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“I haven’t said anything, but I think some of the girls warned Saint he’d lose his workforce if they lost me. That’s most likely why he’s slowly replacing the rest of the staff first.”
“What about your hostess?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they pull Sapphire from that position and force her back on stage full-time. It’s a shame really, since she’s such a good hostess. She knows how to work the floor and does it like a pro. She’s good at getting our customers to part with their cash. She can coax a drunk into a car service without a fight. Saint knows Phire and I make a great team and that we keep the club running smoothly, but that doesn’t mean he won’t eventually replace us both with his own people.”
His brow furrowed. “Why would he want to do that? Especially if they don’t have the experience that you and the rest of the employees do.”
“I have my suspicions.” But like everything else, it was safer to keep them to herself. She didn’t want to get on Taint’s bad side. She had no doubt the biker could get violent. She’d already seen him lose his temper with both customers and the prospects.
He was a walking, talking lit fuse and it didn’t take much for him to explode.
“What are your suspicions?” He reached across the table and peeled her hand from the table top to give it a reassuring squeeze. “Do you think they’re up to something illegal? Are they doing something that law enforcement should be aware of?”
“My gut instinct says yes. But I’m afraid if the cops find out about whatever it is, they’ll shut the whole club down. It’s more than only me I have to worry about. It’s the girls, too. They depend on dancing to pay their bills and support their families. To pay for their education. Whether some in society agree with it or not, dancing on stage is a job just like any other. It’s a legal source of income and they would lose that.”
“But if the MC is using the club as a front for illegal activities, that alone could shut the business down. It doesn’t matter how well the club is being run. It doesn’t matter how much the club is making if it’s dirty money.”
He was right. But what could she do about it?
Before she could respond, he continued with his voice low and soothing. “Look, I’m an outsider so don’t be afraid to talk about whatever it is with me. You can trust me to not share anything you tell me with any of those Demons.”
She should pull her hand out from under his because she was distracted by the way his thumb was brushing back and forth over the back of her hand. “I don’t know you.”
“But you know I’m not one of them. If you need to unload in a safe space, consider me that safe space.”
“Again, I don’t know you, but I do know they’re dangerous. That’s why I’m careful of what I say when I’m at the club or even in the parking lot. I never know where they are, what they’re seeing or listening to. I don’t want to be their next target.”
His spine snapped straight and he sat back on his side of the booth. “Mel…”
She pulled her hand from his and dropped it into her lap so she could concentrate. “I’ll be fine as long as I don’t ruffle any Demon feathers.”
“But what if they’re doing illegal things and you get caught up in it?”
“I’m going to do my best to avoid that.” Mel had no desire to be a part of any illegal activities. None whatsoever. So far, she’d turned a blind eye to anything suspicious as long as it didn’t hurt her or her girls. She was only biding her time until she could get out.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t worried about blowback from the shit they were doing.
“What if you could do something about them?” he asked. “What if you had the opportunity to find out what they’re doing and why they bought the business, beyond the obvious reason, would you?”
Where was he going with this? “For what reason?”
“To get rid of them.”
“Like they did with Laura? Hold it over their heads until they’re forced to abandon the business?”
“No. I mean… Maybe call a crime tip line or report them somehow with whatever info you have.”
She’d have no problem snitching on them if she had solid proof.
She suspected they bought The Peach Pit to use as a base to sell drugs and possibly launder cash. But how was she going to prove that? Worse, what if she was wrong and the Demons found out she was snooping? Or worse, calling in tips to police hotlines?
It could be catastrophic.
“Think about it.”
