Chapter 1

1

Tanque Verde, Arizona

Early summer

After sliding a CD into the slot, Brandi Montoya turned up the sound on her stereo. She counted the beats for one bar and then began her morning routine. Keeping fit was an essential part of her new life. She never missed a day of exercise or any other part of her regimen. No question—coming to Arizona was the best thing she’d ever done. After two years, she was well established as the headline dancer at Sonora Spice, a gentlemen’s club in the border town of Tanque Verde just south of Gila Vista where her maternal grandparents lived.

Among other things, leaving East LA had gotten her away from the clutching claws of PatronPepe Dominguez, who ran her old neighborhood with an iron hand. He’d been threatening to put her on the street when her dancing didn’t bring in as much as he thought it should. Mama had been right—get the hell out of Dodge, or in her case, East Los Angeles.

“I didn’t raise no daughter to be a viente-peso puta,” Mama had said. “You go see Nana Rosa and Papa Julio, find you a decent job or a good man. No more of this gangs and drugs and dirty dancing stuff, girl. You clean up and do right.” Of course, Mama was wise…although Brandi’d had her doubts at first.

When she got to her grandparents’, she would have loved to latch onto their employer Damon Carhart, but that was not to be. She soon realized Damon and the new Gila Vista veterinarian, Eric Vann, really belonged together. They now shared Damon’s ranch home, and Dr. Eric was establishing a thriving large animal practice halfway between the ranch and the actual town of Gila Vista. She still got out to the ranch now and then because Nana Rosa and Papa Julio would be there the rest of their lives. It was good of Damon to let them stay under the pretense of working still. Neither of them was able to do a lot anymore, but he seemed okay with that.

Meeting Texi Collinsworth was the next good thing to occur in Arizona. Texi had been a big-name burlesque dancer not long after Gypsy Rose Lee and Blaze Starr, but unlike many of the strippers, she’d saved her money, invested wisely and would die a wealthy woman. She owned Sonora Spice and several other clubs from Mexicali to El Paso, all of which were doing very well. She also took under her wing the girls who showed promise and taught them all she knew. That was a hell of a lot to learn, but no one could call Brandi slow. Texi had made her a star pupil, and Brandi knew she was one of the old woman’s pets.

Brandi had always had plenty of sexy moves she’d learned from MTV and later from watching the more experienced exotic dancers at the clubs back in California, but under Texi’s tutelage, she refined her skills and learned the value of subtlety. She had developed the ability to dance well and not just do the bumps and grinds, fuck the pole and strip to show off her hot body. Twenty-three now, she figured she had at least seven or eight years if she took care of herself, as she had every intention of doing. No more drugs, no more booze, and not too many days and nights without the eight hours of sleep she needed. Some more of Texi’s teachings there. By the time her dancing career was over, she’d have enough money saved to buy a club of her own or set up a dance school. Maybe even both.

Not bad for an LAchicawho got a rough start.

As she slipped smoothly from one tai chi position to the next, Brandi smiled at her reflection. You’re looking good there, hermanita

She wore only a black leotard that fit her like a second skin. There was not an ounce of flab on her lithe body. Her waist-length hair spilled in chocolate waves over her shoulders and down her back, shiny and rich. Even without makeup, her face was that of a mestizoangel. Large liquid eyes, framed by naturally long and curling lashes, just a hint of the Aztec nose, and lush lips meant for smiles and kisses. With her new status and self-confidence, she radiated pride in herself and knew it to be justified.

After her exercises, she put a different CD in the machine and started to work on a new routine she was developing. Choreography could be challenging, but Texi allowed her dancers quite a lot of leeway. They were only required to keep their act within the allotted time, put on a good show, and keep the customers happy with plenty of heat. Brandi enjoyed inventing novel acts incorporating the new moves she learned as she continued to take classes in all sorts of dance.