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Ten years. She’d worked here ten years. It had become her home away from home and the girls had become her family. Laura, too.
She had loved her job.
Until some drug-dealing, pot-smoking, motorcycle-riding assholes came along and destroyed it all.
She swallowed down that bitter pill because there was nothing she could do about it. “I don’t have enough money to start my own club, Phire. I wish I did. I wish I could take you all with me, but I have nowhere to go.”
Jesus, she sounded pitiful.
“You will,” Sapphire assured her. “If anyone can do it, you can.”
A squeal of tires had her glancing toward the narrow street that ran behind the strip club.
A Toyota Tacoma.
She should be relieved he came, but right now her stomach was twisted into too many knots.
Her life changed once the Demons bought the club.
Her life changed again the day Finn walked out onto that same club’s stage.
And now it was about to change again.
All in a matter of a few months.
Finn’s eyes were on her when he climbed out of the truck. They didn’t waver even when one of the officers approached him. And they remained locked on her when he exchanged a few words with the cop.
His focus on her was so intense as he quickly strode in her direction, she swore he could see deep into her very soul.
As soon as he reached them, he pulled her from Sapphire’s arms and into his own, rocking her back and forth and resting his chin on top of her head. Of course it was easy to do that right now. She’d lost her heels along the way and stood barefoot on the cold, rough pavement.
She caught herself in time before she slipped and didn’t use his undercover name. “Danny, loosen up. I can barely breathe,” she wheezed. His hug was crushing.
After a few seconds he finally released her and, with both hands on her upper arms, he held her away from him, inspecting her from head to toe. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”
That was the last thing she needed. “No, I have some minor cuts and bruises. I’ll be fine.”
A muscle jumped in his cheek when she assured him she was fine.
What wasn’t fine was her dress after the pavement acted like a cheese grater. But a dress could easily be replaced.
One of the remaining Uniontown officers approached Finn. “Do you want one of us to escort her inside the building to retrieve her personal items?”
He kept his eyes locked on her when he answered, “I can do it.”
“I’ll do it,” Sapphire insisted. “And I’ll try to find your shoes.”
“Thanks, Phire.”
“Anything for you, MJ,” she said softly, before heading inside.
“I’ll give you two a few minutes, then we’ll need her statement. Do you want to do it here or at the station?” The cop was once again addressing Finn and not her, the actual victim.
While that was a bit aggravating, the reason could be that they knew each other.
“Here. And when you do, you’ll make it quick. I want to get her home.”
The uniformed officer nodded before drifting away to give her and Finn a few moments alone.
As if a switch was thrown, Finn’s whole demeanor softened.
“Jesus Christ,” he whispered, splaying his hand over her cheek and pressing his forehead to hers. “Jesus fucking Christ, Mel. I lost my damn mind while I watched that whole thing. I wanted to reach through that damn screen and I couldn’t. Seeing it and not being able to do anything made it so much fucking worse.”
“I’m fine,” she breathed.
“While I’m glad you’re fine, I don’t ever want to hear that particular assertion again.” He enveloped her in his arms once more. “You’re done working here.”
The gruffness to his demand didn’t go unnoticed. What happened to her had affected him deeply.
It wasn’t surprising, but more of a confirmation on how he felt about her. When they agreed to become a fake couple, neither expected a real relationship to develop between them.
But then, as with everything in life, it was smart to always expect the unexpected. Thinking life was under control was an illusion easily broken.
“Apparently so, since I was fired. I consider being dragged out the door by my hair as an official pink slip.”
“As you should.” Sweeping her mess of hair out of her face, he lowered his voice until only she could hear him. “We have plenty of evidence now to take Saint and his prospects down.”
“While that’s great, it doesn’t pay my damn bills, Finn.” The hope to buy The Peach Pit had been dashed once Finn explained that a large investigation like this took months, even years. And there was no guarantee she’d be able to buy the club after the Demons were all indicted. The business could be strangled in red tape for even longer.
