~*~

TALA POV:

"But the restaurants not even open tonight. And why would they call a waitress for an emergency?"

"Waitress/bartender," I reminded Paul breathlessly as I slipped on my snow boots after dishing my keys out of the bottom of my purse.

"What's the emergency?" he asked.

"Fire!" I shouted in my panic as I flung the door open.

"1. I don't want you anywhere near a fire if they have a problem let them call the fire department. 2. I don't want you driving in that and 3. You don't even have on a coat," he all but shouted as he ran towards me.

"You know what I don't have time for this. I'm twenty-two years old and you're not my father." I closed the door in Paul's face and made a wild sprint for my car. (Which was no easy task since the snow was to my waist) Years of running the streets of frozen Detroit were the only thing that kept me from falling on my ass. I yanked my car door open when I finally reached it and freaked out when I heard a grunt signifying Paul's pursuit. I flung myself into the front seat and immediately locked the doors, just as his hand jiggled the handle.

"Open the damn door!" he screamed, his hot breathe actually clearing the fogged window.

"Nope," I shouted back, crystal clear.

"Now wipe the fucking snow off the windshield; unless you want me to drive with it on!"

"You're bluffing!" I revved the engine to prove my point. "Ok, ok!" he screamed at me as he wiped his hand across the front off the car taking the snow off almost entirely with only one stroke. With two more wipes I could see with almost perfect clarity, and I was off.

I hated to leave him looking like that. I mean honestly since when did Paul look scared? But what choice did I have? Have him be frightened for one night or have an innocent girl die! This was at the very least the way I rationalized it in my head as I sped down the icy streets. I had lost about five minutes on the whole argument thing so I stepped on the gas and prayed that the snow plow had made its way all the way to 1010 Eastwood Lane.

Thankfully, it had. I pulled into the nearly vacant parking lot and parked quite horribly before turning of my car, locking it, and nearly running behind the club. I would have to be completely oblivious to not notice the flashing sign above the club that announced 'Nude Nude Nude Girls". A shiver ran through me but I don't know if it was because of the sign, or what I was about to do…or the cold.

Why they thought that a van advertising pet cleanliness was an appropriate cover I will never know but I knocked twice anyway; painfully aware that I was about fifteen minutes late.

"You're late," a graying man greeted me as the door flung open. His mostly black hair was untidy and his brown eyes were slightly blood shot as he pulled me into the van.

"This is Trudy she'll change you into your performing outfit," he barked at me as he abruptly turned around. A withered looking brunette woman stepped forward and hooked her hands at the hem of my shirt before pulling it off.

"Your name will be Cindy Cox. You are eighteen years old, you've always dreamed of being a model but you love your job because it is intensely arousing. You will perform pretty much as soon as you get in because the last girls little strip tease is almost over. The ear piece Trudy should be shoving into your ear right about now allows us to talk to you and hear everything that will go on. Right now we can see what is happening because we have full access to the cameras inside the club but as soon as you leave there we will be relying solely on your earpiece. When you're about to be attacked or we simply have enough evidence to convict the code word (telling us to come save you) is 'terrifying'. Got it? " I tried to pay attention as Trudy stripped me bare.

"Good she waxes." She grunted.

"Ah!" I screamed at her. Trudy just rolled her eyes and helped me into a sparkling black thong, glittery black bra, slutty dark mini skirt, and a tight leather jacket which she zipped up to my bountiful cleavage.

"Your goal is to get them to choose you. They will approach you if you do it correctly and then all you have to do is go home with them. We won't let anything happen to you. There are exactly forty-two seconds left in the current performers dance so are we clear?" I wanted desperately to ask him if I'd have to strip completely naked but I knew his answer would be 'do what you have to do', just like back when I was working in this business.

"Crystal. Just one question," I said casually.

"What?"

"What's your name?" I giggled. He huffed a laugh and grasped my elbow.

"Kevin," he growled as he threw me out. I quickly adjusted the earpiece, shook my hair out to cover it and walked forward.

"You the decoy?" A bulky man asked, sticking his head out just before I reached the door. I nodded and he pulled me in. "Go through that door it'll take you right on stage," he demanded as yelling erupted around me. I staggered through the door and walked up the stairs.

Light blinded me almost instantly and the woman who had been dancing before me took her sweet time collecting her bra from the end of the stage before brushing past me.

"Good luck," she sniggered, letting her tits bounce around shamelessly.

"Damn don't see the likes of her around here much! Bitch is hot!" Someone I couldn't see shouted at me. My eyes washed through my audience and to my complete and utter horror there were at least ten sleazy men waiting for my dance, three strippers giving lap dances, and two bartenders looking disgustingly turned on. Some part of my mind noted the song changed and recognized it as "Cyclone" by Baby Bash.

She moves her body like a cyclone
And she makes me want to do it all night long
Going hard when they turn us by night song
Because she moves her body like a cyclone
Just like a cyclone
She moves her body like a cyclone
And she makes me want to do it all night long
Going hard when they turn us by night song
Because she moves her body like a cyclone
A mighty cyclone

That's when I heard it. "Move damn it! It's the two guys directly at the end of the stage! GO!" a little voice hissed into me ear. All my earlier training jumped back into my head and I automatically obeyed. I strutted towards the pole in the middle of the platform and once I grasped it, flung my head back, giving the demonic killers a great look down my "shirt". When I finally worked up the nerve to looking them in they eye I almost lost my hold on the pole. They were identical twins and (rather then Paul) the most attractive men I've ever seen.

"Yeah baby whoa!" One of them shouted. I quickly regained my composure and did a twirl on the greased pole.

I look at that double on the back a that bumper
She aint even playin when shes shakin that rumpa
And for who you dont know
She gett lower than them other
Even wit her girl friends
Shes show stoppin wit a hustla
The way she move her body
She might see the masaratti
She tryin a put it on me
Tryin to show me her tsunami
She make it hard to copy
Always tight and never sloppy
And got an onturage
And her own papparazzi
Now ther she go again
Ridin through the stormy whether
You better button up if you wantta gonna get
Cause it is what it is
And everybody wanna love her
But when she pop it boy you better run for cover

After a grand total of three seconds of no movement I realized that if I wanted to save the life of one of the girls flouncing around me then I'd have to go back to the old me. I used to be able to lay my emotions aside entirely to fulfill the job at hand. Right now maintaining my dignity could not be a priority. I released the pole and allowed myself to fall to all fours. With a wink in the guy's direction I removed the leather as I forced my legs into a split.

I didn't realize how close I was to the end of the stage until I felt a hand near my inner thigh. I tried to hide my shock as I looked into the smoldering eyes of either Garrett or Ian Lesan.

"You want this? Take that off," he said quiet loudly as he nodded towards my skirt and waved a hundred dollar bill in front of my eyes. I gave as sensual of a smile as I could muster and readjusted my position so I could slowly slide off the trashy skirt.

"Can I have it now?" I asked innocently; throwing the garment away from me and expertly ignoring the fact that I was in front of at least fifteen people (not one of them Paul) wearing only a tantalizing black thong and a bra that simply refused to contain my breast as one strap fell down my shoulder.

"You know I think you still have on too much clothes," he said loudly, with a cocky grin.

"But I only have on two things," I retorted forcing myself to laugh.

"Yeah but baby that's two things too many." I gave a little startled jump as everyone around me began to clap, that's how I realized the song was over, and my time was up.

Instead of doing what the other girl did I left my discarded clothing on the stage and jumped to the floor, and stood confidently in front of two of the most feared, and horrendous humans in the state.

"How about a lap dance so you can really earn this?" the other twin asked taking the money from his brother.

"I'll get in on that," a very annoying high pitched voice behind me said. The bleach blonde, white trash Barbie quickly came forward and removed her top.

"Ok…but what about you?" Twin #1 said, boldly grabbing my ass. I had to choke back vomit but I put a very…tolerant smile on my face.

"Sure honey," I gagged, almost crying as I reached behind me and unhooked my bra. I let the tasteless thing fall from my fingertips and onto the ground and I felt the air tease my taunt nipples as I made a quick circle around him. I tried not to notice that the other twin was ignoring blondie (whose breasts were practically shoved in his face) and also looking at me. I did a slight twirl as I began to move my hips from side to side in a way I knew to be devastatingly sexy…or at least that's what I've been told. My suspicions were confirmed as both of their pants began to rise. I smirked slightly and moved to straddle him when I heard the most heart wrenching thing I've ever had to hear.

"Tala…what…" Paul didn't say this loudly; just loud enough for me to hear and have every cell in my body simply wilt with pain. My eyes shot forward only to see him right beside the door accompanied by Sam and Embry. Instinctively I moved toward him, wanting, no needing to comfort him more than I needed to breathe.

"Hey! Where the hell do you think your going? We're not done here," The guy beneath me shouted taking hold of my legs.

~*~

PAUL POV:

My entire world was crashing down around me. It was like someone had decided to set off a bomb in my heart and then decided that this would be more painful. I couldn't make sense of any of it and I really didn't want to. If I had been nicer, if I had vocalized my undying love for her more, if I was good enough for her, then maybe just maybe the love of my life would not be practically naked in a strip club, and revealing herself to all these people.

"Tala…what?" That's all I could get out. I started to breathe really heavily; you know the kind of breathing you are reduced to just before you collapse into tears. I saw the look of incomprehensible agony that possessed her face just before she tried to move towards me. The man she had been straddling stopped her, grabbing hold of her ridiculously long, goddess like legs and whispering a few harsh words.

It was scary really how quickly my temper flared and then became a full blown conflagration. In less than a second I could feel my clothes beginning to rip. If Sam hadn't been there to literally throw me out of the door then those perverts would have seen a real show. I knew that I couldn't face her tonight…I knew that I wasn't strong enough for that; and I wouldn't risk it.