Page 8

Aria

I’m such an idiot. I was too excited and let it show. Gawd, I even told him I’d left work early to be ready for our date! I try in vain to ignore the heat of embarrassment rushing to my face, but it’s no use. I drop my phone on the counter and my face into my hands.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve dated anyone worth spending time with. First, I was consumed with my schooling, then training, and then getting settled into a practice. It took all my time and energy. I refused to date anyone during the whole mafia crap of trying to insist on an arranged engagement for me. I didn’t want to give them a target, so I turned down all dates. Then, we made the move to Denver and between not knowing anyone and getting set up in a new practice, I haven’t made time for men.

After meeting Rex, I realized how I’ve neglected the female part of myself for far too long. He ignited that part of me again, and I got my hopes up today. I know he’s not trying to just blow me off or that he regrets he agreed to a date. I believe him when he says something has come up with the club, and I have a pretty good idea of what it is. I’m just beyond disappointed in not getting to spend time with Rex tonight. I’m also disappointed in myself for letting a guy have this much control over my emotions. I’m an independent, professional woman of today’s world, and it’s time for me to remember that. With that thought in mind, I pick up my phone and make a call.

“Hey, woman! What’s up?” Lisa nearly shouts down the line.

Grinning, I know she’s exactly what I need tonight.

“I got stood up on a date. Want to take his place?” I ask.

“Fuck him, and yes, I do!”

“What do you want to do, and where should we go? If we go to a club, we need to be careful, though,” I state thoughtfully.

“Yeah, we do. Was it Rex who stood you up?” Lisa asks in a careful tone.

“Yes, but it was a club thing he said, so I’m not really offended. I just realized how much I was looking forward to it, and now I’m a little spooked by that.”

“I get what you’re saying. It always scares me a little if I feel I’m starting to depend on a guy for my own happiness, if that makes sense. If the club is up to something, we can be too. We’re not members, and we have no restrictions on us, but some of the women might. I’m not really sure how all that works, to be honest, but we can have fun with just us,” Lisa explains, then laughs.

“Exactly what I was thinking. How dressed up should we get? I’m in nice but casual clothes because I was expecting a casual type of dinner date. Should we go big?” I question while looking down at my outfit.

“It doesn’t have to be a weekend to dress to the nines! Let’s go big and make the men wish they stood a chance with us,” Lisa says through a giggle. “I’ll be at your place in an hour.”

“Perfect! See you then!”

Ending the call, I make a beeline for my closet. I feel better already, and Lisa’s always a fun time. Luckily, I have a lot of clothes. An embarrassing lot of clothes. Grabbing several hangers, I return to my bedroom and start trying them on in front of the full-length mirror.

Sitting back down in front of my makeup mirror, I start smoking out my eyes and changing my lipstick for a darker version. I go for a sultrier look that will work well with my little black dress. Tossing my hair over my head, I spray it for volume. When I’ve achieved the look I want, I return to my huge walk-in closet and search for ridiculously high heels. You know the kind I’m talking about. The ones that are gorgeous and accent your legs but are as uncomfortable as hell. Finding the pair I want, I slip them on just as my doorbell chimes.

Rushing to the front door, I pull it open to Lisa’s grinning face. She walks in and does a twirl motion with her finger. I do the twirl and grin at her low whistle. I give her the same motion and same response when she’s stopped twirling. I’m impressed.

“How did you do all that,” I ask while pointing at her dress and then face, “And still get here in an hour?”

“Years of being the Governor’s daughter and attending a lot of fancy events. Also, I had a hot client today, so the hair and makeup were already done. I just changed into a dress and higher heels.”

“You whore! You do that hair and makeup to show a house?” I ask, laughing at her expression.

“I do when the client’s a hot-ass multimillionaire that’s recently divorced!” Lisa shouts, then does a little shimmy that jiggles all her good parts.

After laughing loudly at her, I lead the way to the kitchen and a bottle of wine. After pouring us each a glass, I ask, “So where are we going tonight?”

“Um, do you trust me?” Lisa asks, and I’m instantly wary.

“Yeah, I think so. Unless you want to go to Club Ace, and then it’s a big fat no!” I answer.

“We’re going to go to The Devil’s Angels strip club, Dreams!” Lisa shouts, then laughs hard at the look on my face.

“A strip club? Really? I’ve never been to one.”

“Yep, and you’ll enjoy it. Freddy, a club member, manages it, so we’ll be safe. The security guys are awesome, and the bartender is Suki, and she is a blast. There are a few servers that are fun to hang with too. You’ll love Marti. She’s really sweet. She’s a server and bartends sometimes, too. If you aren’t having fun, we’ll leave. Promise.”

“Okay. Time for me to try new things, so off to a strip club we go,” I answer, then down the rest of my wine.

Walking to the front door, I pull it open to find Candy sitting on the step.

“Candy? Why didn’t you ring the bell?” I ask, confused.

Standing, she turns to us and gives a half grin.

“Where we going?” she asks without answering my question.

“Dreams,” Lisa answers while walking past us. “You coming with?”

“Yeah, I am. Want me to drive?” Candy says while holding out her hand.

Lisa drops her keys into Candy’s hand, and we make our way to Lisa’s car. I slide into the backseat and then contort my body to pull my dress back down to an acceptable level.

“Buckle up, ladies,” Candy orders and then starts the car.

I’m relaxing in my seat as Candy backs us out of my drive. We just start forward movement when suddenly Candy stands on the brakes. The car comes to a violent stop, and my seat belt engages to keep me in place. Shocked, I look at the back of Candy’s head and see she’s focused on the small strip of wooded area across from my home.

“What the hell, Candy?” Lisa half shouts.

Candy doesn’t answer but sits perfectly still, except for her eyes. They’re searching the trees, but for what, I have no idea. After another moment, Candy turns back to the road, and the car starts moving again.

“Sorry. Thought I saw someone I know,” Candy mumbles.

Lisa shoots me an amused look before turning back to the front.

“You have a guy friend you haven’t admitted to?” she asks Candy in an amused voice.

“What? No,” Candy answers, but the words are clipped.

I say nothing because Candy seems to be on edge, and I don’t want to push her over it. Lisa has no such qualms.

“I am offering my services as your hook-up coordinator, Candy. You say the word, and I’ll find you a guy.”

“Save your energy, Lisa. Not interested,” Candy mutters as she efficiently moves us through the evening traffic.

“In men or hook-ups in general?” Lisa teases.

“In general. My experience in life tells me not to trust in relationships or rely on many people. I like to keep my circle small, and I don’t like answering to a man,” Candy explains patiently.

What she doesn’t say speaks louder than her words. She’s been let down, abused, or disappointed before, probably repeatedly, and she’s not going back there again. I have mad respect for her fierce independence but also sadness for her past experiences.

“Not everyone will disappoint you, Candy,” Lisa advises in a soft voice.

“No, not everyone. I’m just staying vigilant as to who I allow in my world. I can be happy or miserable all on my own, but it’s my choice which to be. Like it or not, I’m also staying vigilant as to who’s in your worlds too. Same for the club members and their families. They’ve all adopted me for some odd reason, so it’s the least I can do to pay them back for giving me a family and a home. Not everyone’s going to like my methods, but it is what it is.”

“My dad is missing the boat! He should hire you for his security team. You’d whip those boys into shape fast,” Lisa states with a small laugh. “Even as kids, Lucy and I could lose them any day of the week.”

“That’s just sad,” Candy mutters as she stops the car in the Dreams parking lot. “You’ll be safe here, so enjoy yourselves, and I’ll keep an eye out just in case.”

With that, I follow Lisa into my very first strip club night out.

“Hey, Lisa. Are you up to no good tonight?” the bartender asks with a huge smile.

“You know it, Suki. How’ve you been?” Lisa responds while carefully seating herself on a stool and pulling me to the one next to her.

“Been good. Who’s your friend?” Suki asks.

“Aria. Chubs’ sister. This is Suki and the best bartender ever,” Lisa introduces us.

Surprisingly, Suki rounds the bar and wraps her arms around me, then lays the side of her face against my shoulder. I freeze, not knowing what to think of this hug-friendly woman. Lisa laughs loudly before playfully pulling Suki off of me.

“Hi, Aria. It’s nice to meet you. The hug is because everyone who knows him loves your brother, Chubs, and I’m no exception. Met your brother Les a few nights ago, and he got hugged too. Welcome to Dreams,” Suki explains before returning to the other side of the bar. “What can I get you, ladies?”

We tell her what we want and watch while she mixes them. When she’s done and sets them in front of us, I can’t hold back any longer.

“You met Les? In here? Please, please, please don’t tell me he was stuffing dollar bills in anyone’s g-string!”

Suki laughs and shakes her head.

“No, he wasn’t. He was with Chubs, and they came in to speak with Freddy. Lucy was with them. Lucy’s a favorite of mine. She’s like Lisa but not on steroids.”

“Hey!” Lisa exclaims in mock annoyance, but her grin breaks through and ruins the effect she was going for. Turning to face me, Lisa says, “Suki is besties with Taja, Vex’s wife. Have you met Vex yet?”

“Oh, yeah, I have. That’s not a face you forget meeting. Even my mom gets flushed when his name is mentioned,” I answer and instantly regret it.

“Is that so?” asks a smooth, deep, and sexy voice as a tanned, muscled arm reaches between me and Lisa to grab a beer off the bar.

My head whips around and then tilts so I can look upward to see none other than Vex. Vex with a sexy half-smile that’s simply not fair for the female population. Vex, who tips his head and drinks several swallows from his beer while my stunned brain allows my eyes to follow the movement of his throat. When done, his nearly golden eyes tip down to meet mine, and he shoots a wicked grin at me. Turning, without another word, Vex walks off, and it takes all my willpower to not check out his ass as he goes. I’m still concentrating on behaving when I realize Suki and Lisa are laughing their asses off, and I’m the reason.

“Don’t even, ladies! A 98-year-old woman would pant at that man! I’m only human!” I exclaim, and it only makes them laugh harder.

“Aria get Vexed?” Candy asks as she takes the stool next to mine.

“Yep, she did, but better yet, she outed her mom too,” Lisa answers with another giggle.

“What about you, Candy? Have you gotten Vexed?” I ask.

“I’m a living human being, so yeah, me too. I just didn’t basically tell him that I get hot flashes when he walks by like it sounds like you did. And your mom. Girl. You outed your mom!” Candy answers before giving a snort-laugh.

“Yeah, she would not be happy with me for that, but seriously, what female wouldn’t get Vexed?” I question with a shrug of my shoulder.

“Lucy,” answers Lisa, Candy, and Suki at the same time.

I feel my eyebrows shoot up and look at each woman.

“Lucy? She’s unaffected by Vex?” I ask, surprised.

“Said she met Chubs and hasn’t looked at another guy since,” Lisa answers in a soft voice.

I feel my heart melt and my love for Lucy grow.

“Oh my God. How sweet is that?” I ask.

“They’re great together. I’m happy to see her smiling again and getting back to who she was before Chubs left. Him being gone, wow, it altered her whole personality. She was devastated,” Candy states in a low tone while Lisa and Suki nod solemnly.

“Was it really that hard on her? I mean, yes, I know it was difficult, but no one really talks about how it affected her. Drew—I mean Chubs—only told me that she didn’t know much about his life before Denver, so she didn’t understand why he left,” I say with guilt swirling inside me.

“He had never mentioned you or your mom, so when you two arrived at the ranch, Lucy didn’t know you even existed. She didn’t even know if you were his girlfriend or wife. All she was told was that you and your mom were to be protected by the club because you were important to him. We’ve been close our entire lives, and I’ve never seen her hurting that much. It broke my heart, and I must admit, I’m still keeping him in my crosshairs. Sorry, I know he’s your brother, and he’s a great guy, but I’m still a little angry with how he handled that whole situation,” Lisa explains.

“I get that. I would be too if she’d done it to my brother. I can’t imagine the guilt that would have caused him, though,” I say softly.

I see Candy nod her head in agreement before abruptly turning and walking away. I watch as she skirts the room before coming to a stop and placing her back against a wall.

“Why’d she walk off? Did I say something wrong?” I ask, confused about Candy’s behavior.

“No, not at all. She likes to keep an eye on everything,” Lisa says with a careless shrug.

Lisa and Suki start discussing something, but I don’t pay attention. I’m still watching Candy. She’s watching a table of men who have had several drinks and are starting to get loud. Her eyes stay on them for several long seconds before making a pass around the room. When they meet mine, she gives me a chin lift, and then they move back to that group of men. Turning back to face the bar, I tune into Lisa and Suki’s conversation.

I’m on my second drink when Freddy joins us. Turning to say hi, I bite back the word when I see the concern on his face.

“Hey, Freddy! Did you decide to come have a drink with the most beautiful women here?” Lisa asks before looping an arm over Freddy’s shoulder.

“Hi, ladies. Do you have a club member with you tonight?” he asks bluntly.

“We have Candy. She’s over there,” Lisa answers while pointing toward Candy.

I watch as Freddy visibly relaxes, and a smile finally shows.

“That’s good. Okay, then, yes. I’m here to have a drink with the most beautiful women in Denver.”

Seeing a chance to find out what’s up with the club tonight, I ask Freddy, “You think Lisa and I need a babysitter?”

I ask this with a wide smile to take the sting out of my words. Freddy’s eyes meet mine, and he grins hugely. With a nod of his head at Lisa, he whisper-shouts, “It’s always smart to have one for Lisa.”

“Heard that. Not offended by the truth, though,” Lisa states before downing the rest of her drink.

“It’s busy for not being a weekend, isn’t it?” I question Freddy.

“It’s always busy, it seems. A lot of our regulars come in during the week when they think it’ll be quieter, hoping to get some extra attention from the dancers. Sundays are about the only quiet night lately. What brings you ladies out tonight?”

“Boredom,” I answer. “And Lisa wanted to pop my strip club cherry, I think.”

Freddy laughs and nods like he’s heard this before.

We chat about little things while Freddy drinks his beer. He’s friendly and kind, but I notice how watchful he is of everything happening in the club.

“Vex working tonight?” Lisa asks.

“No. He’s got a thing going with the club but stopped by to speak with me first,” Freddy responds. “I better get back to the office and finish up some things. You ladies have a good night, and keep Candy close.”

After Freddy walks off, Lisa turns to me.

“Sorry. I was trying to find out what’s so important that Rex stood you up.”

“I was trying too, but it doesn’t really matter,” I say half-heartedly.

“Want to dance?” Lisa suddenly asks with a wicked grin.

“What? No! I’m not getting naked and shaking my bits and pieces for these men to see!” I exclaim.

“Not here! I was just asking if you wanted to dance tonight because we could go somewhere else,” Lisa explains. “Can you imagine what Candy would do if we tried to take over the pole?”

“Oh God, no! She’d tackle and then drag us out of here,” I answer, now grinning at the thought.

“If Candy didn’t, Freddy would,” adds Suki as she plops drinks down in front of us.

“I wouldn’t mind if Rod tackled me,” Lisa says and then points across the room.

I understand why she said that when I see the man that’s approaching the far end of the bar. Lisa has stellar taste in men.

“Is he a Devil’s Angel?” I ask.

“No, but he could be with those looks,” Lisa answers as she slowly turns her stool to keep Rod in sight.

“He’s divorced,” Suki adds. “But he’s divorced, bitter about it, and has sworn off women. For now, of course. He won’t last long.”

“They forget quickly, and women never do,” Lisa states in a knowing tone.

Watching the expression on Lisa’s face, I know she’s speaking from experience. It saddens me to know she’s been hurt before. Most adults have at some point, but she’s carrying hers with a sense of never forgetting or repeating what happened ever again.

While I’m thinking about Lisa’s past, I notice her eyes widen in surprise. At the same time, a hand covers my mouth, and an arm wraps around my body, pulling me off my stool. I’m held against a body as my feet are set on the floor. I immediately start trying to pull the hand off my mouth while twisting my head to get a look at who’s holding me immobile. When I hear Lisa laugh, I quit struggling. I don’t know who is behind me, but I know he’s not a threat.

“I would have expected a bigger fight from you. Are you becoming a quitter now?” I hear my brother say as he releases me.

Whirling, I watch as a slow smile spreads across Drew’s face as he looks down at me with gentle eyes. Returning his smile, I impulsively go up on my toes and plant a soft kiss on his cheek.

“I thought you were busy with the club tonight,” I say.

“I am. Just had to stop by and speak with Freddy. What are you two doing out on a worknight?” Drew asks while glancing from me to Lisa. “And should the world be worried that you two are spending so much time together?”

I answer no at the same time as Lisa answers yes, and I watch my brother smile broadly.

“Thought we’d blow off some steam and get out for a few hours tonight,” I state, answering his first question.

“I got them, Chubs,” Candy says as she joins our small group.

“Then I know they’re safe, and I can get back to work. Appreciate it, Candy. Behave, ladies, but have fun,” Drew says with a grin.

Watching my brother walk toward the back of the club, I spot Horse walking the same direction. Following Horse is Rex, but unlike Horse, his eyes are on me. His face is serious as he gives a slight nod in my direction before disappearing down a hallway.

“Doesn’t look like the club members are having as much fun as we are tonight,” Lisa states.

“No, they don’t,” Candy responds before moving down the bar to take a seat at the end.

I take my seat on my stool but turn it slightly so I can keep an eye on the hallway that Rex disappeared down. Suki joins us again, and I half listen to her and Lisa discuss the pros and cons of being a stripper. I nod, smile, and toss in a few comments, but my mind isn’t really on the conversation.

“Is our conversing interfering with your covert stalking?” Lisa asks with a finger poke to my shoulder.

“No, and ouch,” I respond absently.

“Which one is she stalking?” Suki asks with interest. “Because if it’s Horse, Tessie will be throwing hands at her.”

“I’m not stalking anyone,” I instantly deny and probably sound guilty as hell.

Before Suki can question me further, a commotion starts up across the room. Looking in that direction, I see there’s a loud disagreement between two of the men that Candy had been watching earlier. Now standing, the men are face to face with voices rising above the music.

“Here we go,” Suki mutters as the men start pushing each other hard in the chest.

I watch as the other men in their group stand and appear to take sides. Rod and another guy that I’m assuming is security start toward the men when things take an ugly turn.

When one of the men shoves the other, the man collides with a female server and sends her sprawling, drinks flying everywhere. Just as Rod arrives at the fight and the other security guy pulls the server out of the fray, a knife appears in one of the men’s hands.

I hear Suki relaying what’s happening to someone, but my eyes remain glued to the fight. I’m sure she’s alerting Freddy, and I’m sure the club members will be appearing soon.

As the guy with the knife lunges forward, a loud bang ricochets through the club. I gasp in surprise at the speed at which this fight has progressed but shriek in shock when I’m physically picked up and thrown over the bar.

I land painfully on my hip but have no time to think about it before Lisa lands unceremoniously next to me. Suki is crouched down next to us, and we all look at each other in shock. When another shot is fired, we stay down and huddle together.

“Oh my God! Candy!” Lisa suddenly screams and tries to stand, but Suki and I hold her down.

“She’ll be fine,” Suki assures us, and somehow, I know she’s telling the truth.

After several long seconds, the sounds of the fight start to dim. The music is shut off, and it seems eerily quiet for a few beats before Candy’s head appears over the bar.

“You all whole?” she calmly asks.

“Yes! We’re good. Are you okay?” Lisa shouts.

“Yeah. It’s safe now,” Candy answers. “Sorry for tossing you the way I did, ladies. Figured a few bruises was better than bullet holes.”

Slowly, the three of us stand and look around the club. The first face I see is Rex’s. He’s holding a guy in place, but his eyes are frantically searching the room but stop when they land on me. I watch as they slide up and down my body and then settle on my eyes. I mouth the words “I’m okay” and watch as his body physically relaxes.

Pulling my eyes from his, I search for my brother. Finding him unharmed, I breathe my own sigh of relief. He quickly hands off the guy he was restraining and makes his way to me. Giving me a brief hug, he pulls Lisa in for one too.

“Freddy needs the first aid kit, Suki, and some help with a few minor injuries. Aria, I need you to come with me,” Drew states and immediately starts pulling me after him. “Candy, can you keep Lisa with you until we’re done?”

“Yeah,” Candy answers with no hesitation.

I hustle behind my brother the best I can in a tight dress and heels and enter the office a minute later. It takes but a second to understand the situation. Rod is the one injured, and Horse is holding a towel to the wound. What I don’t understand is why I’m here.

“Be nice if you could help me out here, Doc,” Horse states while looking at me.

I stand like a dumbass, staring at Horse like he’s speaking a foreign language.

“Aria. Can you patch Rod up before he bleeds out?” Horse asks while giving me a questioning look.

“I’m a dentist,” I respond in a near whisper.

“True, but I’m still pretty sure it says doctor before your name, and that qualifies you more than me,” Horse insists with a lopsided grin.

I continue staring at Horse then Rod until my brother steps into my line of sight.

“Hey, look at me. Rod was shot and needs to be stitched up. We need you to pull it together and help, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. Shit! Of course, I’ll help,” I say louder than necessary, but I do it while snapping into action.

Shaking off the remaining shock, I grab a chair and pull it up next to where Rod is seated on the couch. I place my hand on the towel where Horse had his and pull it back enough to see the wound. It’s bleeding, but it’s not an arterial bleed. Carefully applying pressure again, I rotate Rod’s arm enough to see that there is an exit wound. All good news for Rod’s chances of recovery.

Without looking up, I tell Horse the items I need and wait until he leaves the room. I then look at Rod’s face and notice he’s holding it together very well. I know he’s in a lot of pain, but he’s handling it well.

“Gunshot wounds are notorious for getting infected. I can disinfect it and stitch it up, but I must advise you to go to the hospital. They’re better equipped for this type of thing,” I say.

“No. No hospital. Do what you can, please,” Rod answers immediately.

“The police are going to—” I start before Rod interrupts me.

“There will be no police or hospital. This stays in-house.”

“The club will handle this, Aria. Is the wound serious enough to need a hospital? Or can you fix it?” Drew asks.

“I can do it,” I answer. “Tomorrow, Rod will need to come to my office, though.”

“Why? I was shot in the arm. I didn’t lose a tooth,” Rod responds in a gruff voice.

“Because I can give you a prescription for antibiotics, but you need to be my dental patient first. I’ll give you a quick exam and send you on your way with a prescription to stop any infection,” I answer with a small smile aimed at him. “You know, for that abscessed tooth you have.”

“Got it. I’ll be there,” Rod states.

“Lay your head back and get comfortable. The next hour isn’t going to be fun,” I advise as Horse returns with the items I requested.