Damned Sinner, page 6
part #1 of Jayne Series
“Okay, kid, so we’re doing this. You have the number for the owner?”
She reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. “Right here. He’s probably inside. You want to do this now?”
I took another glance at the shack and my entire body shuddered again. “No. We’d need a tetanus shot just to go inside. Call him and make it happen. I’ll transfer the money, and then once we’re clear, I’ll call and have the place demolished. You can find me a contractor while I’m out of town next week. I need this to happen immediately.”
“No problem. I can handle the business stuff. What about the girls?”
I’d already thought about that. I knew what type of girls I needed to hire and hoped some of my own would come up, but I had a feeling the current employees were not going to fit my bill.
“If they look anything like the rest of this place does, they need to be taken out to pasture and shot.”
“Nice,” she said, rolling her eyes. “So, we’re just throwing them out? That’s not like you, Vince.”
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “Fine. How many are there?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t the faintest fucking idea! Do I need to do that, too?”
I gave her a firm look. “Yes, you do, partner. Find out, and then set them up in a house, or two, whatever. I’ll take care of them for three months. They can either find other means or they can wait to see if they’ll work for us when we open up. That’s all I’m willing to do.”
She smiled, nodding. “That’s more like it.”
I glared at her. “You know, you’ve become a bigger pain in the ass than usual. Do I have Flynn to thank for this little burst of power?”
She gave me a haughty look and cocked her hip. “I always told you I was better at this than you were. I know how to handle these ladies. A little tender loving care goes a long way. Your distant authoritative affections won’t cut it out here in the sticks. These aren’t young girls with big dreams; these are women with broken dreams. This isn’t entertaining CEOs or big spenders at the MGM—this is boning fat old truckers and horny college virgins. This isn’t a pit stop—this is a dead fucking end.”
She was right. Anyone desperate enough to screw strangers under that roof had already thrown in the towel.
“Fine. Deal with the sale, find the girls a place to stay, and get a contractor to build this place up. I’ll be back by the end of next week, and we’ll go from there.”
“Fine,” she said, clearly annoyed. “So, where are you going? Back to Vegas?”
I gave her a quick nod, hoping to hell that she’d drop it there. I’d had more than my share of tongue lashings since my last visit, and I wasn’t in the mood for more.
“Do me a favor, okay?”
“If you say Kelsey, I will knock you out.”
She made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat and shoved me again.
“Spend some time with Flynn. Take him out and get his mind off work for a while. His mother is making him crazy, and he needs to have a little fun. He hasn’t done anything without me in almost a year.”
“What kind of fun are we talking about here?” I smirked. It was too easy to mess with her.
“I don’t care,” she huffed. “Take him to a titty bar, gamble a little bit, and maybe get him in on some games. I know he’s dying for some action, but he doesn’t like having fun without me. He feels guilty or something. Party. Get him drunk. Loosen him up. He’s engaged, not dead for God’s sake!”
“I’ll get him out,” I agreed. I wasn’t sure if he’d be willing to go, but we had plenty to talk about while she wasn’t around, and some drinks would cut the tension. Plus, hanging out in his suite with him didn’t sound too appealing.
“Thank you,” she sighed. “I just want him to have some fun. He’s so intense all the damn time. It’s exhausting.”
I laughed. “And what are you going to do while the mouse is away, kitty?”
She laughed and then bounced excitedly. “Actually, I’ll be in California. Pamela is taking me out there to look for a wedding dress.”
The wedding. It was an underlying entity, something that came up casually, but nothing solid was planned. Yet. It made me nervous thinking about it—mostly because I could tell Jayne was nervous—and ridiculously excited. In my world, when things felt that way, the other shoe was about to drop.
“A wedding dress, huh? So this is happening... when?”
The silly, dreamy smile she wore seconds before fell, and I regretted asking her about it.
“He won’t settle on a date. At first he wanted to get married right away. Every morning he woke up and said, ‘let’s do this.’ Now I can’t get a damn thing out of him. That’s what I mean—he needs to chill the hell out before I tear his hair out.”
Now that sounded just like my girl. She wasn’t happy unless she was getting her way. “Maybe he has plans, and you’re screwing it up. Why don’t you calm down? Since when is a ring so important to you?”
She held up her left hand and wagged it in my face. “This ring happens to be really important, thank you very much. This means more to me than anything else ever has in my entire life—and not because it’s worth more than a small exotic country. It’s what it signifies. This is the real deal on my hand, and it’s everything. The wedding is just decoration. Icing on the cake. Do I want it? Hell, yes. For once in my damn life, I want something normal.”
“Women,” I grumbled.
“Speaking of Kelsey, though... have you talked to her?”
Subtle segue, I thought to myself.
The truth was I hadn’t had a real conversation with her since the showdown between us the morning I left Vegas a month before. There’d been a few text messages back and forth, but that was it.
“Not really. Why?”
I motioned toward my car, desperate for a damn cigarette. If the conversation was heading where I thought it was, I was going to need one.
“No reason,” she answered. “She’s doing really well. She loves her job, and Marcy loves her. Flynn and Cherise are really impressed with her, too. She’s taking on some more responsibilities, taking more hours, and really proving herself. Flynn wants to try her out in some other areas soon. He thinks she could run the joint if he gave her the reins.”
The corner of my mouth twitched. I was impressed with her, too, for more reasons than one. She was a smart girl—I had no doubt she was doing a good job. She’d do well no matter what she did. I still wasn’t happy she was in Vegas—especially without me to watch out for her, but it did make me feel better that she was doing well.
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked.
I lit my cigarette and leaned back against the hood of the car, taking a nice long drag as I stared at her.
“Depends.”
She cocked her head and stared back at me, a gleam in her eye that reminded me of an attack dog. She was contemplating her next move, and that never went well.
“I’m asking you anyway,” she said, raising her chin defiantly. “Do you love her?”
I groaned. “Why does everyone ask me that? Does it matter? I care about the girl. I saved her damn life, didn’t I?”
She threw her arms in the air and growled, annoyed and frustrated.
“I give up,” she sighed. “I thought we could have an open adult conversation. You’re an impossible man, you know that? I just wanted you to open up. I open up to you and share things all the time! I talk about my feelings.”
I took another slow, deliberate puff of my smoke and shook my head. “Sometimes I wish you wouldn’t. It makes me pretty damned uncomfortable.”
Narrowing her eyes, she leered at me and poked me in the chest with a sharp, dangerous pink fingernail. “Why are you so fucking hollow? You weren’t always so jaded, Vince. What the hell?”
I snapped. Pushing myself off the car, I poked her back. “She’s just a kid. I don’t want what she wants, and I couldn’t give it to her if I did!”
“What do you want?”
“From Kelsey? I want to fuck her. I want to fuck her ‘til she can’t walk, and then fuck her ‘til she can’t move. And then I’ll fuck her ‘til she can’t talk. Is that what you want to hear, Janie? That’s all I got.”
We were both breathing heavily, the tension between us a sweltering blanket of anger. I wasn’t sure what the underlying issues were, but after all we’d been through, there was plenty to choose from. I just didn’t understand where Kelsey played into all of it, other than Jayne’s need to make everything perfect. She should’ve known better—life didn’t work that way.
Finally, she shrugged dismissively and grabbed my cigarette, taking a quick drag. “Did you ever stop to think that’s exactly what she wants?”
I barked out a laugh and kicked at a large pebble, sending it sailing across the dirt. “It’s never going to happen.”
She poked me in the chest again, and frankly, I was getting sick of that shit. She was about to get herself thrown over my knee and beat.
“Maybe you need to get over yourself. She’s a woman, and she wants you. How come that’s so hard to believe?”
“She tells me she loves me,” I snapped. “She wants me to love her back, and I don’t—I won’t.”
Before I could finish, she cut me off, holding her hand in front of my face to stop me.
“That’s what I want all the time. Every day I want Flynn so much... sometimes no matter how much, it’s not enough. I never get enough of him. That’s passion. That’s lust. And that’s love. When you want someone that much, as badly as the two of you want each other, it’s more than a fuck, and I think you know that. I think that’s why you’re afraid. When was the last time you had that? Think about the reason you’re so adamant about not hurting her, Vince. It’s not because you’re trying to save your soul because that bird flew a long time ago. You love her, or at least some part of you does. You need to figure it out.”
I let her finish and then smirked. “Hooker turned psychoanalyst. Are you a shrink now? A fucking mind reader?”
She smiled. Her anger faded and her features started to soften. “I’m worried about you. I’ve been in this whole other world, and you’ve been dealing with so much—all for me. Do you know how much I love you?”
I nodded. “I do,” I told her.
She grabbed my hand and compelled me to listen with her eyes. “I think you’re going through something. You’re a much darker asshole than usual, and that ain’t good.”
I ruffled her hair and grabbed her, wrapping her in a hug. “Don’t worry about me, kid. I’m the same kind of asshole as I always was. Maybe I’m just getting better at it.”
Chapter Eight
The Seville club was one of my old haunts—a place I frequented to meet with clients and to draw in new business. As usual, it was packed for a Saturday night, and stocked full of eager men and equally willing women. It was an invite-only club; very expensive, and very elite. It had a guest list that bordered on a wet dream for a man like me. I enlisted most of my client list at that club. They were prime customers—loaded with money and plenty of time on their hands. They were bored, lonely, and desperate enough to hand me their cash.
Flynn tapped a nervous cadence against the table with his fingers, his eyes surveying the room cautiously. Watching, but never looking. He was acting uncomfortable and agitated, and it was driving me up the wall.
“This was her idea, you know.”
His head snapped forward, eyes surprised. “Yeah, I know. She’s ridiculous.”
I smiled. “She just wants you to relax. She thought hanging out with me would be a good time.”
He rolled his eyes and picked up his beer. “Well, goes to show you what she knows.”
Nodding over at Collins behind him, I laughed. “You could do worse for company, pal.”
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I’ve just got a lot of shit on my mind.”
“If you tell me you miss her, I’ll choke you. You’ve only been here five days, you pussy-whipped fuck.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “Five days without Jayne is five days too long. Hell yes, I miss her.”
I help up my hand. “I don’t want to hear about it.”
Sitting back, I took a moment to look at him. He’d changed since they moved away from Vegas, and it was a good change. The selfish, conceited bastard I’d known for years had shed his mask. The guy sitting across from me was calm, content, and humbled. He’d always been quiet and dark in a way that told people to back away, but it was a little more intense now. The shift in him was real, and it was obvious that everything he was searching for had been found. He’d found it in Jayne.
I shook my head, ridding myself of walking down a thought pattern I had no interest in digesting, and scanned the room. The music thumped steady, and the atmosphere was vibrant and loud—everyone was loose and ready to party.
My type of place.
A saucy redhead caught my eye from across the room, and I smiled. Taking another look at Flynn—brooding and mopey in the corner of the booth—I decided to wave her over.
I stood as she approached and signaled her to sit down with us. She was much more attractive up close, and the way her eyes danced told me she was up for a good time.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”
She smiled, letting a deep red fingernail drag across her collarbone. “Tasha.”
“Tasha,” I repeated. “Tasha, how’d you like to have a little fun with me and my friend here?”
She glanced at Flynn, and her smile widened. “Flynn Maguire? Of course I’d like to party.”
He rolled his eyes and grabbed his beer bottle, glaring at me over the top as he chugged it down.
“You familiar with this little lady, Flynn?”
She reached over and slid her hand over my arm. “I’ve danced for him a few times.” She looked back over at him and smiled. “You used to come in all the time. All the girls miss you,” she told him.
He looked like he was ready to kill me, but the sick bastard in me was having too much fun with that little bit of information.
“We’re looking for a little private party. You wanna play?”
“Always,” she cooed. Her hand snaked up my thigh, dangerously close to my cock, and my mind was made up.
She was gorgeous—tight with a sexy as fuck husky voice. Her eyes were bright, with thick black lashes that brushed her cheeks when she blinked. Other than the obvious store-bought rack, she had a natural look to her.
I felt myself harden every time she opened her mouth, and whether it was the fact that I hadn’t had any action in over a month, or she was just that hot, it didn’t matter. My dick was begging to hit that shit. She was just the distraction we needed.
“Why don’t you invite a friend? Or two. We’ll wait here.”
Flynn groaned and slammed his beer on the table. “I’m heading up to the suite. Here.” He reached into his suit jacket and handed me a key. “Don’t bring them back to my room. Take them to the Windmere.”
I stood in front of him so he couldn’t leave, and turned my attention back to Tasha. “You run along and grab some friends and meet us back here. Bring a brunette—small and curvy if you can find one.”
She jumped up, kissed me on the cheek, and ran off.
“Jayne will kill me if you go back to the room and call her. Stop being a little bitch,” I told him.
He raised an eyebrow, daring me to stop him. “You don’t get it. Jayne doesn’t get it either. I don’t require any... entertainment. I have zero interest in touching anything—or anyone—other than Janie. None.”
I sat back against the booth, folding my arms behind my head. “You don’t have to do anything. No one said you had to touch them. Jayne’s worried that you’re too high strung and stressed out. Just relax, watch some girls play, get yourself a lap dance, and chill the fuck out. No one expects you to cheat on Janie. This isn’t a fucking test.”
He leaned forward and grinned. “Let me ask you a question. If you had the choice, would you choose to spend time with one of these random women, or the woman you love?”
I gave him a look of disbelief. “Woman I love? Are you fucking high?”
I was getting sick and tired of everyone pushing that particular subject. I knew damn well who he was talking about, and I’d about had my fill of that crap.
“Kelsey. If that chick and Kelsey were standing here and you had to choose, what would it be?”
“What the hell does Kelsey have to do with anything?” I snapped.
“Everything,” he said calmly, leaning back in his seat. “A girl like Kelsey—like Jayne—they’re one in a million. Girls like Tasha are a dime a dozen. She’ll wet your whistle, get you off, and you’ll feel the same fucking way tomorrow. You’ll feel the same after you fuck the girl after that, and the girl that comes after that. I’ve had my taste of this,” he said, waving a hand around the room, “more than my fill. You find the right woman, and nothing else tastes good. Nothing else matters—but her.”
“So you’re just going to sit in your suite and listen to her breathe on the other side of the phone? Be my guest. I’m gonna get laid.”
I swallowed harshly and looked away. The whole night was taking a rather somber turn, and frankly I wasn’t into deep “bro” moments.
“She’s seeing someone. Did you know about that?”
My eyes snapped up to meet his. “Who?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. I wasn’t introduced to him. I saw them having dinner Tuesday night, but she didn’t see me. Yesterday, they left in the early afternoon together. He picked her up after her shift.”
I couldn’t quite explain the rage I felt. It was exactly what I’d wanted for her—to move on—but I didn’t like it now that it was becoming a reality. I really didn’t like not knowing who it was, either.
“You didn’t recognize him? You don’t know who it is?”
He laughed, shaking his head. “You know, for someone who claims he doesn’t care about the girl, you sure look bent out of shape.”
