She blinked quickly. “I was gonna wait until you got back to go to the bathroom but uh, well…”
I had barged in here like a maniac as if she were robbing the place or something. “You could have texted me.”
“On your prehistoric phone? I didn’t know if you had a text limit or something.” She laughed lightly and turned back to the sink.
I moved over to the other sink and leaned against it. “You don’t seem to be as wasted as Leona.”
“Uh, no. Leona seems to be downing her drinks a little bit faster than I am. She’s on number five while I’ve only just touched number three.” She grabbed a paper towel and dried her hands. “The drinks are pretty strong here.”
“Not normally. It may have to do with the fact you’re sitting with Barracuda and they know not to skimp on the booze when a Royal Bastard is at the table.”
She tossed the paper towel in the garbage. “Well, I’ll have to remember that if this happens again.” She sighed and smiled wonkily. “Getting drunk in a strip club isn’t what I normally do on a Tuesday. Or any day, for that matter.” She stepped toward me and stumbled.
I grabbed her around the waist and steadied her. “Whoa there, pretty girl.”
“I might be a little more tipsy than I thought I was.”
“Just a little,” I chuckled.
She laid her hands on my chest and tipped her head back to look at me. “This has been the strangest week of my life, and it just keeps getting stranger.”
I brushed her hair from her face. “But it's a good strange, right?”
“Parts of it are pretty good,” she whispered.
I pulled her close and delved my fingers in her hair. “Time for a good part, pretty girl.” My lips brushed against hers, and a sigh escaped her mouth.
She tipped her head back more and leaned into the kiss. Her lips were like velvet, and her taste was as sweet as sugar.
Addictive.
I wanted more but was afraid I would never get enough.
Her hands balled into fists and clenched my shirt.
“More,” she gasped when we finally came up for air.
“Later, pretty girl. I don’t want the first time I fuck you to be in the women’s bathroom at a strip club.”
“I’m okay with that.” Her eyes bugged out as soon as the words fell from her lips. “I mean…”
I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. “I kind of like it when you blurt out whatever you’re feeling without thinking about it.”
“Stupid seems to come out of my mouth when you’re around,” she muttered.
I glanced over my shoulder at her. “Honesty comes out of your mouth, pretty girl.”
We walked out of the bathroom, and I sat back down at the table, but this time, I pulled Raelyn onto my lap. I needed to talk to Barracuda about what Violet had told me, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have Raelyn close.
Never in my life had I been possessive of a woman before. If one wanted to leave or didn’t want me, I would just find another.
With Raelyn around, there wasn’t anyone else who could hold my attention. She was more than satisfying everything I wanted and all I had done was kiss her.
Leona pointed her finger at us. “This. This I like,” she slurred. “Though I would like it better if it was happening to me, but choosers can’t be beggars.” She hiccupped loudly and held up her empty cup. “I’m fill. Empty me.”
“Oh, Leona,” Raelyn laughed. “I think we should probably cut you off. You’re going to fall off the back of Mace’s bike.”
“She’s getting a taxi,” Mace grumbled.
Somehow Leona and Mace had not hit it off like I had thought they would.
“I’ll take her home.” Barracuda finished his beer and dropped a fifty on the table.
Oh. Now this was something I didn't see coming.
Leona held her hand out to him. “You’ve got a deal, Snake.”
“Snake?” I asked.
Raelyn laughed. “Leona thinks a barracuda is a snake.”
“Well, at first she thought it was a big black cat,” Barracuda laughed. “We cleared that one up pretty quickly, though.”
“Uh, isn’t a large black cat a black panther?” Mace asked. “How the heck do you think a black panther is a barracuda. It’s a deadly fish.”
Leona sloppily waved her hand at Mace. “Those are all details.”
This was going downhill fast. “How about I tell you what I found out and then we can all head out?”
Barracuda nodded. “I haven’t heard from Monk yet, but I’m assuming he ain’t finding shit.”
“Well,” I drawled. “I managed to talk to Violet, and she saw Billie Jean drive off in a black car with a guy after her shift Tuesday.”
“Oh, my God!” Raelyn gasped. “Who was the guy?”
I shrugged. “Violet said she hadn’t seen him before. He hung out in her section for a good part of the night and then she left with him.”
“Buuuuut,” Leona drawled and interrupted, “Billie Jean likes kitties.”
Mace, Barracuda, and I looked at each other trying to figure out what the hell Leona was talking about.
Raelyn drug her hand down her face. “She likes girls, she means. She was saying kitty as like…” Raelyn dropped her eyes. “Down there.”
“Pussy?” Mace asked.
Leona tapped her finger to her nose. “Ding, ding. Tell him what he’s won, Alex.”
“Jesus,” Barracuda groaned. I wondered if he was thinking of changing his mind about taking Leona home. “I’ll have someone going over the tapes from last Tuesday and see if they can pick anything up. At least it happened on a Tuesday so it won’t be as packed. We should be able to pick out guys who aren’t regulars.”
“But why would she leave with a guy she didn’t know?” Raelyn asked.
“Maybe she did know him,” Mace suggested. “It sounds like you were close with your sister, but maybe she didn’t tell you everything.”
Mace’s words were harsh, but they hit the truth.
I squeezed her leg. “We’ll figure it out, Raelyn.”
She looked at me warily. “She wouldn’t have gone off with some random guy.”
Right now, we didn’t know that. Maybe he had tricked her somehow or something.
Barracuda stood up. “I’ll have Rebel and Tank go over the video tomorrow. They are here the most so they should be able to pinpoint the guy Violet is talking about.”
“Are you still riding me?” Leona shook her head. “I mean am I still riding you?” Leona slowly turned to look at Raelyn. “Am I talking out loud? Tell me I’m dreaming.”
Raelyn reached out and patted her hand. “This will all be a faint memory when you wake up in the morning, honey.”
“That’ll be nice,” Leona sighed. “Bye, bye Raelyn and biker dude.”
Barracuda managed to get her out of her seat and led her to the exit by only half carrying her.
“You really think she is going to remember any of this?” I asked.
Raelyn shrugged. “For her sake, I hope she doesn’t because I’m pretty sure she is going to die of embarrassment if she remembers asking Barracuda if he was going to ride her.”