Nick’s look said it all. “No.”
Fuck. No question she had the body for it, but fuck. Men didn’t go to Angels with a lot of pure thoughts on their minds. And there were a hell of a lot of shiny poles and private rooms in the place. Still, if she was Nick’s twin, she was twenty-four. Definitely old enough to make her own decisions.
“She’s a big girl, Nick.”
“That’s exactly what she said,” Nick spit back, looking at Sean as if he was a rat bastard just for agreeing with her. “But she’s my sister.”
“Yeah, I hear you.” Sean just met her and he was uncomfortable with the thought of her working there, bad girl image and all. The weirdest thing? For as badass as she was, there was something inherently feminine and fragile about her. Maybe it was her eyes, maybe it was her perfectly formed features, but it was there, and it had a powerful effect on his more visceral male instincts.
Setting that thought aside – surely it was an effect of the unease he’d experienced all day - she was still something straight out of one of his darker fantasies, but those fantasies were his. The thought of sharing them with a crowd had him clenching his bottle so hard he feared shattering it in his hand. It made no sense whatsoever, but he refused to analyze it. Tonight was all about instinct, not logical reasoning, and he was going on his gut.
“I mean, it’s one thing for her to do that shit in Vegas, you know?” Nick was saying, clearly on a roll. “It’s different there, high-class gigs and all. Their security, it’s tight, and I don’t worry so much. But Angels... you ever been there? It’s insane, man.”
Sean blinked. “Your sister danced in Vegas?” Weren’t there licensed brothels in Nevada?
“Yeah,” Nick said, his face hardening as if he guessed the natural progression of Sean’s thoughts. “But that’s all, man. And she’s good, too. Real good. Too good for the sorry bastards around here.” Nick spoke with the vehemence of a protective brother. Sean hoped, for Nick’s sake, that the kid was right.
“They’ve got a good crew over there,” Sean said confidently, though his mind was racing and his insides were squirming a little. Something just didn’t feel right. He didn’t have the gift of reading people like his twin Shane, but he was proficient enough to sense when things didn’t line up properly.
“I know the owner, and he’s real protective of the girls.” At least the ones that wanted to be protected. Mutual consent was sacred at Angels, and it wasn’t a secret. Judging by the severity of Nick’s reaction, Sean guessed he knew it, too.
“You don’t know Nicki. She might think she’s safe, but she’s a magnet for trouble, man.”
Yeah, Sean could believe that. She was simply the female version of the young man sitting in front of him. Definite problem with authority. Didn’t like to be told what to do. Filled with attitude and carried a chip on her shoulder a mile wide.
Sean almost snorted. Maybe he should introduce Nicki to his brothers’ wives. She had something in common with Taryn, Lexi, and Maggie, but then no delicate flower could ever capture the heart of a Callaghan man. Their women were, by nature, as fierce as the men, even though they presented it differently. The thought sent a strange chill through him, but he shrugged it off. Nick was too caught up in his own troubles to notice.
“So what was she doing under the Benz?”
Nick had the good sense to look guilty. “I told you, she knows her stuff. I work days, she works nights. We don’t get to spend much time together. She’s been bringing food over to the garage, hanging for a while, helping me out before her shift, you know? It’s been kind of nice. Then later, I’ve been going up to Angels, just to, you know, keep an eye on her and stuff.”
Sean brought the bottle to his lips and drank. “So why aren’t you there tonight?”
Nick’s eyes flashed with barely repressed anger. “Last night things got out of hand. Some jack-off wouldn’t take no for an answer and I might have gotten in his face. Ended up getting my ass thrown out and hers nearly fired.”
Sean was definitely on Nick’s side on this one. “Did you do some damage?”
Nick smiled. “Broke every bone in the hand he had on her ass.”
Sean smiled too. “That’s the debt she was talking about?”
“Yeah. She’s too damn proud to admit it, but that guy was twice her size. Some things a brother’s just got to do, true?”
Yeah, he knew. And that explained the dark circles under Nick’s eyes the last few days. At least he wasn’t using or gang-banging. His respect for the kid went up a notch. How could he fault him for looking out for his sister?