Third, it killed me that Gray would lose his ever-lovin' mind if he knew she was calling me.

And last and most importantly, it killed me that Gray was about lose his land.

"For you," she went on, "probably a drop in the bucket, seein' as you're shacked up with a hotshot. But for Gray, it's his land. And you should know, the bank that holds the note is Buddy Sharp's bank."

My body jerked yet again.

Oh God.

She wasn't done.

"And you should also know, Buddy Sharp is scrapin' together money to buy that note. So, they foreclose, the bank won't own it and Jeb Sharp won't own it. Buddy will."

Oh God!

"How did this happen?" I asked.

"Mirry's not growin' younger through the years," she snapped like I should know that which I should but honestly, no offense to Grandma Miriam but she was seventy when I met her over seven years ago. I was kind of surprised she was still alive.

Janie continued, "Got to the point Gray couldn't take care of her, his uncles are all assholes, his cousins proved to be too so he had to put her in a home. He's self-employed, got no insurance and he's Gray. He didn't put her in a shithole. He put her in the best place in the county. Had a bad crop of peaches last year, the bills from the home, a bad year with crops, shit happens."

"This is awful," I whispered.

"Well...yeah," she snapped again like someone would say, "No duh".

"So, what about his uncles, his cousins, can they help?"

"Did I not mention they're assholes?" she asked.

"Yes, I know that Janie, but this is their family's land. It's been in that family for six generations," I reminded her.

"Yeah, well, 'bout twelve years ago, Gray's Daddy died and they wanted their bit. They didn't get it. Seems that left a sour taste in their mouth so they're not feelin' like steppin' up. So they're not."

Those assholes!

I controlled my bizarre flash of temper because, really, this had nothing to do with me (anymore) and asked, "I...uh...how much does he need?"

"You kickin' in?"

My back went straight and I repeated. "How much does he need?"

"Are you kickin' in?" she repeated too.

"Yes," I said instantly and I had absolutely no clue why.

"Right, I'll get Shim or Roan to find out what they can find out. I'll call you back."

"I don't want him to know it's coming from me," I said quickly.

"Well...yeah." There it was again, the "No duh."

"Janie," I said softly, "I'm helping out."

"You know, it took a lot for me to make this call, way you cleared out on Gray, way you cleared out on me. So, I appreciate it and all that you aren't a total bitch and are gonna help out but don't think you doin' it means anyone's gonna kiss your ass."

I wasn't breathing.

Therefore I had to force out, "The way I cleared out on Gray?"

"Yeah, one minute, he's at home takin' shit from Mirry because he told her you were movin' in, the next minute, I'm callin' him because you didn't show up for your shift. The next thing we know, people saw you take off with that brother of yours. Then the next thing we know, rumors are pool hustlers are on the game in Grand Junction. You tried, I'll give you that, gave it a go. Too bad you couldn't manage not to walk all over Gray while you were doin' it. I could find another girl. Lot harder for him to do it."

Even though my heart was beating like a sledgehammer against the wall of my chest, my blood pressure was also skyrocketing.

"Actually, it wasn't hard, seeing as when I came back three months later to explain, I saw him cuddling on the street with a pretty little brunette so, please, I know you're tight with Gray and you think he's one step down from God, but don't bullshit me."

"What?" she whispered.

"I think you heard me. And also, I've never been to Grand Junction except to drive through it. The last game of pool I hustled was before I went to Mustang. I haven't taken a dollar from the game since Buddy Sharp and I didn't hustle him. So if people were trash talking me after I left, they can go fuck themselves. And as for you and Gray believing it, the same goes for you. Now, although this catch up phone call has been a barrel of laughs, I've got flowers to water. Call me when you know how much he needs and I'll get it to you. Take care of yourself, Janie."

Then I beeped the phone off and threw it on the chair.

Then I deep breathed and I did it for a long time.

Then Lash walked in and asked, "Who was it, babe?"

I looked to my fake boyfriend, smiled bright and lied, "Nobody."

Then I walked out of our fabulous living room through our fabulous French doors to our fabulous flower bedecked cool deck around our fabulous pool and I grabbed the hose and recommenced watering.

Chapter Twenty-One.

Artillery Two days later...

I was at the club, sitting at the way back around the corner of the bar, three stools next to me empty, Brutus standing against the wall guarding me.

Unfortunately, he needed to do this. I hadn't danced for long and I hadn't danced in a while but still, Rue the burlesque dancer was Vegas legend.

And I worked the house.

This meant I hired, fired, scheduled and managed the waitresses, the bartenders, the bar and the floor.

Part of me managing the floor was getting tricked out every night, putting on amazing dresses that exposed a fair amount of flesh (in a classy way, I thought, and so did Lash considering he chose and bought all my dresses for me), high-heeled, fuck-me shoes and expensive jewelry. Often, I wandered the floor smiling, touching men's arms, shoulders, hands, leaning down and brushing their knees or the outside of their thighs with my fingertips all the while inspecting their tables and the state of their drinks. If they were half done, I'd give the high sign to a scantily clad waitress and convince them with a practiced, come-hither smile that even though they were only halfway done with their drink, they needed another one.

I sold a tremendous amount of booze. Lash told me that within a month of me taking over the floor, the bar's turnover doubled.

This was why he paid me a shitload and kept me in amazing dresses, shoes and jewelry. This and the fact that the waitresses and bartenders worked his nerves, they were always screwing each other then getting in fights, breaking up and taking that shit to work. When I took that off his shoulders, he was beside himself.

This was also because he adored me.

So I was visible. You paid your money, there was a chance you'd still see Rue. She wouldn't be dancing on the stage in high heels with fans but it was better. She would be working the crowd and she might come close, you might see those bedroom eyes, that hair and that smile right in front of you and, if you were lucky, she might touch you.

Men were pretty stupid on the whole, I thought. Dropping that kind of money to see women dance nearly naked (that said, Lash's girls were the shit, no one in Vegas was better than them and even I had to admit there was an immense sensual beauty to it) and getting wound up because some woman touched your thigh and bent over so you could look down her cleavage.

I mean, really?

Whatever. It kept Lash in the lap of luxury and Lash kept me in the lap of luxury so who was I to complain?

"Ivey, beautiful, got a sign from Patrick," Brutus said in my ear, hand on the flesh at the small of my back exposed by the low dip of my dress. "May be trouble across the floor. Gonna give him backup. Be right back."

I looked from the notes I was making on the schedule on the bar, a martini glass filled with straight up cranberry juice next to it, twisted my neck and smiled over my shoulder at him, giving a nod.

His hand pressed lightly into my back and then he moved through the tables across the floor.

My head bent and I went back to my schedule.

I liked it back here. The lighting was dim and it seemed far from the crowd. It was the farthest place in the room from the stage so no one wanted back here. With Brutus at his post, the darkness, the distance from the stage which was why everyone paid to be there in the first place, I had privacy.

Not that night.

I would learn this ten seconds after Brutus left when a voice came in my ear.

"Do not stick your nose in with Cody."

My neck twisted and I stared in shock at Buddy Sharp standing next to me wearing a hard expression, his eyes glittering mean even in the dim light.

Yes, Buddy Sharp.

What the fuck?

"I'm sorry?" I asked.

"Small town. Word travels. Janie's a stupid bitch. I know she's called you. Do not stick your nose in that business with Grayson Cody."

I felt something snake across my skin, it wasn't good. In fact it was really, really bad.

He'd come to Vegas to warn me off personally. He lived in Colorado, not Italy but still, it wasn't an hour's drive.

And I did not think this boded well. I didn't know what it boded but I had the distinct impression something was going on, something I didn't know or get and it was something very, very bad.

Very, very bad for Gray.

I stared into his eyes.

Then I told him, "What I do or don't do is none of your business."

He got closer, threateningly closer and there was no mistaking it. His face was all I could see and the mean shown from his eyes, wetting the air all around with acid.

"You step in for Cody, you will wish you didn't. Stay the fuck away from Cody and Mustang. You get me?"

Yes, something was happening and it was very, very bad.

For Gray.

I held his eyes, I held my space and I held my shit when I ordered, "Step back, now."

He didn't step back.

"Do not try me. Do not fuck with me. You do not exist for Cody and you do not exist in Mustang. You make even a single move to change that, you'll regret it."

"Step..." I hissed then leaned into him, "back."

"Do not fuck with me," he whispered and the way he did, the acid in the air saturating those four words, I felt true fear.

"Rue, we got a problem here?"

Thank God, Brutus.

I didn't take my eyes from Buddy as I answered Brutus.

"Yes, this gentleman is no longer welcome in the club. Please escort him out, Freddie. Now."

Freddie put his hands to the back of Buddy's shirt, clenching in and Buddy tried to shake him off but no way in hell could Buddy shake off Freddie. Hell, the Incredible Hulk would have some issues shaking off Freddie.

My eyes moved from Buddy to Freddie, they locked with his and I said softly, "Eighty-six. Life. You see him, you take him down and I'll deal with the police later."

Brutus nodded, jerked Buddy around and I watched him frog march Buddy to the door.

Then I swallowed.

Then I breathed deep.

It was there, insidious, crawling through me, I felt it.

Worry.

And if I didn't get a lock on it, I knew it would consume me.

I took a sip of cranberry juice and another deep breath.

Then I got a lock on it.

Then I went back to my schedule.