Page 36 of Strip Search

“Who else would decide to become a stripper to find her sister? And did I mention, you’re the best dancer I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of them. Granted, most of them were naked,” he admitted. “But you outshone them all. If I didn’t want you for myself, you’d be making thirty thousand a month in my club until someone stole you away from me.”

This time I did laugh. “Only if all my VIP clients were you and Darcy.”

Miles scowled. “Forget about Darcy.”

“He’s going to help us find Lisa.” I recounted the conversation Darcy and I had.

“It’s really tough to hate him,” he said. “He’s a nice bloke.”

“Then don’t. You’ve got nothing to be jealous about. I want you, not him.”

“Good.” Miles gave me a cocky smile and I was in the mood again.

Too bad we had arrived at Dee’s mother’s place.

We were in a more upscale part of town than before. I knew this because the communities were gated and the security at the kiosk outside of Dee’s mother’s condo was eyeballing Miles’s tattoos.

“Who are you here to see?”

Miles looked at his sticky note. “Eleanor Brandon.”

“One moment.”

“If she tells us to fuck off, let’s go to the Wynn,” I said in Miles’s ear while fondling him through his jeans when the guard was busy calling to see if we were welcome or not.

“You got it.” He thumbed my nipple and it made me gasp.

Unfortunately, the guard waved us through and told us where to park. Inside the gates, we could be in any city in the world. The shrubs and bushes were green and healthy, even though we were in the desert. As we walked up to the condo, a stunning woman in her mid-fifties stormed out of the house wearing a white one-piece bathing suit and a turban. The gauzy coverup she was hastily pulling on floated behind her like a cape.

“Eleanor Brandon?” I asked.

The woman nodded and turned to Miles. “Are you Miles Carvello?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Because of you, my daughter is a whore.”

And then she slapped Miles hard across the face.

Chapter Eleven

Miles Carvello

I took the crack even though I could have easily avoided it. It stung, but I sold it by rocking my head to the side. If it made Dee’s mother feel good, and calm enough to explain the bullshit she was spewing, it would be worth it.

“She was going to be a chef. She was going to Cordon Bleu. Did you know that? Do you even care?”

“She was a shitty cook.” At least that’s what Liu always said. “Lazy in the kitchen and her knife skills just plain sucked.”

Yeah, that wasn’t the right thing to say. So much for calming her down. Before she could swing again, Jackie stepped in. I squared off on the mother and she blinked at me, probably noticing that I could break her in half and stuff her in the dumpster. Not that I would, but she didn’t have to know that.

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” Jackie said soothingly.

“No, there hasn’t.” Eleanor’s eyes filled with tears. “She’s a hooker at the Moondust Cherry Ranch.”

“In Pahrump?” Jackie whispered.

“Yes.” Eleanor started to cry.