RUIN: Psychological Enemies-to-Lovers Thriller

“Only the guys need to donate!” Griff materialized out of the darkness from another side of the club, pointing his gun at one’s guy’s head. “Ladies are welcome to hold on to their funds! You’ve all worked hard tonight.”

Several dancers sighed in relief.

Griff winked at a redhead closest to him.

I looked at the sexy dancer on the main stage with the tattooed phoenix.. “Are you up for this collecting job?”

A sexy voice left her lips. “That depends.”

I quirked my eyebrows in surprise. “On what?”

She gestured to her feet.

“Can I take these heels off?”

I glanced at the glass shoes that arched up well above six inches.

A thin line of silver served as the heel.

I nodded. “Go ahead and take them off.”

“Thanks.”

“Those must hurt.” I gained more respect for her dancing. “How do you balance in those heels?”

“I’m very talented.” Her leg brushed my arm as she slung off the shoes. Her flowery fragrance swirled around me. It was an aromatic blend of jasmine and rose.

Maybe I will try her tonight. It could just be sex, no blood.

She squatted down and positioned the bag between her opened legs.

I forced my eyes to remain on hers and not linger below her waist, to where I would surely get a view of her folds as they pushed against the thong’s thin material.

Men began dragging themselves up from the ground and getting in line. Several pulled out their wallets with shaking fingers. One by one, they hurried to the main stage and dropped their stuff in.

Everything is good so far.

I took a step back and leaned on the center stage, next to my hypnotizing dancer and the slowly filling bag. My job was to shoot the heroes and anybody trying to grab the money back.

Nice and easy. This will be a good job.

I stared up at the captivating dancer. Most of the time, the dancer by the bag shook in fear. This one appeared amused.

Intriguing.

The line of grumbling men continued to form. One after another, they hurled items into the bag. Crumbled bills began to fill it. They almost spilled over the rim.

When the line was almost at its end, I turned to her. “What are you doing tonight?”

She grinned. “You mean besides crying into my pillow because all of my admirers were robbed?”

“I could give you another reason to cry into your pillow.”

“Only in your dreams, lover boy.”

Several feet away, West chuckled.

The last man approached us, flung his wallet into the bag, and then turned around.

“Not so fast.” West walked up to him and tapped the tip of his gun on the man’s shoulder. “Put in the wedding ring too.”

“This ring has been in my wife’s family for—”

“You should have been with your wife tonight.” West aimed at his forehead. “Put the fucking ring in the bag.”

The man’s bottom lip quivered. He twisted the ring off his finger, tossed it in the bag, and muttered, “May God burn your souls.”

I grinned. “I doubt God would’ve liked you in here dolling out your money to naked women on a Sunday evening.”

“Let that be a lesson.” West drew an invisible cross in front of him. “We do the Lord’s work.”

I smirked and would’ve laughed, if not for my hypnotizing dancer wrapping one of her amber chains around my neck and choking the shit out of me.

What the fuck?!

West spun around and pointed his gun at her. “Let him go!”

My breath left me. Tightness constricted my throat. I gripped my guns and got ready to lift them.

Some of the men stirred. I bet ideas were hitting their heads. If a stripper could manhandle us, then perhaps they could too.

She yanked the cord harder. “Settle down, lover boy.”

My vision blurred.

Her voice hissed in my ear. “Move your hands, and it’ll be the last thing you do.”

She must’ve been using me as a shield to block West from shooting her. Or some of the men in the club were getting froggy.

This shit could get out of hand.

West shot at the ceiling. “All of you sit the fuck down! Don’t try to be a hero!”

I wheezed and struggled to breathe. The gems cut into my neck, biting my flesh. It burned. Oxygen expanded in my chest, begging to be released. Pressure rose in my throat.

I knew Griff would be coming for her, but I didn’t know how long I could hold on.

“Let him go!” West called over his shoulder. He was smart enough not to give the crowd of men his back. If all the men stormed for us at once, some would die, but others could get us.

We could all be dead.

“Drop one gun and slowly lift the other gun to me,” she ordered. “Do it and you get to live!”

With shaking fingers, I complied. One gun fell to the floor with a loud thump. The other I gave to her.