“Actually, I think I can. Menace gave me a job when he had no business doing so, and not only that, he set me up in an apartment.”
“I’m not surprised. Menace is a really good guy.”
“Well, I was very surprised and grateful. I wouldn’t have a place to live if it wasn’t for him, and the crazy thing is he didn’t even know me.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I bet he knows more than you think.” Frankie cocked her eyebrow as she said, “From what I’ve picked up on, Menace is pretty savvy with that computer of his. I’m sure he did a little investigating before he hired you.”
“What?”
“Oh, don’t take any offense to it. He has to do it for anyone who works at the club. It’s just a way to make sure they all know who they’re bringing into the fold.”
I suddenly felt like the world had fallen off its axis, and its entire weight had landed right on my chest. I couldn’t breathe, nor could I move. I sat there in horror thinking about the explosions of gunfire blasting through the diner. I knew Peter and Sally were going to die, just like my parents and sister had, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it. I was terrified the same thing would happen again to Menace and everyone at the club. I’d only known them for a short time but would never forgive myself if something happened to them. I was on the brink of tears when Frankie reached over and placed her hand on my shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”
“No... No, I’m not.” I reached into my purse, took out a twenty-dollar bill, and tossed it on the counter. “I’ve got to go.”
I rushed out of the coffee shop and to my car. My mind was racing a mile a minute as I sped over to Stilettos. I could envision Menace sitting at his computer, searching my name and the social security number I’d given him. I slightly smiled at the thought of him typing in that number and seeing a big African-American man named Sanford staring back at him. Of course, I didn’t have a clue what he’d find when he searched that fake number, but I knew he wouldn’t find me. That would have him digging deeper, and I feared his in-depth search would draw Rossi and his flock’s attention or perhaps the police, who were also working feverishly to find me. If Frankie was right about him, there was a good chance that he’d already started investigating, and that thought scared the hell out of me. The running had gotten to me. I wanted a little more time to stay put and make a bit more money, but I might not have a choice in the matter.
It was still early when I got to the club, so there weren’t many folks there—just a few of the girls who’d come to practice their night’s routines, and Rafe. He was sitting at the bar studying his phone with a disgruntled look on his face. I didn’t want to interrupt him, but I didn’t have a choice. “Hey, Rafe... is Menace around?”
“Not yet, but he should be here soon.” When he saw the panicked look on my face, he asked, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know. I can’t really say for sure.”
“Anything I can help with?”
“No, I really need to talk to Menace.”
“All right. Suit yourself.” He motioned his hand to the stool next to him. “You might as well take a load off until he gets here.”
It was still too early to start getting ready for work, so I nodded and sat down next to him. I glanced up at the stage and watched as one of the young blondes twirled around the pole, and I shook my head with a groan as I thought about what I would’ve done if Menace had actually hired me as one of their new dancers. It would’ve been a nightmare. I couldn’t dance, at least not like the blonde on the stage, and I certainly couldn’t have done it up there with no clothes on. It seemed Marlowe and Frankie were right. Menace really was a great judge of character, but he was also an all-around good guy.
He’d helped out Jessie, Brandy, and Mazie from having to endure their old manager’s sexual harassment by hiring them to work here, he’d also hired me for a more suitable job, and he’d even come to my rescue with that jerk who had his hands all over me. I might’ve been wrong about the sexy biker with the brooding eyes, but I felt like I could trust him—I wasn’t sure just how much, though, especially after what Frankie had told me. That thought had my panic returning. I glanced over at Rafe. “What time does he typically come in?”
“He’s usually here before the rest of us, but he had something to take care of today.”
“Oh?” My mind started racing. “Is something wrong?”
“We’ll know soon enough.”
The words had barely left Rafe’s mouth when Menace came walking through the back door. His eyes immediately met mine in an intense glare that sent a chill racing down my spine. He held my gaze as he kept walking in our direction. Damn. Why did he have to be so incredibly hot? I couldn’t even look at the man without thinking about our encounter in the hallway, but those thoughts were now clouded with fear and anxiety. This handsome brute had the power to destroy me—literally, and he didn’t even know it. When he approached us, he didn’t stop. Instead, he gave Rafe a quick nod and continued to his office as he said, “It’s been handled.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” As soon as Menace was out of view, Rafe gave me a little nudge with his elbow and chuckled. “Hey, ah... Menace is here.”
“Yeah, I see that.”
“Aren’t you gonna go back and talk to him?”
“I don’t know.” My anxiety was at an all-time high. “He doesn’t look like he’s in a very good mood.”
“No, but I wouldn’t let that deter you. Menace can be pretty intense, but he’s a good guy.” It was almost as if he knew what I wanted to tell him. “If you’ve got something to talk to him about, you should go do it. Waiting is just going to make it harder.”
“You’re right. I’ll speak with him now.” I got up from the stool and took a step towards Menace’s office, but the thought of actually walking in and talking to him made my heart start pounding against my chest. My pulse was rushing through my ears, making it impossible to think. I was on the verge of a full-on panic attack. Knowing I couldn’t talk to him until I’d settled my shaky nerves, I quickly veered in an entirely different direction and muttered, “Um, later. Yeah, I’ll talk to him later.”
I was so screwed.
Menace
“Aubrey.”
“Oh, hey, Menace.” She nervously raked her teeth over her bottom lip. “Was there something you needed?”
“No.” Damn, she looked fucking incredible. Thoughts of the night before came crashing through my mind, and it was all I could do to keep my fucking hands to myself. “Just doing my rounds.”
“Oh.” A little blush swept over her face as she smiled and said, “Well, things are okay here.”
Before I could say anything more, Country came up beside me and said, “Well, hey there, sunshine. Nice to see you’re out of your office and reaping the benefits of all your hard work.”
“Seems like you’ve been doing that enough for the both of us.” I sounded more irritated than I’d intended when I asked, “What are you doing here so early?”