Page 14 of The Reluctant Siren
“Really? There are actual clubs here?” Jack asked, his browrising.
He looked so young and earnest. He reminded him of hisbrother, so clearly he couldn’t help himself. “Yes. They’re quiet though. Theydon’t have a website or social media, but they’re there. You should check out aplace called The Hideout.”
Jack went still as though listening carefully. “The Hideout.I like the sound of that. Makes me think of a bunch of childhood friendsstarting a club. Damn. That makes me miss my hometown.”
“Where are you from?” He wasn’t sure why, but he wasinterested. Or maybe he did know. Maybe he needed to form some kind ofconnection. Any kind.
“A small town outside of Austin,” Jack explained. “I grew upon a ranch, and let me tell you, when you’re from a ranching family, you getclose to your siblings and your friends. You end up needing them to help out. Alot. My parents had blood family, but their friends were family, too. I learneda lot from them.”
“My grandfather had a ranch,” Jensen admitted, rememberingthe home where he and Tommy grew up. “Mom ended up selling most of the land,but I still have about a hundred acres west of Fort Worth.”
He had no idea what to do with it. The house was well built,and he’d maintained it. He guessed he always thought he would go back to itsomeday. Or it was just one more thing that got shoved aside and forgotten inhis need for revenge.
“Ours is slightly bigger, but I was not meant for ranchinglife. I wanted to go to college and not to learn how to run a ranch.” Jacksmiled like the memories were sweet. “Luckily my parents were okay with it,though I had to obviously figure out a way to pay for it. I have a couple ofbrothers who will happily take over once the…when the time comes. So TheHideout. Sounds like a place to be. If you could go there, why don’t you? Youseem like a nice guy and not like Phil. I know he seems real nice on the outside,but he’s pretty brutal when it comes to the servers.”
“He is? I’ve never seen Phil be anything but pleasant.”
“Because you’re on a different level,” Jack explained. “Andyou’re a guy. He’s nice to me, too, but then I catch him threatening the femaleservers in the back room where no one can hear him.”
Damn it. He was not supposed to have to deal with the otheremployees. He had one job, and he was so close. He couldn’t get involved withthis. When he took down Hamilton and his whole organization, those women wouldbe safe. “I’ll check it out.”
Who the hell was he? That was the question he’d been askingsince the day he left Harlow in a prison cell, blowing up her case so his couldkeep going and she would be safe. Back then he’d told himself it was all abouther safety, but did he have the right to make that choice for her?
“I appreciate it.” Jack glanced down at his watch. “I shouldget back to it.”
“Hey,” Jensen called out as the bartender opened the door tothe club. “You know there are other jobs out there. You’re a smart kid. You candefinitely do better than this place.”
Jack’s lips quirked up. “Trust me. I tell myself that everyday. I’ve got about a million applications out there, but until one of themhits, this pays the bills. Hey, I have a question. How did you hear about thatHideaway place?”
“The Hideout,” Jensen corrected. The good news was he didn’thave to lie to a bartender who wasn’t anywhere close to the inner circle. “Iknow someone who goes there. Well, I knew her. She’s something of an ex.”
“That sounds complicated.”
“It is,” Jensen allowed. “It was one of those rightperson/wrong place/wrong time things, but she taught me about the lifestyle.She grew up in it.”
“Grew up in it? I kind of thought it was all about sex, sothat seems worrying. I don’t like the thought of kids being around that.” Therewas a wealth of judgment in Jack’s tone.
Was this the shit Harlow and her family had to put up with?It rankled. “It’s not. There doesn’t have to be sex involved at all. Herparents were in a D/s relationship and spent time in clubs. Obviously, theydidn’t bring their daughters. They were kind of odd since her mom was…ismarried to twins.”
Jack whistled. “Now that sounds freaky.”
Maybe he wasn’t as open minded as he seemed. “Forget Imentioned that place. If you think it’s freaky, then you should stay away.”
“You don’t think two men and one woman sounds odd?” Jackasked, his eyes narrowing as though the younger man was studying him. “I’vealways heard it the other way myself. Most men I know would prefer two womentaking care of them.”
“I never thought about it for me, but if it works forsomeone else, who cares? We spend way too much time worrying about what otherpeople are doing. How the hell can anyone be happy if they’re constantlypolicing everyone else’s joy?” The discussion was definitely riling him up. Heneeded to shut it down. This was precisely why he didn’t talk to anyone here.He did his fucking job and that was to move up through the ranks until he couldget close to Hamilton. There was no place for friendship here. “Like I saidforget I mentioned it. It’s a real tight-knit group. They’re probably nottaking applications.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to offend. I was trying to understand,”Jack said, holding the door open.
The sounds of the club pulsed through the door. It was timeto get back to work. Later on he could text Niall via the burner he kept hiddenand for five seconds feel close to the only two people in the world he caredabout. He needed to remind himself of that fact. Harlow and Niall were the onlypeople who mattered. “No offense taken. Trust me. My family was perfectlynormal. One man. One woman. When that one man took off with someone else, theone woman was left to raise two kids and found the real love of her life.Vodka. But hey, at least they were normal. You have a good night.”
“Jensen,” Jack called out.
But he walked on. He had a job to do.
* * * *
“I don’t appreciate the way you’re talking, Leah.Brianna is a perfectly nice young lady, and I enjoy playing with her verymuch.” Niall rarely had to use a hard tone when he wasn’t in the middle of ascene. But then he didn’t usually have subs being so intensely rude about othersubs.
