Vida stood up, going to get her bag, but Colton forestalled her by taking her hand. "I'm not happy letting you do this, but I know you feel that you need to do this for Sawyer and the other women. No more after tonight, though," Colton forewarned her.

"Maybe the club won't be busy tonight." Vida hoped she was right.

"It's Friday, and all the h.o.r.n.y men with no dates who want something to jerk of to will be there," he said sarcastically.

"Gee, thanks, I'll have that picture in my head now while I'm dancing."

"You better not be thinking of any of them f.u.c.kwads jerking off. I'll be there. Pretend it's just me you're dancing for."

"I don't think that will make it any easier," Vida said under her breath, not wanting to confess his presence would make her even more nervous.

"What?" Colton asked with a smile.

His arrogant att.i.tude reminded her of the addition to her tattoo. "Why did you put your initials in my tattoo?"

Colton lost his smile becoming serious. "Because when other men look at you, both of us will know who you really belong to, Vida."

"I don't belong to you," she protested.

"Baby, when you're on that stage tonight and I want to kill one of those motherf.u.c.kers staring at you, the only thing holding me back will be when I see my mark on you."

"Oh." Vida stared at his composed expression, sensing the lethal intent buried just below the surface.

"We done?" Vida nodded her head. "Let's go." She followed Colton out the door, dreading the next few hours.

It was going to be hard to go back on that stage when she had been so overjoyed that she was free from the humiliating experience. The lap dance she looked at with even more trepidation of having to be so close to Briggs. She really hated him and knew if he thought he could get away with it, he would take her, with or without her consent.

When they finally got into the club, it was immediately evident that Colton had been right. The club was extremely busy.

With a nudge to her back, Colton left her to go into the dressing room. Sherri was there, giving her a tight hug at her sudden appearance.

"I've been worried about you, kid. You doing okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Sherri," Vida a.s.sured the kindhearted woman who had taught her how to shed her clothes, not in the least jealous of Vida's popularity.

"You can go on before me if you want. They won't be as drunk. You're scheduled three spots after me. By then, they'll be so drunk the men will be trying to jump the stage," she offered.

Vida started to refuse.

"I don't mind. I'm used to them trying to get a piece of me," Sherri joked.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Besides, they tip better when they're drunk." She rubbed her hands together.

Vida smiled at her antics as she dressed in her outfit, putting on her stage make-up. Deciding not to tease her hair into a wild mess, she left it straight and then put on her red lipstick as the final touch. She stepped back from the mirror and looked at her changed appearance. No longer the college student, but a seductive woman with one goal; to see how much money she could tempt out of the men in a ten-minute set.

"You look hot tonight." Sherri's experienced eyes ran over Vida's body, taking in her new tattoo and the little bit of weight she had gained over the last week. "Something about you is different. That s.e.xy ex-convict teaching you a thing or two?"

"No!" Vida evaded her question as she pa.s.sed Sherri going into the restroom. There was nothing worse than a full bladder when you were shaking your b.o.o.bs and a.s.s at a roomful of men.

"Can he show me a thing or two?"

"No!" Vida yelled through the closed door.

"d.a.m.n."

Chapter 16.

Colton took a seat at a back table, facing the stage. A vibrant redhead was currently on the stage, shaking her tail for the front row, giving an incentive to place their money on her body. He ordered a beer when the waitress came to his table.

Colton's brow lifted when King joined him, taking a seat across from him.

"I didn't think you ever sat anywhere except your booth?"

"I can be flexible, especially when they have my booth bugged." Colton just bet King wasn't happy with that piece of information. He paid dearly for information from his contacts on the force, someone must be wising up to be able to bug King and him not know about it beforehand.

The redhead's music ended and Vida's began. Colton tensed in his seat when she came strutting out as if she owned the stage.

King smiled. "She's came a long way since her first night."

"So I've heard," Colton answered, not taking his eyes off her as she twirled around the pole with one leg, her dark hair flying silkily around her.

"I bet you have. Several of the Predators became regulars on her nights. I don't see any of them here tonight. That's interesting," King said thoughtfully, staring at Colton.

"They're not here because I told them I would beat the s.h.i.t out of them if they showed up," Colton said grimly as he watched Vida moving away from the pole, dancing suggestively in front of several men on the side of the stage before working her way over to the other side. She never glanced back towards the table that Colton sat at with King.

"That wasn't very friendly." King's amus.e.m.e.nt drew his attention briefly from Vida.

"There are a few questions I need answered, King."

All amus.e.m.e.nt at Colton's predicament ended when he saw that Colton was serious.

"What do you want to know?"

"I find it very interesting that Vida, from a neighborhood that's high in crime and has more punks trying to score p.u.s.s.y then any I know of in America, is a virgin who has managed to escape their attention."

King's face became an impa.s.sive mask. "Are you asking me why Vida is still a virgin? How would I know?"

"Because my brothers and I did a little digging, and I'm a little interested in what I found out."

"Exactly what did you find out?" King asked, his jaw tightening.

"That you put out the word for the punks and other unsavory elements to stay away or they would deal with you," Colton answered.

King shrugged. "I did that for Goldie."

"I don't think so. This order went out when she was just a kid, and it covered Sawyer. Seems this is what led Digger to them. He was searching for a way to get to you. How would going after them get to you?"

"If that is why Digger went after them, then that was his mistake. I have no emotional or physical connection to either Vida or Sawyer." King looked Colton straight in the eye.

Colton looked back at King. He had known him for years, ever since his stepdad had started bringing him in the strip club with the Predators. They had struck up a friendship over the years.

The man was lying, he could tell. What worried Colton was that King was an expert at lying, so if he could tell, his enemies could also, which placed Vida and Sawyer in danger.

The music changed. Colton looked toward the stage to see Vida taking off her red corset. Her pert b.r.e.a.s.t.s shone under the lights of the stage. Colton wanted to get up from the stage and punch a few of the men in the front row, but restrained himself this time.

Colton looked up into Vida's face, seeing her eyes were on him. They were full of humiliation. She was embarra.s.sed she was doing it. Now, it was even worse because he was watching her. Colton let heat flow from his eyes, giving her a smile that let her know how pretty and fine he thought she was. He leaned across the table so that the lighting could catch his expression and let all the l.u.s.t he had been holding back show in his face.

He noticed she had a small stumble before she managed to catch herself. Colton promised himself that one day, not too long from now, she would be standing in his bedroom, giving him the same exact performance, and he was going to throw her down on the bed and f.u.c.k her until she couldn't walk.

Vida turned red and Colton gave her a satisfied smile. She walked forward when the music changed again, getting close to the men in the front row, letting them slip bills into the string around her waist. One b.a.s.t.a.r.d trailed his fingers close to her p.u.s.s.y. Colton started to get up, but King's hand on his arm brought him back down in his seat as King motioned to Henry to escort the overzealous man out of the club.

After several minutes, Vida went to the stage, giving the men their last show of her a.s.s.

"If she bends down and waves at them from between her legs, I am going to turn her a.s.s bright red to match her outfit when I get her home," Colton threatened.

The words were no sooner out of his mouth than Vida did that exact move. Colton's jaw tightened.

"I don't think she heard you," King said with amus.e.m.e.nt.

"She's never going back on that stage again. I don't care how many women's lives she's trying to save."

"I agree."

Both men watched as Briggs ordered another whiskey.

"I hope you're giving him the good stuff." Colton eyed the liquor in Brigg's gla.s.s.

"What he's drinking is almost pure alcohol. Vida will be heading upstairs after she gets redressed and takes a fifteen minute break." King started to get out of his seat.

"King, what's the connection between you and the girls?" Colton tried one more time.

King opened his mouth then closed it sharply. "There isn't one, Colton." He moved away from the table, but not before he gave Colton a warning look to leave it alone. Aware they didn't know which areas of the club were bugged, Colton didn't go after him to find out what he needed to know to keep Vida safe.

Instead, Colton sat at his table and continued nursing his beer. Not long after, Briggs managed to stumble up the steps after he finished several whiskeys. Colton waited until he saw Vida climb the discreet stairway before he started after her.

As he was going up the stairs, he noticed several of the Predators entering the door, taking front row seats. He should have known Max wasn't going to miss Sherri's show.

He entered the VIP room to see Vida already being bought a drink from one of King's private customers that had watched her performance from the room. A huge, plate gla.s.s window provided a view of the stage, but anyone outside simply saw smoky gla.s.s.

Vida didn't pay him any attention when he entered the room and took a seat in the corner on an expensive couch. King had spared no expense in decorating the private room.

Two of the shot girls came to his table. Colton ordered another beer and told them to leave him alone.

"Not interested?" one of the shot girls asked. She was shorter than the taller, curvier one. Colton would have taken a shot from her once upon a time, before Vida.

Colton shrugged. "No thanks." He didn't take his eyes off Vida.

"If you change your mind, let me know." The blond, short one bent over to whisper, "I get off at three. I'll let you take shots all night for free".

"No, thanks. I'm with someone." Colton nodded his head towards Vida.

She gave a smile. "Lucky girl." The shorter one went back to the bar for his beer.

The taller one bent over the table, giving him a view of her t.i.ts.

"My name's Krystal. I can keep my mouth shut if you change your mind later." She nodded her head to Vida. "She's a sweet kid, but I can suck your d.i.c.k like you've never had it done before."

The other woman returned, setting down the beer. They started to move away, but Colton's words halted them both.

"I won't be needing anything else tonight." His cold voice left no doubt that he didn't want to be bothered again.

Taking a drink of his beer, he noticed Briggs move to stand beside Vida, who was already talking to another customer. She played it cool, gradually changing focus from one man to the other, seeming reluctant at first then more willing to talk to him.

Colton saw Briggs's hand wander over Vida's a.s.s several times while she kept moving out of his reach, shaking her head no. Briggs picked up his drink, downing it in one swallow.

Vida moved towards the room where she would give the lap dance with Briggs, who followed after her like he was on a leash. Colton wanted to beat the man until he had several broken bones; instead, he had to watch.

Colton moved to where he could watch her performance continue through the gla.s.s. He was only going to give Vida enough time to get what information she needed then he was going to shut her act down. After that, he knew exactly how she was going to spend the rest of her night.

Vida closed the door to the private room, feeling Colton's eyes on her back, certain he was even now moving towards the window to watch her from the window. Briggs sat down in the chair. He was definitely drunk, and probably was a little high from the glazed look in his eyes. Both conditions she hoped would help her get the information she needed without her having to spend much time in his vicinity.

"Come here, Trouble," Briggs crooned to her.

Vida turned away in disgust, hitting the b.u.t.ton by the door that would fill the room with music. Putting the best sway into her hips she could manage, she neared his chair and leaned over him, giving him an eyeful of her cleavage.

"Come closer."

Vida knew he wanted her on top of him.

"I'm mad at you, Briggs. I thought we had something special going on, and you didn't even try to help me with Digger. You were going to let him have me when you knew how bad I wanted you," she said in a fake, stupid voice that she had heard the other women use hundreds of times.

"You seemed close to Colton. I didn't seem too important to you, Vida."

"I was mad at you. I didn't want Digger. You were going to take me to his bedroom."

"I wasn't going to leave you alone with him. Digger doesn't mind sharing," he confirmed that he would have raped her that night.