Inked Armour

5 TENLEY

About ten minutes later, Weston called and I pulled over. The keys had changed hands. Only then did I realize I still had my set, and Trey still had his.

“Don’t worry about it,” Weston said. “I’m having the locks changed this evening. With Trey you always have to stay one step ahead.”

“I was never very good at that.”

“Oh, I think you were better at it than you know. And you’re always welcome to visit. All you have to do is call.”

“Thanks, Weston.”

“Take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will. You, too.”

I stopped at a gas station about three hours into the drive. I was halfway to Chicago and utterly famished. For the first time in weeks, I actually had an appetite. I bought a huge bag of chips, a monster chocolate bar, and a Coke.

I called Sarah after I gassed up to let her know I was on my way back, but she didn’t pick up, so I left a voice mail and sent a text as backup. I’d given her my apartment key so she could feed TK.

I considered my options as I continued home. Hayden had a key, but he wasn’t answering my calls, so that ruled him out. Besides, a conversation was waiting to happen when I saw him, and showing up in the middle of the night wouldn’t make that discussion any easier. The possibility that I might not be able to right my wrongs terrified me.

Three hours later I stood outside my apartment building, buzzed Sarah, and prayed she was home, even though her car wasn’t parked in her spot. There was no response to my buzz. Maybe she was at work. I went back to Connor’s car and resignedly punched The Dollhouse into the GPS. I wanted to be home, and I wanted to see TK. If I couldn’t have Hayden tonight, at least I could have her.

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of the strip club. I called Sarah again but still got no answer, which made sense if she was waitressing. Parking in a well-lit area, I grabbed my purse and locked the car. The building was painted black, garish lights flashed out the name of the club, and a neon light showed a half-naked woman bending, standing, bending, standing, as she flickered on and off, her bare ass on display with each flip of her skirt.

I couldn’t believe Sarah worked here. But if it paid for her MBA and left her debt free after college, I could see the logic.

I headed for the entrance, a bit nervous. I scanned the lot, searching for Sarah’s car, but couldn’t locate it. The staff might have separate parking, though; safer for the girls who worked there. A huge man with arms the size of my waist guarded the front door. He looked me over in a way that made me feel naked even with my hoodie. I wished I had my jacket on.

“ID.” He held out a meaty palm.

I rooted around in my bag for my wallet and pulled out my driver’s license. He scanned it, looked at my face, then handed it back to me. “Where’s your escort?”

“Pardon?”

“Your escort,” he said, annoyed. “You need a male escort to come in here.”

“Oh, I—” I chewed my lip, unsure how to proceed. “I have a friend who works here, her name is Sarah.”

“Sarah, huh? So you’re looking for a job?” He smiled wryly. “You’re a little skinny, but that porcelain-doll thing might work for you.”

He opened the door and grabbed the arm of a scantily clad woman who passed by. “This one’s looking for a job. Take her to the boss lady.”

The woman looked at me, laughed, and turned back to him. “Are you serious?”

“Says she knows Sarah.”

I thought to correct him, but if it got me in, I’d take it. All I needed was to get my key and I’d be on my way.

She gave me a doubtful look and turned back to the bouncer. “You’re wasting everyone’s time. She wouldn’t last a shift.” With a look of exasperation, she motioned for me to follow her.

I trailed behind her as we skirted the perimeter of the club, taking in all the men in business suits, seated close to the main stage. Toward the back of the club were two smaller stages, cordoned off with red-velvet rope. On either side were plush couches where men in suits lounged while dancers writhed in their laps.

I didn’t want to think about Hayden with his hands all over any of these women, or vice versa. I wondered if money had ever been exchanged on his part. The thought sickened me.

“So you know Sarah?” she asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Yeah.”

“You tell that bitch she needs to stay away from my clients.” She flipped her bleached hair over her shoulder. “Otherwise I’m going to mess up that pretty face of hers. Wait here,” she ordered.

“Is she work—”

She slipped through a door guarded by another heavily muscled man before I could finish the sentence.

“Hey,” I shouted to him over the pounding music, my uneasy feeling growing. “I’m looking for my friend Sarah. She works here.”

He tapped his ear and mouthed, “I can’t hear you.” Then he went back to staring menacingly at the crowd.

Frustrated, I turned to look for her. The interior of the club was painted midnight black, casting shadows over the clientele. I searched for Sarah’s almost-white blond hair, but couldn’t locate her through the flicker of strobe lights. Tables full of men watched a naked woman gyrating on a pole, their eyes straying only when a mostly undressed waitress passed by. I hated that my friend waitressed here, and that Hayden had once been immersed in this lifestyle.

The door beside the bouncer slammed opened and Sienna appeared in all her red-patent-leather glory. The dress she wore was suctioned to her body. Her fake breasts were pushed up so high they looked like flesh-colored grapes ready to burst. Marks were on her arms, as if someone had been holding on to her hard, and one of her cheeks was bright red. A man dressed just like the one guarding the door came out behind her, adjusting his belt.

She snapped at the security guard, clearly put out. He motioned to the front; I saw Sarah’s name form on his lips; then he gestured to me. Sienna glanced at me and hatred flashed across her face, before she recovered her composure and a grin distorted her mouth.

I was confused. Hayden had said Sienna used to dance here. But as I saw the way everyone deferred to her, I realized he’d failed to fill in the rest of the blanks. Despite what her state of undress suggested, Sienna wasn’t a stripper anymore; she was in charge of this club. And I was in a bad spot.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise,” she purred. She sauntered over to the bar and leaned on the brass rail, eyes fixed on me. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m looking for—”

Her fake smile dropped and she cut me off. “Oh, I know exactly who you’re looking for. I told Hayden he’d get bored. I told him you wouldn’t be able to handle him, and he didn’t listen.” She towered over me in her absurd heels. “He’s so fucking pathetic. Always thinking he can be better than he is, but we both know that isn’t true—don’t we?”

“I-I don’t—” I was stunned. He’d told me that his life was different, that he was different, prior to me, but I hadn’t imagined anything like this.

“I-I don’t. I-I,” she mocked. “You’re a waste of his time. Did you come here thinking I might give you some pointers on how to keep him interested?” She sounded bitter. “I can save you the trouble, sweetheart. There’s nothing you can do. Hayden likes to keep his options open. He’ll never be satisfied with you; it’s just a matter of time before he comes running back to me.”

It had been a long, difficult day and my nerves were already frayed. This was not what I needed. If I let my emotions get the better of me in front of her, I was liable to lose it.

“I shouldn’t have come here,” I said, backing up. “I’ll go.”

Sienna stepped to the side, trapping me between the bar and the wall. “You sure you don’t want to have a look around? See what it’s going to take to keep him for a while longer?”

“I should just leave.” I swallowed hard as she came closer, penning me in.

She tilted her head to the side. “I don’t get it. What does he see in you? Look at you.” She picked up my ponytail and wrinkled her nose, then dragged a fake nail down my cheek.

I jerked my head away. “Don’t touch me.”

She caught me by the chin, holding on hard. We were in the shadows, covered by her entourage of security. She leaned in close, her mouth beside my ear. “You think you know Hayden, but you don’t. When I discovered him, he was busy fucking his way through the girls in this club. Everybody wanted him and I was the only one he came back to, over and over again. I gave him what he needed, any way he needed it. You know what’s going to happen when you can’t keep up? He’s going to come back to me. He always does.”

“Let go of me.” I pulled at her hand.

Her grip tightened, nails digging into my skin. “I’m feeling generous, so I’ll give you a little tip. If Hayden starts to wander, there’s one sure way to get his attention. Do you want to know what it is?”

When I didn’t react, she said, “Just fuck Chris. That’s what I did when I found Hayden fucking three other girls at the same time.” Sienna let go of my face and stepped back. “Oh, you look shocked. You poor little thing. Didn’t he tell you about that?”

“You manipulative whore,” I whispered, stepping away from her.

“What did you just call me?”

I should have expected the backhand. I was a second too late when I raised my arm to deflect it, although I prevented the full force of the hit. As her nails raked across my cheek, my elbow connected with her nose. There was a satisfying crunch; she screeched an expletive and shoved me; and I went down. Unable to brace for the impact, I landed on my tailbone and my head smacked the black tile, starbursts obscuring my vision and sharp pain shooting through my hip. Her security detail intervened as she came after me again; a massive arm wrapped around her waist and hoisted her in the air as she kicked and screamed obscenities.

“Put me down! I’m going to fuck that bitch up!” Blood ran down her mouth and chin, dripping on her plastic dress. She was hauled back through the door she’d come out of, the security guy struggling to keep a solid grip on her.

I pushed up on weak arms. My hip was screaming; my head didn’t feel much better. I gathered the scattered items on the floor and shoved them back in my purse, checking for my keys and wallet. Both were there. I could sense eyes on me even though the music was blaring and the girl on the stage was still gyrating away. If I weren’t so focused on the pain in my body I would have been mortified.

I had to use the brass rail along the bar to pull myself up. It hurt so much, I tasted bile in the back of my throat. I looked around, searching for the exit.

When I finally found it, the bouncer who’d let me in was heading my way, eyes narrowed, hands clenched into fists. I looked around for another way out, but the emergency exit sign was all the way across the club.

I’d never make it.