Keep the music on.

That was Jefferson’s command after the cops were done sniffing around the club. The good thing was that they wanted nothing to do with the girls. They wanted the MC. They wanted to rattle Jefferson enough so that he’d either cut ties with the MC or he would start spilling secrets. Which wasn’t all that bad of a move. It was a strategy that Josie had seen when she was younger.

Josie asked Jefferson if he just wanted to close and regroup. He made it very clear that he owed money to the MC and that nothing could shut this place down.

She wasn’t in the mood or position to argue. She had given Reese her bag which had those stupid drugs from Starla. She had no idea what he was going to do with it all. Tell Levi? Come after Starla herself? Come after everyone at the strip club? Blame it on Jefferson?

“Hey, Josie,” an old voice said.

Josie looked up from the bar where she worked after sending Parker to go have a cigarette because he was almost in a panic over the cop situation. It wasn’t the first time the cops showed up to harass Jefferson and it wouldn’t be the last. In some way, that was just part of this life. Strange how she was never able to fully shake that stuff away. Meaning that the cops were always a breath away from taking things down around her.

Harvey stood at the bar, one hand on it, looking as though he was catching his breath.

“Harvey,” Josie said. “Good to see you.”

“You too.”

“Too bad we have to meet like this, huh?”

Harvey shrugged his shoulders. “It is what it is.”

“You have nothing on this place,” Josie said with a grin. “We know that. You’re trying to scare everyone so they start talking. Like turning on a light and seeing cockroaches scatter.”

“Now, now,” Harvey said, “That’s some real police work there, Josie.”

“Who was my father?”

Harvey knocked a hand on the bar. “You know, I always wondered what you’d become. You were always interested in it.”

“In what?”

“Police work. Oh, you’d bother all of us over what we did and how we did it.”

Josie leaned on the bar. “Maybe I just knew you were all corrupt and working with the bad guys.”

“Says the woman who fell for one of those bad boys,” Harvey shot back with a wink.

“Well, to be fair, you all kept parading him in front of me.”

“Ah, that’s right. Blame us.”

“And you’re not blaming…” Josie said and waved her hands around.

“Look, I’m just doing my job,” Harvey said. “And you know I’m trying to help.”

“How about a beer?”

“Soda.”

“Deal.”

Josie got Harvey a soda and put it on the bar. When Harvey reached for it, Josie pulled it back.

“What are you really doing here?” she asked.

“You’re like your father now. Good angle to work here.”

“Harvey.”

“I don’t know,” Harvey said. “We got the call that there was a situation here. Colt must have set this up. I’m sure Winston will have his head for it, but Colt is fierce and hungry. I’m here trying to piece this together and do my part.”

“They took Brett, Jason, and Hawk away,” Josie said. “On what charge?”

“Resisting,” Harvey said.

“They didn’t resist.”

“Of course not. But that’s a way to get them behind bars, even for a few hours. Colt figures that someone will eventually crack.”

Josie laughed. “One thing I can say for sure is that they don’t crack.” She pushed the soda at Harvey. “They don’t crack. Ever.”

“I know,” Harvey said. “Thanks for the soda.”

Josie looked around the club and things were looking just about back to normal. Music thumping in the background. Starla and Caramel on stage, their hips jutting left to right with the beats of the music. Guys sitting at the bar by the stage, shelling out money for more of a show.

“I think about him a lot,” Harvey said.

“Excuse me?” Josie asked.

“Your father. I think about him. What it would be like today if he were still around.”

Josie let out a breath. “I don’t know. Tensions were always high with him around. He was good at what he did though. But I don’t know about the balance right now if he were here.”

“Could be better.”

“Could be worse,” Josie said. “What does it matter? He’s not here.”

“Right. Sorry. How are you?”

“How am I? You just got done running through this place. Arresting MC members, who, by the way, are paying customers. My girls are now terrified that something is happening. And Jefferson… well, he always sweats like that.”

“He’s a walking heart attack.”

“Maybe I’ll get a promotion then,” Josie said.

“Wow, you’re vicious,” Harvey said. “Glad you aren’t my woman.”

“Oh, you couldn’t handle it, Harvey. Your dear heart would give out in a second.”

Harvey laughed. He slapped the bar. “Goddamn me for even saying that. I’ve known you since you were in diapers, Josie.”

“More with the memories, huh?”

“Right. You don’t do that. Just like your father. That hardened shell around you.” Harvey sipped his soda and reached into his pocket.

“Get out of here with that,” Josie said. “It’s a soda.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey. Real quick. Off the record…”

“Oh, jeez,” Harvey said. “You hang around Reese for five minutes and look at you. Just like before.”

“What does that mean?”

“Ah, so memories are okay now? As long as they revolve around Reese?”

“You know what? Forget it. Enjoy the rest of your day, Harvey.”

“Hey, Josie. I meant you and Reese were like an explosion together. You were the gasoline and he was the match. The second you two got together, explosion. And I’m laughing because you want to talk off the record with me. Which means it’s something illegal.”

“Possibly,” Josie said. “I’m wondering if you’ve had any upticks in drug arrests.”

“Why?”

“Curiosity.”

Harvey glanced over his shoulder, nodding. “Josie, it’s not your job to save everyone.”

“Actually, it is. Forget I asked.”

“Josie, if you’re in any kind of trouble…”

“I’m not,” Josie said. “Better go before you get into trouble. Hate to see you get fired.”

“Fired?” Harvey asked. “They can’t fire me. I’m older than dirt.”

“Time for me to sweep the place clean,” Josie said.

Harvey simply smiled. He gave a nod and strolled toward the front door.

Josie wiped down the bar as more people started to come in. Parker returned from his cigarette break and everything was officially back to normal now.

Except nothing felt normal to Josie.

She had no way of contacting Reese.

There were only two choices.

Wait for him to come and find her.

Or just show up at the clubhouse.

* * *

If anything, having Steph around made it so Josie didn’t have to go home alone. She wasn’t afraid to be alone. She wasn’t afraid of the dark, monsters under her bed or any of that kid stuff. It was just the notion of being alone. Having nobody to talk to. Having nobody there. It wasn’t the most pleasant feeling. In a way, it was her own fault for not getting out there and dating more. Sometimes the moment she mentioned the words strip club, it ruined her own image to whoever she was with. The guy across from her at the table suddenly began to picture her naked. Stripping. Dancing. Or better yet, Josie became the person to get the guy alone with a real-life stripper. Which was childish, but it happened more than Josie cared to admit.

In fact, the last guy she had dated - Gary - had actually played the birthday card as a way to get a bunch of strippers to his house privately for an all-night event. When Josie said she wouldn’t do that because the girls weren’t rental items like chairs or tents, Gary got mad and made it clear that they were all whores, including Josie, while he was an adult in real life. So that ended that relationship, which was fine with Josie. She could convince her mind not to compare everyone to someone else, but her body had its own way of thinking and feeling.

When she got home, she checked on Steph.

A bucket next to the bed, a washcloth curled up and dried on the covers, Steph sound asleep, the TV on.

Josie sat on the edge of the bed and touched Steph’s head and moved hair out of her face. She hoped by morning Steph would be back to normal. Because things were about to change. Like really change. Everything Steph knew in her life of mooching was going to get flipped over.

All because of…

Josie stood up.

“Shit,” she whispered.

She hurried to the door and got out of the room without waking up Steph. Her heart raced as she scrambled to the kitchen, going for her cell phone. There was literally no way she could call Reese. Chances were he was probably still awake or just settling into bed with some woman for a night of comfort.

Something then hit Josie hard.

She had completely forgotten about the pregnancy test. She had dropped it in her bag on her way out the door to work. The plan had been to deal with the results of the test later.

But there was no later.

The test was positive, and the reality was here.

And Reese had her bag, which meant he had the test.

She thought back to what Harvey had said.

The match and the gasoline.

That’s what she and Reese had always been.

Her father had been the cop trying to go after bad guys, while Josie had fallen in love with one of those bad guys, putting everyone at odds.

The match and the gasoline.

Josie shut her eyes and sighed.

One word came to mind.

Boom.