Tough Guy: A Hero Club Novel by Jamie Schmidt (the reading list .TXT) 📗

you ever thought of being a private detective?” Parker joked. Lisa linked her fingers through his and laughed.

She looked happier than I'd ever seen her.

“No, I don't have the patience. Look, Parker, I'm sure Lisa has told you about our mother.”

“In detail.”

“It's all true,” I said. “Just in case you think she was exaggerating. But that being said, she is a mother and she’s very worried about her youngest daughter. Do you have children?”

“I have fraternal twins. They just started UCLA this year. My ex lives out in California, so they were able to get in-state tuition. It helped a great deal, but college is very expensive.”

“Is that why you asked Lisa to help you get funding for the show?”

“You don't have to answer that,” Lisa said, squeezing his hand tighter. “I told her it was none of her business.”

“She's your sister and she's worried I'm taking advantage of you. Would you rather explain it to her or to your mother?”

Lisa grimaced.

“I'm not accusing you of anything,” I said. “I just want to understand. Lisa was in a bad way after her surgery. When she left for Las Vegas, I was glad she was getting a change of scene. But then she stopped answering phone calls and we got increasingly worried.”

“And your mother sent you down here to save her from herself.”

“Yeah,” I admitted.

“Like you've done so many times before.”

“Not that many,” Lisa said mulishly.

“What would ease your mind?” Parker asked.

I was trying to figure out how to phrase my questions. They all sounded like I was prying into Lisa's personal affairs and none of what I wanted to know was any of my business.

“Just spit it out.” Lisa rolled her eyes.

“How much is Lisa's salary?”

“She doesn't get one. She gets a percentage of the house,” Parker said calmly.

I winced. “What percentage?”

“Fifty-fifty because she is also the coproducer.”

“Is that in writing?” I asked Lisa.

“Yes,” she groaned at me.

“May I see the contract?”

“No.”

“Darling, what harm could that do?” Parker said, kissing the back of her hand.

“I don't know where my copy is,” she admitted.

Before I could go nuclear, Parker said, “I can e-mail it to you later today. My attorneys drew it up so that it was a fair contract.”

I was leaning toward believing him. “If everything is on the up-and-up, all you need to do is call Mom and tell her you’re producing your own show in Carson City. She'll be thrilled. After that, just answer her calls once in a while and everything will be back to normal.”

Lisa snorted. “I don't want to call her until the show is successful. I don't want her to build it up in her mind just to have me fail again.”

Now it was my turn to snort. “When have you ever failed? You're the golden child.”

“Yeah, I'm so golden that if I don't talk to my mother once a week, she thinks I've hurt myself or been led astray by con artists. Unlike you. She trusts you with everything.”

I blinked at her in shock before staring back down at my chicken salad. There were walnuts and cut up red grapes in it. I couldn't decide if it was delicious or weird. Why not both? That was easier to think about than the fact that Lisa seemed to be resentful of my relationship with our mother.

“Why didn't you want me to come to opening night?” That had been bothering me all last night—well the noncheesecake and Miles portion of the night.

“I was afraid I was going to bomb. I was a terrible exotic dancer. I watched the prostitutes at the brothel for tips about being sexy and I couldn't figure that out either. My leg can't support me like it used to. I created a routine where I didn't have to put stress on my knee. I didn't know if it would work or if I'd make a fool out of myself.”

“I told her it was brilliant, but she didn't believe me,” Parker said.

“You wouldn't like it, Jackie,” Lisa said. “It's sexy, flirty and a little dirty.” She blushed.

“Chance liked it,” I said. He had texted me this morning. The bachelor party was already back in Vegas. We were going to meet at Dalton's later.

“How did you meet Chance Bateman?” Lisa leaned in eagerly.

“He paid me a hundred dollars to give him a lap dance.” I went back to my chicken salad and enjoyed Lisa's expression. “But that was just one night. I'm dating Miles Carvello.”

“Miles?” Lisa said with a numb expression.

“He's the owner of Dalton's,” I explained to Parker, who was looking between us in confusion.

“When did you two meet?” Lisa's confusion was the perfect payback.

“Monday.” Had it only been one week?

“You started dating him this week?” she screeched.

“And I auditioned for a stage show at the Odyssey casino. I went on my second callback yesterday. That's why I wasn't here on opening night, not that you invited me. Chance was doing me a favor by taking my place and coming to talk to you.”

“Who are you?” Lisa gawked at me.

“I'm Las Vegas Jackie.” I reached across the table. “Nice to meet you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Miles Carvello

Grier was pissed off at me. I suppose I could have handled it better.

“If he wants to file assault charges on you, you’re guilty as hell.”

I shrugged. “Let him. His rep will be in tatters for being a little snitch bitch who can’t take a punch.”

“That was more than a punch. You broke a few bones.”

“You heard what he said. And now you’ve got a line on a sex trafficking setup.”

“I’m working on it.”

We were sharing a bottle of Johnny Walker blue label in my office. My feet were on my desk and I raised my glass. “To Uncle Johnny.”

Grier, on the couch, saluted me with his glass. “Don’t you make a fucking move on Dieter and Konner next door. Those assholes are all mine.”

“When are you going to pick them up?”

“I’m going to pay a visit to that Brandy woman and get a statement. They’ll get taken