Chapter 4 Presley
PRESLEY
I’d heard about the Vault. Everyone had. It was one of the largest strip clubs in town, and it was very popular, especially with men. Apparently, they couldn’t get enough of it.
I, on the other hand, had never stepped foot in the place.
The loud music, the scantily dressed waitresses, the all-but-bare dancers on the various stages, and all the drunken brutes cheering them on were not my cup of tea. Just the thought of it made my stomach turn.
So, needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled when Davis pulled into the parking lot. I wanted to question him about why we were there, but after our last conversation, I didn’t dare.
In a blink, we were walking through the front door and into a whole new world. Davis had his arm around my shoulder, guiding me toward the back of the bar like I was some shiny new trophy.
Honestly, I should’ve expected this.
This whole disaster had Lila Kate written all over it.
If someone ever wrote a book on What Not To Do in a Dire Situation, my sister could’ve contributed more than her fair share. Maybe the whole damn book. The girl never thought before leaping. She went in headfirst and trusted that she’d land on her feet.
Normally, it was kind of cute. Quirky, even.
It was part of her charm.
But today, it was going to be her undoing.
Or better yet, it was going to be mine. I should’ve never volunteered to fix this mess for her, but I was her big sister.
It was my job to help her. I was the one who’d spent the last twenty years carrying ibuprofen and Band-Aids in my purse because it was my job to look out for her. And I did it without question.
But I never expected this. Never in my wildest dreams.
The second Davis mentioned that he had a plan, I should’ve run.
Vanished into thin air.
Never to be heard from again.
Instead, I jumped at his offer.
He said he had a way to get his hands on some easy money.
He just needed me to pretend to be his girlfriend for a few days.
I didn’t figure it would be that hard. It wasn’t like I hadn’t dated before.
I knew how to play the game. I just had to brush up on my acting skills and pretend that I was interested in a man who made me question all my life’s choices.
It seemed manageable.
Right up until the moment I spotted Luke and found his gorgeous green eyes staring back at me.
My stomach dropped to my shoes.
He’d always been a good-looking guy. There was no denying that. But he looked better at thirty-something than he ever had at seventeen.
Which was rude.
Aging should be an equal-opportunity kind of thing, but Luke clearly missed the memo. He was all man with broad, sexy shoulders, a tight jawline with a five o’clock shadow, and dark, shaggy hair that had me wanting to run my fingers through it.
Oh, God, he was hot.
This was bad. This was very, very bad.
The universe looked down at me with a smirk and said, Today, you are faced with the consequences of your actions. Enjoy!
Well, the universe could kiss my ass.
I took a quick glance around, looking for the nearest exit, and then Davis called out, “Luke!”
He sounded all bright and happy, like he wasn’t dragging me straight to hell. He walked straight up to him and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tight as he said, “Long time no see, man.”
Luke hugged him back, but only half-heartedly. It was odd. It was almost like he knew something was off, but like me, he played along. “What are you doing here?”
“Just came by to see you,” he answered casually. “Stopped by to check in with the ol’ man. He said you’d be here.”
“Yeah, he mentioned you’d been by.” Luke stepped back, and he looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders as he muttered, “He still isn’t doing so hot.”
“Nah, he’s not.” Davis shrugged. “Some things never change.”
A heaviness lingered between them, but it faded the second Luke turned his attention to me. I swear the temperature rose ten degrees when his eyes skirted over me.
Or maybe it was just my dignity spontaneously combusting.
“Good to see you, Presley.” Luke gave me a warm smile. “It’s been a while.”
My mouth turned to sand. Literal sand.
I swallowed, then stammered, “H-hey, Luke.”
How freaking embarrassing. I was a grown woman. I’d been around handsome men before. I had no idea why I suddenly forgot how to speak.
I wanted to crumble to the floor and let one of the servers sweep me into a dustpan. Anything that would get me out of this mess.
I forced a smile as I said, “Good to see you, too.”
Luke’s eyes skirted over to his brother’s arm, and it suddenly felt like a hundred-pound weight bearing down on me.
I wanted to dip out of his hold, but I had a role to play.
I couldn’t take the chance on Luke thinking that something was up, so I stood there, leaning into his brother like I actually liked the man.
I must say, it was great acting.
Because the man made my skin crawl.
Davis pulled me even closer as he boasted, “So, you do remember my girl.”
“Your girl?” Luke’s brows furrowed. “You two are a thing?”
“Been going on about six months.”
“Oh, wow. That’s great. Good for you.” Luke’s eyes flipped back to me. “Good for you, too.”
“Thanks.”
I wanted to die.
I would’ve welcomed a strike of lightning or even a drink laced with venom.
No such luck.
“So, what brings you two here?”
“Like I said, I wanted to see you.” Anyone could see that Davis was lying through his teeth, but Luke didn’t call him on it.
He just stood there and listened as Davis said, “I know things with us haven’t always been on the up and up, but it’s time to put all that bullshit behind us.
We’re brothers. I figured it was time we act like it. ”
“I’d be down for that.”
“I was hoping you would be.” Davis motioned his head towards the bar. “How about a drink?’
“Sure thing.”
Luke grabbed us each a beer, then led us to a small table near the back. It was just far enough from the music and lights that we could actually talk without shouting. We sat down, and Davis slung his arm across the back of my chair.
Man, I hate when men do that, especially when it’s not out of affection and all about staking a claim.
He didn’t own me.
No man ever would.
Luke was sitting across from us, and he watched Davis with a mix of skepticism and hope. It was actually kind of sad. He didn’t trust his brother—a person he should be able to trust above all others. He took a sip of his beer, then leaned back and asked, “So, what have you been up to?”
Davis didn’t miss a beat.
“Been working over at Lexington’s. Not crazy about factory work, but it pays good.” He took a slow drink before adding, “Been crashing with some buddies, and with Presley when my shifts aren’t too crazy. Things have been going pretty good, so I’m thinking about making it more permanent.”
Oh, he was laying it on thick.
I wasn’t one to hide my feelings well. When I was mad or annoyed, you could see it all over my face, so I took a drink of my beer, hoping it would help hide my expression. I didn’t want Luke picking up on any bad vibes, especially when he actually seemed to be buying this charade.
Or maybe he was an even better actor than his brother.
It was hard to tell.
“Is that so?” Luke asked. And damn it. He actually sounded pleased.
I wanted to tell him none of it was true, but I couldn’t. I had to play this thing out, but that didn’t mean I was happy about it. The guilt sat heavy in my chest, and it only got heavier when Davis told him, “Trying to get my feet under me, you know? I gotta do better.”
“That’s great, Davis.” Pride filled Luke’s eyes as he told him, “I’m really glad to hear that.”
Guilt stabbed me again. Harder this time.
Right there, square in the heart.
He was buying the bullshit. Or maybe he didn’t buy all of it, but he sure wanted to. He wanted to believe that his brother was doing right, and who could blame him? Davis was his brother.
Davis kicked back and smiled. “How about you? How’s the club life treating you?”
“Been going good. Damn good.” Luke lit up as he told him, “Been keeping busy either here or at the Black Crown, and when I’m not working, I’m usually at the clubhouse with the brothers. You know how it is.”
“Work hard. Play harder.”
“Exactly.” Luke took a pull from his beer and smiled at one of the waitresses as she walked by. Yep. Still a player. “But it’s not all about playing hard. We’ve made a hell of a life here, and I think we’ve got a good thing. You should come around more and see it for yourself.”
“I will.”
Davis nodded at him like this was just a moment of brotherly bonding and nothing more.
And I was sitting there, drowning in loud music and deception, pretending to be the supportive girlfriend.
He nudged me, pulling me from my thoughts, and I quickly smiled and took another sip of my beer, hoping it was enough to hide my unease.
They went back to talking, and for a minute—one blessed, heartfelt moment, I genuinely thought I might survive this little outing. I mean, it wasn’t all bad. Davis was doing most of the talking, and Luke was taking it all in.
I nodded and smiled.
I even gave him the occasional “supportive girlfriend” touch on the arm.
I deserved an Academy Award.
And then, Luke looked at me. Not just a glance. Not a flutter of eye contact.
He. Looked. At. Me.
And only me, and the whole table shifted.
“So, Presley,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “What’s the latest with you? I haven’t seen you around these parts in years.”
My soul left my body.
This wasn’t part of the script. I didn’t know what was okay to say or not to say. I was just supposed to sit here and smile. Not answer questions.
“I’m a hair stylist at a salon downtown.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.”
I had no idea what he meant by that, but I had a feeling it was a jab.
And I didn’t like it. I didn’t judge him for working at a strip club or a casino.
As far as I saw it, he had no business judging me.
So, I crossed my arms and snapped, “I’ll have you know I do quite well. I have a wait list a mile long.”
“Good.” Luke didn’t even blink. “You’ve always worked hard. I figured you’d be doing alright.”
Oh, great.
He was giving me a compliment. I love that.
Just add a little more pressure to the pot. I’m basically boiling alive at this point. I forced a tight smile and nodded, hoping he’d go back to talking to Davis.
No such luck.
“What about Lila Kate? She still all over the place?”
“Yeah, I thought she’d settle down when she got older, but she’s still at it.”
Luke smiled, and it nearly sent me sliding out of my chair and into a puddle on the floor. “She was always easy-going and never met a stranger. I liked that about her.”
Of course, he did.
Everyone liked that about her. Her chaos was part of her charm. My chaos was dealing with her mess. I was over this.
I didn’t want to speak.
I didn’t want to lie.
And I didn’t want to talk about Lila Kate or my job or anything personal. I just wanted out of there. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.