As the guys talked about things they could do to set-up this stake-out operation, I sat in awe of all of them. It was as if they had named themselves unintentional champions of the weak and battered, and it only made me love them more. It was insane, how quickly my opinion of the guys had changed in such a short amount of time. But I no longer saw them as the rough-and-tumble, give-no-shits, cares-about-no-one-but-themselves kind of crew.
I saw them kind of like Santa Cruz’s guardian angels.
Which was why it was so important to me that we figure out what the fuck was going on. I mean, if tonight was any indication of how these men treated American strippers, then I could only assume how they’d treat women they trafficked over from another fucking country. The idea made me sick. Those men probably saw women as disposable. As pawns to be used in a big ol’ man’s game of chess.
And they probably had no remorse if one of them got beaten or killed.
“I will go back tomorrow night and get as much information as I can,” I said.
The guys all stopped talking before Brooks spoke up. “That won’t be necessary. We have what we need.”
I shook my head. “We could have so much more, though. They haven’t changed anything in those back hallways. All of the improvements have been at face value.”
Archer held me closely. “It’s okay, we can take it from here.”
Porter held his hand up. “Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean, face value?”
Archer grumbled. “Shut up, man. She’s done her job.”
Porter shot him a look. “Let the woman speak. You might not like what she has to say, but that doesn’t mean we’re on your side with this.”
Tanner nodded. “Yeah, she more than proved herself tonight. Give her some room to talk.”
Archer stiffened against me as I kept talking. “What I mean is, all of the locks and shit on those back office doors? None of them have been changed. And guess who has an administrative key to them?”
Brooks balked. “You’re kidding?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not. I obtained one from the previous owners a little while ago because they wanted me to take over payroll to make sure everyone was getting the money they deserved. They had been struggling with temporary dancers and shit skimming off the top of things they had no business skimming, and the owners wanted a fresh set of eyes on things.”
Brooks nodded slowly. “And you think you can get into these back rooms?”
Archer held up his hand. “We don’t even know if they’re using those rooms. For all we know, they’ve been emptied and the contents are somewhere different.”
But I shook my head. “Those are the only office spaces in the entire building. They have to be using them.”
He continued to argue with me, though. “For all we know, they haven’t even been touched. These guys don’t seem like book-keeping fellows to me.”
I shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. I’m on the schedule again tomorrow night to be a back-up. So, it’s not like I’ll have to wiggle my way back into things.”
Archer’s grip grew around my waist. “I don’t think the guys will put you in harm’s way for something we aren’t sure about. Right, guys?”
I knew from Brooks’ face, though, that he didn’t agree. “You’re sure you can get into those offices.”
Archer scoffed. “You can’t be serious!?”
Porter held out his hand, as if to silence me. “If we can find a hard-and-fast date for the delivery of the girls in that paperwork, it fixes a lot of issues for us.”
Archer stood to his feet. “I can’t believe this. I can’t fucking believe this!”
Then, I shot to my feet. “Hey! Archer!”
The room stilled as his shocked eyes dropped to mine. “What?”
I pointed up at him. “This macho-man bullshit? It stops now. Got it?”
He lifted his head high. “I will always protect you.”
“Protect, yes. Keep me from running my life the way I see fit? Absolutely fucking not.”
We stared off for a while before he raised his hand to cup my cheek. “I don’t want to lose you, Josie.”
I sighed. “And you won’t. But your opinion on this isn’t going to change mine. We can put it to a vote if you want, but you know you’re going to lose. You know this is too good of an opportunity to pass up. If these guys are honestly that stupid and reckless with basic shit like this, there’s a plethora of information we have at our fingertips if I can just get into those offices with my key.”
Someone stood behind me before Brooks’ voice sounded. “She’s right, you know.”
Porter sounded off, too. “And you know she’s got the chops.”
Tanner chuckled. “You should’ve seen her in there. She was magnificent, and I’m not talking about the dancing.”
I turned around and pointed at him. “But the dancing was good, right?”
Tanner smiled brightly. “You could have your own place, Josie. I’m serious about that, too.”
I giggled as I faced Archer once more. “Don’t be that guy. I love spending time with you, but if you’re going to be that guy, I might as well go home now. Because I won’t put up with it. My parents controlled me enough as a little girl. You know that more than most. Don’t make me lump you into their category, because the consequences of that won’t be good.”
His eyes danced between mine before his face softened. “Just know that my agreement is coerced and reluctant.”
I stood to my toes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, handsome.”
He nuzzled against me. “You’re welcome, beautiful.”
Then, he turned his attention to the guys. “But this time? I’m coming on the mission.”
Porter nodded. “But you stay in the van.”
Brooks chuckled. “He’s right. No going inside for you unless the command comes from me. Got it?”
Archer clicked his tongue. “Fine. Sure. Yeah, I agree.”
I hugged him around his waist. “Thank you. I know this is hard for you.”
He wrapped his arm around me. “You just need to stay safe. And don’t be afraid to use that gun if you need to.”
My voice fell to a whisper. “Trust me, I won’t be.”
After piecing together the game plan for tomorrow night, Archer and I left the clubhouse. I climbed onto the back of his bike and we headed back for his house, but the second we stepped inside he gripped my waist. He pulled me against him as the front door slammed closed, and before I knew it I was pressed against the door itself.
Before Archer’s lips fell against my own.
“My God, I was so fucking worried,” he murmured.
I moaned as I jumped, wrapping my legs around his beefy body. “I know you were. Thank you for being patient.”
He pinned my wrists above my head. “How’s your body feeling?”
My eyes fell open and I grinned. “Good enough for a hot shower, what do you think?”
In the blink of an eye, he tossed me over his shoulder. I giggled as he raced up the steps, his hand spanking my ass every few strides he took. By the time we got into his ensuite bathroom, I burned with desire for him, and it didn’t take us long to get out of our clothes. Or into a hot shower.
That somehow turned into a nice mist.
“This thing is a sauna, too?” I asked.
Archer’s lips kissed my shoulder. “Oh, yeah. Helps with muscle aches after big jobs.”
I whimpered as he nipped at my neck. “Is this natural stone? Or artificial?”
He slowly turned me around and crashed his lips against mine. “I don’t care.”
I giggled just before he usurped my tongue, beckoning it for a dance we were only just beginning to explore. We sank to the shower floor, my back pressed against the warm, wet stone as he hovered above me. His thick dick pressed against my stomach and something within me changed. A carnal desire rose up within me, and as it took hold of my heart, it left me breathless.
“Archer?”
He leaned further down until our lips almost touched. “Yes, beautiful?”
I feathered my lips against his. “Make love to me.”
As easily as the words had slipped out, his cock entered me. He drew his hips back and placed his tip at my entrance before filling me up in ways I’d never experienced before. My back arched as his face fell between my breasts. His grunts backdropped my whimpers as he spread me, sliding against every beautiful spot within me at once. I shivered against him as he held himself up. The warm mist blanketed us away from the rest of the world as he slid back, entering me again and forcing electricity to sizzle throughout my veins.
And as I wrapped my arms around his neck, sliding my fingertips along the swollen muscles of his back, I made love to a man that had captured my heart.
A man I had only known a few days but felt as if I had known him for a lifetime.
