“Thanks.” I squeeze Danica’s hand. “It’s been a long time since someone’s been so nice to me.”
“Ahhhh, you’re sweet.”
Danica has no idea how true my words were. When I wasn’t being a drug mule for the cartel, I mainly kept to myself in my room of the barracks-like building. Some of the other girls came on to the soldiers of the cartel in hopes of advancement, but my only goal was freedom.
“All right, ladies, it’s showtime,” Ricky yells into the room.
“Time to strut your stuff, sweetie.”
I slip into my stilettos, then very carefully follow Danica and Chantel out of the dressing room. We walk down the same hallway where I almost made my escape, then stand in the back of the main room behind a curtain.
“When the curtain opens, you take the stage on the left.”
My mouth is dry, and my throat has closed up. “Gangstas and Strippers”pounds out of the speakers, and the crowd goes wild. I manage to get up the four steps to the stage and grab on to the stripper pole without falling.
Huge accomplishment.
I grip the pole for dear life, making the mistake of looking out into the crowd. Men of all shapes and sizes are yelling and shouting behind a brass railing just far enough away so they can’t storm the stage, but close enough to tip the dancers.
I imitate Danica’s moves of walking around the pole and shaking my booty, but my booty and tits are small, and the men aren’t very impressed. In desperation, I grip the pole high, then swing around it, which is actually fun. Kind of a vertical version of the uneven bars in gymnastics.
The men cheer, so I add a few leg sweeps, and it hits me—this isn’t much different than gymnastics or martial arts, but these freakin’ shoes have got to go.
“C’mon, baby, take something off,” a guy yells out.
I turn my back to them, locate the snaps on both sides of the chaps, then spin around as I yank the material. Miraculously, the pants come apart. I fling them behind me, and the crowd erupts in cheers and hoots.
From there, I bend over, displaying my bare ass as I unstrap my feet from the torturous stilettos. Pushing them aside, I flip into a front walk-over, ending in a split. I sweep my leg around, and when I bounce to my feet, my eyes connect with Dieselstanding front and center, a satisfied grin on his lips, and that deep penetrating stare like the little clothes I wore were still too much.
With no fear of falling off my shoes, I strut around the stage barefoot, then throw my hands behind me and execute a very slow back bend, looking through my parted legs and smiling at the grinning male faces.
A one-handed cartwheel ending in a split brings the guys to their feet, and when the music stops, the stage is covered with cash in all denominations. I collect my tips, smile at the cheering audience, slip into the deadly stilettos and leave the stage exhilarated and a bit shaky.
My heart hammers in my chest like I’d just ridden the wildest roller coaster, and I have to admit, it was a different kind of high.
Danica catches up with me in the hallway. “You were fuckin’ fantastic.”
“Thanks.”
“Shit, where’d you learn moves like that?”
“Gymnastics and karate for the last fifteen years.”
“I’ll bet they hire you for sure.” She nudges me off to the side. “Put the moves on Diesel. Try to get him into one of the private rooms for a lap dance. It’s his birthday, he’s single, he’s easy on the eyes, and he’s got loads of cash.” She winks. “Plus Chantel’s after him and I’d much rather see you snag him.”
I play along, but I have no intentions of being alone anywhere with Diesel, or trying to snag him in a private room. Right now, my only thought is changing my clothes and stashing all this money in the pocket of my leggings, then finding out more about this fight club.
Ricky appears at my side. “Diesel wants to see you.” He steps aside like he expects me to follow him. “C’mon.”
Danica widens her eyes. “What did I tell you?” She leans into my ear. “Go shake that moneymaker.”
My gaze flicks between Ricky and Danica. “Umm, I was going to change.”
“Fuck no.” Ricky laughs. “Diesel wants to see you just like this.”
“Diesel never asks for any of the girls, so make the most of it,” Danica whispers, then winks. “If you know what I mean.”
I throw her a weak smile because what are my options? Ricky, although not as big as the others, could easily overpower me. I certainly can’t make an escape half naked in five-inch stilettos, and even if I could run, where would I go? Eduardo’s probably waiting right outside the door to take me back to Benito.
