by Katie Reus
Seconds later it opened and she blinked in surprise. Cody Hurley, a boy she’d gone to high school with stood there wearing dark slacks and a black, long-sleeved shirt with a small security emblem over his left pec. He looked just as surprised as she felt.
“Ellie, what are you doing here?” He looked around the alleyway before stepping back so she could come inside.
The hallway smelled like cheap perfume and cigarettes. Further past the hallway she could feel as well as hear the steady, rattling thump of music. “Hey, Cody, you work here?” It was hard to keep the surprise out of her voice. He’d been a star football player and had received a full scholarship to college because of his talent. Now he was working at Teaser’s?
His jaw tightened as he nodded. “Yeah, lost my scholarship and got into some trouble. Did a short stint in prison and this was the only job I could get. The only legal job,” he added.
Her eyes widened as she tried to think of something polite to say. She wasn’t sure how to respond to a revelation like that. “I’m…sorry. You were so talented. That’s a tough break.”
He gave her a short nod, then glanced over his shoulder before focusing on her. “What the hell are you doing here? This isn’t a place for someone like you,” he said quietly. “I heard you got a really good job with Wyatt Christiansen. You’re not…looking for work here are you?”
She shook her head, embarrassed by the thought. “No, but I need to talk to Leonard if he still owns the place.” Something she probably should have looked up, but she’d been so manic in her need to get cash together fast she hadn’t been thinking everything through.
“He does.”
She raised her eyebrows when he didn’t elaborate. “Well, is he here?” She wrapped her arms around herself when Cody simply stood there, his expression remote and his body like a barrier to the rest of the hallway. As if he wasn’t going to let her pass.
“Yeah, but Ellie, he’s no good. Whatever you’re looking for, find it somewhere else. This is not—”
At the sound of a door opening, Cody stopped talking and turned around. Ellie peered around his broad body and saw Leonard stepping out from what she assumed was his office. With brown hair he’d teased to look bigger—and likely covered with hairspray to get that ridiculous helmet style—and a white T-shirt under his seventies style jacket and a big gold chain, he looked exactly like the man she remembered. Tacky.
He recognized her immediately, if the lecherous grin on his face was any indication. Or maybe that was the way he looked at all females. Whatever. She just needed to borrow money and he would be a hell of a lot easier to borrow from than one of those places that would require paperwork and personal information.
“Ellie Wickliff,” he said, even his voice having an oily quality that made her stomach turn.
Her last name was now Johansen since she’d taken her mother’s maiden name, but she didn’t correct him. It was creepy enough that he remembered her last name. She nodded and stepped around Cody. “Good to see you again,” she murmured, before striding toward Leonard. “You have a few minutes?”
He nodded and held out a hand to the room he’d just stepped from. “Anything for you.”
Ugh, gross. She faltered once, rethinking her decision. But she needed that money. She could push her way through an uncomfortable conversation. She thought she heard Cody mutter a curse behind her as Leonard shut the door to his office. At least he didn’t attempt to lock it.
As he moved to the other side of his desk, some of her tension faded and she didn’t feel quite so caged. “You here for a job?” he asked as he raked a gaze over her body.
It didn’t matter that she was completely clothed, the man made her feel exposed with that look. She wanted to cross her arms over her chest, but resisted the instinct. She couldn’t let him see that he bothered her. “No, but I know you lend money. I need ten thousand and I can pay it back within four weeks.” Since she wasn’t selling her car and she hadn’t been able to get as much for her earrings as she’d hoped, she’d known that guy at the pawn would give her the same crappy deal on her diamond bracelet. She didn’t think she’d need the full ten thousand, but wanted a little buffer of funds. Before Leonard could answer, she pulled the bracelet from the side pocket of her purse. “This was six thousand, but you could probably sell it for half that. I’ll give you this as collateral and collect once I’ve paid you back everything.”
His eyebrows rose as he shifted in his seat, his chair creaking. “Ten thousand is a lot.”
She nearly snorted. He probably had triple that in one of his safes. And thanks to Kevin, she knew Leonard had multiple safes here. She didn’t respond though, just waited for him to continue since he hadn’t asked a question.
“What do you need it for?”
“Why does it matter? Either you’ll lend it to me or you won’t.” She knew she couldn’t act too desperate or he’d pounce. Of course the fact that she was here made it clear she needed the funds in a bad way.
His eyes held a speculative gleam. “How do I know you’re good for it?”
She set the bracelet on the desk, then pulled out a copy of one of her retirement funds. She’d blacked out her account information and her address, but her name was still visible. Sliding it across the desk, she said, “I’ve got the money, but it’s not liquid right now. I need a couple weeks to withdraw the funds and for them to send me a check. It might not take that long, but it’ll be at least a week.” They made taking money out of retirement funds early hard for a reason. You weren’t supposed to do it.
He let out a low whistle. “You certainly are good for it. Tell you what.” He looked up, pinning her with that jarring gaze that made her want to wrap up in a thick robe so he couldn’t see an inch of her. “You give me a private dance, right here, right now, and I’ll give you the cash. 3.5 percent interest too.”
She blinked at his words, grossed out by the dance request and stunned by the percentage. That was incredibly low for a loan shark, a bank, or anyone lending money. It didn’t make sense for him to offer it. “I’m not going to dance for you.”
He shrugged and lifted his arms, setting his hands behind his head as he leaned back. “Why not? I’m not going to touch you and you’ll never get that interest rate anywhere else.” He sounded smug, as if he already assumed she’d say yes.
Desperate or not, she wasn’t taking off her damn clothes for anyone. She snagged her bracelet from the desk and shoved it in her purse. “No thanks.” Since there was no more to say, she turned for the door. She’d get the money another way.
As her hand touched the doorknob, a sharp tug on her hair made her cry out. Her eyes watered as her head jerked back under the force of Leonard’s grip.
“You always thought you were better than everyone,” he snarled as he slung her to the floor by her hair. She fell to her knees, pain shooting through them as they slammed against the hardwood.
She reached up and struggled to dislodge his hand from her hair when he kicked her in the ribs. She screamed from the shooting agony and instinctively went to grip her side when he ripped open the front of her blouse with a vicious tug.
Iciness slammed through her as she realized his intent. At the same time, her position on the floor registered and she hauled back and punched him between the legs.
“Bitch!” Crying out, he let go of her hair as he doubled over. Holding onto her purse, she jumped to her feet, ready to clock him across the head with it when the door flew open.
Cody stood there, taking in the scene with a grim expression.
“Shut and lock that door,” Leonard wheezed out as she managed to stand. “You’re going to help me teach this bitch a lesson or you’re fired.”
Terror punched through Ellie as she looked between the man blocking her getaway and the one she’d just punched in the nuts.
Chapter 4
Jay felt as if he was running on autopilot as he pushed open one of the darkly tinted glass doors of Teaser’s strip club. Ther
e was a small entryway with a scantily dressed woman sitting behind a cash register. She wore a see-through black lace bra and a plaid skirt the size of a band-aid. Her legs were crossed, a bored expression on her face until she saw him. Her eyes lit up as she looked him over with a lustful gaze. Before he could say anything she nodded toward the doorway covered by sparkly hanging beads. “No charge, honey.” Despite her likely being in her early twenties, her voice was raspy like a decade’s-long smoker.
He nodded politely, his body disrupting the beads with a noisy jangle as he stepped into a darker room with a steady thump of rock filtrating through the place. A half naked woman was on one of the five stages dressed in a school girl outfit while Cherry Pie blared. Ignoring the sight the dozen or so men closest to the stage were glued to, he scanned the place until he saw Wyatt and Brannon talking to another scantily dressed woman. Also wearing one of those plaid school girl skirts. Maybe it was a theme today.
Jay hurried over and realized the woman was holding a drink tray as she leaned against the only bar that appeared to be in use. Sidestepping a woman who asked if he wanted a private dance, he nodded once at Wyatt when the other man spotted him. All he cared about was finding Ellie and making sure she was okay.
Breaking away from Brannon and the female, Wyatt met him halfway, about ten feet away from the other two. They wouldn’t have been able to overhear him and Wyatt with the music anyway. “Where’s Ellie?” Jay asked.
“Not sure. She went in the side door and we haven’t seen her anywhere in here, but she didn’t leave. Brannon knows that dancer,” he said with a tilt of his head. “She says the owner isn’t exactly a loan shark, but he lends money sometimes to locals. His office is in the back so she might be—”
Jay didn’t wait for Wyatt to continue. He turned and threaded his way through the mostly empty cocktail tables. As he moved, he catalogued how many people were by the live stage, the bar and the few stragglers sitting at random tables. He also noted the exits, something he did everywhere he went. It was akin to breathing. Three were visible, but he knew there had to be more. Behind him he thought he heard Wyatt mutter something under his breath, but ignored him as he entered the hallway. The music was still audible here, but a much lower decibel.
His heart rate picked up a notch when he heard a male shout and Ellie’s scream from the only door cracked open in the hall. That sound was like a knife to his chest. Withdrawing his SIG, he slowed as he reached the edge of the opening. He risked a quick glance behind him, unsurprised to find Wyatt had also drawn a weapon.
Even though he wanted to blast his way in there, Jay used his training and common sense to slowly ease the door open with his boot. He could see Ellie’s purse on the floor turned on its side. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he held up a hand motioning to Wyatt that he was going in and that Wyatt should hold off. He knew Wyatt would understand why.
He was basically going in blind and needed backup in case things went south.
“Stop!” Ellie screamed.
The sound of Ellie’s terror slammed into Jay. He slammed his foot into the door, deciding to use the element of surprise as he swept the room with his weapon. It took scant seconds to assess the situation.
A big man wearing all black had a smaller man pinned against the wall, his hand wrapped around the guy’s throat as he gasped for breath. The smaller man looked like an extra out of a seventies porno, but Jay’s focus was on Ellie. Tears streamed down her face and her silk blouse was ripped right down the middle, exposing her soft skin and lacy bra.
Her expression was terrified as she pointed at the big man. “Jay, he saved me! Don’t let him kill that bastard and throw his life away.”
The big man looked over his shoulder, a murderous expression on his face as he glanced at Jay and now Wyatt, who Jay could hear entering behind him. Still holding the smaller man against the wall, the man who’d saved Ellie blinked, as if coming out of a daze. He still didn’t let go, but he loosened his grip a fraction so the other man could drag in a couple breaths.
The most profound sense of relief slammed into Jay at seeing her unharmed. It was like a body blow. “Ellie, what’s going on?” he asked, putting himself between her and the two strangers.
“I…” To Jay’s utter surprise she burst into tears, real sobs wrenching from her in a way he’d never imagined. Ellie never cried. Not even when they were arguing—which wasn’t very often. She’d once told him she’d rather punch him to make him see the error of his ways than to use tears to her advantage.
Though he wanted to comfort her, Jay wasn’t lowering his weapon. He held it steady on the other two men.
The man in the dark clothing looked past Jay and for a moment he saw a flash of recognition in those brown eyes as he focused on Wyatt. Just as quickly, the man looked at Jay. “My name is Cody and I work—worked—here as security. I found Leonard here attacking Ellie and decided to beat the shit out of him.”
Jay flicked a glance at Ellie for confirmation. She wasn’t crying anymore, just sniffling as she held the pieces of her shirt closed over her chest. She nodded in affirmation, her eyes wide and glassy with the remnants of lingering unshed tears. Immediately he sheathed his weapon in his concealed shoulder holster, mainly because he knew Wyatt was backing him up, and crossed the few feet to Ellie.
To his surprise, she ran into his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist as she buried her face against his chest. Holding her close, he inhaled her subtle vanilla scent as she trembled in his arms. She was usually so feisty and outspoken he sometimes forgot how petite she truly was. At barely five feet, two inches, she seemed almost fragile as he held her.
He rubbed a gentle hand up and down her spine, murmuring soothing words to her while keeping an eye on the other two men. Despite his anger at her, a primal protectiveness swelled inside him, making him pull her closer. Wyatt had come up next to him, weapon not pointed at the men, but held firmly in his hand.
While Jay had a dozen questions, he knew he needed to comfort Ellie first. Even though he wanted to get her the hell out of there, she needed to be calmer first. When she finally pulled back, mascara smudged under her eyes as she looked up at him with embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”
He ignored the apology for now. They had a ton to talk about, but not with an audience. “Did he hurt you?” The inflection in his voice made it clear what type of hurt he meant.
Ellie shook her head. “Not like that. He pulled my hair, threw me to the ground and kicked me in the ribs, but Cody—”
Jay swiveled to face Leonard, using his body to block Ellie’s. For a moment, a red haze rimmed his vision. Maybe he should have let Cody beat the shit out of this guy. When Jay felt Wyatt’s hand on his chest pushing back, his blue eyes filled with silent warning, Jay froze. He hadn’t even realized he’d taken a step toward Leonard. And if Wyatt hadn’t stopped him, he knew he’d have done something he couldn’t take back.
He narrowed his gaze on the red-faced man still pinned to the wall. Cody had let the guy slide down so that he was on his feet and had given him enough space that he could breathe properly. “Ellie, do you want to press charges?” Jay needed to know if they should call the police and since he didn’t have all the details of why Ellie was even here, he wasn’t sure what the hell she’d want.
“No.”
“Wyatt…” Jay trailed off as he stepped forward, knowing his friend would protect Ellie if need be. Stalking closer to Cody, he said, “Drop him.”
The security guy didn’t pause, just let his arm drop and stepped away as Jay zeroed in on Leonard.
After a quick pat down told him the guy wasn’t armed, Jay stood, towering over the man as he glared at him. Very soon Jay was going to find out everything possible about this piece of garbage who had dared to touch his Ellie. And he was going to make Leonard regret it. “Give me your wallet.”
Despite the terror oozing off him, the man blinked, as if that was the last thing he’d expected Jay to say. “What?”
Jay opened it and took the man’s driver’s license out, making sure Leonard Smith—Smith, really?—saw him do it before he tossed the wallet to the hardwood floor. Then he shoved the license into his own pocket. Leaning close so that only the man could hear him, Jay whispered menacingly. “You come near Ellie again, even think about her, I’ll gut you and leave you in the desert for the coyotes to feed on. I’ll watch as they rip your flesh apart. Ellie does not exist to you. Understand?”
Eyes wide with raw fear, the man nodded as he straightened, wincing in obvious pain.
Jay wasn’t sure if he believed the guy so he’d be following up. Stepping back, he put some distance between them, but still didn’t take his eyes off him. Once he’d reached Ellie and Wyatt, he saw Wyatt had given her his jacket to help her cover up. She clutched her purse to her chest as if it could protect her. And she was shaking. Shit. He needed to get her out of there.
Questions later, he reminded himself. Wrapping his arm around Ellie’s shoulders, he started to steer her out of the room when he saw Brannon hovering in the hallway acting as a lookout. He nodded once to indicate they were clear, but before they could leave, Ellie stopped and swiveled in the direction of the security guy.
“Cody, are you going to be okay? I’m sorry I got you fired.” The words spilled from her at once as if she’d just found her voice again.
“This was a long time coming.” There was a dark, deadly edge to the man’s voice that surprised Jay. “You guys get out of here. I’m going to clean up this mess.”
