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Cole’s voice came on the line. “Just got word. The Pony burned to the ground.”
“You’re shittin’ me. When?”
“Jason said it started around midnight. Place went up quick. By the time the fire trucks pulled up it was fully engulfed.”
“Anybody hurt? Are all the girls okay?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. Jason and Dolly got everyone out as soon as the smoke detectors went off.”
“Thank God.” Crash blew out a breath taking it all in. “Well, guess you made a good decision when you picked Jason to manage that place.”
“Yeah, we’re damn lucky to have him. Him and Dolly, both.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
“We’re meeting at the clubhouse in the morning. Heading out at first light.”
“All right. I’ll be there.”
“We got a shit-ton of stuff to deal with. Jason said they didn’t have time to get the money out of the office safe. The girls are all a wreck, and we need to set up something temporary for them.”
“Christ. Do they know what started it?”
“Jason said the inspectors will be out in the morning, but he heard rumblings among the firemen tonight that an accelerant was probably used.”
“Great. How many enemies do we have this week?”
“Too many to count, Brother.”
“You think it’s somehow connected with the hit in Temecula?”
“Hell, something like this, it might not even be club-related. Could be someone out to shut down legal prostitution in the state of Nevada. Could be a jealous boyfriend of one of the girls, or a customer’s wife. Could be a disgruntled ex-employee, or a religious fanatic. The list is endless.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. Get a couple hours sleep, we got a long ride in the morning.”
“Right.” After he disconnected, Crash pulled Shannon’s sleeping body close, spooning her from behind.
“Everything okay?” she murmured in a sleepy voice.
He kissed her behind the ear. “Everything’s fine, sweetheart. Go back to sleep.”
****
Shannon stood in front of the bathroom sink, still dressed in her nightgown, looking down at the pee stick in her hand and its little minus sign. She felt like crying, like bursting into tears. But then she looked in the mirror and saw Crash come through the doorway, shirtless in a pair of sweatpants hanging low on his hips. His hands closed over her upper arms, and the heat of his body pressed against her back.
His voice murmured in her ear, soft and comforting, “Babe, it’ll happen.”
She nodded, so overwhelmed with sadness, she couldn’t speak. Crash took the stick from her hand and tossed it into the wastebasket, then he pulled her around, taking her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him.
“Princess, it hasn’t been that long.”
Her eyes dropped. “It’s been six months, Crash.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, and his thumb came up to brush it away. “Baby.”
She knew her reaction was breaking his heart, so she tried to smile and brush it off with a shrug, putting on a brave face. Her hands came up and closed over his wrists, pulling his hands from her face. “I’m okay. We’ll just keep trying.”
