Page 1 of Don't Lie To Me

Chapter 1

NestofSin,thesleaziest strip club in Ravens Hollow, reeks of stale beer, cheap perfume, and despair. Every night desperate girls dance long hours, in the dimly lit club, for shit money and no protection from the owner, Sydney Stryker. The slimiest piece of shit you could ever meet. Unfortunately for me, that man is also my father, or sperm donor as I would prefer to name him. And this place, my home. That part I don’t hate as much as the man himself.

I’m perched on the edge of the makeup counter in the dressing room. The scent of stale cigarettes thick in the air. My mom sits patiently as our makeup artist, Jenna, delicately applies her makeup. She's the best dancer in the club; the way she moves to the music is mesmerizing, a perfect blend of grace and power. Men watch her every move and woman want to be her. I’m not supposed to, but sometimes I sneak out and watch her on the stage. She’s so beautiful. Her long blonde hair, styled in perfect Hollywood curls, frames a porcelain face with the bluest eyes imaginable, each sparkling like sapphires. Her skin, flawless, glows in the dim light. I want to be just like her when I grow up. Adored by all.

“Do you want your makeup done when I’m finished with your mom?” Jenna asks.

I beam back at Jenna, so excited. I would kill to be all dolled up like my mom is everynight.

“You know the rules, Jenna, not until she’s sixteen,” Mom chastises, her voice not totally serious.

I throw her a look of silent desperation, my eyes wide and pleading. “It’s like three days away, Mom.”

She smiles back at me, her glossy red lips looking so damn glamorous, her eyes kind. “Maybe just a little mascara and lip gloss.”

“Thank you.” I clap my hands. Jenna moves over to me with a stick of blue-black mascara.

“Look up,” she instructs me, and I do as I’m told, excited to see what my brown eyes look like with dark lashes instead of the blonde I’m used to. When she is done brushing the mascara onto each eye, she takes out a peachy-colored lip gloss and applies it to my lips. “Press your lips together,” she tells me, and I do, the sticky gloss coating my lips, it tastes sweeter than I expected. “Gorgeous, you look just like your mom.” She winks at me playfully. She’s the best of fun, and I would know with how much time I spend with her in this dressing room. Girls come and go all night, and she touches up their makeup while keeping an eye on me.

I jump off the counter so I can check myself out in the mirror, blinking a few times under the weight of the mascara. I’m never leaving the house without this stuff on again. My eyes pop in a way they never have before. I look so pretty. So grown up. And man, do I want to be a grown-up already, just like the other stunning women I spend my evenings with.

During the day I have to go to school, Mom says my education is important, but I don’t see why, when all I really want to do is be a dancer just like her. Most afternoons I come here and hang out with the other girls until I’m exhausted and one of my brothers drags me to bed. Usually Jagger, he’s the oldest and the biggest pain in my ass. My parents work well into the early hours of the morning. That’s whatlife is like when your dad runs a strip club and your mom is the best dancer he has.

Mom’s hand grasps mine. Looking over my shoulder, our eyes meeting in the mirror. “You look beautiful, Sloane,” she gushes, making me feel all kinds of special; her opinion is so important to me.

I grin back to her. “Not as beautiful as you.”

“More.” Her smile is so wide and bright, it’s impossible not to believe her.

I turn back toward her. “When can I learn how to dance like you?”

“Never, baby, you’re far too smart to end up like me.” Her hand cups my chin delicately. “You get a good education and make something of yourself. You could be anyone. Please, Sloane, I want you to dream big, take over the world.”

I nod, wishing I could see myself the way she does. I know I’m smart, but doesn’t she understand this club and the women in it are everything to me? This is my whole life. Why dream big when you already have everything you want? “Good luck out there tonight,” I tell her, knowing she doesn’t need luck ever.

“Stay in here, Jenna will keep you company till Jagger gets back for you.”

With a questioning look, I arch a skeptical eyebrow, curiosity getting the better of me. “Where are the boys tonight?”

She looks at Jenna, and I know she doesn’t want to answer my question. My life is all hushed conversations and subtle looks from the adults that I’m not supposed to understand. But I know what’s going on. I know I’m not like the other kids my age. It’s why none of them will talk to me at school and my only friends are strippers and prostitutes, aside from my four older brothers, anyway.Her father’s the leader of the Iron Strykers and a pimp, they say.Her mother shakes her tits for cheap tips,others taunt me with. I don’t care, their words don’thurt me anymore. But what I hate more than anything is being left in the dark when all my brothers seem to be part of the family business. I’m dying to be involved. I’m smarter than them all, and I know I could help in some way.

“Don’t you worry about what your brothers are up to.” She removes her robe and blows me a kiss.

I return it, grinning at her because even though I’m slightly pissed that I’m being left out of all the action again, when even my twin Cruz gets to be involved, I love her more than anything on this planet. I have the best mother a girl could hope for. And she has to be to make up for my piece-of-shit father Syd, who acts as though I’m an utter inconvenience in his life. Just another mouth to feed. If I were a boy, things would be different, but I was born with the wrong anatomy, so he hates me or just pretends I don’t exist at all. I’m not sure which is worse.

She’s out the door in a flash of lace and brightly colored sequins, and I’m left with Jenna.

“So, kiddo, what’s the plan for tonight? UNO? I don’t think I can go another round of monopoly with you, you’re just too good for me now.” Her chocolate-brown bob bounces as she lets out a lighthearted chuckle.

I laugh, knowing she’s right. I smashed her last time. “I’m up for UNO,” I add, still a little distracted wondering what my brothers are up to. Something dodgy, I’m sure of it. I overheard Asher telling Malachi they had the product and they would meet with the Moretti brothers sometime this week. Anything with the name Moretti in it can’t be good. And product. Yeah, like I said, they think I’m an innocent girl, but I know they’re dealing some sort of drugs for the Morettis. They’re the biggest underworld syndicate this side of Texas.

She pulls out the cards and shuffles them like a pro, dealing them out on the coffee table in front of us. We play four rounds, but curiosity gets the better of me, and I want to snoop around and see what my brothers are doing tonight. One of the girls, Sharda, drops in needing a touch-up, and I take it as my opportunity to escape.

“I’m just going to use the bathroom; I’ll be back in a sec,” I tell Jenna.

“Don’t get lost on your way back like last time,” she warns over her shoulder, her eyes serious.

“I won’t,” I say with an extra-cheeky smile. She knows I can’t help myself. As soon as I open the door, the rhythmic beat of dance music from the center stage pulsates in my ears. I bop along to it as I move down the back hallway quickly, unlocking the door to our home, if you can call it that. It’s a dingy space attached to the club that holds four bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small hardly functioning kitchen.

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