Six Degrees of Desperation (Dirty Tricks) Read Online Free Page B

smile on her face belied.
    "Wouldn't do you any good anyway, Ed's only
got eyes for Kendall." Audrey glanced around at the women
assembled. She wore a similar dancehall-girl costume in opposite
colors. Where the staff had red corsets and black skirts, Audrey's
corset was black, her skirt red. "I don't guess any of you are
really listening to my instructions, are you? Just do your best and
watch for your cue to dance. I'll be there to help anyone who
starts feeling overwhelmed."
    "Are you dancing tonight, Audrey?" Lacey
asked.
    "No, ma'am." Audrey shook her head. "I hung
up my dancin' shoes when I bought this dump."
    "That's a shame. I've seen you dance and
you're one of the best. You even make me hot." Lacey lifted the hem
of her shiny black dancehall-girl skirt and tucked a couple dollar
bills under the edge of her red lace, thong underwear, making
certain the greenbacks showed when she moved.
    "Lacey, honey, what are you doing?" Bella
asked.
    "Priming the pump, baby. Priming the pump."
Lacey flipped her skirt and turned, flashing her
might-as-well-be-naked behind at the group of woman. "If that
doesn't get me some tips, these cowboys are all gay."
    "Keep it clean, this isn't stripper night at
the Ugly Stick Saloon. We’ll have all we can do to keep the drinks
flowing and the customers happy."
    Greta Sue leaned into the storeroom door.
"It's time. You want me to open the doors?"
    "You have the extra bouncers in place?"
    "Cory and Nick McBride are my backups should
I need help." Greta cracked her knuckles loudly. "Not that I ever
need help."
    "Just the same, being everywhere at once is
going to be hard. Jackson will be there as well if you need him to
step in and settle an argument." Audrey walked toward Greta and
patted the large woman's shoulder. "We just don't want to end up in
a brawl like last year. The damage to the place eats away at any
profits we hope to gain.
    "Yes, ma'am. I'll run a tight ship."
    "You do that. In the meantime..." Audrey
flung out her arm with a flourish. "Let 'em in."
    The other waitresses and Libby, the
bartender, hurried out to the barroom floor.
    Charli hung back. "Audrey, can I talk to you
a minute before we go out?"
    Audrey looked back, her brows pinched in a
hint of a frown. "Can you make it quick? They'll be pouring in
before we get into place."
    "It's just that I need your advice."
    "About?" Audrey glanced over her shoulder as
a loud whoop echoed through the empty saloon, and a flood of men in
boots trampled in, filling the tables and chairs.
    "Connor."
    Audrey's gaze returned to Charli. "What
about Connor?"
    "I think I love him."
    Her boss smiled. "Good, then tell him." She
looked back toward the barroom. "I think we'll set a record
attendance tonight. If all goes well, I can pay off the second
mortgage on this place." Audrey's attention moved back to Charli.
"Anything else?"
    Charli's hands twisted around and around.
"What do I do about Original Sin?"
    Audrey's brows rose. "You haven't told
Connor about your mystery cowboy?"
    "No. Not yet." Charli's eyes filled and her
throat tightened. "And they'll both be here tonight."
    Audrey's eyes widened. "Both? In my
place?"
    With a nod, Charli brushed the single tear
that escaped the corner of her eye. "What should I do?"
    "You have to break it off with one and tell
the other." Audrey shook her head. "God, I'm glad I'm not single
anymore."
    "And to think I was bored here in
Temptation." Charli laughed, the sound not even funny to her own
ears. "I need some of that boredom right now."
    "Audrey?" A tall, dark-skinned, man with
midnight black hair slicked back behind a black mask stood in the
doorway. In his matching black shirt, slacks and cowboy boots, his
head topped by a round-brimmed black hat like those worn by Mexican
cabellero's, Jackson Gray Wolf looked like a throw-back to old
Zorro movies still showing at the tiny hours of the morning in
black and white. The Kiowa Indian stepped into the doorway of the
storeroom. "Libby needs another box