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one lucky son-of-a-bitch some pretty dirty thoughts.
    “You want a room, Rawlings?”
    Jake balled his fists at his partner’s jab, ready to issue a forceful denial. Yet, in some insane part of his brain, he actually considered booking a room; suspension would keep him from dealing with Bri, but the thought of anyone other than himself finding her stopped him.
    “Screw you.” He snarled at Mace and then climbed the stairs.
    The door at the top opened just as he raised his hand to knock. Jake glanced up at the camera atop the door and snickered.
    Jimmy Cooper extended a hand to each of them and then waved them inside. “Detectives, come in.”
    Jake moved his gaze over the room, taking in the monitors stacked four high and four long against one wall. Half-dressed women graced every screen, clad in sparkling, sexy costumes, working their bodies to earn the night’s take. His heart pounded a jungle rhythm while he scrutinized each body. Too tall, too thick, too brunette. He breathed a sigh of relief when Bri failed to make an appearance.
    “Quite an operation,” he told Jimmy.
    “Our girls are watched closely. The only place we don’t monitor is the dressing area.”
    “How do you keep trouble out?”
    “Security is stationed right outside the front and right outside the back entrance. No one in or out without permission.”
    “Your guys are legitimate?”
    Jimmy nodded. “Brian has an excellent team in place.”
    Brian waved a hand behind his head. “Sorry, I can’t leave the cameras but I’ll do my best to participate.”
    Mace grinned. “Sucks for you, Hunt.”
    Jake couldn’t stop a snicker.
    “What can we do for you?” Jimmy motioned for him to sit and then took a chair opposite him.
    “We’re working on a missing person’s case.” He slid a photo from his pocket and handed it to Jimmy. “Have you seen her?”
    “Certainly. That’s Melissa Winston.”
    “I remember her,” Brian added as he flipped a switch. The camera zoomed in on the catwalk near the bar.
    “She worked here?”
    Jimmy nodded. “Great talent. She told us she needed money for school.”
    “How long was she here?”
    “She worked about a month or so then we didn’t see her again.”
    “She quit?”
    “Not officially. She just didn’t report for a shift.”
    “Wasn’t that unusual?”
    “Not in our business. Girls come and go all the time. They earn cash and lots of it. Once they have what they need, they move on.”
    “Did you try to contact her?”
    “Yeah. We require them to provide an emergency contact. We called hers who turned out to be her brother. He assured us she had just taken early retirement.”
    “Who hires replacements?”
    “Mr. Lombardy provides all the dancers. He interviews them personally.”
    “Are they local?”
    “Not here. In fact, we only have one local girl.”
    “Which one?”
    “Sapphire.”
    Jake’s dick pulsed and his gaze jumped to the monitors, torn between wanting to catch a glimpse of her and hoping to hell he didn’t.
    Jimmy laughed. “Obviously you’ve seen her dance.”
    “Yeah,” he mumbled.
    Brian chuckled and flipped another switch. Jake’s heart stopped and he fought to breathe.
    “Damn,” Mace mumbled under his breath.
    Bri. Damnittohell , did the woman ever follow orders?
    He forced himself to inhale then exhale slowly. Although she sat in a plush, easy chair just outside the dressing area instead of prancing around the stage, incredible anger engulfed him.
    Her yellow tank top hugged tight, full breasts and firm muscled curves. False blonde curls fell over her bare shoulders; his fingers itched to rip it from her head and tangle the natural red tresses with the force of his grip.
    A short, much too short, denim skirt touched the tops of her tanned thighs, teasing him with the sight of her long, slender legs. Legs that would most definitely squeeze his hips in a tight grip as his hard cock slipped inside her body.
    Then, almost as if she knew he watched, she