’s not involved. It’s people on the outside.’

  Lexie gave her a skeptical glance. “You mean it’s happening under his nose and he doesn’t know about it?”

  “Honey, I didn’t say that. There isn’t a damn thing that happens here that Sergio doesn’t know about it. But if he gets a big enough cut and distance from the crap if the cops find out? Hey, he’s sitting pretty. Same with the gangs.”

  “You mean the gangs aren’t involved either? I don’t get it. The gangs are always involved. You know that, Bella.”

  Bella shook her head impatiently.

  “Hear me out. I’m telling you this is different. Of course, the gangs get their cut, but they aren’t running this. I’ll be honest, I’m not exactly sure who is. But we are selling some of the most righteous shit I’ve ever seen. This stuff is so pure that it melts in your mouth. And, honey, the beauty of it is that all we have to do is hook up with the thousands of hot little soldier boys who circulate through this town and introduce them to the best shit they’ve ever had.”

  “Wow. It…it sounds great. How…do you think I could be involved?”

  “Honey, with your looks and that killer body, you could be rolling in money within the month. Hell, I’m making more in a month than I did turning five tricks a night for a year. And you’re coming in at a great time. I got notice last night that the biggest shipment we’ve had yet will be here in a couple of days. All
we have to do is get the parties organized and prepare to rake in the dough.”

  Lexie frowned. “I’m not sure what you are talking about. I still don’t understand who’s running the show, but heck, what do I care? I just want in!”

  Bella jumped up and gave her a high five.

  “That’s the spirit, sister!” she hesitated. “There is one slight issue.”

  Lexie groaned in disappointment. “Damn, I knew it sounded too good to be true.”

  Bella laughed. “No, no. Nothing bad. The only problem is that the guy who does the interviewing is the most disgusting man alive. And let’s just say, he has an interesting interview process.”

  “Who is he?”

  “We call him the Watcher.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, honey, he likes to watch. And… to get him to notice you, you need to do a lap dance for him.”

  Lexie shook her head trying to quell the fear churning in her gut. This was too close. Too close to some very bad memories. She took a deep breath and tried to sound annoyed, not scared.

  “Oh great. I haven’t done that for a while. I…I’m rusty.”

  “But you have stripped, right?”

  “Yeah, over the years. But it’s been a while.”

  Lexie didn’t even try to imagine Jake’s reaction. She reminded herself that she had brazenly told Jake if she had to strip she would. But a lap dance? It was too personal. Taking a deep breath, she shoved down her fear. It was like Bella said. This is business and if she has to do this to get on the inside, she will.

  “Okay. I’m game. Where is he and when do I do it? The lap dance, that is?”

  Bella grinned. “Just one small thing. You don’t do it with him. You do it with me.”

  “What?” Lexie’s voice rose in a shriek.

  Bella gave her a nonchalant shrug. “I told you he likes to watch. You done any girl on girl action?”

  Lexie shook her head and tried to quiet the warning signals blaring in her brain.

  “It’s a piece of cake, honey. Just do the kind of moves you usually do and keep bumping into me. That’s all he cares about. But if you don’t want to get sick, I advise you keep your eyes off what he is doing. Disgusting doesn’t begin to describe this guy. But, maybe we’ll get lucky. Half the time, he’s so drunk he barely knows we’re there.”

  Lexie swallowed hard, hoping she’d have time to talk to Brady.

  “When do we do it?’

  Bella winked. “He’s waiting for us now.”

  Chapter 20

  Jake mused as he listened to the dial tone waiting for Dirk to pick up. He hated like hell to leave Lexie tonight, but he needed answers to some questions that were gnawing at his gut.

  “Lt. Col. Reynolds.”

  Jake responded. “Hey, Dirk. Jake Gardner here.”

  “Jake. Good to hear from you. How’s your investigation coming along?”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, Dirk. Do you have a few minutes? Or better yet, can I buy you a beer? We could meet at the officer’s club.”

  “Yes to the beer, Jake. But I can go one better than the club. I’m at home now and was about to throw a steak on the grill. How about you join me? It will give us a chance to catch up. It’s been a hell of a long time since we’ve spent time together.”

  “A steak sounds great, Dirk. What about Emily? Will she mind me barging in?”

  “Nope. I’m a bachelor this summer. Emily and the girls are spending a couple of months in Europe. It’ll be just the two of us, unless you wanted to bring one of your men.”

  “No, Dirk. The two of us sounds great.”

  “That’s terrific, Jake. We live up on Stone Creek Road, a couple of miles from the crossroad at Pine and Stone Creek. A small sign that says ‘Private Road’ leads to our driveway. You remember Emily. She always did like her privacy. How about 8 o’clock.

  “Sounds great. See you then.”

  ~~~

  Jake gave a low whistle as he turned onto the private road leading to Jake’s house. It was more like a scenic route winding up the side of the mountain than a driveway. From what he could see in the moonlight, the desert landscape was breathtaking. The lights from the city below added to the sense of exclusive privacy. He slowly drove up the road. The switch backs were sharp enough to make speed dangerous even on his bike which was a lot more nimble than his Jeep. At the last turn, he saw the house ahead and let out another low whistle. He tried to remember Dirk’s circumstances. Seemed like he remembered either Dirk’s family or Emily’s had money. But someone sure as hell did. The complex at the top of the mountain was a spread straight out of Architectural Digest.

  He parked the bike alongside a sleek Porsche 911. Yep, Dirk was doing okay. Looking around, he saw the lights surrounding an Olympic sized swimming pool next to a tennis court. A deep wash surrounding the house provided a moat-like barrier around the house. As he was taking in the opulent surroundings, the twelve foot oak carved door opened and Dirk stepped out.

  “Jake, c’mon in. Great to see you again. Trust you didn’t have any trouble finding us?’

  “No, once I figured out you lived on top of your own private mountain, it was just a matter of making sure I didn’t land in that ravine below.”

  Dirk smiled, then nodded at Jake’s bike. “I remember now. You always did go for the crotch rockets, like you need anything else to attract the women.”

  Jake laughed. “I gotta admit, Dirk, I was into bikes long before I knew women were anything but an annoyance. But, hell, Dirk, this place is astounding. Looks like something out of Architectural Digest. Did you buy it or build it?”

  “No, we built it. And as a matter of fact, we were featured in the Digest a while back.”

  “Impressive. It’s a beautiful home.”

  Dirk gave a nonchalant shrug. “It helps marrying a wealthy woman. The fact that I’m in love with her makes Emily’s family money all the sweeter. But c’mon in, I’ll give you a quick tour.”

  After viewing the 7500 plus square foot complex, Jake stopped in front of an impressive wall of photographs. Most were of the family, but a couple caught his eye.

  “Is that Helmand Province? I didn’t know you were in Afghanistan, Dirk.”

  “Oh, yes. That is Helmand. I was there on a fact finding mission. We were having some logistical issues and I needed to get to the bottom of it.” He pointed to another photograph. “You probably recognize Nangahar as well. I was there on the same mission.”

  “I sure do. I’ve been in and out of both places close to twenty times now. Hell, I think I even recognize those Afghan leaders. Isn’t that Mohammed Amir?”

  “Damn, Jake. That is some memory you have. There’s no way I could remember all those people’s names. Hell, we must have met fifty so called leaders at the time.”

  “Is that Mike Pierce with you?”

  “Yes, Mike was along on the trip. But then he’s been there many times. Just so happened we connected on this one.”

  ~~~

  Jake settled in a comfortable armchair on the extraordinary patio. They had a 360 degree of the surrounding area and watched as planes arrived and left the runway to the north.

  “This is spectacular, Dirk. I think I would spend most of my time right here. Great view of the base and, hell, you can see for miles. And thanks again, I haven’t had a home cooked meal in months.”

  “So that beautiful young woman you’ve been hanging out with doesn’t cook?”

  Jake arched a brow in surprise.

  Dirk quickly filled in. “I saw the two of you at the MMA Center yesterday. You looked like you were doing some heavy duty sparring, so I didn’t interrupt. She’s Beloi’s sister, right?”

  “Yes, she is.”

  Dirk seemed taken aback by his curt response.

  “Sorry, Jake. Didn’t mean to pry. It’s just difficult not to notice such a beautiful woman. She’s enough like her brother to be his twin.”

  “Yes. She is remarkably like Anth
ony, in looks and temperament. She shares his passion for justice. Which brings me to my reason to talk with you. I’d appreciate it if this conversation is off the record.”

  “Hell, Jake. You don’t have to ask. Anything you have to say is in complete confidence.”

  “Thanks, Dirk. I have some questions about Mike Pierce. I’m hearing through my sources that Mike is intent on shutting down my investigation. Apparently, he’s convinced it’s a fluke that Anthony’s body was found on the base. Now I agree there’s probably a 90% certainty that it was a fluke. The killers trying to implicate the Army. We’re an easy target. What I don’t understand is why Mike is so passionate about it.”

  “Well, Jake. I’m assuming what I say is also confidential, correct?” When Jake nodded, Dirk continued. “Mike does seem bent on shutting you down. The most likely explanation is that we’ve been getting a lot of scrutiny from Congress. This immigration issue has every fucking armchair soldier in the Senate up our ass. We don’t need any bad publicity. A dead soldier – a mutilated one at that -- is something none of us wants public. On the other hand, Jake, I have to be honest. Mike seems to have a vendetta against you personally. I’ve been surprised at some of his statements in our senior staff meetings. He seems to have made it his mission to get you the hell out of here as fast as he can.”

  ~~~

  Once more, Lexie tugged at the scanty underwear that kept riding up her butt. She reminded herself that it was no different than the thongs she routinely wore. But then she usually had pants or a skirt covering her thong, not just her bare ass cheeks.