Michelle gawks up at the silhouette of the girl with the open legs and nods. “I see the connection now.”
Michelle looks like a lady of the night herself with her long hair curled and slightly teased, dark smoky eyes and scarlet glossy lips.
Chloe snorts.And get a load of those shiny latex hot pink leggings. That fishnet top with the hot pink bra peeking out from underneath?
Michelle shoots me the stink eye. “What are you looking at, Bishop?”
“Just wondering where I might pick up an outfit like that.” I give a sly smile. “Hookers R Us?”
Lexy belts out a laugh.
“You’re no better, Lex,” I say, glancing down at the tight sweater dress she’s donned. It’s green, looks as if it were knit together with feathers, or eyelashes, take your pick, and it hardly covers her ass. “You look like a slutty Christmas tree.”
Lexy’s mouth falls open. “You bitch.”
Bree chortles like a hyena. “What about me, Chloe?” She gives a little curtsy in her bright red coat before flashing it open, only to reveal a sheer lace dress in which she’s opted not to bother with undergarments.
“I think I have a couple of bandages in my purse for you to cover your nipples.”
Nat barks out a laugh.
“Oh, come on, Nat,” I croak. “You’re wearing a sleeping bag with a belt.”
“I like to keep warm,” she snaps right back. “You know, you’ve been a real bitch all night. Don’t think we won’t turn on you, Bishop. You’re not in charge of us anymore.”
Good going, Messenger,Chloe bleats.Remember the terms of our agreement? You’re not doing so hot. In the event you haven’t noticed, I don’t need to go racking up any new enemies.
“Good point.” I cringe because I happened to say that out loud.
“Hear that?” Lexy’s nostrils flair. “She just admitted defeat. Now, there’s something I never thought I’d see.”
You keep this up, and I’m going to kill you myself, Mess.
A tiny huff of laughter escapes me.I always did think you were saving the best for last.
I glance to Laken, and she shakes her head.
“Don’t even think about it, Chloe.”
Em pipes up, “And I will cut you. I’m not being cute either. I travel with an eight-inch blade in my purse. It’s so sharp, you’ll be bleeding out before you can figure out what just happened.”
“Lovely.” I link arms with Bree. “Let’s get inside before we lose the ditz.” I head over and latch onto Rory with my other arm. “My two best friends.”
The peanut gallery laughs, and Nat slaps me on the back. “You’re in rare form tonight. Let’s get Mess in and out of there. I say we round out the night at the banana hammock place across the street.”
“Believe me,” I say. “I’ve got something better planned.”
Inside, it smells like rotten pickles and despair. The sound of loud, raucous music fills the air, and Rory is already bopping to the beat. I can’t help but note my hair is matted on one side. It’s bad enough she’s been walking around Paragon with what looks like a full-blown tumbleweed on her head—no thanks to her inability to deal with my kinky curls—but it appears she has a bird’s nest sprouting up the side of it. Probably the Mustang’s fault.
It’s nearly wall-to-wall bodies—almost all male. A troupe of topless beauties waltzes around with trays of appetizers and beer to dole out to the horny masses.
Soon, we’re close enough to the stage to touch it as about a half dozen girls grind their hips, slowly taking off what little they’re wearing.
“Wait a minute.” Rory digs in her heels. “What’s happening? Why are these women naked? And why are these men howling as if someone is tearing off their toenails?”
Laken makes a face. “This is a strip club, Skyla. And in a nutshell that’s all that happens in a place like this. I guess we’ll have to sit back and enjoy the show.” She glowers at me a moment. It’s crystal clear Laken would much rather be across the street at the banana hammock place, too.
Rory shakes her head as she tries to back away. “We can’t stay. This is debauchery. I won’t have it. These men are full of lust and these women are scornful harlots who have no regard for their bodies. It’s shameful. It’s vile. It’s outright sinful.”
