“That’s a girl who’s gaga,” said Bethany. “Go on, get your phone.”

  Honey gave Bethany a warm smile as she took her phone out of her bag. To her disappointment, it wasn’t Grit, but instead Stone, the vice president of the Vandals. He wanted to meet that night.

  “That him?” asked Bethany.

  “Nope,” said Honey. “Just, um, a friend in town seeing if I want to meet up for drinks.”

  The music started in the main floor, the bass booming through the walls.

  “Okay, girl,” said Bethany. “Get your game face on.”

  As the two of them prepared for their performance, Honey’s mind raced with what she’d just learned. Not only had Bethany been using again, but she was using drugs given to her by Charlie. And if that weren’t enough, Charlie having access to drugs all but confirmed that he was running some kind of operation on the premises. Honey figured that he was coming up with new batches and handing them out to known users to get some feedback.

  If she told Stone tonight what she’d learned, it’d all but guarantee that the Vandals would move in on the place. Charlie would be screwed six ways from Sunday. Sure, giving Bethany drugs was a scummy move, but aside from that Honey felt he’d always been a great boss. Honey had always admired the way that he always looked out for the girls—this recent incident with Bethany notwithstanding.

  The night flew by, and Honey went back and forth trying to decide just what to do. Part of her wanted to turn Charlie in to the Vandals and make him pay the price for being a no-good drug-pusher. But part of her felt some loyalty to her boss, the man who’d given her a job and taken good care of her.

  Soon, the evening was over and Honey was on her way to the hotel. Back in the usual room, Stone awaited her alone.

  “All right, gorgeous,” he said, sitting with his legs spread open in one of the room’s fancy chairs, a tallboy in his hands. “Let’s hear some good news.”

  Honey took a deep breath and tried one last time to figure out the right thing to do. It was now or never.

  After a long few seconds, she spoke.

  “Nothing new,” she said. “Same old, same old.”

  Chapter Eight

  Grit

  Weeks passed. Grit knew that the first night with Honey should’ve been a one-off thing. But he couldn’t help himself. He’d lost control that first night and he couldn’t get enough. Just like he’d worried he would be, Grit was hooked. When he wasn’t with Honey, she was all he could think about. He was a man obsessed.

  Meeting tonight?

  He smirked as he read the text.

  You bet that tight ass of yours.

  A winking emoji arrived from Honey a few moments later. Slipping the phone back into his pocket, he realized that he was getting horny just thinking about her. He shook his head, still feeling like a stupid kid with his first girlfriend.

  But there was another issue to worry about—that of just why the two of them were meeting to begin with. As much fun as the sex was, he still needed information about just what was going on at Fantasies. She’d been giving him a steady drip of information up until about a couple of weeks ago. Suddenly, she had nothing to say about anything that was going on there. Grit couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious; it almost seemed to him that she might be hiding something. He was ready to chalk it all up to paranoia, but if there was one thing he’d learned during his time as the president of the Vandals, it was to trust his gut. It’d saved his ass more than once.

  Meet me in the lobby this time. I’ve got an idea.

  After sending the text, a sly smile formed on Grit’s face.

  When the time to meet finally arrived, Grit was seated at the hotel bar, a glass of whiskey in front of him.

  “That seat taken?”

  Grit looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, it was Honey. And like always, she was dressed to impress. She wore a pair of short-shorts that showed off her lovely legs, along with a low-cut top that gave him quite the view of her ample assets.

  “I think it’s got your name all over it.”

  Honey slid into the seat and flashed Grit a sexy little smile.

  “How’re things on the stripper pole?” he asked.

  “Same old, same old.”

  “Been hearing that a lot from you recently.”

  Honey looked at Grit with an expression that was at once suspicious and worried.

  She’s hiding something, he thought. It’s all over her face.

  “Sorry,” said Honey. “I mean, I’m just worried about getting found out is all. If I get caught snooping around, and there’s actually criminal shit like that going on …”

  “I got it,” said Grit.

  She’s a bad liar, thought Grit. She’s right to be worried, but she’s definitely holding something back from me. I gotta find out what it is.

  “Besides,” said Honey, flashing him a sexy look. “I can think of other things I’ve got on my mind besides all that.”

  Now she’s trying to distract me, thought Grit with a smile that he hid from Honey. If I wasn’t sure that something was up, I know now.

  “Like what?” asked Grit.

  “Finish that drink and I might show you.”

  Grit tossed back the rest of his whiskey.

  “I think this is a conversation best held upstairs.”

  “I completely agree.”

  Moments later, the two of them were in the elevator leading up to the hotel room. And as it rose, Grit found that he couldn’t take his eyes off of Honey. His gaze moved up her legs, to her breasts, to the slight curve of her long neck. He felt himself lose control by the second.

  “Fuck it,” he said.

  With that, he reached over and slammed the emergency stop button. The elevator stopped where it was and Grit turned to Honey with a ravenous look in his eyes, a look that was matched by hers. Without wasting a second, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

  “Right here in the elevator, huh?” she asked. “I’m into it.”

  Grit didn’t say another word. Lunging in, he locked his lips onto Honey’s neck, kissing the delicate skin and taking in her sweet scent. Honey moaned at his touch, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back. After covering her exposed skin with kisses, Grit knew that he needed to get her naked as fast as possible. Within seconds, he had Honey down to nothing but her skimpy bra and panties, and the look in her eyes let him know in no uncertain terms that she was ready for what he had in mind.

  Grabbing Honey by the hips, he pulled her up so that her ass was seated on the silver railing that lined the wall of the elevator. With a quick yank, he ripped off Honey’s black thong and tossed it aside. Honey moaned and wrapped her legs around Grit, pulling him closer.

  With Honey right where he wanted her, Grit went to work on his jeans and belt. Within seconds, his long, thick cock was out and pointing right at Honey’s awaiting sex. With a quick thrust, he entered her and began pounding her hard, bracing her against the elevator wall. Honey moaned and screamed, wrapping her legs right around Grit, her hands clamped down onto his wide, strong shoulders. Grit loved how small Honey was—all the easier to pick her up and do just whatever he wanted with her. And that was just what he did.

  Grit penetrated Honey again and again, grunting as he did.

  “God, your cock is just … perfect,” exclaimed Honey, her voice breathy and heavy with arousal.

  Grit wasn’t in the mood for words. All he wanted to do was fuck her hard, to pound her again and again, to fill her full with his cum.

  “Fuck me, fuck me,” said Honey, holding onto Grit for dear life.

  Then, Honey’s body shook and quivered in the way that made it clear to Grit that she was cumming. She wrapped her legs around him even harder as she cried out. Grit’s orgasm was right there with her. With another few deep plunges, he exploded inside of her, emptying himself into her pussy.

  After a time, they were both spent. Grit held onto Honey, and she rested her head on his shoulder as they both caught their breath. Grit pressed the button to start the elevator up again, and soon they were back on their way.

  “These were one of my best pairs,” said Honey with a grin as she held up the panties that Grit had ripped from her body in the throes of passion.

  “Lesson to be learned there,” said Grit. “Might want to think about only wearing whatever you’re fine with getting torn off whenever you stop by.”

  “Oh yeah?” asked Honey as the elevator rose. “That means these little meetings are more than just about pumping me for information.”

  “I think you of all people should know by now what kind of ‘pumping’ they’re about.”

  Honey smiled and rolled her eyes.

  “I should’ve seen that one coming,” she said.

  “I’ll say.”

  Moments later they were back in the hotel room. Grit poured a drink for the both of them and they stood out on the balcony. Now that his need was satisfied for the time being, Grit returned to the idea that he couldn’t shake—that Honey was lying to him.

  “Listen,” he said. “This little arrangement we have …”

  “I assume you’re not referring to the type we just had in the elevator.”

  “You’d be right,” said Grit, turning his gaze to the city. “Anyway, it only works if you’re being honest with me. I know this is all tough, and that you’re running some major risk, but I need to know everything that you do.”

  Honey looked away and swallowed. Grit knew he was onto something, but he also could sense that Honey was the type who wouldn’t respond to having too much pressure placed on her. He knew that turning up the heat might just make her leave and never return. Then he’d be right back at square one.

  And what’s more, looking at Honey, seeing her standing there looking afraid and vulnerable—it did something to Grit. He felt a tugging at his heart that he hadn’t felt in years.

  Fuck, he thought, am I starting to catch feelings for this girl? No fuckin’ way am I gonna let that happen.

  But he couldn’t help but feel the need to be there for her, to protect her. Sure, he wanted to get the information he was looking for, but the thought of Honey being hurt in the process didn’t sit right with him one bit. In fact, it made him sick to his stomach.

  He needed the information, though. Grit realized that he’d need a delicate touch to pull this one off.

  “Listen,” said Grit, softening his voice just a bit. “I know this is hard, and I know that I’m asking a lot of you. And to be honest, when I first asked you to do this job, I had my hesitations that you’d be able to pull it off.”

  “Oh, really?” asked Honey.

  “I had no idea if you were made of tough stuff or not,” said Grit. “But you know what’s at stake here; you know that killer drugs are on the streets, and you can help put a stop to it. You have the power to make a difference. And this is all hard, I’m sure, but I think you know deep down what the right thing to do is.”

  Honey looked away, and Grit could tell that his words were having some effect. But he also knew that if he pushed any harder that she might back off. So, he let it rest for now. Honey took in a long, slow breath, and Grit could tell that he’d given her plenty to think about.

  However, there was still the issue of whatever feelings he was beginning to have for the girl.

  They’re nothing, he thought. Just feeling protective for a girl who needs someone to look out for her. That’s all.

  Deep down, however, those words didn’t ring true for Grit. Deep down, he knew that it was something different.

  Chapter Nine

  Honey

  The conversation with Grit stuck in Honey’s mind and didn’t leave. She thought over and over again about everything he had said, and she knew that he was right. There was more at stake than she realized, and she knew that though she had her loyalties to Charlie, it was no excuse for letting killer drugs land on the streets.

  But still, she couldn’t help but feel fearful at the task that lay ahead of her. Honey knew that if she told Grit that Charlie had been giving drugs away to people to sample, like he’d done with Bethany, then that might just be all the proof he needed to confirm that there was indeed something shady going on at Fantasies. It’d be a bell that she couldn’t un-ring.

  “Honey, you look like you’ve seen a ghost or something,” said Bethany as the two women prepared for their shift backstage.

  “Just … got a lot on my mind is all,” said Honey, her gaze focused on her reflection.

  She’s right, Honey thought, noting her worried expression. It doesn’t take a shrink to know that there’s something going on with me.

  “It’s that guy, isn’t it?” asked Bethany. “I know it; you’ve got ‘boy problems’ written all over your face.”

  “I mean, kind of,” said Honey.

  Right as the words left Bethany’s mouth, Honey knew that she wasn’t too far off. Honey, in spite of what she knew to be the smart thing to do, had to admit that she was developing feelings for Grit. She scolded herself over and over. After all, what worse candidate for a partner could she think of than some motorcycle club gang member who was perfectly comfortable operating outside of the law? She knew she needed a nice man, a man with a normal job, a man who could provide her with a normal life.

  But try as she might, she couldn’t ignore the hold that Grit had on her. Honey looked back on the last few weeks as the most intense that she could remember. There was something about Grit; he had an inner strength that she found herself drawn to beyond compare. And that wasn’t even getting into the sex …

  “More than ‘kind of’,” said Bethany. “You’re fucking smitten. Don’t even try to lie to me.”

  “I just ... I don’t know what to do.”

  “Spill it.”

  Honey flashed a quick glance at Bethany. Something about her looked tired, worn down. Honey watched as Bethany applied more makeup than usual, covering up the bags under her eyes and the wan look of her skin.

  Is she still on those drugs? thought Honey.

  “Um, it’s a guy from here, like I said,” said Honey. “And we’ve been seeing each other a lot over the last few weeks. But, well, I don’t know what he thinks about all of it. I mean, I think he likes me, I really do, but he’s one of those guys who keeps everything to himself.”

  “The strong and silent type?”

  “Yeah, something like that; the kind of guy who doesn’t let anyone in.”

  “Ugh, I know the type,” said Bethany. “Always acting like feelings are, like, a sign of weakness or something. All you want is to know where you stand with them and they act like you’re asking for a goddamn diamond ring.”

  “That’s so true,” said Honey. “I’m just like, let me know what you’re thinking, one way or the other. But I know if I asked him, he’d back away. And it doesn’t help that we’re working together on something.”

  “Oh?” asked Bethany. “And what’s that?”

  “Um,” said Honey, realizing she’d said more than she should’ve. “Just a, um, personal project.”

  But before Bethany had a chance to interrogate her more, a wave of nausea ran through Honey’s stomach. She lurched forward a bit, bracing herself against the vanity. For a brief moment, she felt like she just might throw up.

  “You okay there?” asked Bethany.

  “Yeah,” said Honey. “Just felt a little weird for a second.”

  “Well, you’re gonna need to get over it—we’re on in a few.”

  “I know, I know,” said Honey.

  The two girls finished applying their makeup and made the last-minute adjustments to their outfits. Another brief wave of sickness hit Honey as she finished getting ready, and she realized that there was something wrong with her that she couldn’t ignore.

  You’re just stressed, is all, she told herself. Just get through the shift and you can get home and get some rest. You’re putting too much pressure on yourself and it’s gonna start showing one way or another.

  Taking a deep breath, she went with Bethany to the hallway leading to the main room. Another wave hit her as she stood waiting for her turn, and Honey started to worry that she might not be able to make it.

  “And now,” called the DJ, “it’s time for the girl who’s sweet as can be—give it up for Honey!”

  Applause sounded out from the crowd, but right as Honey stepped over the threshold leading to the stage, another jolt of nausea hit her, this one more intense than any of the others. She realized that she just might throw up right then and there. The eyes of the crowd on her, she turned on her heels and ran back down the hallway, her hand over her mouth.