Dwyer, Dixie Lynn - SWAT Team Two and Miss Robin Hood [The Men of Five-0 #2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) (2 page)

He said something to Lilly. Melissa was too far away to tell what he had said but Lilly looked happy. Then Tom touched her left breast with one hand as he placed a fistful of bills in the front of her thong against the small patch of material that covered her pussy. The song was ending as Lilly leaned forward, touched his chin with her finger, then rose from the floor in a smooth, seductive manner. She hurried to the back of the stage to exit as cheers and screams filled the club.

Melissa felt her own heart race as the crowd’s excitement filled the air.

“You should be up there, sweetheart.” Chuck interrupted her thoughts. Melissa felt her cheeks warm as she shied away, placing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I don’t think so.”

Chuck laughed. “Better for me that you don’t,” he added, taking a sip of the beer she just got him.

“Why is that?” she found herself asking, feeling a bit insulted that he would say such a thing. For a moment she ignored the other two men that approached the bar, looking to be served.

He locked gazes with her.

“With your body, my entire paycheck would go to you every week.”

She was thankful for the compliment, and then she smiled.

“Thanks,” she replied then walked away to serve the other patrons.

Chapter 1

Melissa struggled to keep the two bags from falling as she climbed the stairs to the third-floor apartment. Her body ached from a full week of double shift at the bar. If her mamma could only see her now, she’d be beside herself knowing that she worked at a strip club and tended bar to a bunch of sexually overzealous men. She’d also have Melissa sent to a nunnery. God rest her mamma’s soul, and God help her survive these last three deliveries.

As she approached the final doorway to the third floor, she used her knee to balance one bag as she strategically opened the door with the free hand. Then she amazingly got through the metal door without dropping a single bag. As she turned the corner of the hallway where Celine and her two young children resided, she noticed the man in the dark suit exit the doorway to Celine’s apartment.

He eyed her from head to toe, and yeah, she was used to it, but that didn’t mean she liked it. He practically undressed her with his eyes, and if the bags weren’t about to fall, she would have commented on his rudeness. Men could be such pigs. Sex, sex, sex was all that ever seemed to be on their minds. Instead of remarking verbally, she gave him the once-over as if he was nothing to look at. The jerk got the hint and hurried down the stairwell.

Melissa set the two bags down on the floor and knocked on the door.

“I told you that the answer is no!” Celine exclaimed as she pulled the door open, obviously expecting the man who had just left to be there again.

“Oh, geez, I’m so sorry, Mel. I swear I thought it was that asshole from the bank again. Come in, come in, please,” she insisted then grabbed one of the bags off the floor.

Melissa knew that by now, the three babies, Zack and Kelly, four-year-old twins, and Zoey, her five-year-old, were sound asleep.

“Is everything okay?” Melissa asked as she looked at Celine reclasp the two top buttons on her blouse.

“Yeah, fine. I guess since I’m behind in payments still on the old house mortgage, they send a collector in person. Wasted trip on his part, though. I don’t have an extra dime.”

Melissa sighed. She knew all too well what it was like to have very little financially. Struggling from check to check had been the way she grew up. She knew what it felt like to not know where the next meal was coming from or if there would even be another one.

She placed her hand on Celine’s shoulder. “What can I do to help?”

“Oh, please, Mel, you’ve done so much so far. You got me that job, the babysitter, and a place to live so the kids and I wouldn’t be scared in the shelter anymore. I wouldn’t dream of asking for more.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering”

“You have your sister’s kids to handle. You do enough for everyone around here. How about doing something for yourself?” Celine asked as she began to help Melissa unpack the groceries.

“Oh, yeah, me have time for myself? That would be nice, but just not feasible at this point in time.”

Celine stared at Melissa, making Melissa question what was up.

“You’re a knockout, Mel. You could have your pick, yet you take care of everyone else and never focus on you. When was the last time you went out on a real date?”

Melissa chuckled. “Yeah, right, me have an actual relationship with a man. Didn’t you see what happened with the last guy I dated?” Melissa finished stacking the cans of soup in the cupboard then took a seat on the chair at the table.

“You met him at the club, Mel. What type of individual did you think Bret would turn out to be?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe a semi-decent guy. He was for the first two dates.” Melissa played with the fringe on the lace tablecloth.

“He was decent for the first two minutes of the first and only date you went on with him. I remember the things he said to you, and I remember how his buddy Keith showed up at your aunt’s apartment looking for you.”

“Do you really have to bring this up right now?”

Melissa remembered the trouble she had gotten herself into. She thought Bret was going to be her knight in shining armor. Instead, he turned out to be a womanizer and a drug dealer to boot. The deliveries she went on when he offered her an easy job to make some fast money were a huge mistake on her part. She fell for Bret’s good looks and charm, and she had shared her troubled life and her desperate need for cash to pay all the bills. There she was, learning the trade of delivering so-called “packages,” which really contained drugs, for upscale clients for their parties. It only took a few days to learn the ins and outs of the business, and the money got her off the streets and into her current job at Charlie’s club. It was an upscale joint with lots of money to be made.

“Hey, don’t ponder over the bad stuff. You made it out of there, and Bret didn’t turn you into a prostitute like he did Sally.”

“You’re right about that. But getting out from under his thumb was a whole different story. I swear, whenever he comes into the club now, he eyes me like he thinks he still has a hold on me. I wouldn’t give him the time of day.”

“He hasn’t tried to ask you out again has he?”

Melissa’s eyes widened as she thought about that scenario.

“Thank God, no. I couldn’t even imagine. But I try to avoid him when he comes in. Some guys just don’t know what the word ‘no’ means.”

“Tell me about it. That asshole banker that was just here informed me that I can pay off my loan in other ways.” Celine stared down at her hands as she said the words.

Melissa reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

“You didn’t—”

“Hell no! My babies are in the other room, and I know men like that. My bills would suddenly increase, and I would be spreading my legs on a weekly basis instead of monthly. No thanks. We’ll be just fine, thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do much,” Melissa replied as she stared at her good friend Celine. Celine was an attractive woman with short, blonde hair and big, blue eyes. They had become friends shortly before Melissa’s sister died.

“Bullshit you didn’t. I’m getting a job. My bills are getting lower and lower thanks to you. You found me a babysitter I can trust and I feel confident leaving my kids with her while I’m at work
.
That means so much to me, Mel. Then
you come around to check on me and still bring me groceries. You deserve the best, Mel. You deserve to start thinking about yourself a little.”

Melissa sighed then smiled. She had done some crazy shit the last couple of years. Stuff that was better left unspoken about, but she never sacrificed her body.

“I give you credit, Celine. You could have made that asshole sign a contract that would be legal and binding with the right attorney if he welched on the deal.”

“You see what I mean? You find a way to get around all the red tape and bring happiness and a better life to those in need. You’ve taken on an instant family with your sister’s kids and your sick aunt. You helped get the soup kitchen back on its feet when the storage room was robbed of all the food. Holy shit! You’re a fucking saint!” Celine teased, and Melissa started to laugh. She instantly thought about the numerous times she stole from a few rich, criminal businessmen and gave the money to the poor in the community. If Celine only knew.

A quick glance toward the microwave and she noticed the time. It was getting late, and tomorrow was a big day. As of right now she’d only get four hours of sleep before she had to get everyone up for school. Then she’d go back to bed for a few hours, and the kids would be home by three o’clock from school before she knew it. They would be going to the hospital to see her aunt and talk to the doctor.

“Well, I’ve got to go. I think they may be releasing Aunt Peggy from the hospital tomorrow. They ran a bunch of tests, and so far it looks like she’s in remission.”

“That’s great. I am sure it has a lot to do with the treatment you got for her. The clinic nearly killed her.”

“I know. I hate to think about all the other people that clinic failed.”

“Oh no. Don’t start worrying about the strangers again. You nearly wound up in jail, remember?”

“Of course I do. It was the scariest twenty-four hours of my life.”

“Good old Charlie. He treats you like you’re his daughter.”

“He acted like I was his own daughter when he bailed me out of jail then reprimanded me.”

They began walking across the living room to the front door.

“How did you get that money to pay for your aunt’s surgery? And don’t tell me by bartending at the club. That was big bucks to save her life. Oh, wait, you’re not stripping are you? I heard that Lilly and some of the other girls get huge tips.”

Melissa looked down at the rug. “Hell no! I could never do that. I am doing fine just working the bar. You would be surprised at how much I make in tips.” She hoped her lie about the tips went unnoticed. She wasn’t about to divulge any of her extracurricular activities. “Let’s just say I came across an amazing opportunity and took advantage of it.”

“Okay, don’t tell me then. Whatever you did, it was well worth it.”

Melissa said good-bye then exited the apartment.

Chapter 2

Vince and Frankie stood near the bar drinking their beers and talking about the drug bust their team engaged in tonight. It was intense for the average SWAT team officer but not for an Alpha were. It was difficult to get the scene out of his head as Vince recalled the setup. There were bullets flying all around them, drug dealers were armed with semiautomatic weapons, and they were secured inside a home armed with titanium doors as barricades.

“That’s pretty fucking funny about that titanium door. How much you think that fucking thing cost?” Vince asked.

“Shit. I don’t even know where the fuck you get titanium doors from as an average citizen,” Frankie responded.

His brother laughed. “They weren’t average citizens. They were drug dealers from Jamaica.”

Frankie laughed. “You can buy a lot of expensive shit with ‘fuck-you’ money.”

Just then Vince sniffed the air and smelled the female wolf as she approached the bar. His eyes roamed over her body from her six-inch, spiked red heels to her perky little breasts. She wasn’t wearing any bra, or panties for that matter. The dress was skintight and matched her heels and her lipstick. Vince knew what she wanted, and with one glance toward his brother Frankie, it was on. They had seen her around this bar before, and she never dressed so provocatively.

“Hi,” she whispered extra close to Vince’s ear.

He took a slug from his beer and pretended he didn’t notice her. She would need to know her place right off the bat. He knew what she was offering, but she didn’t know what she was in for with him and Frankie.

Frankie stood up and towered over the female wolf by at least a foot. She was lanky, with long legs, thin arms, and a decent ass. Not their usual type, but she would do for tonight. They were both feeling rather stressed lately. Their other brothers were on edge as well, and there was no explanation in sight.

Frankie moved in behind the blonde and sniffed her neck. He knew immediately she was from Semora pack. It was a small, neutral wolf pack that had family scattered around the state of New York.

He placed his hands on her hips and gave a small thrust to her ass, letting his thick, hard cock press against the seam. She closed her eyes and leaned back against him.

Vince took control of the situation because it seemed they were drawing some attention from the crowd of humans around them.

“You, outside in thirty seconds,” he stated then drank the rest of his beer before rising from the stool and leaving with his brother Frankie.

Vince looked at his military watch as they stood in the side parking lot of the building. She would have to use her wolf senses to know where to meet them. It was part of the game. The thrill of the chase.

“Did you see that fucking dress she had on?”