Reik took a drag from his cigarette and glanced over at the busty redhead sleeping on his bed with a mixture of amusement and irritation. She’d entertained him well enough he supposed but if he’d known she was going to fall asleep after they were done he’d have kicked her out sooner. He sighed and putting out his cigarette he leaned over to nudge the girl roughly. She murmured sleepily and blinked up at him. A slow smile stretched her lips, one meant to be flirty and seductive but Reik just wasn’t feeling it anymore. She sat up and let the covers fall, exposing herself, then leaned into him. “What is it babe? You up for another round?” she said, her voice husky with what he guessed was want.

Well, you can just keep wanting, he thought darkly. He stood up suddenly and started to dress, not bothering to take a second look at the girl. “Get out. Now.”

The girl floundered for a moment, her mind still foggy from sleep and satisfaction. Her face screwed up into a pout as she watched Reik pulling on his shoes. “What? What do you mean get out? I don’t want to.” She whined.

He froze, he stood so still for a moment the girl wondered if he was okay but then just as quickly as he froze he straightened and stared at the girl with a cold gaze. His face looked oddly like stone in that moment but it didn’t take away the feeling of anger radiating from him. The redhead quivered in place, realizing her mistake and wishing she could take back her words. “What. Did. You. Say?” he muttered, his voice laced with venom.

The girl stayed quiet knowing that if she tried to apologize she’d only make it worse. With her silence a slow mean grin was placed on his face. “Got nothing to say do you?” he said before walking over to the girl and harshly grabbing her arm. She yelped at his strong hold and tugged to get away from him. With a deliberate tug he pulled her off the bed, naked as she was, and dragged her the whole way to his door. The girl yelled at him to let her go, that he was hurting her and that she was sorry. All her plea’s fell on deaf ears. Opening the door he thrust her out without a care but not before ripping the covers away from her. She screamed bloody murder and tried to cover herself. He chuckled and held the covers up. “This? This is mine. As for your clothes, I’ll consider them a souvenir.” With that said he slammed the door and walked back to his room. He could hear her yelling obscenities at him but he only laughed. Doesn’t she realize? The more commotion she makes the more the neighbors will want to know what’s up.

He sighed and picked up the girls’ clothing before tossing them in the trash. Looking at the clock Reik decided to go ahead to the club. He didn’t have anything else to do and he sure as hell wasn’t about to sit around bored. Better that he be sitting around bored while watching women take off their close. He grinned liking that idea much better.



Ashelynn glared at the guy sitting down casually on her couch as if he were in his own home. He had the nerve to show up without a warning and then parade around her apartment as if he’d lived there for years when in truth this was the first time he’d ever been inside. Usually he was on the other end of the line, from a phone call. Ash had liked it better that way. She liked that she could talk to him without the need to see him or having him see her. But no. Bright and early he came knockin’ at her door and raising one hell of a racket, waking not only her but her neighbors as well. Her glare only seemed to darken with each passing minute.

“Oh come on! Stop looking at me like that; I thought you’d be happy to see me! We haven’t seen each other since you moved.” The guy spoke his voice taking on the quality of a child who was whining. She gave an unladylike snort and crossed her arms under her chest. “Well, you’ve seen me. Now you can go back.” She muttered irritably, stomping her foot in her own childish tantrum.

He smirked and stood up, sauntering up to her and throwing an arm around her shoulders. She gave him a look that would have any other guy scrambling to get away but he just gave her a sunny smile. “You can’t honestly say you aren’t happy to see me. You MUST have missed me, even a little. Come on sis, give me a break… I missed you…”

Her shoulders slackened and she sighed. Liam was probably the only guy who could soften her up and she hated it to no end. She thought of it as a weakness, he said it made her human. She groaned and threw her hands up. “Fine, whatever. But you’re fending for yourself. I’m not gonna give you money, not gonna cook for you or do your laundry, you hear?” she said, pointed a finger at him to get her point across. Her brother picked her up and swung her around with a triumphant whoop. She squealed and laughed at his enthusiasm but hit his shoulders for him to let her down.

Settling somewhat he lowered her down back to the ground and ruffled her hair. “It really is good to see you Lynn.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Get your ass moving I gotta get ready for work.” She muttered as she looked around for her makeup bag. At the mention of her work, Liam’s face screwed up and he plopped himself down on the couch with a grunt of discontent. He didn’t like that his little sister was a stripper but there was nothing he could do to stop her from working as one. He’d tried, and epically failed. He’d learned to not say anything about it. If he so much as brought it up they always ended fighting and arguing.

About thirty minutes later Ash came out of her room all dressed and dolled up. Her brother took one look at her and huffed. Ash grinned and walked over to him, kissing his cheek lightly before grabbing her purse and keys. “Don’t wait up for me and don’t get into trouble while I’m out.” She said as she opened her door. She heard him mutter “Oh, I’ll wait up alright” before she closed the door and she chuckled. Walking down the stair she noticed a few guys checking her out and she threw them a flirty smile. Still, she didn’t stop and chat with them. She continued walking down the street, her workplace only a few blocks away if she took a few shortcuts.

The Shark Tank had yet to open but Reik knew there would still be a few people working inside. It would either be people who worked for his brother and/or him or some stripper that wanted to get in on time. Reik chuckled knowing full well what happened to a girl that came in late or tried to get out of working. It wasn’t pretty. As he entered he nodded to the guys guarding the entrance and asked them where Dome was. One of the guys answered with a short “out”. Nodding his head in understanding he made his way over to the bar and made himself a drink. While he did so he looked around the club and noticed one or two of the strippers already walking around, setting up or flirting with the male employees present.

Some of them had noticed his entrance and were winking at him suggestively. Reik shook his head and chuckled. After what happened with the redhead he wasn’t all that up to hooking up with girl who would likely turn up to react just like his earlier toy. Nope, he sure as hell wasn’t up for that. He was sure the next time he’d lose his top and strike the women down. Or kill her, depending on the level of his mood. No, if he took a woman home it would have to be someone who knew him or someone detached.

He drank slowly, savoring the burn of the alcohol in his throat. Then stood up and walked straight to Dome’s office. Sitting down he decided to wait there for his younger brother. Reik knew Dome had a problem with people in his office but he was an exception to that rule. Plus, he was sure the guard at the door would inform him of his arrival. That way Dominic wouldn’t try to shoot him when he found someone in here. Reik wondered what Dome would do if he shoot him by accident. He just chuckled at the thought and drank his drink. He noticed the paperwork on the desk and shrugged. Might as well get it done… he thought as he settled himself closer to the desk and looked over the pages carefully.

It was starting to get dark but Ashelynn didn’t mind it any. Sure, it was probably dangerous for a girl like her to be walking around carelessly but she’d already been through worse. There wasn’t much these days that scared her. Besides, she had the pepper spray her mother gave her and her lovely little switch blade tucked in her pockets. She could take care of herself just fine with those two items. Rounding out of the alley she’d been walking in, she spotted the strip club lights and smiled to herself. Made it! And with just enough time to spare.

She noticed a couple of cars in the parking lot, most likely those of the employees since the club wouldn’t open for a while and headed straight for the front entrance. She wanted to make a little visit to Joel, one of the guys that guarded the entrance. She grinned at the thought of him. She’d only slept with the guy once and he already fancied himself in love with her. She always laughed it off when he confessed, told him he was just in lust and that she wasn’t looking for a relationship with him, still she had to hand it to the guy he was persistent as hell. And, she thought with a wicked grin, he ain’t so bad in the hay stack either.

If she was up to it by the end of her shift then she’d probably stick around for a while until Joel was off. Then, she’d have a good time and make a little something extra on the side. She spotted him leaning against the wall talking to the other guard. Mussing her hair up a bit and perking up her assets, she strutted right up to him and grabbed his shirt collar tugging him to her for a rough kiss. She heard the other guy cough but was too focused on ravishing the man’s lips to care. Finally letting Joel go she grinned at his dazed look and nipped at his lip playfully. “What’s the matter honey? Cat got your tongue?” she asked him.

He blinked at her and smiled slowly, one of those goofy smiles guys put on when they’d just gotten what they wanted for Christmas. It made Ash chuckle in amusement. He’d placed his arms around her waist when she was kissing him and now he lowered them to her ass and brought her closer to him, she let it go since she was the one that started it. “Something like that. To what do I owe the pleasure of you presence?” he asked, his voice ringing with smugness. She knew he was trying to show off to the other guy who was watching them. Sort of like a “Look what I have that you don’t” kind of thing. She sighed and pulled away from Joel. Opening the doors to the club she said, “Just wanted to tell ya you might get lucky tonight, if I’m up to it.” She winked at him before closing the door and entering.

Reik didn’t look up from the papers he was checking but did listen to his brother as he spoke. He chuckled and shook his head. “I do paperwork; I just take it home where I’m more comfortable.” Reading over the last of the pages he nodded and muttered a curt “done”. Finally looking up he smirked. “Force huh? Why do I get the feeling it was a little more than force used?” he said taking a gulp of his drink. “What’d the girls do this time?” he asked curiously.

At the mention of the redhead he sighed and leaned back into his seat. “She was a good lay I guess… it was after that she pissed me off.” He rubbed his chin and grinned at his brother. “Threw her out though. In nothing but her birthday suit. That shit was hilarious.” He laughed as he remembered the how her face turned the same shade of red as her hair. Settling down he pushed himself out of the chair and stood up, popping his joints. “So, this talk with the girls. Do it now or after we close?” he asked, fixing the paperwork into a neat stack.

Ash laughed at Kat’s comment and shook her head. She followed behind her to the dressing room and just like Kat, Ash noticed the grim mood of the other stripper girls, she walked over to the furthest vanity, one she’d made her own much like Kat had done. As she fixed her makeup she listened to them talk about what had shaken them up. She shook her head and rummaged through her bag for her favorite dark red lipstick. “You know, Kat’s right. You won’t last long here if you don’t grow up.” She piped up, picking up a lipstick, checking it and tossing it back inside her bag. “You should have expected it to be hard. This is the big league sweet cheeks. You gotta step up your game or you just get screwed over.” She smiled satisfied as she spotted what she was looking for. She noticed some of the girls glaring at her and others looking at her as if she’d just given them a present. Ash just chuckled and stood up taking off her clothes and scanning the rack for an outfit. She already knew she was going Shark today.

“A word of advice… Aubrey.” She said as she shuffled the clothes, trying to find one she actually liked. “If you’re going to be with one of the Big Guys, you might wanna learn how to either handle them or how not to screw up.” She wasn’t often prone to giving advice. They could all get beaten by their men for all she cared but she wasn’t up to hearing the girl cry every single time she screwed things over with Dom. Everyone knew not to mess with the two Big Guys: Dominic and Reik Blackburn. You screwed with them, they screwed you over. Ash smirked at that though because she liked to do the same thing. Still, it was worse coming from those guys. They were the type of guys who didn’t care whose blood they spilled. That made them all the more dangerous. Ash finally decided on the “slutty devil” outfit, as she liked to call it. It matched her lacey red underwear perfectly.

He laughed and nodded. As they positioned themselves at the entrance Riek glanced around and smirked. “Girl is slipping up. You’re right. If Aubrey is hanging with the likes of someone like Tony there’s no telling what’ll be said about the club.” He took his drink and took a big gulp. “Aint she your girl though?” he asked as he watched the workers carefully, making sure they did their job right. “What’s she want with a guy like Tony when she has you.” He smirked over at Dom and shook his head. “Got some fucked up taste, that girl.”

He spotted one of the strippers come out and walk over to the DJ. He watched her for a moment, his head tilting slightly as he looked at her from head to toe. Shaking his head he looked back at his brother and asked him, “So, the owner of Casino Royale Crown... What his name... Victor Sanchez, yeah, him. He wants in on some shit. Cocaine specifically. Says he’ll pay well for the services. I told him I’d take it up with you.” He glanced back toward where the girl was and found her gone. Shrugging he turned back to Dom with an easy smile. “So what do you say? I, personally, don’t like the dude, pisses me off too easily, but he pays up front. Hasn’t ever been late or owed nobody anything. What do ya say?”

Ash pulled on the outfit and slipped on the designated heels. Folding her clothes she pushed them into her bag and placed them under the desk holding up her vanity. She checked herself in the mirror, mussing her hair again so it wouldn’t look so flat. She looked over as Kat came back, probably from choosing her song. She stood up and decided she should also pick a song before some of the other girls took all of the good ones. As she walked out she heard Kats voice, irritated, asking some of the girls for her shit. Ash shook her head and rolled her eyes. Thieves, now we have thieves. Great, now I’mma have to hide my shit too.

She sighed and strutted up to the DJ. She ignored his leering looks, opting to look for the song. She flipped until she found the one she liked and she smirked as she pointed it out. “This one. Bad Girlfriend by Theory of A Deadman.” She said, feeling in the mood for something loud and something she can shake her ass to. The DJ smirked at her choice. “Anything for you sweetheart.” Ash rolled her eyes and gave him a two finger wave as she turned around. She spotted the Big Guys already at their spots in the entrance before she returned to the dressing room. And yet another night begins.

Reik glanced over to where his brother had been looking at and grinned before shrugging. “No idea.” He chuckled and took a gulp of his drink. “Then again, we have too many girls here we haven’t really met up close. Probably time to do so now.” He said. “I need me a girl anyway. Redhead just wasn’t cutting it.” He muttered and looked over at the people working. Watching them to make sure they didn’t screw up anything. He tossed back the rest of his drink and sighed. “Yeah, alright. I can handle it but I’ll tip you off if I’m not in the mood for his bullshit.” Reik laughed as Dom related his methods of extortion and shook his head. He himself liked a little bloodshed, it made his blood pump faster and all that good shit.

The first straggle of people entered and more came. Each of the guards at the door frisked the people, checking for any weapons of any kind. They had encountered situations where an enemy gang tried shooting up the place. The need for guards was reinforced and now security was tighter than ever. The customers didn’t complain though. They came, had the time of their lives and left happy men, sometimes women. Satisfaction guaranteed. His brother and him greeted the customers and kept a close eye for the ones who were remembered for their rather stalking and obsessive tendencies. Reik grinned and looked over at Dom. Man, I love this job.

When Ash returned she noticed Kat snatch something from one of the girls. Watching the girl she noticed the small bag and rolled her eyes. Thief caught, huh? She walked back over to her vanity and lit a cig, inhaling the smoke until her lungs protested. She didn’t cough though. She’d been smoking since she was 14. Funny enough, her mom was the one who gave her, her first cigarette. Said she’d rather have me smoking in front of her than behind her back. Anyway, the need to cough had long since disappeared and whatever uncomfortable motions were there before didn’t exist now.

She sighed contently and watched as Kat hit herself up. She grinned and wondered if she should do the same but shook her head against it. When she’s all doped up it kind of screws with her thinking. And in a place like this she needed all of her brain functioning. She perked up slightly at the sound of customers and checked herself over, making sure everything was in place and that her makeup wasn’t messed up. She stood up and walked toward the door separating the dressing room from the rest of the club. Peeking out she scanned the faces of lewd men, categorizing them and watching for any signs of which ones had the bigger pockets. She noticed with a slight chuckle that some were already stoned or drunk. With a smirk she muttered an amused, “Show time.”