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DELILAH
Kurtdrove me to an apartment building in downtownTampa, not far from theRiverwalk.Itwas a local hotspot that was growing by leaps and bounds, now that so many people were pouring into the city.
Tampaused to be a fairly nice city to live in—Imean, aside from the heat and humidity and the threat of hurricanes.Itwas big enough that there was always something going on and some new restaurants to try, but small enough that you could get across town in under an hour.
Allthat had changed now, however.Thetraffic was horrible, even at night and on the weekends, and home prices had been driven into spiraling heights of insanity.Mylittle townhouse thatColehad bought me was now worth three times what it had been but ifIhad sold it,Iwould scarcely have been able to afford to rent an apartment in the current housing market.
Otherprices had gone up too—my groceries cost me twice what they used to.Gaswas ridiculously high.Allbecause we had gotten listed as one of the best places to live in the country—a “hidden gem”—and everyone had decided to move here.
Whydo people always ruin everything?
Butit wasn’t the awful downtown trafficIwas concerned with at the moment.Iwas wondering whoIwas going to meet and trying to remember ifIhad seen any older maleWeresin the crowd atTheDollHouseduring the three setsIhad done.Well—more like two and a half sinceColehad come in and dragged me out of the last one halfway through my set.
Icouldn’t remember anyone like that but to be honest, my time up on stage had been a blur.Icould tell that some of the strippers there actually enjoyed their job—they found it sexy and empowering to bare their bodies.Andactually,thatpart of the jobIliked.Butriding the pole isn’t where you make your money—it’s the lap dances you do and the private performances in theVIPand champagne rooms—thoseare the real money makers.
Ofcourse, sinceIwas only there to attractCole’sattention,Ihad done my best to avoid the “private dances.”ButIhad to givesomelap dances orIwouldn’t have been invited back to dance again.Strippingis all about keeping the customers happy and engaged so they’ll stay longer and spend more money.
Theintimacy of a lap dance can be problematic if you’re not really into giving one.Mencan get awfully handsy, even if they’re technically not supposed to.Andthe only man whose handsIwanted on my body wasCole.
Iwas actually so relieved when he’d finally showed up at the club andIknewIwouldn’t have strip anymore…but now look.Apparentlysome olderWerehad seen me and decided he wanted me.Andmy big brother was just going to hand me over.Howcould he betray me this way?
Iwas still alternating between the feelings of anger, betrayal, and sadness thatColewas willing to give me away to some other male, asKurtand theAlphaguard escorted me up the elevator to a swanky penthouse apartment.
Theyknocked on the door and thenKurtproduced a keycard and unlocked it.Thedoor opened onto darkness lit with only a faint reddish glow from somewhere deep in the apartment.Imean, it was givingseriousspooky serial killer vibes.
“Sir—she’s here,”Kurtcalled.Helooked at me. “Goon—get in.”
“Ohno—I’mnot going in there!”
Itried to duck under his arm but theAlphaguard was too quick for me.Hegrabbed me and shoved me into the darkened apartment.Thenhe slammed the door shut andIheard the lock click back into place.
Iyanked on the doorknob, frantically turning it first one way and then the other butIcouldn’t get it open.
“Help!Help!”Ishouted, banging on the door. “Youcan’t leave me in here with some guyIdon’t even know!Hemight be a serial killer for all you know!Help!”
“There’sno need to be so frightened, little one.”
Thedeep, growling voice came from behind me.Iwhirled around to see an extremely tall man in a black, tailored suit standing there looming over me.Hehad impossibly broad shoulders and he was wearing a black leather mask that covered his entire head with only slits for his eyes, nose and mouth.
“OhmyGod!”Iput a hand to my chest likeIwas trying to keep my heart from jumping out and running away. “You…you scared me!Whoare you?”
“Someonewho saw your performance…and liked it.”Thedeep, growling voice sounded faintly familiar—almost likeCole’s,Ithought.Also, this guy was extremely tall like my big brother.Butno—there was no way this wasCole.Whywould he do something like this?
“So…you want me to dance for you?”Iasked. “Sorry, butI’mnot exactly dressed for it.”Ilet out a shaky laugh and nodded down at my sweatshirt and yoga pants combo.Myfuzzy orange socks were worse for the wear, after walking across the sidewalk outside and through the huge lobby of the apartment building.
“Youwill be provided with everything you need,” the tall man growled at me. “Comethis way.”Notwaiting to see ifIwould follow, he turned and glided away into the darkened apartment.
Ihesitated, looking back at the locked door and wondering what to do.
“Youwill not be harmed in any way tonight,” the deep growling voice informed me, drifting out of the darkness. “Youwon’t even be touched, if you don’t wish to be.”
“Yeah, but that’s exactly what a serial killer would say to his victim,”Icalled back, still staying by the door.
Theman in the mask came back and looked down at me.
“Doyou have any idea what your brother would do to anyone who laid afingeron you?”Heasked me andIhad the feeling he was frowning under the mask. “Didyou see what happened to the drunk who was pawing you the other night?”
Ibit my lip—had he been there atTheDollHousewatching me strip when things got out of hand andColeintervened?Istill couldn’t remember any olderWereguy who had been there.Werescan usually tell each other by scent—evenIcan tell, thoughI’vebeen a dud most of my life.Butthe onlyWeresIcould remember being there that night were the bouncer and my big brother.
