Jason’s eyes darted to Monty, who was bright red with anger, before scratching a spot on his neck as he explained more. “Not a strip club. I think I was, uh, wrong about that. Actually, this makes more sense for a model from Chicago. See, Hunt Club’s tagline is ‘Enjoy the Thrill of the Chase.’ The servers wear nothing but body paint, and they’re painted to look like animals.”
“The members are considered the predators, I suppose?” Laina landed her hands on her hips. “Crude.”
“Predator, prey. Whatever floats your boat. Each Hunt Club has a kick-ass dance floor that’s open to the public, but they also have private VIP lounge areas for members only. The membership is expensive and exclusive. The clientele value discretion.”
Her brow shot up, wondering what went on in the VIP areas. She’d never been much of a clubgoer. “If it’s so exclusive, why here? Shouldn’t it be in LA rather than rural Wisconsin?”
“They build these places in rural areas where there’s a lot of hunting and fishing, that sort of thing. Gives the members an excuse to be there and privacy to do what they came to do. No one to recognize them.” Hmm. The same reason she and Jason were there.“Forbesranked it the fastest-growing business of the year,” Jason added. “I offered to invest in it when they started expanding, but it’s family owned and independently financed.”
Monty pointed a meaty finger toward Jason’s face. “Shut the fuck up. This place’s gotta go, Jay. This could put me outta business, and if I’m outta business, your pack ain’t gonna be safe nowhere. Nowhere.”
At the early hour, only two people were in the bar, Jeff, who’d stopped eating his pie midbite, and a trucker, who took one look at Monty’s pointing sausage of a finger and left without ordering.
“Can I get you another beer, Jeff?” Laina asked.
“No, I’m okay.” His gaze drifted back toward the bank across the street.
Laina glanced between Jason and Monty. “How can we help? Maybe we could coordinate some live entertainment of our own to compete. Jay’s an above-average singer.”
Jason gaped at her like she’d grown a second head.
Monty flattened the flyer on the bar and rubbed his lumpy chin. “Their grand opening is Friday.” He hummed a low, thoughtful note before narrowing his dark, beady eyes on Laina. “You’re a pretty little thing, aren’t you?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“A girl like you could easily pose as a model.”
“To what end?” Laina’s voice was shrill. Over her dead body was she going to traipse around in nothing but a layer of paint. She had boundaries.
Monty looked at Jeff, then stepped in close, close enough for the reek of his breath to turn Laina’s stomach. “The right magic left in the right spot—say an ever-growing mold or a stench blossom—and a place like that might be closed down by the health department.”
“Good idea. Have Jay do it,” she countered.
Jason cleared his throat. “Uh, sorry, but I’m already a member. I could be recognized. Actually, there would be a very good chance someone would recognize me.”
Laina glared at her brother.
“You, with the body paint and the mask, are the perfect weapon,” Monty said, voice edging with excitement as his plan took shape. “You discreetly drop the package, Hunt Club gets the boot, and you and your family have a safe place to spend a couple months. Win-win.”
“No,” she said firmly. “I won’t do it.”
Monty narrowed his eyes. “You won’t need my land, then?”
“We already paid for the use of your land,” Jason said.
“Have Silas call me. I’m not sure this is going to work out.”
“You don’t understand. Ican’tdo this.” Laina lowered her voice to a whisper she knew only Monty and Jason could hear. “The grand opening of Hunt Club is the night before the full moon.”
“So?”
“So, it’s a bad idea. I’ll be moody. Volatile. Prone to intense emotion.” Monty’s scowl made it clear he didn’t give a shit. Ogres were like that all the time. Maybe the direct approach? She crossed her arms. “I’m not comfortable doing this. I think you should find someone else.”
“No one else fits the part.” He scanned her from head to toe. “You’ll do this, or you can tell your pack to find a new place to shift by the end of the week.”
She bit the inside of her cheek, determined not to cry or piss off the ogre. “Fine,” she said through her teeth. “But I can’t just walk in there and saypaint me.”
Monty grinned wickedly. “Don’t worry ’bout that. I know a guy.”
