Page 30 of The Devil's Secret

“Just sayin’. You don’t kill for just anyone.”

I keep my mouth shut as we head inside, not wanting to be too damn defensive or he’ll catch on. As soon as we enter the main area, we find Carlito there with two other made men, strippers on each of their laps, drinking shots as their hands fall on the women before them.

Carlito spots us walking up. “There you fuckers are! Took your asses long enough.” He roughly throws the woman off him and she practically stumbles as he comes to a stand, clasping each of our palms. “I gotta introduce you to my cousins,” Carlito continues, not giving a fuck that he just disrespected that woman. “This is Riccardo and Tommaso. Boys, this is Patrick and Chris.”

They greet us with a tilt of a chin. We take a seat, me next to that fuck, and my eyes immediately scan for my girl. She isn’t out here. I don’t know what the hell I’ll do if one of them makes her dance for him. Nah, I do know. Their dicks won’t be the only thing they’ll be eating if they touch her.

“All right, ladies and gentlemen,” the emcee announces. “Let’s welcome the one you’ve all been waiting for, Miss Joelle! Give her some love!”

The place erupts with whistling and applause. Carlito parks his ass back down, leerily staring onto the stage while I glare at him, wanting to pop his eyes out and squeeze them.

The room darkens to almost black, the music changing into something with a bit of danger. The stage erupts with a mist, and then she appears, like an angel finding her way through hell.

The lights return to a dim as her hands glide up the pole, her eyes closed, while she sways her hips softly for a moment, then she swings around.

I face her head-on, but we’re toward the back with a few tables before us. If she looks this way, she’ll see me.

Joelle climbs up, her legs split in the air before she grabs the pole with her thighs and rolls down the length of it while upside down. As she does, her palms touch the floor and her gaze lands to mine. With all the assholes here, their cocks probably hard for her, I’m the one she sees.

She continues to dance, glancing at me when she can, her tits out now for every unworthy asshole. I want to carve out their eyes for merely looking at her. I want that body naked just for me, but I can’t demand that of her. She’s not even mine, is she?

Damn, I’ve never felt this possessive about a woman before. It’s a new feeling, but one I’m liking. Though I kinda hate it right now, knowing I can’t do a thing about it, like throw her over my shoulder and tie her to my bed or some caveman shit like that.

“She’s fucking hot, isn’t she?” Carlito shouts over at me. “I’d fuck her right in front of Raquel. Maybe that’ll get that sour bitch jealous.”

Don’t kill him. Don’t kill him,I repeat like a chant, my fist tightening at my side.

“What did he say?” Dante whisper-shouts into my ear. He must’ve noticed my change in mood. We’re good like that. My brothers and I know each other a little too well. That comes with the territory though. Growing up, all we had was one another, and we quickly learned to pick up on each other’s cues.

“He said he wants to fuck Joelle in front of Raquel to make her jealous.”

“I’m gonna gut him like a pig on Christmas.”

“Do people eat pig on Christmas?”

“What the fuck does it matter?”

“’Cause your shit makes no sense.” I chuckle. “I don’t know where you come up with some of the crap you say.”

“Whatever, man, this isn’t English class. How about you shut up and watch your girlfriend instead of worrying about what I say.”

I continue laughing at his irritation as another girl jumps on the stage now, her red hair as long as Joelle’s. They say something to each other, the redhead’s eyes going to me for a moment as she nods. Then they’re both dancing on the same pole.

What the hell was that about?

I watch Joelle until the song ends, and both women climb off with two others replacing them.

“You boys drinking?” Carlito asks.

“Nah, we gotta drive,” Dante answers, leaning over me.

Carlito nods once, his attention on the stripper he had on his lap before he threw her off, pulling her back on top of him, dollar bills sticking out of her hot-pink G-string.

The redhead struts her hips, heading straight for me. When she’s real close, she bends to my ear. “Joelle told me you wanted a dance.”

“She what?” I pause, jaw straining. “No, sweetheart, I don’t need one, thank you though.”

“She asked me to come. She insisted.”

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