Saving Sky Page 6

  I wasn’t just some creep who had thrown my number at her. No, I was someone much more dangerous in her world.

  Now I just had to wait and see if her curiosity outweighed her fear.

  The evening dragged by. We’d only been at the club for an hour, if that, and I had to now play the waiting game. I wasn’t sure if she’d even get a hold of me, let alone how long it would take before she did. All I knew was I had questions, and she was my ticket to getting answers.

  I tried watching tv. I tried catching up on some paperwork I needed down at the station. I tried working out in my living room. Nothing could get my mind off Sky or the way she’d reacted when we’d made eye contact that evening.

  But, as time passed, I felt less and less like I would actually hear from her. She likely had a lot of numbers given to her, and she didn’t call any. I wouldn’t, if I were her. But I wasn’t someone trying to just hook up with her and I think she knew that.

  I was just about ready to call it a night when my phone rang. I looked at the clock. It was eleven-thirty. No one I knew would be calling me that late, and I didn’t recognize the number on the screen so I answered as quickly as I could.

  “Hello?”

  “Officer. Thomas? This is Su- Sky from Smitty’s. You wanted to talk to me?” The voice on the other end of the line was angelic. It was the first I’d heard her speak, and it cut right through me. My heart skipped a beat and started racing, and my mind almost went blank.

  I could imagine what it would be like to hear her moaning with pleasure, screaming my name as I made her come again and again. But I caught the fact she almost said a different name. Her real name, most likely.

  “Yes. I’m glad you called,” I said. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I’m surprised to see you were still at the club after the other day.”

  “I’m fine,” she said flatly. She didn’t elaborate, so I continued.

  “Listen, Sky, is that right?” I asked, hoping she’d give me her real name.

  “Sky’s fine,” she said.

  “There’s reason to believe that your boss Rocco Andretti is involved in some serious illegal activity. Is there a way I can talk to you about that?” I asked.

  She made an indecipherable noise. “You want me to rat out Rocco?” she asked.

  "Yes, Ma’am,” I answered. “Can you help us?”

  There was hesitation on the other end of the line. I sensed she tried to speak a couple times, but nothing would come out. Her breathing was strained, and I could hear she was outside. “We can go somewhere private or talk over the phone if you would like.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said finally. “I can’t help you.”

  “That’s disappointing to hear. I can assure you, we wouldn’t let anything happen to you. We would keep your name out of it as much as possible. If Rocco is hurting you, I don’t want–” she interrupted me.

  “I can’t help you,” she repeated. Before I had the chance to say anything else, she hung up the phone.

  “Fuck!” I muttered. I tried calling her back, but just as I suspected, there wasn’t any answer.

  She sent me right to voicemail.

  10

  Sky

  I didn’t know what had possessed me to call Jack the night before, but on my way home. Maybe I had just needed to hear his strong, deep voice again. The one that had threatened to kick Rocco’s ass if he’d found him with his hands on me again. The sound of it in my ear had sent a shiver down my spine. Writing his info on the money had been a smart thing to do. It was a sure way to get it to me without Rocco finding out. It had scared the shit out of me seeing him in the club after what Rocco had said. If he saw Jack there, I would certainly take the heat for it.

  I’d hidden the bill in my jacket as soon as I ran back to the dressing room. I didn’t want Rocco to see, and there were times when he’d take our money. He was supposed to get a cut of what we brought in anyway, but that came out of the paychecks he issued, not from our cash.

  After counting the amount and putting the money in my bag, I paused for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that he wanted to see me. That had to be the only reason why he was coming, but only paying attention to me.

  Candy was giving a guy a lap dance, and Ruby was on the pole when I walked out. They were both beautiful women, but he wasn’t giving either a second glance. His eyes were only on me, and when we made eye contact, he made it clear he wanted my attention.

  Yet, he hadn’t asked for another lap dance. I would have guessed that was what he was there for, but instead he only gave me his information. The thought of it had both scared and thrilled me. Then Rocco had broken me from my reverie..

  “I don’t pay you to stand around!” Rocco called over his shoulder on his way down the hall. I wasn’t sure where he came from, but my heart raced when he rounded the corner to head out to the lobby.

  If he saw Jack, I’d be dead for sure.

  With a deep breath, I headed back to the stage, ready to perform and hoping against hope Rocco would see that Jack was the one targeting me, not the other way around.

  But, as soon as I walked through the curtain, I realized that he was gone. And so was the man Candy had been dancing for. The lobby was starting to fill with men who were getting off work and coming in for their fix, and I knew it was going to be another long night.

  Not just because I didn’t want to be there, but because I wanted to know what Jack was after. He’d already saved me from Rocco once, maybe he wanted to again.

  Then, I’d had the conversation with him. Just as I suspected, he brought up Rocco. He offered to help. And my heart broke just a little. He really was just trying to nail Rocco and I was the convenient way to get to him. He’d already laid the groundwork by coming to my rescue, hadn’t he?

  I had actually wanted to help him, but I didn’t know how to tell him. If I were to work with him and Rocco found out, that would be it for me. And, I didn’t see any way around that. There wasn’t any way he could talk to Rocco without him knowing that the information had come from me. I knew he said they could protect me, but I wasn’t sure Jack really knew how deep Rocco’s connections ran. There was likely a man in his own department on Rocco’s payroll.

  Rocco already suspected something was going on, and if Jack were to stay in the picture, Rocco would know he was right. So I’d panicked halfway through the conversation and hung up. I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t agree to help him, nothing.

  And now, I had to face another day at Rocco’s mercy. Dread and anger filled me throughout the morning, and I wanted more than anything to get off the hook for going in that night. But the clock was relentless, and soon enough I was on my way to the club.

  I slipped through the back door as silently as possible, hoping to get to the stage without Rocco seeing me. But he was clearly waiting for me to arrive. I’d scarcely set foot in the building when he called me to his office.

  “I need to talk to you,” he said. My heart raced and I feared the worst. I didn’t think he ever watched the security footage, but maybe he had? Maybe he saw Jack in the club and was going to kill me for it.

  There was only one way to find out.

  “What this?” he asked.

  “What?” I replied, a little too quickly. I thought he was about to show me the tv. Instead, he dropped a bra on the table. Relief rushed through me, though I knew I was about to get yelled at again.

  “You are supposed to write down all purchases. I got charged for this on my card, but there’s no record of it anywhere. You wearing this?” he asked.

  “I’ve worn it a couple times,” I admitted.

  “Out?” he pressed.

  “A couple times,” I said. I had been using the piece for my personal wear. I’d intended to take it home with me, but I knew I had to have something as a backup at the club. I never knew what was going to happen, and at least that bra wasn’t quite as racy as some of the other pieces.

  “Why t
he fuck would you think I wanted to pay for this when you’re wearing it out?” he snapped. “This is my bra!”

  “Okay, I get it,” I said, trying not to show my apprehension as his tone.

  “Put it on!” he snapped, throwing the bra at me.

  “Okay,” I said. I picked it up and turned to go, but he stopped me.

  “I said put it on!”

  “I’m going to,” I said.

  “Right now!” he barked.

  “I’m going to the dressing room,” I said.

  “No, you aren’t walking out of here until you put that damn thing on! I’m not your personal ATM. You spend my money on this shit, I’m going to enjoy it!” he said.

  “Rocco,” I tried again.

  “Put the damn bra on!” he shouted. I was sure the people out in the lobby could hear him, but I knew there was no getting out of it. I bit my tongue and I pulled off my hoodie and my tank. I refused to let him see anything, so I turned from him, facing the door with my back to him as I took my bra off and put the other one on.

  It was lime green, and it almost glowed it was so bright. I’d loved it in the store and had thought it would look good under the lights at work. But I usually donned the same outfit, so I hadn’t tried it yet.

  “There, it’s on,” I said.

  “Let me see!”

  I turned. “Happy?”

  I hated the way his eyes ran over my body, and there was a part of me that was afraid he was going to touch me in some way. We were in his office with the door closed, and if he wanted to make a move it would be my word against his with no witnesses. I felt humiliated by the time he gave a nod of approval.

  “Now get your ass out of here and on the stage, and don’t you ever do that again,” he barked.

  With my face burning from embarrassment and hatred, I gathered my clothes from the floor and headed to my station. I hated the way he made me feel. Hated every second of it. Everything he did was to make it known that he was in charge. That he could do anything he wanted to anyone he wanted, and we had no control over it. I wanted more and more to make him pay for his bullshit.

  I looked at myself in the mirror as I put on my makeup. I couldn’t say anything out loud, but my thoughts were doing plenty of talking for me.

  What would Mom say if she saw you like this? She wouldn’t be sad. She’d be pissed. Why do you continue to stoop to this level? The man is a monster, and he’s not going to change. You’ve got to get out of here.

  I had a way out now, and I was going to have to take it. Fuck being afraid of what might happen. At that point I believed I was in just as much danger if I stayed as I was if I left.

  I had to call Jack. With my mind made up, I set my makeup down and walked out to the stage. I was ready to be done with it all. Done with showing my body to strangers. Done with ignoring the lewd comments and disgusting suggestions. Done with Rocco’s violent jealous streak and his controlling bullshit. Things were starting to escalate, and I needed to get the fuck out of dodge before they blew.

  There was only one man who could help me, and I was going to run to him at full speed.

  I was tired at the end of my shift, and never wanted to see the neon bra again. I had a feeling it was going to be requested a lot – I’d given more lap dances that night than I had ever before.

  Each one was worse than the last. I kept visualizing Rocco’s face on the men I danced for, and it was repulsive. It only lasted a second, but it was enough to make me taste bile.

  That was one of the only things he had yet to make us do, and I had a feeling it was just a matter of time before we were giving him personal attention usually reserved for the clients.

  I gathered my things and headed home as quickly as possible, taking the bus so I could save some time. I wanted to talk to Jack as soon as I could, but I wasn’t sure what his schedule was like. It was a chance I was taking anyway, though it could mean putting my life in even more danger.

  Driven by sheer desperation, I found his number in the call log on my phone. Even then, it still took me a few minutes to gather my composure before I had the courage to touch his name and wait for the phone to start ringing.

  I briefly wondered if I was waking him or if he was working a midnight shift and I was interrupting something important. Or maybe I’d pissed him off when I’d hung up the day before and he wouldn’t offer me the same help a second time. But he answered on the third ring.

  “Sky?” he sounded surprised.

  “Hey,” I said. “Sorry I hung up on you the other day. I got overwhelmed with what you said and I wasn’t sure how to react. It was the wrong choice.”

  “That’s fine, I understand. What can I do for you?” he asked.

  “I thought about what you said,” I replied. There was silence on the other end of the line, and I knew he was waiting for me to continue. “And if you can protect me, I’ll help you.”

  11

  Jack

  I stood in front of the mirror, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn’t believe Sky had called me the night before, and I was even more shocked she told me she actually was willing to help. I had been almost convinced when she hung up on me that was the end of the contact she and I would ever have, and I wasn’t going to pursue her personally any longer.

  I wasn’t about to give up on the case with Rocco. I would pursue him until I had him behind bars. I didn’t care what it took. I knew what I saw that day when he grabbed her by the throat, and even if she was too afraid to reach out, I wasn’t afraid to stand up for her.

  I’d kill the guy if I had to. He wasn’t going to keep treating her that way. And the conversation we’d had only proved to me just how scared she was. I hadn’t served on the force for eight years for nothing. I knew when a victim was afraid to speak up, and this one clearly was.

  At least she had been, and now she was finally ready to talk.

  I had to admit, I was taking my time making myself look good. It wasn’t anything more than meeting an informant to get some information, but I wanted to look better than the men she often had to spend her time with. Hell, the thought of meeting her face to face for even a few minutes outside the club was enough to send shivers down my spine.

  This girl is an informant. This isn’t a date. This is an interview for the investigation you’re conducting on Rocco. It’s got nothing to do with your attraction for her, or whether she might be attracted to you in return.

  I tried to convince myself I wasn’t thinking about her in any way I shouldn’t, but as I grabbed my wallet and keys walking out the door, I knew that was a lie.

  I couldn’t wait to meet with her.

  The coffee shop was packed, which surprised me. I’d assumed a place that was as hidden in a little nook of town would be a lot quieter, but I was wrong. I scanned the faces of the people as I walked in, but Sky wasn’t there yet.

  Taking my glasses off, I tucked them in my pocket as I walked up to the counter, ordering a black coffee with milk. I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if she didn’t show up, but I really hoped she would. I knew people who were being threatened often changed their minds several times before making a true decision.

  I hoped she decided to show. I wanted to put Rocco away for good. But even more than that, I wanted to help Sky. She needed help, and I wanted to be the one to save her. I wanted to pull her out of that cage she was so clearly trapped in and whisk her away to safety.

  Hell, I wanted to hear her screaming my name on my bed beneath me.

  Shortly after I arrived, Sky appeared. I was still leaning against the counter and waiting for my coffee as she nervously slunk into the building. She seemed to have so much more confidence when she was on stage than she did off. Her eyes darted around the room and, when they rested on me, she walked over.

  But she didn’t smile.

  “Officer Thomas?” she asked as she reached the counter. “I hope you haven’t had to wait very long. I don’t own a car, so I’m kind of ruled by the bus schedule.”<
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  “Please, call me Jack,” I said with a smile. “I just got here myself, don’t worry about it.”

  She ordered the same as I had, but I didn’t point that out. I didn’t want to cross any lines of being too familiar with her. I was reading her like an open book, and I wanted to break down some of the barriers she clearly had in place.

  “Shall we sit down?” I asked, careful to make her feel like she was the one calling the shots.

  “Yeah,” she said. She nervously walked to a corner of the shop and took a seat in the booth, but her eyes continuously darted around the room, scanning faces, analyzing everyone who walked through the door.

  “Are you afraid someone is following you?” I asked. She gave me an inquisitive look, so I nodded to the rest of the room. “You seem to be on edge.”

  “Oh,” she said as she waved off what I said with a brush of her hand. “No, it’s just that you never know who you’re going to run in to, or if someone is looking, you know?”

  “Is that something that happens to you a lot? You run into people who know you?”

  She smiled and looked down at her cup of coffee, clearly searching for something to say. Instead she looked up at me, her bright blue eyes focused on mine. “What did you want to know?” she asked.

  “First of all, I think Rocco –” I started, but she quickly cut me off.

  “Can we not use names? Sorry. I know that it might seem paranoid, but there are a lot of people around here who know him, and I don’t want word to get back to him that I was talking about him with someone. He doesn’t like it when we talk about him,” she said.

  “We?” I asked.

  “Me and the other girls,” she said quickly. “He likes to know that we keep things at work private. He doesn’t want anyone discussing him or his business outside of the club.”

  “Right,” I said. I let the word hang in the air. I could already tell she was trying to cover what she had come to tell me with other information, but I wasn’t going to let it slide. At the same time, I noticed she was mirroring my body language. Subtly, sure, but it was still there.