by Romi Hart
And it ended far too soon as he arrived at the strip club and hauled himself free of the bike. The back door ricocheted off the wall as he walked in and noted the two usual guards. He regarded them with a nod as he made his way down the hall. His eyes scanned over the room beyond, searching for Skye, and it didn’t take him long to find her. He watched as she paused near a well-dressed businessman and seemed to lean in to whisper in his ear.
As he looked on, Skye turned to glance at him and kept speaking with the guy. Furrowing his brow, he couldn’t seem to look away, a bit confused and almost angry. Skye didn’t seem to give two shits about him or what he’d done this morning. Trying to shrug it off, he headed toward the bar and sat down as he nodded at Charlie. “How’s it going?” he asked.
“Same shit, different day. Eli is here. I think he’s in the back office right now, or maybe the bathroom. It’s been a little slow, today,” he commented.
“I imagine it’ll pick up through the night,” Harrison said. His eyes slid away from Charlie as June came sauntering by.
“Hey, Harrison!” she greeted excitedly, leaning in as she pressed her lips to his cheek. “I was wondering what happened to you last night! You seemed like you were glued to the barstool. It kind of broke my heart,” she pouted.
“Sugar, I could never break your heart, just your headboard,” he joked with a wink.
“Oh, believe me, you’re welcome to break it any time you want,” June purred. Another girl, a petite brunette Harrison didn’t recognize, walked up and tugged on June’s arm. Her eyes rolled over Harrison, obviously sizing him up and liking what she saw, if the spark in her eyes told him anything.
“Harrison, meet Emmy. She’s new. Tonight is her first performance,” June explained. Emmy was cute enough, but Harrison could tell she was apprehensive.
“You might want to consider a few shots, princess, before you take the stage. You look like a deer in the headlights,” he stated, nodding toward Emmy, “Pick your poison. I’ll buy you a drink.”
“What do you recommend?” she purred at Harrison.
He chuckled and glanced at Charlie. “Help a girl out and get her a couple shots of Fireball.” He glanced back at Emmy and quirked a brow. “You like cinnamon or peppermint?”
“Sure,” Emmy nodded.
“Good, then get ready to enjoy some of the Devil’s Flames. Fireball is about to open your world to some serious fire and sin,” he remarked.
* * *
Harrison hadn’t moved from the same barstool all night, waiting for an opening. His eyes cut over to the stage with the announcement that Skye’s main show was about to start. He felt his heart squeeze slightly in his chest as he watched her begin her routine. Just as always, there was a natural artistic sway to her hips. Effortless and flawless were the only two words that could describe the beauty with which she moved.
Two men settled at the edge of the stage, their eyes locked on Skye as she maneuvered her body around the pole and began to remove her top. One of the men leaned forward and slid his hand down Skye’s hip, his fingers curling into the tiny G-string that covered her backside. It was a stretch, the pole set back for a bit of extra distance, but he nearly ripped the thin material off her. Feeling a fervor overcome him, Harrison jumped from the barstool and strode straight for the guy, grabbing him by the back of his collar and yanking him back.
“Who the fuck do you think you are, grabbing at her like that?” he roared. The second guy, ignoring the events around him, carefully slipped a five into Skye’s panties, and Harrison reached for his arm, pulling him along as he drug the two of them to the front door. Kicking the door open, he carried the guys to the curb where he dropped them both on their ass. “If I ever see either of you lay a hand on her again, you’ll only be able to count to five because you’ll lose that hand.”
The second offender stood some distance from Harrison and brushed himself off, looking indignant. “I come here all the fucking time, and I regularly put a lot of cash into your girls’ panties. I’ve never been thrown out for that before!” the guy protested.
“Did you not hear me the first time, cocksucker? I said get the fuck out of here and don’t ever fuck with her or any of these girls like that again.”
The original offender pulled on the second guy’s arm and began to shake his head. “Come on, this isn’t worth it. Let’s get the fuck out of here. Fuck them and their whores.” Harrison gritted his teeth, raging over the degradation, but what mattered was getting Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum the hell out of his strip club.
“Get lost!” Harrison hollered after them as they slunk away. Shaking his head with a scoff, he turned to walk back inside, only to come face to face with Eli, whose expression was anything but agreeable.
He pointed at the door “You want to tell me what all that was about?”
“Didn’t you see what the fuck they were doing, Eli? They were both about to pull her clean off the fucking stage or strip her bare. She could have been seriously injured,” Harrison exploded.
“Bro, you need to cool it down. I’m going to go talk to those guys,” Eli muttered, walking past him and out into the parking lot. Harrison stared in disbelief for a moment and then walked back into the club, aiming for his barstool.
“Yeah, go play the good cop. I need this shit like I need a fucking hole in my head.” He turned to watch Skye continuing her performance. Another customer, this time a blonde man he had seen around before, stepped up and slid his hand up Skye’s thigh, getting awfully close to her crotch, and he came completely unglued.
“Hey, asshole!” he growled, running across the bar and jumping on the stage as he grabbed hold of the guy, pulling him into a head lock. He balled up his fist and began punching him over and over in rapid succession. The first blow hit him directly in the nose with a satisfying crunch, and the second met with the corner of his eye.
“Harrison! No!” Skye called out in shock, pulling on his arm as she tried to stop him. Harrison didn’t hesitate, lifting his arm to sock the guy once more in the face and a few extra times in the gut for good measure.
“Harrison, what the fuck are you doing?” Eli’s voice echoed above the screaming man, Skye’s imploring tone, and the rising noise of the crowd as he jumped up on the stage and yanked at Harrison. “Skye, get the fuck out of here! Now!” he bellowed as Harrison socked the guy once more time, this time bloodying his mouth. Eli finally pulled Harrison hard enough for the guy to come free of his grip, and he called out to Charlie and two of the other guards as he pulled Harrison off the stage.
“What the fuck?” the man groaned, a horrified expression overtaking his face, which was swelling quickly from the damage. Harrison had fucked him up pretty bad, and it still wasn’t good enough. Until the guy said the magic words. “I’m calling the fucking cops!”
Eli shook his head and dragged Harrison away, heading straight for the back office.
“What the hell did I just tell you a few minutes ago?” Eli asked, once he had Harrison seated far from the scene.
“Those motherfuckers were way out of line. There’s no touching the girls on stage. They need to buy a lap dance if they want to touch,” Harrison shouted, seething.
“That doesn’t mean you go fucking assaulting them, especially on stage in front of two hundred witnesses. Do you have any idea what you just did?”
“Yeah, my fucking job! Like you, Rafe, and Corey all fucking asked me to!” Harrison countered angrily.
“Bullshit, Harrison! You just about killed that guy for tipping the dancers!” Eli stated. “And I’ve got a feeling you’ve got some kind of hang up when it comes to Skye. There’s a reason why you shouldn’t be sticking your dick in every bitch you meet!” Eli reprimanded him.
“You know what, Eli? Maybe you’re right, but somebody needs to make sure these girls are safe and respected. What else did you expect me to do?” he asked.
“I expected you to use the head on your neck, not the one in your pants, Harrison. The one you’
re supposed to reason with,” Eli chastised.
“You’ve got it all wrong, Eli, because I would say this has a lot more to do with my heart than my dick!” The words came out before he could think, and the room fell silent, Eli just staring at him.
With a groan, Eli pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ah, for fuck’s sakes, Harrison. You should probably just go home,” Eli murmured.
“What would you have done if Rory was up there and some motherfucker couldn’t keep his hands off her? They were being all kinds of disrespectful. That can’t be tolerated, Eli!”
“You’re right. It can’t. But you’re forgetting something here. Rory and I are married, and this is not her chosen profession. Skye chooses to work here, and I don’t see a ring on her finger, so you’re out of line, and it’s all for a woman you can’t even claim. You’ve got to learn to control yourself and your god damned emotions, or else I don’t know how the fuck you plan on working here,” Eli muttered.
“I never expected my emotions to get involved, Eli. Hell, I don’t even know what those emotions are or why I feel so overprotective. Maybe that’s half my fucking problem,” Harrison confessed. He knew he had lost his grip, and, had it not been for Eli, likely would have beaten Skye’s fan to the edge of death, and then some.
Eli scoffed and shook his head, moving toward the office door. “Just stay here for a few to cool off and put your head on straight, and then get your ass home. Got me?”
“Yeah, I got you.” Harrison watched as Eli disappeared and lowered his head to his hands. That had been a dumb move, and worse, he hadn’t even had a chance to apologize to Skye. Not that it would matter, especially now, when he’d probably embarrassed her and pissed her off beyond measure with his lack of control. Truth be told, his head was a complete and utter mess, and it had been ever since that woman entered it. And now, he didn’t know whether to flee the scene or fight to recover from his mistake. At the moment, with the way he was feeling, staying here was a bad idea, and he intended to follow Eli’s directions. For now.
6
Skye’s heels tapped against the floor as she walked into the strip joint, her eyes flashing over to Charlie’s as she made her way toward him, “You hear anything about how my customers are doing?” she asked, worried.
“Just that the one went to the hospital. But the cops didn’t seem too interested in hearing his story after the other bouncers agreed he was touching you inappropriately,” Charlie shrugged.
“So, is Harrison going to jail?” she asked cautiously.
“I don’t think, so, but you never really know, I guess,” Charlie replied with disinterest.
“Do you think we can get the new girl to cover my shift tonight? I don’t want to come in after last night’s ordeal. I’m feeling really anxious and sick about things,” she stated. There was more on her mind than an inappropriate touch, but she didn’t feel the need to be specific.
“I’m not sure if she can cover, but that doesn’t matter. Go on and get some TLC, Skye, you need it,” Charlie stated.
Skye nodded and turned to leave. She still couldn’t believe Harrison had the nerve to attack her best paying customers just because they wanted to slip a few dollars into her panty line. It didn’t make any sense and had her livid over his behavior. She couldn’t figure out why he’d gone off like that, half-cocked, when he’d never acted that crazed before.
If it had something to do with them sleeping together, it was rich of him to feel like he had the authority to take over as her personal bodyguard. It wasn’t like he hadn’t hooked up with half the other girls in the place, and he’d never grown so enraged over how the clients treated them. Besides, he’d disappeared sometime during the night without a word or a note. He obviously didn’t give a shit about her personally, so why the hell would he get so bent out of shape over someone tipping her during one of her dances when he knew it was how she made a living?
The worse part was that Skye had worked hard to build her clientele, and the guy Harrison had damn near beaten to death was one of her favorite customers. Had he really thought he was doing her some sort of favor? If so, he was severely misguided. If he actually cared, and he’d listened and really appreciated her attempt to achieve a goal, he would do everything he could to ensure she made as much money as possible, so she could get out of this lousy place sooner, not interfere in her profitability.
Surely, something had to be going on under the surface because Harrison hadn’t just reacted once to it – but twice. He’d tossed the first two guys out without getting overly violent, and since they weren’t big tippers, she’d let it go. But then, he’d gone crazy and launched a flat out attack on one of her best, acting eerily like a jealous boyfriend.
The problem was, she and Harrison were not exclusive. In fact, they weren’t even seeing each other. They’d slept together one time, and while it had been incredible and they had amazing chemistry, that was all there was to it. He had no claims on her of any kind and no right to her body. What happened between them was a sampling of each other’s talents and an agreement between adults to have a good time and seek pleasure, but it didn’t mean they were suddenly committed to each other. Even if they were, he knew what she did for a living.
How could he actually be proud of what he had done last night? He had all but ruined her chances of making any more stable income off some of her biggest tippers. It was as if he had strategically planned to annihilate her career, sabotaging her future, adding insult to injury after ghosting her place after they hooked up.
She couldn’t believe the audacity he had, and when he walked through the doors and nearly ran into her on her way out, Skye couldn’t hold back her true emotions.
“Skye?” he began.
Instantly, she shook her head, her irritation in overdrive. “Save it, Harrison. I don’t want to fucking hear a word you have to say right now. You were way out of line last night. I don’t know who—"
Harrison cut her off. “I was just trying to make sure people respected you, Skye. I was doing my job, and I’d do it again if it meant no one fucked with you!” he exclaimed.
“They were just giving me tips! The guy whose head you busted was one of my best paying customers, and now he will most likely never fucking come back, thanks to you!” she said, yelling at him right back. “I’m making a living here, and you could have just cost me my future.”
Skye could not believe Harrison had done those things, gotten so violent, and now, he was stating he didn’t regret it. She didn’t take too kindly to him screwing with her livelihood, or the fact that he was now shouting at her. She had plans for her life, and she was not about to let some biker with a hard on ruin them for her, no matter how well he manipulated said body part.
Skye stood there staring at him as rage oozed from every pore in her body. He stared back at her, unmoving and rooted to the spot. It was as if a battle of wills was raging between them and neither of them wanted to cave.
“I’m glad that perverted fucker won’t be coming back. He had no right to be putting his hands on you that way,” Harrison declared, finally speaking after several moments of silence. He crossed his arms and stood with feet shoulder width apart, as if challenging her to argue or trying to intimidate her into digressing.
“Of course you feel that way!” she screamed at him, completely losing her temper. “You don’t rely on that stripper pole to supply your income and hope that the income you make from it changes your life one day. You don’t struggle to save money for the future, to try to achieve a goal. If you want something, you can fund it easily through the MC and the money you make from it. It’s easy street for you.” she stepped forward, jabbing a finger into his chest. “The man you bloodied was my biggest tipper, and I was saving that money for something great. We talked about that. I thought you understood and appreciated that about me. But then you go and smash my client’s face in. You have ruined everything, Harrison,” she said as she tried her damnedest not to cry in front of him.
He was silent for a moment, and she wondered if he felt guilty for taking money from her pocket. She was so angry with him it was hard for her to even look him in the face. Her vision blurred and reddened around the edges with something akin to hatred, though she couldn’t take it that far, no matter how much she wanted to.
In her mind she scrambled to figure out a way to make up the deficit his stupidity was going to cost her. But she couldn’t think straight, her emotions overwhelming.
Suddenly, his shoulders slumped. “I wasn’t thinking about that. I remember you talking about it, but I didn’t know one client would make that much of a difference. And to be honest, even if I’d realized that, I probably would have done the same thing because I was out of my mind, thinking you were going to get hurt or scared. I’m sorry. I just didn’t think those guys should have been touching you that way, like they had some sort of claim on you. Something bad could have happened to you, and my job is to prevent that.”
“Yeah, well, that shows a lot about your character. You don’t care what my needs are, personally. You’re too busy trying to prove something about your ability to control things. For the record, you don’t have any claim on me, either, and none of those guys were doing anything inappropriate. You need to quit trying to play top dog and swinging your dick out to prove whose is bigger. If you cared anything at all for me, you would use the head on your shoulders and remember why I’m so determined to do make something out of this lousy fucking job!” she yelled at him as she turned to walk away.
She stomped off to her car, tears spilling from her eyes. She couldn’t hold back anymore, and she hated how easily anger pushed her over the edge like this. She opened her car door, climbed in, and slammed it shut, hitting the steering wheel with the heel of her hand and screaming wordlessly with frustration. She was relieved that she’d escaped Harrison seeing her cry, never keen on looking weak. Because that’s what people thought when you cried.
