Oh God.
He was killing me.
So.
Loved.
My big brother!
“Honey—”
“It sucks. I’m happy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel like I’ve lost something.”
Oh God.
“Please—”
“Give him time,” he whispered.
He meant Lee.
And now I got it.
I was his little sister and Lee wasn’t ready to let that go.
I pressed my lips together before I nodded, our foreheads rolling. Hank lifted a bit away but didn’t let go of me, mostly because I squeezed his arm.
“I get you,” I said softly. “But I hope you never let go.”
“Good to have your permission, ‘cause I see in him that you’re it for him. He’s all about you. His world has become you. And he can have that.” His fingers tightened around my neck. “Still, in the way I can, I’m gonna keep hold.”
Hank saw in Ren that his world had become me.
I liked that.
I wondered if Ren’s sisters saw the same in me.
And my brother was going to keep hold.
Righteous.
“Good,” I replied.
“Now I’m gonna go before you go girl on me and burst out crying.”
I jerked back and declared, “That’s not gonna happen.”
That wasn’t a lie. It was true.
Still, I was close.
My big brother smiled at me.
Then he let me go and got up, muttering, “Shit to do.”
I had shit to do too. I had to run and get sweaty and come home and get laid by my man.
I did not share this.
I walked Hank to the door.
He opened it. I followed and stopped in the jamb.
It was then I remembered to ask, “What did you and Lee decide about Jane?”
He turned and answered, “He’s gonna tell the men. He’s gonna tell Indy. I’m gonna tell Roxie. And we’re gonna keep our eye on shit but let the chips fall.”
Time to scratch a conversation with Jane on my list, and I decided to give her a heads up before I ran.
The good news was, neither Hank nor Lee had gone ballistic. That might make Jane fret less.
Still, I’d have to keep an eye on things, too.
Hank leaned into me and I thought he was going to kiss my cheek.
He didn’t.
He put his lips to my ear and said, “He hurts you, I’ll f**k him up.”
Loved my big brother.
“That won’t happen,” I replied.
He pulled away, saying, “It better not.”
I rolled my eyes, and when I rolled them back, I saw him smiling.
I stuck my tongue out at him.
He smiled bigger.
Then he was gone.
* * * * *
I rushed offstage at Smithie’s after my final dance, keen to get the hell out of there and get home to bed.
And Ren.
It was another bust of a night at Smithie’s. Even though I’d approached a couple of the girls and had a chat with Tanya, one of the waitresses, there was no thawing of the informational freeze-out.
I’d also had a chat with Smithie about what he knew about Gibbons. I wasn’t telling him our progress on the case because I didn’t want him to lose it and screw the pooch if what Steiner and Gibbons were doing went deeper.
But Smithie paid attention in his club. So he knew exactly who I was talking about.
And his response was, “He’s an ass**le. Shit vibe. But good customer. He drinks. Tips the girls good. Gets a lap dance every night. Don’t love every one of my regulars. But I don’t bitch when they buy drinks and take care of the girls.”
Gibbons would tip the girls “good” since he’d see a return of that money, and not in the normal way.
“Why you ask?” Smithie finished.
“Just keeping my eye on things and he gives me the heebie-jeebies,” I told him.
“Yeah,” he replied. “Asshole written all over him. Then again, that’s every other guy who walks through my f**kin’ door.”
He was right. But not that brand of ass**le.
I left it at that.
Then I went about my business, hoping that Bobby and Darius would turn up something or one of the girls would suck up the courage to give me a lead.
And soon.
But now the night was over and the workday was done for me. The girls had half an hour of dancing before they were finished, but there was no reason for me to stay. Therefore, if I did, it might be noticed and wondered about.
So I headed to the dressing room as the girls headed toward the stage to take over once Lottie was done.
“Have fun,” I said on a big smile.
“Mm-hmm,” JoJo replied on a forced one.
“Have a good night, Ally,” Meena said as she passed me.
She also grabbed my hand.
I thought that was weird.
Until I felt her pressing something in my palm.
I closed my fingers around what felt like a piece of paper and a jolt of energy surged through me making it hard to keep my voice modulated when I called, “See you tomorrow night.”
“Later, babe,” JoJo called back.
Meena turned back and waved.
But her face said it all.
Fear.
Shit.
I rushed to the dressing room, got dressed, grabbed my stuff and hauled ass. My palms were itching, but I didn’t want anyone to see me reading the note.
So I waited until I was sitting at a stoplight before I yanked the paper out of my pocket, unfolded it and read it.
We pay, or they do it. We talk, and they do it.
They have more guys. Eyes all the time.
We don’t pay or we talk, they’re gonna hurt Smithie.
I stared at the paper.
Then I whispered, “Fuck.”
* * * * *
I sat cross-legged on the bed in my jeans and tee (but I’d flipped off my flip-flops).
Ren was up against the headboard, sheet to his waist, chest on view.
For once, I didn’t appreciate the view. My mind was on other things.
He was studying the note which, incidentally, was what my mind was on.
In other words, I was obsessing over it.
Ren had elected not to go to Smithie’s that night and instead stay in and get some shuteye.
But I’d woken him up after I flipped off my flip-flops and turned on a light.
Then I’d shown him the note.
He looked from it to me. “You want me to put Lucky and Santo on this?”
This surprised me.
“Would Lucky and Santo be helpful?”
“One of many things those two have goin’ for them is everyone underestimates them.” He held my eyes. “Heads up to you, don’t underestimate them.”