Chapter 9
Jake
Sharp is a tool. I have no idea what he’s doing sitting at the bar, shooting back vodka shots. But he’s trying to get some liquid courage, that’s for sure. In between shots, he mocks my Uncle’s Family Values Campaign. I would get up and walk away, but Alex hasn’t shown up yet. Since I’ve already been caught on camera, there is no use in hiding.
“So, tell me about your Uncle’s campaign,” Sharp laughs.
“No,” I snap.
“Do you come to this strip club often?” Before I can say no, Wildflower struts over to our table and slides her hands up and down my chest.
“He’s a regular,” she reports in a seductive tone. Oh, hell, she is not playing this game. I shove her hands away from me, but the woman doesn’t take a hint. She grabs my face and plants one on my lips. I jerk away, but the damage has been done. “Jake and I have a relationship,” she brags to Sharp, who isn’t paying attention anymore. He’s craning his neck, trying to spot someone.
“Hello,” Alex greets and my pulse is starting to speed up. This will be a fight. I know it for sure.
“Hello, hot thing,” Sharp says. I’m trying to move, but Wildflower is half on my lap. I try to force her off, but her arm is around my neck.
“Stay put, Jake,” she hisses in my ear. But I can’t. Alex looks so vulnerable standing there in front of Sharp. Her blue eyes are scanning the room, searching for an escape. Her hands shake, and she tries to cover her nerves by gripping Sharp’s shoulders. Alex can’t strip for Sharp. She’s my little sister. She has a daughter that will watch this someday. Why does she have to be so stubborn? I stand, which makes Wildflower squeal. She falls flat on her backside, but I don’t have time to care. I need to stop this. I stand in front of Alex, effectively blocking Sharp’s view of her.
“Get someone else,” I hiss between my teeth. Alex is trying to push me out of the way, but I’m tall and strong, and she’s short with very little muscle tone. I’m pretty sure that a girl built like Carmen would be able to shove me, just a little.
“Why?” Sharp asks, his eyes filling with contempt. “Do you have a claim on her?”
“No.”
“Then, why should I get another stripper?”
“Because, I told you to,” I snap, forming a fist. Seriously, if I have to knock Sharp’s teeth in, I will.
“Jake move aside,” Wildflower spits. “Or you’ll have to be removed.” So she’s talking tough now, but when she needs my two thousand dollars a week, she’ll reconsider.
“I’m not moving,” I bluntly tell her. “We had a deal and you blew it.”
“Jake, we had an understanding, not a deal, so move.”
“Seriously, Jake, get out of my life. You’re so controlling,” Alex shrieks. Her words don’t sting me at all because she doesn’t know me. Alex doesn’t understand what she’s getting into. No matter how much I explain it to her, she just doesn’t get it.
“Jake, you have five seconds to move, or else my security will remove you,” Sharp threatens.
“Be a man, Sharp. If you want me gone, don’t hide behind your guards like a pansy.” His face turns red with anger, and he stands, which doesn’t do much to make him look like a tough guy. Sharp punches me in the left eye. then, immediately, his security team attempts to surround me. But the problem is that Alex is in the way, and this strip club isn’t made for something like this. I elbow the first man and punch Sharp in the jaw, hard. He is knocked backward a pace then falls to the ground. I knocked him out cold. Good, now the self-righteous idiot won’t be able to pay for his precious strip tease session with my little sister. Alex screams as soon as Mr. Money Bag hits the floor. The two body guards are both red faced. One of them grabs me from behind. But I headbutt his nose. He curses and releases me to grab at his nose. The more beefy one tosses a punch at me but I duck and he accidentally hits Wildflower. I feel awful that the poor woman has been hit, and so does the bodyguard. He begins to panic. This is how I’ll make my exit. I have to push past a lot of on- lookers in order to get to the exit. But I don’t care. I’m sure some pushing, shoving, and a well-placed punch or two will do the trick. What’s wrong with people? They see a fight and their first inclination is to crowd around it? Does anyone have sense? As I’m shoving aside a fat man with a beer belly, someone snags my arm and digs in their nails, hard. I look down to see Alex, red- faced and angry.
“You bastard,” she spits. “How could you?”
“How could I protect you?” I’m angry at Alex for putting me in this situation. The girl never listens. If she had just took my offer to help her through college, none of this would have happened.
“Protect me from what?” she yells. Things are quieting down, so her voice carries.
“From being taped taking your clothes off. Jazmyn, you aren’t like them. The minute that someone finds you, you’re going to be followed and stalked by the press,” I lecture her. She releases her grip on my arm and slaps me across the face.
“Why do you never take a hint? I want nothing to do with you, Jake. I don’t want your money, your help, or your company. So stop following me,” Alex yells. So she wants nothing to do with me? Well, that’s fine by me. I nearly got myself beat up by a few security guards and a rat to defend her. Why did I ever bother trying?
“Fine, Alex. I won’t try anymore. I would hate to ruin your fun.” So I continue to push through the crowd, which mostly consists of men. When I elbow a few, it doesn’t make me feel bad. They will have to suck it up. When I get to the door, I curse. The night is illuminated by flashes. The paparazzi is here, and I have a black eye and a few bruises. I can only see the headlines now. “The nephew of a respected governor gets into a brawl at a strip club.” My family will be the butt of every joke for a while. And I can’t help but blame Alex for it all. She’s just so difficult. If only she had done just what I wanted, none of this would have happened. I’m thinking about running onto the stage and escaping through the back door. But most likely, this building is surrounded.
“Are you just going to stand there?” Alex asks. I look down at her, not realizing that she had followed me. I shake my head at her, not bothering to speak. She frowns. “Jake, look, I’m sorry for slapping you. You just make me so angry. Why do you care so much? We aren’t real family just because we have the same parents. You don’t even know me.” This is what I hate about people. They don’t leave well enough alone. She tells me that she doesn’t want me around anymore, so I try to leave. Now Alex is giving me a boring speech about how blood doesn’t make us siblings.
“Look,” I say pointing at the window. She stares wide-eyed at the press.
“Sharp is a celebrity. Of course he has people following him,” Alex says, in a matter of fact way. I don’t bother telling her that we will be more interesting to the press. Instead, I walk toward the door.
“Jake, I’m not done talking to you,” she pleads. I turn around and glare at her.
“Do you want to tell me how much you hate me and how horrible I am?” I ask. “Because I don’t care about your opinion of me, Alex. You don’t even know me.” I turn around and brace myself for the barrage of questions. I’m guessing Alex believes that no one is going to stop me because she actually follows me out.
“Jake, what are your thoughts about the delay of the Philips trial?” “What is your opinion on Senator Jones’ views on sex education?” Did Sharp Michaels really punch you in the face?” “Will you press charges?” “Who is she?” “What is your relationship with the stripper?” “How do you feel about Bret Harris’ interview?” “Do you feel threatened by the fact that you are on his hit list?” “Is this girl your girlfriend?” “Is she the stripper that you and Sharp Michaels fought over?” “How long have you been seeing her?” “Does your uncle know about your extracurricular activities?” “Do you believe in the family values campaign?” I turn around and see Alex looking pale and miserable. Now she understands why she can’t be a stripper. Sh
e bites her lip in contemplation. I turn my back on all of the reporters and stare her down.
“Go back inside,” I snap, but she’s frozen. I want to cover her up, but I didn’t bring any of my hoodies. So everyone has a clear shot of the girl in a mini dress. This is perfect. Eli is going to kill me. If her parents find out about Alex, they will be able to put two and two together. “Go,” I order, trying to be heard over the barrage of questions.
“I… Jake…” She is in shock. I don’t have time for girly emotions. Why can’t she be strong? This will draw more attention to Alex, but I pluck her off the ground and make my way down the stairs.