Page 43 of Daddy Issues

“I need patrols on my kid. Us and the cops.” Because Jerry Wayne’s threats weren’t idle. If I made it hard for him to get to Eli, maybe he’d come for me instead.

“I’ll get Cam to handle the cops.” AP cut his gaze to his son. “Set some stuff up. I want eyes on the kid all the time.”

“Unless he’s with me.” Let Jerry Wayne see that as his opening. I’d be ready and blow his fucking head off. I should have done it before Eli was born.

“You sure about that?” Merc’s blue eyes were narrowed with uncertainty.

“Yeah, because I’ll kill that mother fucker.”

Kenna

Saturdays at The Black Cat were busy. Day or night didn’t really matter except for the clientele. Our regulars packed the place during the day. But at night meant bachelor parties and younger guys.

Working a day shift with Dani left me plenty of time to weasel information for the MC. She’d be going to Miller’s after, because weekends were her busiest nights there. Weekends at The Black Cat weren’t her style. She’d outgrown the party boys and bachelor parties that frequented the club.

But the tips were too good to let this place go. Couldn’t say I blamed her.

I stopped at the bar and surveyed the late afternoon crowd. Our customers were mostly guys with nothing better to do…and men hiding from their wives. The latter tipped better.

The Black Cat was the cleanest strip club I’d ever been in. Considering how close we were to Vegas and the high-end placesthere, that was saying something. But the Soletsky’s had a strong thing going here and knew it.

The brothers spent most of their time in the city, on the casino construction. The gentleman’s club attached to it would open well before the resort itself. Val had hinted that if I wanted to, he’d hire me as a cocktail waitress there instead. I wouldn’t mind that change of scenery most days.

But then…whatever was happening with Puck and I happened. And I sort of wanted to see it through. Or at least actually bang him first. Since we’d done everything but.

Plus, I was good at this job and did well here. I didn’t mind leaving my ass and tits hanging half out or fending off the lewd few. Not when the tips ran this high. I’d never had a job that made this much.

And I hadn’t had to get naked and shake my ass to do it. Those bitches made more money than I did, for sure, and also had rhythm I didn’t.

“Two whiskey sours, a Maker’s Mark, and a drink for the dancer.” I called out over the music, standing on the foot rail under the bar so I could crane over and see Dani clearly.

A little shorter than me, much to her disappointment, Dani was as curvy as a back road through the mountains, with pouty lips and body adorned with expensive ink. I’d recognized Puck’s work on her back left thigh the first day I’d met her, and we’d become the best of friends at the club.

The stark lines of the steam punk cowboy wearing a crow mask looked like something out of a best-selling graphic novel and covered nearly the entirety of her back thigh. His top hat disappearing beneath the hem of her black mini shorts.

“Is it Charlie again? He should know better.” She rolled her eyes as she made the drinks, then squirted ginger-ale into a champagne glass for the dancer perched on Charlie’s lap.

I’d learned early on that the Soletsky’s were very clear…no drinking and no drugs on the job. But would charge seventy-five dollars a glass for their dancers to drink with a client. That money didn’t go back to the club; it would be split between the bartender and the server.

It was a way for the dancers to tip us on the clients’ dime. Was it moral? No. Did I care? Also no.

Dani looked mean but was a softy at heart. This practice wasn’t her favorite.

“He can afford it.” I balanced the drinks on my tray and gestured her closer. “Want some company at the bar tonight?”

“This have something to do with those two Kings who got the shit kicked out of them?”

I froze, shifted the tray, and frowned, trying to think of how to answer that.

Dani made an apologetic face. “Someone pulls something like that, it gets around. The MC guys are untouchable until they aren’t. People are talking.”

“What are they saying?”

“I think you should come hang out and see for yourself.” There was a lot she wasn’t saying, enough for me to read between the lines. “I’m not trying to get fired because of their shit, ya know?”

Dani tipped her head behind me, toward the back door. When I turned, a familiar form was there greeting Ky Soletsky.

If it weren’t for the dark beard, Dylan’s brother would be too pretty. Especially when his smile reached his cobalt eyes, as it did when he approached me. Merc leaned against the bar and grinned. There was a dimple beneath the fur. I poked where I knew it to be with my finger. “Good timing, loser.”

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