Breaking You (Blackthorn Elite 2)

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t go to jail. Come on,” Easton climbs out of the car, and I follow closely behind him. When he opens the door, and we head in, my stomach churns, and I feel like I’m going to vomit.

I’ve been here a few times and always enjoyed it before. It’s easier when the girls are just random bodies and not the girl who stole your heart in high school. Easton pays our cover charge, and the sleazeball at the front pushes away the curtain for us.

Walking in on unsteady feet, I scan the dimly lit room like a fucking hawk. My eyes skim over every girl I see, long legs, big tits, round ass. Each girl looks like the next. Then I pause… dark brown wavy hair meets my eyes. Her back is turned to me, but her curves are all too familiar. Red hot rage pulses through my veins. I force my legs to work, to take me over to where she is standing at the bar, chatting up some potential customers. Bile rises in my throat when I think about what she is doing here, who has seen her… touched her.

Motherfucker, I have to stop before I commit murder.

She raises her slender hand, her finger grazes some guy’s arm, and I snap like a rubber band. Closing the distance between us in two large strides, I grab her by the shoulder and pull her away from the guy and into my chest.

Mine. She’s mine.

Harper screams into my chest, while two huge bouncers come running toward us. I’m vaguely aware of Easton yelling something behind me, but I’m too far gone to make out the words. Harper twists in my hold, placing her hands on my chest, trying to push me away. Her eyes find mine, and that’s the moment I realize that I’ve fucked up.

“What the fuck, Warren?” She yells at me, although it’s not who I thought she was.

“Valerie?” Her name barely leaves my mouth when one of the bouncers shoves me back and away from her. “I thought… you were…”

“You know this punk?” One of the beefed-up guys eyeballs me while rolling his shoulders.

“Yes,” Valerie, waves the guys away. “He is fine, don’t worry. He just wants a lap dance. Isn’t that, right?”

I roll my eyes, “Yeah, a lap dance.”

Valerie grabs my arm and pulls me to the back of the place where they have a hand full of small private rooms.

“You better pay me double for this,” Valerie huffs when we are alone in one of the rooms. She pushes a button on the wall, and some low, sexy song starts playing. “You really didn’t think Harper was here, did you?”

“Someone told me they saw her here,” I explain, just now realizing that who Easton probably saw was Valerie. They do look very similar. Same hair color, same curvy frame. Which isn’t that surprising, seeing as they’re cousins.

Valerie shakes her head, “Warren, it’s like you don’t know the girl at all. She would never work in a strip club. God, the girl is such a prude. I’m pretty sure she is still a virgin.”

Ha, she’s funny. “Well, I can guarantee you that she is not. Do you know where she’s at? I haven’t seen her, and her phone is shut off.”

“Really? That’s unlike her.” Valerie taps her chin, “Honestly, I have no idea where she could be. I’ve been kind of a bitch to her lately. She isn’t too fond of me right now, and I haven’t talked to her.” She shrugs, and I remember how she talked down to Harper at the party, and I have to agree, she’s been a bitch.

“Call me if you hear from her, okay?” I take out my wallet and fish out two one-hundred-dollar bills. Valerie takes the money without batting an eye, stuffing the bills in her tiny silver triangle bikini top.

“I will, but if you talk to her first, please don’t tell her I work here. I’ll never hear the end of it. I told her I work at a diner, and I don’t want to be lectured like a child.”

I couldn’t care less about what Valerie wants or thinks. All that matters to me right now is finding Harper.

“You really can’t think of a place she would go? Friends she might want to go see?” I’m half-tempted to ask her about any guys she might be seeing but bite my tongue.

“Warren…” Valerie looks at me like I’m stupid. Placing her hand on her hip, she starts to explain, “Are you blind or something? Harper doesn’t have any friends. She is too worried about her grades. I had to drag her to that last party, and I’d bet all the cash I have on me tonight that she won’t be going to anymore, at least not with me.”