Page 44 of Property of Player

I give her another peck. “If I didn’t tell you earlier, I’m glad you stayed.”

With that I roll off and get dressed.

By the time I hit the Exxon, I’m fuming.

Drae looks amused. “I interrupt something?”

“Fuck, yes. I had Taylor in my bed.”

“Whoops. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Better me than Prez. Let’s go.”

We ride hell-bent for leather up the interstate to Bally’s Resort and Casino. It’s almost an hour drive normally, but we cut it down to forty-five minutes. Sure enough, on the marquee in two-foot-high neon letters proclaims the Thunder Down Under show, along with a shot of a dozen tanned, buffed, shirtless men.

I park and rip my helmet off, glaring at Drae. “I can’t believe I have to walk in a damn male stripper show.”

Drae chuckles. “You get to pay the ticket price for both of us, kid.”

When we march inside, the cashier tells me the price, and my jaw drops.

She hands them over and eyes our cuts with a grin, like we’re two gay guys from the Village People.

“She’s fucking dead,” I murmur to Drae.

We make our way inside. Standing at the back, we survey the crowd. A waitress tries to seat us, but I lean in and say we’re just meeting my sister.

“You have to take a seat,” she insists and leads us to the only open table, and we sit. The place is loud with a pounding beat and women screaming.

A moment later, Drae elbows me and points. “There,” he shouts in my ear.

I crane to look and spot Sissy. I don’t recognize any of the others at her table—at least not the girlfriends of hers that I’ve met.

“Hey,” Drae barks in my ear. “Is that Molly with her?”

I can’t get a clear view. I’d go drag her out right now, but dancers are moving down the aisles, working the crowd. Women my mother’s age are slipping bills into the G-strings of oiled-up dudes wearing cowboy boots, hats and not much else.

So help me God, if one of them shakes his junk in my sister’s face, heads are going to roll.

Finally, the number ends, and the dancers go back up on stage for a finale.

A waitress comes by to take our order. I try to wave her off, but she insists there’s a two-drink minimum.

I lean to ask her a question. “When’s the show over?”

“This is just intermission. They’ll be out again in fifteen minutes.”

I shove a hundred-dollar bill into her tip glass, and she leaves us alone.

When the lights come up a bit, and women head to the restroom, Drae and I stand and weave through the crowd.

I catch a surprised Sissy by the arm, but her companion disappears into the crowd before I can confirm if it was Molly. Why the hell would she be here? I’m sure she’s never met my sister before. What would Sissy be doing with her?

Sissy’s eyes widen to saucers when she sees me and Drae. She says something, but I can’t hear her.

She’s smart enough to know the jig is up, and she’s not going to get to see the rest of the act. I’m just thankful she comes along without making a scene.

I march her out and don’t stop until we’re out in the parking lot at the bikes.