Page 5

CHAPTER 5

S ara

They watched me, their eyes never leaving the stage.

The men were completely immersed in the story I told, fascinated by the costumes and masks hiding my true identity. They leaned forward, devouring every sensual move I made, their rapid breathing something I could easily detect.

They hungered for me, dreaming of the filthy things they could do to and with my body.

The customers were always the same, wealthy and arrogant, acting as if they could take anything they wanted without a single repercussion. I was the single woman they believed could rock their worlds while allowing them to forgo all sense of decency.

They coveted me, pretending I was their savior as I twirled and gyrated to the heady drumbeat.

I savored the music, falling prey to the delicious darkness only my evocative dances could provide. Only while on stage did I experience peace, hoping to eternally banish the demons living deep within my psyche.

The men weren’t allowed to touch. They would never garner a taste. And not one of them would ever invade my life.

Yet their fantasies paid me well, providing an outlet for release, a grab for hope in a world where I often felt hopeless.

Every aspect of my dance was intimate, providing the men with nights of intense fantasies. I immersed myself in their fantasies, drowning my sorrows in the few hours where anxieties and responsibilities were shoved aside.

At least I’d been able to use my theater experience to some good use, even if I hadn’t been able to afford a college degree. Or pursue my dreams of being an actress. At least the performances allowed me autonomy with the productions, the costumes fueling my creativity.

Electricity pulsed through me as I twirled around the stage, finally falling to my knees one last time for the final uptick of the new dance performed for the first time. As I dropped onto all fours, then rose back up, lifting my arms as if toward the sky, I felt a sudden jolt of current that had nothing to do with the seductive moves.

One man alone had grasped my level of intimacy, leaning forward so close to the edge of the stage I could almost feel his hot breath. He was a stranger yet familiar in ways I couldn’t process. While his face was partially hidden behind a mask, a requirement for the night’s festivities, I could almost tell what he was thinking, what he was desiring deep within his bones as he watched me, his attention far above the others.

As soon as I started to crawl toward the very precipice of danger, close enough the unknown man could easily reach out and touch me, my heart nearly imploded in my chest.

The sensations were new, invading the privacy of my mind as my body became aware of the instant attraction between us. We held a connection far removed from anything I’d ever experienced before. I tossed my head back and forth as beads of perspiration trickled down both sides of my face.

The aura of the man wasn’t just powerful. It was menacing in a way I’d experienced once before. While there was no threat to my safety, that didn’t mean anything for the shudder of emotions rolling through me.

He wasn’t just watching me.

He wasn’t merely undressing me with his eyes.

He was processing how and when to capture me.

I was certain of it as much as I needed air to breathe. The moment was intoxicating, pushing my boundaries as I rolled my flexed hands down from my shoulders to my breasts. On this stage, I could be anyone I wanted. Tonight, I was the ultimate temptress.

And he’d made the decision to make me his. I felt it in my boiling blood and the shivers coursing down my spine. With my eyes firmly locked on his, a sweep of lights allowed me to discover I was right about his lurid thoughts.

He lifted his drink in salute, a promise made.

A foretelling of the future.

The masked man was rooted himself in my life and only when he was ready would he reveal himself.

By then, I feared it would be too late.

When the lights dropped, I unfurled my body, rising to my feet. The high-level energy continued to pulse in the room even as I made my way to the back of the stage. For some unknown reason, I knew I should fear the man, but I was far too intrigued. The why didn’t matter at this point.

The thrill of the unknown was intoxicating, almost macabre in design.

But I’d never felt so exhilarated in my life.

My friends called my fascination with danger and death disturbing, which amused the hell out of me. Especially since by day I was mild and meek.

The quiver in my legs continued and I stopped at the outskirts of the stage long enough to glance back toward the audience. Few men had ever drawn my attention, not one to date obtaining anything from me.

Not a conversation.

Not a phone number.

Certainly not a private dance, which far too many of the girls succumbed to for money. I needed the cash and security, but I wasn’t interested in being pawed to obtain a higher goal. I had integrity, an attribute I refused to ignore no matter how much of a financial crunch I was in.

But the one man sitting in the front row had called to me. That sounded odd as I rattled it off in my mind. Why? Yes, from what I could tell when the lights had floated across his torso, he was a handsome man. No, not just handsome. Fucking gorgeous.

Dark hair.

Broad shoulders.

Impeccable dresser.

Okay, so I hadn’t seen any of his features, but I hadn’t needed to. The draw had been all about his hypnotic eyes. If the lights hadn’t deceived me, they were the deepest and most enigmatic blue I’d ever seen.

Of course, I could be fantasizing about my dream man again since the real ones were snakes with attitude.

As I hovered in the shadows, I allowed myself a few seconds of imagining being a normal girl with typical desires, instead of the freak living in the darkest reaches of my mind. My guess was the sexy man in the Phantom of the Opera costume was some rich dude living the kind of life I’d dreamt of for far too long.

He’d never be interested in a girl like me.

As soon as I turned, resigned to ignoring the deep desires, I bumped into something hard. “What the hell?”

“Sara. Don’t let him get you.”

“What?” I had to blink three times to clear my vision it was so damn dark in the hallway. “Gina. Who are you talking about?”

“There’s a man in the bar. He was asking about you. I told him nothing. I swear to God.”

“What in the hell are you talking about?”

Gina had been working here for years, much longer than I had. As of late, her behavior had gotten completely paranoid. I didn’t know her very well and the fact she was warning me was as bizarre as the rest of her actions.

She backed away, the dimly lit corridor unable to hide the extreme fear in her eyes. “Don’t fall into his trap. Just watch yourself. They know.”

They? I had no idea what to say. She’d been the star of the club for years. She had men literally offering to purchase her a condo. Maybe one of them had gotten out of hand. But what did I have to do with it? A cold shiver remained. “Gina. Talk to me. If someone is threatening you, we need to go to the police.”

“No. No!”

I couldn’t grab her before she raced out the back door leading to the alleyway. The girl was weird, but this was off kilter even for her.

A part of me wanted to run after her, but I sensed whatever demons were living inside were close to winning.

“Hey, Sara, good shit tonight. But I need to talk to you,” my boss Tom said from behind me.

I jumped, shaken to the core. “Shit. Why did you do that?” There was nothing worse than being crept up on. I couldn’t shake the strange feelings surfacing inside of me.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, laughing.

“You didn’t. I’m just a little jumpy.” I headed toward the dressing room. I was performing later in the evening. My boss followed, which meant he needed a favor. He always counted on me since so many of the other girls were flakes.

Tom Willis was a good man in a sea of toads, old enough to protect me instead of hitting on me while still keeping a fresh edge about business and the people working under him. As the manager of Sanity, he held more clout than the mayor, his past as shadowy as the club itself.

But he always treated me like family, acting as my surrogate father from time to time. I couldn’t count the number of times he’d tossed a fucking jerk from the club for ignoring the rules.

Mostly, no touching the merchandise.

Not that I was for sale, but the motto should allow even the drunkest bastards to get the hint. Thankfully, most did.

“I need a favor,” he finally said when I refused to stop walking, moving into the cramped space I shared with three other girls. At least I had my own makeup table. Of sorts. A glorified card table with a lighted mirror on the surface. Still, I was able to relax and become whoever I wanted in the small space.

“Uh-huh. I’m not lap dancing,” I teased. While kinky acts were supported on the upper levels, there was no hanky-panky in the main club. Tom and the burly bouncers made certain every employee was protected. Even the outdoor security was state of the art.

“Cute. Very cute. We’ve got a full house tonight for a change.”

“That’s because the costume nights are popular. Just like I told you they’d be.” I yanked off my wig, hanging it on the edge of the mirror. I’d been the one to suggest the costume nights and not just for Halloween. They’d become an instant success, lines out the door. It was amazing how many people enjoyed hiding behind another persona. And the customers had been very creative during the last year.

“True and yes, I owe it to you.”

“So when am I getting a raise?”

Tom laughed. “We’ll talk. Look, Gina fell ill on her shift.”

Ill. That was an interesting term to use for her odd behavior. I decided to go with it.

I glanced at his reflection in the mirror before ripping off the long satin gloves I’d added at the last minute. “Right. Code for she was drunk again on the job. Why don’t you fire her?”

He nodded. “I just did. Now I’m shorthanded, but that’s okay.”

What did he mean that was okay? Yes, business had been down, but it seemed we were always busy. At least to a point.

I guess being fired was the reason she’d run out as if a fire had been lit underneath her. Maybe. Who could be threatening her and if that had been true, why not tell Tom?

“Ouch. Let me guess. You need me to shift from dancing to waiting tables.” Which I loathed.

“I do.”

I gave him a pouty look and he shook his head. “No fair. Ask another girl.”

“You know the other girls can’t wait tables to save their lives,” Tom admitted.

“Then hire additional waitstaff.”

“That’s up to the owner and from what I heard, it’s not going to happen.”

The one benefit of making the change was possibly getting a little closer to the handsome man who’d captured every bit of my attention. When I moved, the fact my nipples were fully aroused became far too noticeable. “What’s in it for me?” Why not negotiate a deal?

“You’re incorrigible, Sara. Don’t act like you’ll make any less money. You saw how many people are in the audience. You’ll make a fortune.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I could really use your help. Please?”

I loathed when he was so damn nice. The man didn’t have a mean bone in his body. I’d heard all the rumors about how gruff he was, even downright rude, but I’d yet to see it.

“Fine. I’ll do it. But you owe me one.”

“You’re such a team player. Station nine.”

That included the table right in front of the stage. Wow. My heart skipped a couple of beats. That was so silly. Still, this time, a heated prod of electricity skated down my spine. If my memory served me correctly, I’d seen him once before, but it had been a long time.

“There’s one more thing,” Tom said, sighing.

“You need me to wait tables indefinitely.”

He smiled, but it was waning. “Look, I hate to do this, but I had a call from the owner today. Business is way down.”

“Just a blip in time. You know how people are.”

“There’s an entire group of people trying to shut these types of clubs down. No, we’re not a strip club, but we’re grouped with them. Anyway, I was told to lay off staff.”

“You are not going to do that to me. Tom. Please.” I was almost frantic. I needed this job to make ends meet. Sure, I could try to work at a fast-food joint, but the pittance I’d make wouldn’t make a dent in the bills.

He scratched his head. “No, but I need to cut your hours. I’ll do my best to fill in with a few nights here and there with you waiting tables. Okay?”

What the hell was I supposed to say? I had few options at this point. I had to keep both jobs or I was toast. Unless luck fell into my lap. My thoughts drifted to a crazy idea I’d had over the last few weeks. While based on a rumor, I had every intention of exploring the option. If only it could be true.

Win a contest and be set for life.

Yeah, and I was smoking dope, as my father would say. “Fine. I’ll take whatever shift you give me.”

“Good to hear. I really didn’t want to let you go.”

When Tom started to walk away, I turned around, folding my arms. “Tom. What’s really going on with Gina?”

“What do you mean?”

As another one of the girls walked in, giving me a look of discord, I frowned. I wasn’t necessarily well liked. “She acted as if she was in some kind of trouble. Had someone threatened her?”

Tom narrowed his eyes and chuckled under his breath. “I like Gina, but she has a world of hurt following her. And a world of trouble, which we don’t need.”

“What does that mean, a world of trouble?”

He threw up his hands. “It’s not for me to say except she somehow managed to get herself involved with a bad crowd. I’ll tell you this much. The girl needs some help. That’s all I’m going to say. Hurry and get changed before the crowd grows into a frenzy.” He patted my arm before taking off.

The club wasn’t in a seedy area of town. The wealthiest men and women often crowded the venue, the street considered a mecca for both established and up and coming businesses. Hell, I’d noticed a couple of citywide famous attorneys hiding under masks. Some costumes left a bit to be desired.

I nodded several times to no one in particular. Gina had lived a rough life. I’ve overheard a couple of conversations she’d had on her phone, but this was something else entirely. Something prodded me to heading toward the back door.

The alley was huge, usually brightly lit since there were so many businesses in the area. This time when I walked outside, I was shocked at how many of the lights had been turned off. The air was chilly as the light breeze cut through the thin material of my costume. There was no one in the alley. Gina must have already made her way to the employee parking lot.

Just as I started to breathe a sigh of relief and turned around, the security light over the club’s back door came on, the wide beam reflecting a path along both sides of the alley as well as right in front of me. Something on the pavement caught my attention and I glanced down.

Uncertain what I was looking at, I hunkered over, running my finger through the drops. As soon as I brought my hand closer to my face, a moment of raw fear slammed into my system.

Blood.