"I think it's the money that makes them insane. People tend to lose their minds when a large amount of money is involved, and since we have more than our fair share of money, we have more than our fair share of the crazies."
"Makes you kind of wonder if it's worth it."
"It does, but I don't see why we have to be penalized for our hard work. If they want the big money that badly, they should work for it just like we did."
That was the same argument I had against Madeline, so I got it.
"I just want her to go away," I said. "I'm ready to get on with my life."
"Finally. We'd started to think you were going to pine away for that bitch for the rest of your life, or worse, take her back."
"Oh, hell no!" Not in this lifetime. "I'd rather castrate myself."
It would be about the same thing if I took Madeline back.
"I kind of have my eye on someone else."
"Your friend Dalton?"
I smiled as I nodded. I wasn't sure anything would actually happen between us, but I was hoping. I pulled out my cell phone and brought up the picture Dalton had sent me before tilting the phone toward my boss. "This is Dalton."
"I can see the interest, but are you sure you want to get involved with a stripper?"
I stiffened as I closed the screen on my phone and slid it back into my pocket. "There is nothing wrong with being a stripper. Dalton works just as hard as you or I do. Dancing is a very physically demanding occupation."
Knox held up both hands. "I'm not saying it's not. I just don't want you taken to the cleaners by some boy toy who professes his love while sticking his hands in your wallet."
"I never told him who I work for, just that I was a lawyer. I didn't even give him my last name."
"Smart, but I'm pretty sure he'll know by the end of the evening."
True, but Dalton had showed his interest before then. I hoped that meant I wasn't in for another round of anguish while my life imploded and I got dragged through the gutter.
"I have to see where this goes," I told Knox. "Even if it leads to heartache."
I was crossing my fingers so damn hard.
Chapter Eight
~ Andrew ~
The Refectory was actually classier than I'd envisioned. Granted, my idea of a stripper club was nearly naked dancers on stages and poles surrounded by crowds of drooling, drunken men holding up dollar bills.
This place was nicer than that.
There were two beefy-looking bouncers at the door, which was both reassuring and not, all at the same time. Security for the dancers and customers was nice, but not when we were trying to break someone out of the club.
The atmosphere was classy and chic, which surprised me. I guess I kind of expected a slimy feel to the place, and it wasn't that at all. The walls were dark wood colored, and most of the furniture was covered in red. I wasn't sure if it was velvet or satin at this point, but the two contrasting colors meshed well.
Several tables sat around the ground floor, and the VIP areas were around the outer edges of the main room in a U-shape with a couple of smaller stage areas between groups of tables and one main stage right in the center of the room.
The all wooden bar sat at the far end of the room. I suspected the swinging door next to it led to a kitchen, as several of the patrons in the place had plates of food in front of them.
My eyes narrowed when a short, balding man in a suit came walking up to us. He was all smiles, which gave me a creepy vibe. The smile was just a little too plastic for me.
Luckily, he headed right for Knox, so I didn't have to speak to him.
"Mr. Knox." The man held out his hand. "I'm Anatoli Brasov, the owner. Welcome to my club."
