Page 32 of Archer (Dirty Misfits MC 3)
“You’re up next. You got a set ready with a song I can take up to the D.J.?”
I blinked. “You mean, I’m dancing tonight?”
The man bent forward and got in my face. “You got a problem with that? Because we only make money around here.”
Porter sounded in my ear. “Keep a cool head and simply answer ‘no.’ Don’t anger him in any way.”
I nodded. “No.”
He growled. “No, what?”
I swallowed hard. “No, I don’t have an issue with making money. Yes, I have a set ready. It’s a pretty popular song, too, so the D.J. should already have it.”
His head cocked to the side. “Then, tell me the fucking song, Butterfly.”
I winced at the stage name I would now be called. “It’s Raining Men.”
He raised back up. “Great. You’re up in ten. I’ll have the D.J. get it ready.”
And when he marched out of the dressing room, Brooks’ voice sounded in my ear.
“Tanner’s in place up in the balcony. He’ll not only be watching you, but also the other people around you. You got your gun in your thigh high that you can reach easily?”
I took one last look at myself in the mirror and cleared my throat. Which had become our go-to signal for ‘yes’.
“Good,” Brooks said, “and remember our code word.”
“Pineapple,” I whispered.
“Exactly. You say that at any point in time, and we’re all in there. Got it?”
I cleared my throat and fluffed my hair before I started for the stage doors. I didn’t think I’d be anywhere near the stage tonight, and I prayed my legs held up. They were still very sore from the beating I took a couple of weeks ago, and while I felt stronger on my feet that strength was almost ripped away from me with how high these fucking heels were.
Still, when that song came on, I made one hell of an entrance.
“And introducing our newest dancer, Butterfly! She’s innocent, she’s classy, and she’s ready to rock your dick. Who’s gonna show this girl some love!?”
Dry ice fog spewed across the stage as I made my grand entrance. Everyone cheered for the song, but when I reached for the pole I already had men tossing money my way. I swung around in a basic formation, taking stock of how many people were out in the audience. And after I quickly pinpointed Tanner up in the balcony with his thick-framed glasses and sweater vest, I shed my robe.
To reveal the outstanding sparkly two-piece I had beneath it.
The dancing came naturally to me, and by the time I was done I practically needed a broom to sweep the ones and fives off the fucking stage. I’d never seen this kind of money in my life, even in the higher end clubs I had worked in order to get a foothold into an establishment like this. One of the bodyguards had to help me pick up all of the money on stage. But the second we got off the stage, all of the guys in leather jackets rushed me.
And started taking some serious cuts of the money.
“Wait, how much am I going to be left with?” I asked softly.
The guys grinned as they stuffed my money into their pockets. “You get thirty percent of what you make. The rest goes to the bouncers, the owners, and a general fund to help upkeep this place.”
I almost swallowed my tongue. “Thirty percent? Most places nowadays allow the dancers to keep—”
One of the guys got in my face. “You got an issue with that, Butterfly?”
His breath smelled of booze. “I just—I’ll have to take a second job if I can’t—”
Then, one of the larger men in the back chuckled as he stepped to the forefront. “You want to earn fifty percent instead?”
I nodded. “That would be ideal, yes.”
He nodded his head. “Follow me, then.”
I looked around at all of the guys before I quickly scurried after the large man who had beckoned for me. I stuffed the money they had allotted me in the top of my boot that didn’t hold my gun, if anything to detract from the fact that I was carrying in that exact same spot. He led me through a series of back hallways I had only traveled a handful of times, but when we walked into a room full of black walls, plush red seats, and a pole in the middle of the room, I knew what was about to happen.
The massive bodyguard sat down and spread his legs before he tossed his wad of cash onto the floor. “You want that? Then, you work for it.”
“Josie? You okay?” Tanner asked in my ear.
I paused for a second before I cleared my throat, then I sauntered over to the man. I knew what he wanted, and the problem was that if I refused, I was likely to be killed. So, I picked up the money he threw onto the floor, stuffed it deeper into my left thigh-high, then started swaying my hips.
