Page 88 of Steel

I do as he orders and switch our call to video. His handsome face fills my screen, his beautiful eyes boring into mine as they search through them.

“Beautiful,” he rumbles.

“Hey, bossman. Thank you for the camera.” I blow out a breath. “Thank you for seeing that I was missing a piece of me.”

He nods. “Goin’ to be away from the strip club for a few days. Got club shit goin’ on that needs my attention. Text me everynight, that way I know you’re okay. If I got free time, I’ll call, but shit’s fuckin’ crazy right now, so I don’t know when that’ll be. You got the gun in the apartment. You keep the knife on you?”

Over the weekend, he made sure to fit me with a knife I can carry on me when I’m working along with some pepper spray. My favorite is the taser, though. That thing looks like it could put someone down really quick, and I want to try it out so badly, but it’s a weapon and weapons aren’t toys.

“Yep. I’ll be fine, Steel. You do what you have to do. Just be safe and come to me when you’re finished because we both know I’m going to be worried to death by then.”

“I’ll be fine, baby girl. When I get back, me, you, and Lyric are doin’ a weekend again. Need time with my girls.”

“Okay.”

“Gotta go, Lee. Behave.”

He leaves me staring at a black screen before I can even say goodbye.

I glance longingly at the gift from Steel, my hand tingling with the need to grab it and start finding subjects to capture on film. Unfortunately, my break is over, and Reva said it’s about to get crazier up there so I better get back.

“Don’t worry,” I tell my camera. “We have a date with a pretty spectacular father-daughter duo who will make great subjects. You’ll get to come out and play then, my pretty.”

Dear lord, I’m so fucking glad I’m alone right now, otherwise, I’d be cringing hard that I’m so lonely, I’m chatting to a damn inanimate object.

My eyes follow the flurry of activity near the hallway, and dread fills my stomach when I recall the way Brooke was found.

I take a step in that direction but freeze when I see two members of the Dirty Mavericks heading that way.

A customer taps the bar to get my attention, and with a frustrated sigh, I get back to work.

Ten minutes later, Reva storms behind the bar and helps me clear out some of the customers and fill orders for the waitresses.

Once we get a lull between orders, she leans against the bar beside me.

“Georgia got a rose and a note tonight,” she says.

“What did this one say?”

“Same thing as last time.”

“Exact wording?” I ask.

“Yeah, same shit.”

Needing something to do to keep from freaking out, I start straightening the bottles behind the bar and wiping the counters down with sanitizer spray. My mind scrambles as I try to figure out where these dang roses are coming from. Steel doesn’t think it has anything to do with my stuff with Killer, but I don’t think we can rule it out until we know with absolute certainty.

“How is she? I wanted to go back, but then those two Dirty Mavericks went back, and I couldn’t. I really hate this. I hate everything going on here. I hate everything going on with my stupid stuff. Why did I have to be the one in the woods that day?”

I wasn’t expecting an answer because it was just a rhetorical question, but Reva decides to give me one anyway.

“It wouldn’t have mattered if it was the woods that day or not. You were meant to eventually find your way back into that man’s orbit. We both know what kind of life he lives. If you’re in it, then you’re living it too. So, this,” she says, waving her hand toward the hallway, “was bound to happen regardless. Stop beating yourself up about it and just be there for your man when he needs you to be.”

“It’s just frustrating. I hate that our girls are being targeted, and I can’t tell whether it’s because of the shit I brought with me or because of the trouble Steel said is going on with the club.”

“Or it could be something completely irrelevant. You don’t think we’ve had our share of stalkers and shit here? Sometimes this job comes with the risk of customers forming unhealthy attachments. There’s just so little to go on right now. All we know is that whoever this is, they know how to avoid the cameras, steer clear of the fucking security, and somehow blend in with everyone else. That takes some damn talent, Firefly.”

“So, how the heck do I help him then? I’ve constantly got my eyes open already because of having to stay clear of his club brothers.”

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