My dancer reached out for me. “Sit with me. Touch me.”
The murmur of voices from the room next door saved me from insanity. “I can’t, dirty dancer. Get your stuff and leave this place.” From weeks of stalking her, I knew the old man would take her straight home. She couldn’t get into too much trouble there.
“Stay at your house until I come for you.”
“You’ll see me later?”
No one had ever looked at me with such longing. My chest grew tight, and I fought the urge to drag her into my arms. “Yes. Now close your eyes and forget everything that happened since you left Javier. You can open your eyes in one minute.”
“Okay.”
As she closed her eyes, I did the hardest thing I’d ever done in my life—I walked away from the female I now knew was my mate.
6
Lee
I came to my senses, startled to find myself in one of the VIP rooms. More than a little freaked out, I glanced around the empty walk-in closet-sized space.
What happened? The last thing I remembered was walking away from Javier as fast as I could.
Why make a pit stop here? And why sit on one of the nasty couches even the cleaning crew didn’t dare touch? Ew!
As I peeled myself off the sticky vinyl, the unmistakable sound of leather smacking skin made me jump.
Havana must be working the professor extra hard in the next room.
I was glad it was her and not me pretending to enjoy his company. But, for some strange reason, the moaning from the other room made my stomach tighten.
Maybe I’m missing out on something… something big. Maybe Javier is right. Maybe I want to be touched.
My skin warmed at the thought of the drug lord’s hands on my body. My breathing shallowed as I imagined accepting his offer. Maybe I should go to him right now.
Smack.
“You’re such a naughty boy,” Havana said in the room next door.
I blinked. What the hell is wrong with me? I needed to find Uncle Duncan. He’d been waiting long enough.
Ducking through the red velvet curtain, I rushed up the side stairs and headed to the dressing room. It was empty.
Not having to see Jess was about the only good thing to happen to me today. I let out the tense breath I’d been holding and walked over to the lockers. Mine was next to Cami’s. As usual, she hadn’t bothered to shut hers and her lingerie spilled out onto the floor.
Shaking my head, I picked up the hot pink teddy and shoved it back inside her locker.
Then I opened my locker and threw on a thick cable-knit sweater and worn jeans. My aching feet practically moaned in approval as I slipped into socks and my old boots. Each layer of clothing gave me more confidence and forced away that weird tingling in my stomach.
I won’t take Javier’s offer. I’m not for sale.
I looked down at the hundred-dollar bills in my hand.
Well. Not all of me, anyway.
I carefully folded the bills and put them in my purse along with the singles still sitting on my vanity counter. The invisible weight I’d been carrying lessened. I had enough money to bail Eden out of jail and maybe enough left over for a nice meal to celebrate Reed’s birthday.
Not too shabby.
Once I’d gathered my things, I stood in the dressing room doorway chewing my lip in indecision.
Do I go home or talk to Max? I wanted to confront my boss about the impossible position he’d put me in with Javier, but, at the same time, I didn’t want to keep Uncle Duncan waiting even longer.
My head throbbed to the beat of Cami’s sugar pop music.
Home. Definitely home.
I really didn’t have another stressful meeting in me. Not after working a double shift at the restaurant and dancing two sets.
I’ll rip Max a new one tomorrow.
Decision made, I left the dressing room just as one of the new girls was walking in. Giving a tired wave to the green-haired woman, I headed to the door behind the stage. I normally avoided the back exit since it led to an alley, but tonight I wanted to avoid another potential run in with Javier.
I almost changed my mind when I opened the door and a freezing blast of urine-scented air hit my face. Ugh. Why can’t people use bathrooms?
Moving into the alley, I rubbed my arms to ward off the chill.
Damn Eden for stealing my jacket. That was the last straw. I’d finally had enough of her shenanigans. When I bail her out, I’m reading her the riot act. She’ll forget about all this bleeding-heart animal rights crap and get a real job or… or I’ll throw her out of the house.
I straightened my spine in resolve.
An inner voice whispered, It’s your job to protect her. I shook my head, trying to shake loose the words that had haunted me most of my life.
Eden is an adult now. She needs to act like it. I’ve been carrying her long enough.
For a moment, I fantasized about how different my life might’ve been if Gran hadn't died.
I wouldn’t have had to assume guardianship of Eden and Reed. I would’ve finished high school and joined my best friends in the Peace Corps. Right now, I’d be traveling the world and Saguaro Valley, Arizona would be nothing more than a fading image in the rearview mirror of my life.
The sound of loud chewing pierced my melancholy. My first thought was some stray dogs had gotten into the dumpster. But all the dogs in town had been euthanized months ago. Confused, I peered down the alley.
The dim, flickering light from the parking lot illuminated the shape of a large man hunched over something.
What’s he doing?
I took two steps closer. As my eyes adjusted, I saw a pair of platform heels sticking out from underneath the man.
Oh, my God. He’s attacking a woman.
Adrenaline flooded my veins.
I have to get help.
I backtracked to the club door. I jerked the handle, remembering too late it automatically locked to the outside. “Help, someone’s being attacked.” I beat on the door, hoping someone would hear me.
The man lurched to his feet.
Crap. My heart raced as I fumbled around in my purse for pepper spray. For the first time, I was grateful to my uncle for insisting I carry it. I held the canister outstretched in front of me. “Stay where you are. I’ve called the police. They’re on their way.” I prayed he couldn’t hear the lie in my shaky voice.
The man stumbled toward me, making a strange clicking sound with his teeth. His head was canted so far to the right it looked as if he was about to topple over.
What the hell is wrong with him? “Stay back.”
Ignoring me, he lumbered into the light. The man looked to be in his early twenties. His cloudy, unfocused gaze creeped me out even more than the bright red blood coating his face and shirt.
My heart hammered against my sternum. What happened to him, and what did he do to that woman?
The woman in question lurched upright. Her long, bright red hair extensions were unmistakable.
“Jess, are you oka—” My words cut off as she stumbled into the light.
Her yellow minidress was shredded down the front. Even worse, her intestines streamed out of an open wound in her stomach like grizzly Christmas garland.
Oh, God. “Jess…”
She lifted her head and met my gaze with eerie white eyes. Then she gnashed her teeth together and tottered in my direction.