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SEVEN

“ H ey there, handsome.”

“What do you want, Misty?”

“Nothing. I was just...”

I glanced up and found Misty leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed and a soured look on her face. “Just what?”

“Have you checked next week’s schedule?”

“Not yet. Why?”

“Keeley’s overbooking herself again,” Misty huffed. “I get that she needs the work, but I don’t want to deal with her drama when she can’t make it in for her shift.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“Okay, great, but can you keep this between us? I really don’t want to get into a thing with her.”

I gave her a nod, and once she’d left my office, I grabbed the schedule. I’d just started looking it over when I heard Grim say, “Thought I might find you here.”

“Seems like I’m here more than I’m not.”

“That’s because you are.” He walked over and sat on the chair in front of my desk. “How’s it going?”

“It’s going.” Grim was the club’s enforcer. It was his job to look out for the brothers and handle things whenever trouble came knocking at our door. He took his job seriously, so I knew he wasn’t here for small talk. He wanted the lowdown on the Vault and our latest sales. “Keeley’s been pulling her usual crap, so I’m shuffling things around to keep the stage covered.”

“Might be time to send her on her way.”

“I’d consider it if her sales weren’t so damn good.” I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “Hell, she almost sells twice as much as the other girls.”

“Even the shrooms?”

“Especially the shrooms. They are flying off the shelves. Buyers keep coming back for more, which is good, but we gotta keep it tight. No slipping.”

“Tight’s your middle name,” Grim snickered. “But that’s why you’re in that chair and no one else. You’re the reason this place runs as well as it does.”

“Just doing my job.” I tapped my pen against my desk. “Now, unless you’re here to deal with Keeley, I’ve got work to do.”

“Nah, she’s your problem.” He chuckled as he stood and started for the door. “Keep me posted, though.”

“Will do.”

“And hey, don’t forget to take a break.” He cocked his brow. “You’re starting to look a little rough around the edges.”

I smirked as he walked out, already turning back to my work. Breaks weren’t in my job description. There were too many things on the line, so I got back to it. I leaned back in my chair, and the soft creak of leather against leather underlined my irritation as I stared at the schedule in front of me. Keeley had booked herself for six shifts this week, including a double on Friday.

I understood the hustle better than anyone, but this was over the line.

I hit the intercom and barked, “Keeley, my office. Now.”

Seconds later, there was a knock, and Keeley stepped into my office. “Shut the door.”

“Okay.” Her eyes were wide with worry as she stepped inside the office and closed the door behind her. “Is everything okay?”

She looked tired—more than tired.

But I wasn’t about to let that derail the conversation. It needed to be had, and it needed to be had right now. I gestured to the chair across from me and ordered, “Sit.”

“I’ll take that as a no.” She sat down and started fidgeting with the hem of her tank top. “What did I do this time?”

“You want to explain why you’ve got six shifts this week?” I asked, sliding the schedule across the desk toward her. “And two of those on Friday, back-to-back? You think I don’t notice stuff like this?”

“I need the money,” she said quickly, her voice shaking just enough to catch my attention.

“We all need the money, Keeley. That doesn’t mean you kill yourself trying to make it.” My tone was firmer than I meant when I told her, “You’ve been here long enough to know that burning out doesn’t help anyone—not you, not me, not the club.”

“I know.” She looked down at her hands. “But it’s different this time.”

“How?” I asked, leaning forward. “Because unless you’ve got a damn good reason, I’m cutting you back to four shifts with no doubles.”

“I’m pregnant.”

“Oh, damn.” I leaned back in my chair as I told her, “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Neither was I,” she replied with a defeated sigh. “And I’m trying to work as much as I can now because, in a few months, I won’t be able to.”

I exhaled slowly, realizing the difficult situation she was in . Keeley was one of my best dancers. She was reliable, professional, and good with the customers. But this changed things. “Why the hell didn’t you say something sooner?”

“Because I knew you’d cut my hours,” she said, her voice breaking. “And I can’t afford that right now.”

“What about the father?”

“I haven’t told him yet.”

Fearing it might be one of the brothers, I urged, “You need to talk to him. No reason for you to be doing this all on your own when you don’t have to.”

“I don’t think he’s going to want me to keep it.”

“That’s your decision to make.”

“I know, but I don’t know how I’ll make it on my own.”

“You’re not on your own. You have a family here who is willing to do whatever we can to help.”

“I don’t want to put anyone out.”

“Then, don’t overbook yourself and make yourself sick.” I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to keep my frustration in check. “You’ll burn out before you even make it to maternity leave, and that’s not good for you or the baby.”

“Okay. Understood.” Her lip quivered, but she nodded. “So... what now?”

“I’ll give you four shifts a week but no doubles. I’ll do what I can to give you good hours, so your tips will be good.”

“I’d really appreciate that.”

“And if something else comes up...”

“I’ll come to you.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear. Now go get some rest. You’ve got a shift tomorrow, and I don’t want to see you dragging.”

“Yes, sir.”

She stood up, giving me a small, grateful smile before walking out. I stared at the door for a long moment after it closed. I didn’t have to be out on the floor to know it was hopping tonight. It was a Friday, and we were always busy on Friday. And lately, we’d been even busier. Since we’d started moving the shrooms, business had skyrocketed, and while that was good for us, it also meant my job had gotten a hell of a lot more complicated.

But that suited me fine.

I liked the chaos.

I was still working on the schedule when I heard a raised voice cut through the steady thrum of the music. I paused and strained to hear it again. Shouting wasn’t unusual at the Vault, but something about the tone set me on edge. It wasn’t playful or drunk yelling. This was laced with anger and came with the sound of glass shattering against the wall.

“Shit.” I pushed back from my desk and rushed out of the office.

As I started down the dark hall, the commotion grew louder. By the time I stepped into the bar, all heads were already turning toward the source of the chaos—a corner booth where one of the regulars was standing, red-faced and yelling at Harley.

Harley was one of our newer girls, and she was a cute redhead with a bit of bite to her. She didn’t take shit off of anyone—no matter how big or small. I had no idea what had gone on at that booth, but it was clear she wasn’t happy. She had her arms crossed, and her expression was a mixture of defiance and unease.

Before I could step in, Memphis was charging over to them.

He wasn’t our biggest brother, but he could hold his own, and everyone knew it, especially him. He walked with an air of confidence that drew attention from anyone around him.

He reached the booth in three long strides and grabbed the asshole by the front of his shirt. The guy’s protests turned to panicked pleading as Memphis yanked him out of the booth and lifted him like he weighed nothing. He pulled him close, and once he was just inches from his face, Memphis growled. “You’ve got two choices. You can walk out of here on your own, or I can throw you out.”

“Hey, man, I wasn’t—” the guy started, but Memphis wasn’t having it.

He turned and dragged the guy toward the door, ignoring all his flailing and whining. True to his word, Memphis tossed him out the door.

The dude hit the sidewalk with a loud thud, and Memphis stood in the doorway, glaring down at him. “Consider yourself banned.”

By the time Memphis turned and walked back inside, things had already settled back down, and everyone’s attention had returned to the dancers on the various stages. Harley had made her way back over to the bar and looked completely unfazed. I wasn’t surprised. Our girls knew we had their backs and wouldn’t let anyone fuck with them. For us, it was a blessing and a curse.

I walked over to Memphis as he dusted off his hands like he’d just taken out the trash. “You good?”

“Better now.” He gave me a smirk. “That asshole has been pushing it for months.”

Trouble was standard at the Vault.

It was expected with the booze, drugs, and the temptation that came with so many scantily dressed or outright naked women. We wouldn’t be the club we were if it wasn’t for Memphis and the other brothers. They took care of the issues and took care of them swiftly—which helped keep the cops at bay.

I gave Memphis a nod as I told him, “Appreciate you taking care of him.”

“Just doing my job.”

“Well, it could’ve gotten messy.”

“It was messy.” Memphis’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. “You might wanna talk to Harley before her mouth gets her into more trouble than she can handle.”

I nodded and started over to her. The second she spotted me coming toward her, she glanced up at the ceiling and shook her head. She knew why I was coming, and I could tell by her expression she was going to give me hell about it. Damn. It was going to be another long night.