Page 72 of Strip Search

Getting ready for the second callback was more nerve-racking than going to the first one. I had more time to plan and rehearse the number over and over again in my hotel room. I did my best thinking while I was dancing, but today my mind refused to settle down.

If I didn’t get the job, no harm, no foul. The Zimmerman Agency would never have to know that I went instead of Lisa. If I did get the job—my feet tripped up and I used the bed to catch my fall.

“Nice one, Jackie,” I said to myself. “Be sure to do that on stage. That will really impress them.”

I forced myself to sit still while I finished the thought. If I did get the job, I would have to turn it down and I would have wasted the casting director’s and the producer’s time. Or I would have to reroute my entire life and move from New York to Nevada. On the plus side, I was pretty sure Miles would let me stay with him until I found a place out here. On the negative side, it was going to be expensive—even if I got someone to sublet my apartment until my lease ran out. I was almost out of the thousand dollars my mother had floated me this week, and that was earmarked for Lisa’s search and rescue anyway. It was nonsense. Ridiculous.

And yet I felt giddy and happy like a kid on Christmas Eve.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” I told myself.

But what if?a little voice in my head insisted.Why not?

MILES CARVELLO

Leonidas showed up with a couple of his soldiers that night. I couldn’t risk them seeing Jackie, so I sent her a quick text telling her not to come to Dalton’s tonight, but that I’d love to see her later if she wanted company. I was trying to get in as much time as I could before she left.

“They’re looking to talk to you, boss,” Highway said over the headset. “You want me to send them back to your office?”

“No, set them up with a round of beers on the house. I’ll be right there.”

I called Grier and left him a message to get his ass over here as fast as he could because I had Leonidas and the Rivs in the bar tonight, along with Ginny and Paulie, the patsy dishwasher. Among all of them, there might be something actionable. I just wanted Jackie far away from the action.

Walking out into the club, I saw Ginny was giving Leonidas a lap dance while the other three goons looked on. “Yellow alert,” I muttered into my headset and the security team went to their positions. I hoped this was a peaceful visit, but I had a feeling it wasn’t.

Taking a chair from a nearby table, I brought it over to Leonidas’s table and positioned it so my back was to the stage. Kikki, who had just walked out to the pole, glared at me, but I ignored her. These guys wouldn’t be throwing tips.

“You wanted to see me?” I said to Leonidas while Ginny writhed all over him.

“That’s good enough, sweetheart.” Leonidas gave Ginny’s ass a sharp slap.

Ginny met my eyes. I raised my eyebrow. Did she want me to do something about it? She gave a slight shake of her head.

“Keep your hands to yourself,” I said mildly instead of throwing him out.

“Ginny doesn’t mind? Do you?”

“No, Leo. Not with you,” she simpered and swayed away on her five-inch stilettos.

“Don’t touch my dancers,” I said again, just in case he was going to try that shit with any of the others.

“Relax. I didn’t come here to cause problems.”

“That’s good. Why are you here then?” I nodded as the waitress handed me my club soda and lime. I did a double take. It was Zeke’s sister. Liu must have hired her when I wasn’t here. I’d have to make sure everything was in order with payroll. Or maybe I could let my people do their jobs. It was tough to let go of all of the responsibility, but I was getting there.

“We heard about your problem the other night with the gas leak.”

“It was a prank.”

“A costly one.”

I grunted.

“We could stop things like that from happening.”

“I told you two years ago I wasn’t interested in protection.” I eyed the other three gang members. One of them blanched and looked away. He was probably one of the ones I’d sent to the hospital.

“And you don’t need it. Your reputation precedes you. But the utility companies don’t give a damn if you’re Europe’s hottest floor man. We could have gotten you back in business within the hour.”

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