4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"Angel said he's doing security at that strip club," Sabrina prattles on as she digs into her pasta bowl. "Of course we can't get in, but what if we put on wigs and dressed real slutty and asked for a job?"

"No way. I don't even want to think about the hell I'd catch from not only Smoke, but my brother. There's got to be a better way than pulling some wild ass stunt." Any other time or situation and I'd be down, but anything coming from Angel puts me on alert. The woman is nothing but red flags. She's not a girl's girl.

"I bet Pam would be on board."

"One, Pam is a nut. Two, you're probably right. And three, I don't have my third yet, but it will come to me in a minute." I bite into my forkful of cheesy pasta heaven. If Pam were coordinating, I'd trust the outcome, but Sabrina has a bitch like Angel filling her head with crap I want no part of.

"Why did you tell Angel that Smoke bought you a ring?"

"Because she's a skank who would fuck him if given the chance." Not that I believe for one second that Smoke would have anything to do with her. If he was going to cheat, I'd hope he'd have higher standards.

"I thought you said you weren't going to marry anyone. Not even him."

"I didn't say never, and it's not like she will tell him what I said. Did she have anything else to say about Jimmy?" I deflect from talking about me and my problems. Not even Sabrina knows my secret. She would never judge me. I want to tell her. Only I'm scared that if I confide in her that her big mouth will get the best of her, and she'll let it slip to her new buddy Angel.

Who knows what she would do with the information?

"Only that she never sees him with any of the hangarounds. And at the strip joint, if they get caught messing with the girls, they're done."

"Well, there you go. Trust me. If he was up to no good, Angel would break her neck to rub it in your face."

"Maybe."

"She's not your friend, Brina. None of the muffler bunnies are."

"I didn't say that."

"No, but every time she's there, you get all chummy with her."

"You know the saying. Keep your enemies close."

"Just be careful. Women like her are dangerous." I shiver thinking about Shiloh and the lengths she went to trying to mess things up between Smoke and me. The vile things she did to him cost her life. People forget men can be victims, too.

"Don't worry. I'm a big girl."

"So what's the plan?"

"Drive to the strip club and see if Jimmy is there, like Angel said."

"And if he's not?"

"I'll try to track him."

"You know what I think?"

"No, but you're going to tell me, anyway."

I stick my tongue out. "Ha. Anyway, we should get you a pregnancy test. Then you should take that test and talk to Jimmy."

"Jimmy doesn't want to talk."

"Then make him."

"How?"

"Tie him up. Let him think you want to be all freaky and then bam." I snap my fingers. "Make him talk and reward him when he does."

"Is that what you do with Smoke?"

"No, it's what he does with me." I smirk.

"And," her voice drops to a whisper, "you like that sort of thing?"

"We have a lot of fun testing my boundaries and his."

"What sort of boundaries?"

"He likes to keep me on the edge."

"Edge of what?"

"An orgasm. He teases me until I'm ready to blow, then holds off from giving me what I want. He loves the power, and I love the thrill of wondering when he'll let me."

"Jimmy would be so mad if I did that to him." She sucks down the rest of her soda through the straw, puckering her lips. I can practically hear the cogs turning in her head.

"What are you thinking about so intensely?"

"Kidnapping Jimmy and torturing the truth out of him with blow jobs."

I burst out laughing. "I don't think he'd need to be taken hostage for that. He'd be a willing volunteer."

"I wish. We've not been having sex. Not like we used to. He says he's tired all the time. He doesn't even kiss me before he leaves unless I make a big deal about it. And then because I make a fuss, he gets mad and refuses or does it out of guilt."

"You know you don't have to stay with him just because you might be pregnant or because you've always been a couple. Maybe you need to dose him with his own medicine. Turn the tables. Make him wonder where you are for a change."

"Where would I even go? Walmart isn't even open late anymore."

"Good point. We could go back to the clubhouse."

"You just want to go back to Smoooke," she draws his name out.

"Maybe, but we can also drink and dance without worrying about our safety."

"We could go to that dance club in Huntington. We just can't drink unless we can flirt our way into some dudes buying them for us."

"This is a bad idea."

"Please." My bestie pouts, giving me sad puppy dog eyes. "I'd do it for you." She's got me there. I know if the situation were reversed, Sabrina would do anything I asked.

I know I'm going to regret this. "Fine."

"Yippee." She claps.

"You've been spending way too much time with three-year-olds," I tease.

"Okie dokie artichokie," she pauses, then squeaks out an, " oh my God." Her hand slaps over her mouth. "See. This is why we need to go out."

After going home to change into what Sabrina says qualifies as club clothes, I have an immediate sensation of dread the closer we get to our destination. I didn't lie to Smoke. Our plans changed after I stopped by the clubhouse. That doesn't stop the guilt gnawing on my insides. Like this is a huge mistake. Not because I think Smoke will be mad that I'm out. He'd want to know that I'm protected. I'm his woman now and know the drill. Ol' Ladies don't go out to another town without someone having your back.

The club has enemies. You never know when someone is lurking, waiting for an opportune moment to make their move.

Our heels clack against the pavement as we approach the sidewalk. The sensation of someone watching us has the hairs on the back of my neck raising. Glancing around at our surroundings, nothing appears out of place. The red neon sign for The Viper's Spit Pit shaped like the outline of a snake with large fangs flickers and hums on the side of the brick building.

"Where did you find this place? "

"Angel told me about it. Said to tell the guy at the door we're friends of hers."

I stop in my tracks. "What do you mean?"

"While you were making out with your man, I was asking her what the happening spots are."

"I told you Angel isn't your friend. Why would you take us to some rando club she recommended?"

"She's always nice to me."

"I don't like this."

"Don't be such a prude. You told me to make Jimmy chase me."

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something unkind. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

There's a big beefy dude manning the door, dressed all in black. "Members only," he grumbles, crossing his massive arms across his chest.

"Angel sent us," Sabrina informs him, like he's going to step aside at this announcement.

"They're with me," Smoke's deep voice rumbles behind me and I startle at the sound of his gritty voice as his fingers dig into my hip in warning.

The big dude nods and opens the door for us.

Sabrina practically floats inside as I take a hesitant step and am given no choice but to keep moving down the darkened hall that glows red near the end. The closer we get, the more I realize the entrance is shaped like the open mouth of a snake. What is this place?

Sabrina struts on through and I stop, turning to Smoke.

"Are you following me?"

"This doesn't look like Walmart, babydoll."

I swallow hard. "We had a change of plans."

"A change that turned into you coming to a sex club?"

"A sex what?" I squeak. I'm going to choke Sabrina and then I'm going to kill Angel.

He chortles. "What are you doing here? Would have brought you myself but didn't think this was something you'd be up for."

"Sabrina heard about it from Angel. She thought it was a nightclub." I stare at him a beat. "Why do you have a membership here?"

"We're not talking about me."

"No. You don't get to blow me off, Smoke. Why do you belong to a sex club or whatever this place is?"

"I was a member before I met you and not been here since the first time I fucked you."

"Thanks for the reminder that I was a cheap and easy fuck for you."

"I didn't mean it that way and you know it. Don't go putting words in my mouth, sweetheart."

The reminder that my first time was nothing but a bet for him and T-bird burns in the back of my throat as tears threaten to fall. I bite them and my anger back. I've tried leaving the past in the past, but sometimes things creep to the surface and I guess I've not gotten over the bet like I thought I had.

"You're a jerk."

"You're jealous."

"No."

"Babe." He gives me this look that says he's so over my shit.

"I hate that you've fucked so many people."

"There it is. Some honesty. I can't change that about myself, but I've been faithful. What will it take for you to see past that shit? Want to go get a cheap thrill? Need to fuck someone else so you can even the score?"

"I never said that."

"Then stop punishing me for shit that happened before you and for shit I can't change. I know I fucked up when we first met, but I've been trying to make it up to you every damn day since."

"I'm not punishing you."

"Then why are you here and why are we arguing? Why do you shut me down every time I bring up marriage? Either you don't trust me, or you don't want to be with me, Ember. Which is it? "

"I trust you. It's me I worry about." My words don't come out the way I intend, but I'm not going to stand here and argue about our personal life at the entrance of a fuck club.

"Fuck." He cups the back of his neck and hangs his head as he stares at his boots. "Come on. Let's put this shit to bed right now." He grabs my hand and tugs me through the mouth of the snake into a world I never imagined existed.