Page 24 of Strip Search

“Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “Dalton’s is one of my favorite titty bars and I love Miles like a brother. He saved my life.”

“He did?”

“I was about to get beaned with a beer bottle and Miles took it on his forearm instead. Ten stitches.”

“Wow,” I said. “He’s like Superman.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Darcy said. “But he’s a good bloke to have on your side in a fight.”

“I’m here looking for my sister, Lisa.”

Darcy made a show of looking around. “I don’t see her. But I’ve got plenty of credit left on my card if she shows up. Sisters.” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

I couldn’t help but laugh, but I had to look away.

“What’s wrong, luv?”

“I wish I could invite her to join us. She’s a huge fan. I’ve seen you in a towel many times.”

He grimaced. “I’m embarrassed.”

“Don’t be. You have a really nice smile.”

Darcy barked out a laugh. “Hey, that’s my line.”

“And you’ve got a great ass.”

He clinked his glass with mine. “Right back atcha. So where is your sister?”

His accent made it sound likesis-tah.

“I wish I knew. The last anyone saw her was here about three weeks ago. She doesn’t answer my or our parents’ calls. She moved out of her apartment in New York after her ACL surgery.”

“Fuck.” Darcy got very still. “She was an athlete?”

“Lead dancer on Broadway. Her whole life ended when they told her she couldn’t dance again.”

Darcy stared down into his drink and swirled the ice around, a pensive look on his face.

“She came to Vegas. First as a bartender, then as a stripper. But I think her leg gave out. I tracked her to her apartment, but she left her roommate in the lurch. The only clues I’ve got to go on are that she told her roommate she’d found a job with room and board, and there was a guy who came to Dalton’s to see her a few times.”

Darcy leaned forward. “So you decided to become a stripper to see if that guy comes back?”

“That and maybe if the other dancers start to trust me, they’ll remember something about Lisa. Some clue that will help me find her. I was more pissed than worried when I came down here. But now I’m wondering if my mother wasn’t overreacting after all.”

“How long are you planning on staying?”

“I’ve got another week before I have to go back to New York.”

“New Yawk,” he teased.

“You’re going to talk aboutmyaccent?”

“Tawk.”

I rolled my eyes. “Do you want me to dance again?”

“If you want,” he said.

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