"He doesn't?" she asked, trying to stay on track.

"No, I would have made sure he treated you good. You would have had a time you would have never forgotten." Vida just bet she wouldn't have forgotten; being raped by two men at the same time tended to have that effect. He sickened her by believing she would have enjoyed the experience.

Vida moved closer, straddling his lap without giving him her weight. Wiggling and twisting above his lap, she forced herself to rub her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against his chest, heightening his desire.

"I don't understand why he took me in the first place," Vida probed.

"He hate's King."

Vida almost stopped her lap dance.

"What do I have to do with King?"

"Both you and Sawyer are under King's protection. Everyone knows that the only one King ever extended that protection to was his sister, and he dismembered the man that was responsible for her death. Every s.h.i.thead in town was afraid to mess with you and Sawyer. Digger wasn't, he hates King, wanted to make King get mad enough to make a mistake and take him out."

Vida let a tiny amount of her weight drop down on his crotch. "Sawyer's disappearance and mine both show that we didn't mean anything to him. He ignored the situation until I asked for his help, and he hasn't gone crazy trying to go after Digger."

Briggs grabbed her hips, trying to force more of her weight down on him. Vida could see he was practically grinding his teeth in his desire for more of her.

"Digger was surprised. When he took Sawyer, he messed her up trying to find out her connection to King, but she didn't know anything. The only thing she came up with was she remembered an incident when you were kids and King had been going to see someone in the building you lived in. He had stopped to talk to you girls, but she didn't remember what it was about. I'm not surprised Digger had her so high she could barely remember her name."

If Vida had a gun, she would shoot him and not mind spending the rest of her life in prison. She was sure Colton and Sawyer would visit her. Vida didn't remember King ever talking to them when they were little, however Sawyer was older than her and would have a better memory.

Vida knew a way to get even and spend no time in prison herself. Determined, she let more of her weight fall against his crotch, grinding herself against him, trying not to shudder in disgust.

"I don't know why Digger cares about King. He is obviously the smarter one. I was looking forward to partying with him," Vida lied, rising up from Briggs's lap as he tried to arch his hips against her.

"He is; no one can touch him. He has women all over the place, even movie stars and musicians call for him to provide him with entertainment," Briggs bragged drunkenly.

"Movie stars? Musicians? Do you mean Rock stars?" Vida asked in an awestruck voice.

"We charge a f.u.c.king fortune to provide them with a f.u.c.k that won't go running to the tabloids to sell their story."

"How can you stop them from talking?" Vida questioned.

"Digger sells them with the others when the star is done with her. The men don't care; they just want their own personal little s.e.x slave. They disappear, never to be heard from again. Their buyers make sure of that." Vida shivered at Briggs's smug face.

The idiot was bragging, not caring that he was telling her that Digger had the same fate in store for her if Colton hadn't rescued her. They were freaking psycho's. Suddenly, Vida remembered something from her introductory psychology course she had to take in college. Psychopaths couldn't understand or care that their victims suffered pain, but pain to them was excruciating.

"But how can he keep all these women and no one knows? I imagine it has to be pretty isolated where no one can see or hear anything." Vida tried to gather more information, not sure how much longer she could tolerate being this close to the monster.

Briggs almost came to his senses, his ingrained fear of Digger fighting the haze that alcohol and drugs had enveloped his senses in. Vida, seeing reason momentarily return to his beady little eyes, began rubbing herself faster against him. Leaning forward, her fingertips traced the sensitive veins in his neck that were standing out.

When he didn't answer, Vida's hips rose an inch from his and she pulled her b.r.e.a.s.t.s away, removing her hands from underneath his shirt.

"Don't stop," Briggs begged. "He has several locations. It's like a f.u.c.king bus station; he moves them from one location to the next. They all are isolated houses, except for the one here in town."

He continued, his hands going to her a.s.s, "It's right under the police's f.u.c.king nose. The recording studio in town that advertises all over the country as having the best rates and sound techs available. The whole building is soundproof. Digger gets fresh stock in all the time, and he doesn't even have to leave the building. The upper floors are legit, but the bas.e.m.e.nt is used to train the sweet things until Digger moves them out. By the time we get done with them, they walk right out the front door and into the waiting car. I told you Digger is a f.u.c.king genius," Briggs gloated, wanting her to admire the brilliance of Digger's plan.

Digger might be a genius, but his hired help was a moron. Vida, with the information she needed and unable to stomach one more second near him without throwing up, was relieved when she heard the door open and Colton come in the room.

"What the f.u.c.k is going on in here?" he yelled.

Fear flooded Briggs's face as Colton slammed the door back against the wall.

"Colton, I told you I had to work tonight." Vida gave a fake squeak of fear as Colton placed his hands around her waist and lifted her off Briggs.

Viciously, Vida made sure that her thick, high-heeled stripper shoe snapped up and kicked Briggs in the b.a.l.l.s as hard as she could manage. His scream of pain could be heard, Vida was sure, downstairs. That thought gave her some satisfaction.

"You f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h!" Briggs held himself, crying like a baby.

"Watch your mouth," Colton growled.

"What's going on in here?" Henry's amused voice had everyone looking at the huge man.

"The f.u.c.king..." Colton's furious gaze had Briggs changing his mind about his choice of words. "Vida kicked me in the b.a.l.l.s."

"It was an accident, Henry. Colton pulled me off of him. I didn't mean to. I wouldn't hurt you deliberately; you're one of my favorites." She batted her false eyelashes at him.

"I'm sure King will refund your money, Briggs. We do want our customers completely satisfied. Ashley will give you a dance on the house also. Does that sound reasonable, Briggs?"

Mollified, Briggs sat back, rubbing his abused crotch.

"Let's go, Vida and Colton. Vida, King will have to let you go because of this second complaint from a customer. We can't have them hurt because a dancer's boyfriend becomes jealous." Briggs's head swelled even further at the thought that Colton could possibly be jealous of him.

As Vida and Colton left the room, she gave a sigh of relief when she heard the door close behind them. Colton's arm came around her shoulders.

"Did you get what you needed?" Colton asked.

"I think so. Colton, they're really sick and have to be stopped." Vida told him with resolution.

"I know, baby. That was the only reason I could let you back on that stage again, much less let that motherf.u.c.ker touch you."

"You better get out of here," Henry said, motioning for Ashley, who slid past them with a bottle of King's best whiskey in her hand.

Vida felt sorry for the pretty blond who would have to let Briggs touch her so that he would forget the fountain of information he had provided them with.

Interpreting her look, Colton sought to rea.s.sure her. "By the time he's a fourth of the way through that bottle, he won't remember his own name, and she can leave."

Vida nodded.

Colton and Vida went to the dressing room to retrieve her bag. She didn't want to take the time to change, needing to go home and get further away from the pollution still upstairs. Understanding, Sherri let her borrow a long raincoat, which she used in her act sometimes, that covered her completely. Vida put it on and, giving Sherri a quick hug of thanks, left to find Colton waiting outside the door.

Colton waved to King as they left, who returned it with a grim nod as he talked on the phone. Vida could tell from his expression he was giving the other person on the line h.e.l.l. By morning, Vida was sure every bug in his club would disappear.

"Should I call Seth?" she questioned Colton.

"That's who King is talking to. I gave him the number you gave me," Colton informed her.

A large man rose from a table they were pa.s.sing close to the stage. Vida's stomach plunged when she recognized the man from the farmers' market that Colton had fought. Glancing quickly at the table, she became even more upset when she recognized the two others among the nine men seated.

"Well, looks like we found Trouble after all, boys." He snickered. "Charlie recognized you when you were on the stage," he said, giving her an insolent look. "You being with her, now that's just icing on the cake."

"Move." Colton took Vida's arm, moving her to his side, further away from the group of men.

"Make me, a.s.shole. I don't think you'll be able to take us all on. When we're done with you, we're going to show that s.l.u.t how a real man f.u.c.ks." He laughed with the others following his lead. They started whistling and name calling Vida.

Vida wanted to get out of the club before a fight broke out. She looked around the room for Henry before she realized he must still be upstairs keeping an eye on Briggs.

"Need any help, Colton?" a cold voice had her turning sideways to see Ice, Max and several of the other Predators getting up from their chairs at the front of the stage. She noticed the one with the scar stood before casually striding out the front door.

"I got it covered, Ice. These f.u.c.kwads couldn't fight their way out of a wh.o.r.e's p.u.s.s.y."

"Dave, you gonna take that s.h.i.t?" A loudmouth sitting at the back of the group hadn't noticed the arrival of the Predators.

"No, I don't think I am." Dave seemed bolstered from Colton's friends' presence, which just proved how stupid he was. "I'm going to kick your a.s.s."

Colton took a step toward Dave and Vida pulled him back.

"Colton, remember you're on parole. If you get caught, you could get your parole revoked. He's not worth it. Let's go home," she pleaded. The thought of him getting thrown back in prison, this time because of her, wasn't something she would be able to handle. "Please, Colton, ignore him."

"Shut-up, and take your t.i.ts and a.s.s over there." Dave pointed to the stage where Sherri stood frozen in place, ignoring her music. "Me and my friends will take care of you when we finish."

Max moved closer. "f.u.c.k this s.h.i.t. I'm not on parole." His fist struck out, sending Dave hurtling onto the table. Bottles of beer went flying as the men stood up, each becoming ready to fight.

"Gentleman, I want you to leave." King's sudden appearance with several of his bouncers as the fight started to get out of control had the men pausing briefly.

Dave and his friends came to their senses when faced by even more opposition.

"We're leaving," he grumbled as they began to head to the door followed by the bouncers.

"Thanks, King," Vida said, relieved.

"No thanks needed, Vida. I wasn't going to have to pay for the damages to my club. Those f.u.c.kers don't look like they could afford one of my chairs."

Vida had to agree. "Can we go now?" she asked Colton.

"Go out back. I'll send Henry to give you a ride in my car," King ordered.

"Why not take his bike?"

"Because I think the police will be called any minute." Vida didn't understand what King meant until she realized the Predators had also gone outside. The bouncer's hadn't returned, either.

"Oh."

"Let's go," Colton said with a satisfied smile.

Henry was waiting for them at the back door. He had come down the back stairway. As he saw their approach, he opened the back door, looking outside before holding the door open for them.

Colton and Vida slid into the back seat as Henry started the car, pulling out of the alley onto the main road. Henry turned the car towards the direction of Colton's apartment.

When they pa.s.sed the front of the King's club, Henry slowed the car as they stared at the huge fight in the parking lot. Ice and Max were beating on Dave. Vida almost felt sorry for him until she remembered he could have led to Colton being back in prison.

Vida's eyes glanced off one fighting pair before they went back in shock. The biker with the scar who had left the club had the heckler down on the ground. Vida turned, burying her head in Colton's shoulder at the viciousness of his attack on the man.

Thank G.o.d, King had stopped them from going outside. There was no way the cops wouldn't be locking up several of the men fighting while sending others to the local hospital.

During the ride back to the apartment Vida's thoughts returned to those poor women who didn't have their freedom. They had no choice in who took their bodies, captive and broken, and bent them to someone else's will.

Vida rolled down her window so the wind could hit her face, missing Colton's motorcycle. She leaned closer to Colton, needing his strength as she reminded herself Sawyer was still one of those women.

Chapter 17.

Vida felt Colton's eyes searching her face as they got out of the car. His arm went around her shoulders while they walked up the stairs side by side. When she turned back towards the car, Henry waved as he drove silently out of the parking lot.

After closing the door behind them, Colton went to the kitchen.

"Sit down. I'm going to fix you a drink." Vida kept on the coat as she sat on the couch and buried her face in her hands.

"Here" Colton handed her a gla.s.s with whiskey and ice. Vida made a face at the strong taste. "Drink it; it'll help you sleep." Vida sipped her drink as Colton sat down next to her.

"That was the worst thing I've ever had to do in my life." Vida shuddered. "He was telling me how and where they put those women, and I just wanted to vomit, but I had to pretend I wanted him."

"Vida, maybe now they can shut down the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds and put them away," he said grimly.

"G.o.d, Colton, I hope so. I keep thinking of Sawyer; how scared she must be, who has her, if he..."

"Don't think about it tonight, Vida. It's bad enough without you thinking about it constantly."

Vida stared at her hands, realizing that she still had on her red gloves. Staring blankly, all she could see was Sawyers face staring back at her.

"She's so shy, Colton. Her mom was really overprotective because of Sawyer's father getting killed so young. She was terrified something would happen to Sawyer. After the fire, she was even worse. She never let Sawyer have fun, or go places with her friends. When her mom died, Sawyer started going out more, but she was so shy. She just didn't fit in. Gradually, she stopped trying to go out very much. That was why I was so happy that she was excited about going out with this new guy she'd met. We tell each other everything. She hadn't had s.e.x before. If they raped her..." Vida began crying.

"Vida, please stop, baby."

Colton pulled her onto his lap until she was facing him. "Let's get all this out of your mind for a few hours at least."

Unb.u.t.toning the coat, he pulled it off. Vida sat facing him with her knees on the couch next to his hips. It was the same position that she had been in an hour ago with Briggs except now the feeling inside of her wasn't disgust; it was a low hum of pleasure that was growing inside of her belly.

"Colton, I need to go to bed. I'm tired."