Lev (Shot Callers 1)

My smile was bright. “Good. Really good.”

He sighed softly. “I suppose we’re going to be seeing more of him then.” I turned in his arms to look up at him. At my confused look, he stated, “I don’t like the way he spoke to you that night. I’d like to break his nose.”

I patted his chest. “He apologized. I think meeting me overwhelmed him. I don’t think he was ready to for it.” He grunted and I smiled slowly. “I’m suddenly very tired.” His brow rose. I uttered, “I think we should go back to bed.”

He blinked then smiled. And my heart stuttered.

I squeaked as he lifted me over his shoulder and took the stairs two at a time. The afternoon found our room was filled with the sounds of my moans and Lev’s groans of pleasure.

Really…how better to spend a Saturday?

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Mina

Saturday night at Bleeding Hearts, with yet another sparse room of men, had me going to offer advice to a person who did not want it. Perhaps my opinion was unnecessary. Unwarranted. But Lev was invested in this club, and seeing it fail would kill me.

There had to be an alternative.

Sasha sat at his desk glaring at me. I was starting to think he had no other way of looking at me. “Burlesque,” he repeated, and I nodded.

“Yeah. I mean, you wouldn’t have to change much. The girls already know how to dance. The only difference would be that they’d keep some of their clothes on, but be a little flirty with the patrons, tease them. They want to keep their jobs, so even the ones who might not be on board will come around…I think.”

His glare had not evaporated. I didn’t know what his problem was. It was clear things were not going well.

I thought it was a good idea.

I stepped forward. “Listen, I’ve been online. Burlesque is so in right now. And it’s not just men who love it. Men find it sexy, and women don’t find it seedy. I found that a lot of women won’t go into a gentleman’s club, but they would a burlesque joint.” I paused to let that sink in. “You could double your audience.”

“Mina, we’re a gentleman’s club—” he started with that I-know-more-than-you-do tone of his.

I cut him off with a calmly said, “A gentleman’s club that is failing.” His jaw ticked. I added quietly, “We can change this. We don’t have to let Bleeding Hearts fall.”

Sasha picked up a pen, tapping it against his hardwood desk. “What do you care if we go bust?”

I didn’t need to explain anything to him. He was baiting me. He knew why I was invested. I loved his brother more than life itself. I simply stated, “I care.”

My heartbeat increased and I waited patiently to be told to go away. You could say I almost shit myself when Sasha opened his desk drawer and flicked a credit card over the table at me. “You’ve got a month to show me this could work. Otherwise, I’ll be doing it my way.”

“What’s my budget?” I asked as I took the shiny black credit card.

“There is no budget,” he muttered, but added on a smirk, “but know this. Whatever you buy that doesn’t get used is coming out of your pay. So spend wisely.”

Did he know whom he was speaking to? I was the queen of thrifty spending! I had this in the bag. Failure was not an option.

After the club closed that night, Sasha called everyone over to the bar to tell them there would be some changes being made. The dancing girls came forward, faces drawn. I wasn’t sure, but it was kind of obvious they thought the club was closing.

Sasha spoke. “I think it’s time we talked about where this club is heading.”

One of the girls’ shoulders slumped. She looked about ready to cry.

Sasha went on. “Things aren’t working the way they’re going. Aphrodite’s Kiss has stolen our customers. They took a chance and it paid off.” He paused before he added, “It’s time we did the same.”

He leaned back against the bar and asked, “What do you know about burlesque?”

Birdie chimed in, “I know about burlesque. I danced burlesque before I moved here. I tried to find an act to join when I first came down, but I couldn’t find anything.” She looked to the girls. “It was popular in Chicago. It’s more of a show than a strip joint.”

“Right,” Sasha nodded in agreement. He looked to his dancing girls. “You want to keep your jobs?”

A collective murmur went around. What a stupid question. Of course they wanted to keep their jobs.

Sasha nodded. “We shut down Monday through Thursday this week. I need to get some shit done. When you come back on Friday, I want to see what you can do.”

My face fell, along with my heart. “Sasha, that’s not enough time.”