Page 68

James sips his drink as I toss back my fake shot. I could just drink ice water from a regular glass but I get fucking sick of hearing, ‘You not drinking?’, ‘Have a fucking drink, relax!’. The fucking alcohol culture is so pervasive especially in a strip club. It’s just time saving to have what always looks like a drink in front of me. I don’t like to waste my time.

“Nah.” James shakes his head nodding as Larry comes out from the back hall with number five. “Let’s let this one play out. She’s pretty.” He remarks and I give a shrug of agreement. “Howdoes Dad do that? Gets these hot women…he’s…something.” He shakes his head and I nod.

“Love’s a mystery, my brother.”

James’ mother was married to my dad for three years. We were both ten when they came along and by thirteen, he was gone, but we always had a bond and we’ve kept it tight all these years. He’s my brother for all intents and purposes and probably the only member of my family I would spend time with outside of some business obligation.

Mom died the year after he moved out in a car accident coming home from her shitty mid-night shift at the diner. Larry of coursed used one of his crooked as fuck attorney’s to make sure mom got the bare minimum of child support and nothing else. Such a fuck he is.

I’m rolling my neck around when a six-foot seven wall of muscle steps behind James, holding a finger to his lips as I flick my eyes his way then back to my brother.

Tiny, who has been at The King’s Palace since I was fifteen, reaches around, grabs James’ drink from his hand and lays a kiss on his cheek.

“What thefuck!” James spins, fists at the ready as Tiny throws back the rest of the Jameson with an exhale and a smile.

“Hi, Jimmy,” he says, rustling my brother’s hair as he winks at me. No one calls him Jimmy except Tiny because…well, hecan.

“Fucker.” James chuckles, brushing his ever-perfect ink-black hair back into place as Tiny shifts to stand to my left stuffing his hands in his front pockets as patrons make a wide arch around us.

Most of the tables are occupied by regulars or Larry’s low-life acquaintances, all here for free drinks and a crappy buffet celebrating what is sure to be his fifth ex-missus Nelson soon enough.

Tiny nods toward the stage. “Hey, look. It’s time forkaraoke. There’s your new sister.” He shoves an elbow into my ribs.

“What?” I cough, looking down at my phone, checking if I’ve gotten a response from the flaming review I just posted on the business currently in my crosshairs. Squashing the competition is something I do well, and I enjoy it.

My newest target is the only competitor to a business Larry and I bought a few months ago. I’ve been luring away customers by undercutting their pricing as well as posting shit reviews on Yelp, Marketplace and their website. I’ve got twenty sock-puppet accounts and with those I’m also making sure to send fake customer emails every day, complaining about all sort of bullshit and threatening legal action. Even made an anonymous tip to the DA about some stolen goods being sold through there. Sooner or later, I’ll bring them down, or make them miserable enough to sell.

At pennies on the dollar. To us.

“Scotch.” James punches my shoulder making me growl.

“Stop fucking touching me you assholes.” I swallow dead eyeing Tiny then James both who could give a shit.

James nods to the front of the club, “Look, it’s our new sister.”

I run my tongue over my front teeth, the knots of anger clenching harder in my belly. Larry knows I don’t do family, not outside of the business ventures we have together.

Fuck that. It’s not like we’ve spent a holiday or Sunday dinner together for years. All I want is to search and destroy. Cozying up to some new version of the Brady Bunch is not happening.

Except,fucking nuts.

I nearly double over feeling a zap in my balls like someone just shoved a taser down my pants.

“Holy shit,” I choke as the luscious, fire-haired cherub withan ass for days takes the stage with a shitty karaoke microphone in her hands.

A deep fissure opens inside of me. My dick stiffens as my balls threaten to heave. What the fuck is this? I’ve never had this reaction before. Not to any of the girls in any of the clubs or for that matter, motherfucking anywhere.

She’s wearing this little white ruffly sort of off the shoulder blouse and dark jeans and black boots. Simple.Stunning. Fucking take-my-breath-away hot as fuck. The hottest fucking thing that’s ever graced that stage, or ever fucking will.

A wild, dangerous desperation pounds in my temples as I clench my teeth. I already know I’d kill for her. Not because she’s my stepsister, but because, in some primal corner of my DNA,she’s mine. I want her. In a crazy, lose my fucking mind sort of way.

I’m a control freak when it comes to my life. I’m an asshole of the highest order to most that know me. But, this girl, fuck-a-duck, I’d carry her bubble butt around on pink pillows for the rest of my fucking life if I could.

This is bad. She’s my new stepsister and it’s going to take all my willpower not to pound into her over the fruitcake at Christmas from now on. Because, I’ll be having her for Christmas. In every position possible.

James and Tiny are jabbering about leasing versus buying or some shit but I’m in another world.

“What’s her fucking name?” I mutter, not sure if I’m talking to myself or asking them.