Page 4

Chapter

Four

LUNA

“ I don’t know how to feel,” I admit as tears spill from my eyes. Rose sits down next to me.

“What do you mean, sweetie?”

“Jasper scared me. He grabbed my face. It hurt.”

“That asshole. He thinks that because he’s handsome he can get away with anything. But he can’t. I’ll tell Maxim what?—”

“No.” I sit up quickly. “Maxim told me not to let anybody in the room. Other than you and Colin. I don’t want to get into trouble.”

“You won’t get into trouble. Maxim is a good man. But, honey, tell me what’s going on. Maxim said he’d explain, but he’s not here.”

“Someone called him, and he had to go.” I wrap my arms around my legs. “He took me from my lighthouse. I was … kept prisoner there. At least, I think I was. I’m still not one hundred percent sure.”

“Well, it sounds like Maxim was trying to save you.”

“He did. But I don’t want him to be mad at me. God would have been mad at me.”

“God?”

I nod. “That’s the man who kept me in the lighthouse.”

“I see.” She sighs. “Ok. I’m starting to understand. How long were you kept there?”

“Forever.”

“I see even more. No wonder Jasper wants you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you ever …”

I frown. “Ever what?”

“You’ve been kept in a lighthouse all your life. So, is this your first time being around other people? Other than God?”

“God was never around me. I was all alone.”

“Shit. Oh, honey. I’m sorry.”

I study her more closely. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do that to me?”

“Usually, when people say they’re sorry, they don’t mean it literally. It’s a way to show empathy.”

“Oh.” I still don’t quite understand, but I’m trying. I’m desperately trying to.

“So, you’re innocent. No man has ever touched you?”

“That’s right.”

“Ok. Listen. Luna. These men will want you because of that. Because you’re so innocent. Jasper probably thinks you're easy to play with. But you can’t let these men walk all over you. You have to stand up for yourself.”

“What do you mean play with?”

She lets out a rough breath and smiles more to herself. “Of course, Maxim just had to bring home a Disney princess. Luna, you know what sex is, right?”

“Maxim told me. It’s when your genitals touch.”

“Oh my god, you’re so innocent. Bless. Honey, let me tell you right now. I’m here for you. I’m not going to let any of these men hurt you. But I can’t be here all the time, and neither can Maxim. So, you need to learn to defend yourself. I’m gonna teach you something. Stand up.”

I do as she says.

“Ok. Now, when a man approaches you like Jasper did—when he hurts you like Jasper did—I want you to bring your knee up like this.” She shows me how to do it. “And you’re going to knee him right in the balls.”

“The balls?”

“Between his legs.”

“He has balls in his legs?”

“Luna, his balls are his testicles. They’re a part of his body. Very sensitive. If you knee a man there, he’ll drop to the floor. Then, you can run and get to safety. It’s something I learned how to do years ago when I began working here. It’s been a great way to keep myself safe.”

“But I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Honey, if a man is trying to hurt you, then you need to do whatever you can to defend yourself. Hurting him is a small price to pay. And besides, if some asshole is trying to hurt you, then he deserves a good kick to the balls. Trust me.”

This is all happening so fast; my brain is spinning.

“Now, I got you some shoes. Let’s try them on.” She pulls out multiple boxes from the bags.

“Those don’t look like shoes.”

“They’re in the box, sweetie.”

“Oh.”

“God, you’re so innocent.”

“It’s because of God. Do you know him, too?”

“No one knows god.”

“My God.”

Rose blinks, then places her hands on my arms. “No man is god. Whoever kidnapped you and held you hostage is not a god.”

“Maxim said the same thing.” So maybe that’s true. Maybe God isn’t really God. Maybe he’s someone else entirely.

“Maxim is right. Now, let’s look at these shoes.” She opens one box to reveal shoes that are short. They kind of look like what Rose has on right now. “Sneakers,” she explains. “Maxim told me to get you comfortable shoes. They’re white because you can’t go wrong with white. I got multiple sizes. Let’s see which ones fit.”

I slip on the first pair and immediately kick it off. “It feels strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“It just doesn’t feel right. I’m not used to wearing shoes. Why do I have to?”

“Because you don’t want to hurt your feet. There’s a lot of shit on the ground. You need to be careful now that you’re no longer in your lighthouse. Come on. Try on another pair.”

I force a different shoe on my foot, and it feels slightly better. Maybe they’re not so bad. After trying them all on, I discover I’m a size six.

“Small feet. Lucky. I have huge feet. Was made fun of for them growing up.”

“Made fun?”

“Mocked. Taunted. Shit like that.”

“Why would someone be mean to you about your feet?”

“Because that’s the thing about this world, Luna. It’s a shitty place, and people will be shitty to you. I mean, you’ve already discovered that. You were trapped all your life.”

Was I really? If both Maxim and Rose think so, then it has to be. Which means God did something bad to me.

But I don’t hate him. How can I not hate the man who kept me locked up my entire life?

“Now, I know Maxim wants you to stay in this room, but I say we go downstairs. You need to tell Jasper to leave you alone. He might back down.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then I’ll punch him for you. How does that sound?”

“Sounds violent,” I whisper.

“Well, that’s life in the clubhouse. You have to show these men you’re not a weak thing. That you have a spine. I’m sure a lot of this is scary, but you have to learn to stand up for yourself. The men will respect you more if you do. And you have me at your side.”

“If you say so.” I trust Rose. If she says to do this, then it must be a good thing.

The only problem I have, though, is who do I trust and who do I not?

MAXIM

My business partner, Nikolai Petrov, called me to meet up about one of our gun shipments that was supposed to come in today.

“It’s gone,” he says when we meet at the warehouse. Our other business partner, Dimitri Ivanov, is also there.

“What do you mean it’s gone?”

“I mean, someone stole our fucking truck full of guns,” Nikolai growls, his skin turning red and making the scar across his face look more pronounced.

Dimitri chuckles. “I told you we needed better security measures, but you guys just didn’t listen to me.”

Nikolai levels him a look. “Now is not the time to rub this in, Dimitri.”

“I’m just saying. If we’d done it my way, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“If we did things your way,” I say, “then we’d be at war. You like to get into trouble, whereas Nikolai and I like to stay out of it.”

“Well, we’re all in trouble now because we can’t sell the guns we bought, and we’re out a lot of money.”

“So, we need to find the man who stole them,” Nikolai says.

Dimitri scoffs. “No shit.”

“Let’s not argue,” I say, stepping between them. Arguments between Nikolai and Dimitri are common. I’m usually the one who has to keep the peace. “Who do we think stole the guns?”

“No fucking clue,” Dimitri mutters, his hands flapping down at his sides as he begins to pace around the room.

Nikolai isn’t so quick to react. He’s more pensive. And then his eyes widen. “Anton.”

Dimitri stops. “Anton?”

“Anton Volkov. My second in command. Or he used to be.”

“The one who gave you your scar,” Dimitri comments.

“Thanks for reminding me.”

“Why do you think he had something to do with this?” I ask.

“Because he also swore he’d come back for me. He’ll want to hurt me. Hurt all of us since we’re working together. Anton cannot be underestimated. He’s lying in wait to strike, but when he does, it’ll be bad.”

“Ok,” I say slowly. “But we don’t know for sure it’s him. So, we need to find proof. I’ll send a few of my men out to investigate.”

“So will I,” Nikolai says.

Dimitri nods in agreement.

“We’ll find the guns and get this issue resolved.”

“My, aren’t we optimistic,” Dimitri quips.

“How else can I be? The other option is to give up and lose out on money, which I know none of us want. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” I pause, scratching the back of my neck. “It’s just … there’s one thing I may need help with.”

Dimitri looks way too eager, and I hate him for it. “With what?”

I sigh. I know I’m going to regret this. “I was sent on a mission to retrieve this statue for money. That’s not important. What’s important is what I found—a woman.”

“Tell me more.”

“Dimitri,” Nikolai says in a tired voice.

“She was kept hostage in a lighthouse her entire life, but she doesn’t know the name of the man who held her there. He went by God. I need to find him.”

“You want to kill him,” Dimitri says. When I only look at him, Dimitri laughs and claps his hands. “My, my, gentlemen. The great Maxim Baranov actually has a dark side. You’re going to kill this man?”

“I’m not sure. I just need to find him. I’m worried he’ll come looking for Luna, and I can’t have that.”

“A pretty name.”

“Leave her alone,” I growl.

He raises his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m a married man now. I’m crazy about Evie. I have no desire to be with any other woman.”

“Neither do I,” Nikolai says, “Ava is the only woman I care about.”

“So, you both understand. I want to help this girl. Protect her. I need to find the man who kidnapped her.”

“All right. Give us any info you have on him,” Nikolai says.

“I have nothing except the lighthouse. That’s the only lead.”

“I’ve done more with less.” Nikolai looks between the two of us. “We have to all work together to take down Anton.”

“It’s Anton,” Dimitri says.

Nikolai glares at him. “I know it’s Anton. If we don’t work together, our whole operation goes under.”

“Duly noted.” Dimitri flashes me a smile. I swear, he thinks it’s charming, but it only ever makes me want to punch him. “And I’ll help look into the man who stole your girlfriend.”

“Not my girlfriend. She’s not mine. I’m just trying to help her.”

“Whatever you say, Maxim. I know how these things work. You think you’re just trying to help, but then you end up falling in love. That’s what happened with Evie and me.”

“Well, I’m not you. I don’t intend to fall in love with Luna. She’s way too innocent. She needs to be protected, not taken advantage of.”

“Whatever you say.”

I’m about to snap at Dimitri when my phone rings. Not recognizing the number, I answer. “Yes?”

“Maxim!” It’s Jack.

My mood instantly dampens. “What the fuck do you want?”

Dimitri lets out a low whistle while Nikolai gives him a warning look. With a shake of my head, I walk away from them.

“What do you mean, what do I want? I want what I paid you for.”

“I told you we were through. You’re not getting her.”

“But I paid for her.”

“I don’t fucking care,” I growl, clenching my phone tightly. “You’re not getting your hands on Luna. She’s under my protection now.”

“You see, Maxim, I’m a businessman, and I paid for her, which means I deserve to get her. So, you’ll hand her over to me, or …”

“Or what? You’ll hurt me? You’ll hurt my club?” I scoff. “As you said yourself, Jack, you’re just a businessman. You can’t hurt a man like me.”

“We’ll see.”

“How did you even find out about Luna to begin with?”

“Why does that matter?”

“Because I’m trying to find the man who put her there in the first place. You obviously knew she was in there. How?”

“A businessman does not reveal his secrets.”

“Fuck you, Jack.” It’s clear I’m not getting anything out of him. There’s always the torture method, but that will have to wait. I really need to get back to the clubhouse and check on Luna.

His laugh is bitter. “You, too, Maxim.” He hangs up before I can.

First God, now Jack. There are too many men involved in this. Luna is not safe, but how can I keep her safe when I don’t fully know the men who want her?

“Trouble?” Nikolai asks.

“That was the man who paid me to take Luna to him. I obviously didn’t do that. So, now, I need to deal with him. I need to find out what he knows.”

“I can rough him up for you,” Dimitri offers. “I always love a little bloodshed.”

“You’d just find a way to make it worse. I’ll handle him, but if I need the help, I’ll let you know. Just start looking into the man who kidnapped Luna in the first place. I’ll see what I can get out of Jack, but for now, I’m off.”

“I’ll keep you updated on the guns,” Nikolai says.

I give him a nod, and then I’m off. Never have I felt this kind of anxiety as I get on my bike and drive back to the clubhouse. In such a short amount of time, I’ve come to care for Luna. It’s only because she’s fragile and innocent and clearly needs help. It has nothing to do with how pretty she is. I’m not going to take advantage of a young, innocent woman.

I may not be a good man, but I’m a better man than that.

LUNA

With my new shoes on, I walk downstairs to the common room of the clubhouse. Rose is by my side, and I feel safer with her next to me. But that doesn’t stop my flare of fear as I look at all the men in the room. Sal and Jasper are lounging on the couch. A woman sits in Jasper’s lap, and Sal looks at the woman longingly.

Multiple men hang around the bar while others stand around a green table with colorful balls and sticks in their hands.

“What’s that?” I ask Rose. “I’ve never seen it before.”

“That’s a pool table. It’s a game people play.”

God would let me play board games. I’d always play alone, which somehow made it more depressing.

All the men look at me with curiosity in their eyes, while some also have that familiar hunger I remember seeing on Sal and Jasper’s faces when we first met.

“Is everyone starving?” I whisper.

“What do you mean, sweetie?”

“They all look sort of hungry.”

Rose stares at me a moment before linking her arm through mine. Her casual touch makes my skin tingle. I’ve never really been touched before. But it’s different from when I placed my hands on Maxim’s waist as we left the lighthouse. That had made something tingle deep within my body.

“That’s because they’re assholes,” she explains. “They’re not hungry for food. They’re hungry for you.”

I gasp and rip my arm away from her. “You mean they’re going to eat me?”

“I’d love to eat you,” one of the men says, making the others laugh. For some reason, I turn red. I don’t want to be cannibalized. I want to live.

“Oh, hon,” Rose says. “They’re not going to literally eat you. Don’t worry. I’ll explain later. But for right now, you need to go up to Jasper and tell him off. Stand up for yourself.”

“What do I say?”

“Tell him to never touch you again, and if he tries, you’ll knee him in the balls.”

“Ok.” Taking tentative steps, I approach Jasper on the couch. He keeps his eyes on the woman in his lap. “Jasper?”

“What?” he snaps, his tone a lot colder than earlier.

“I need to talk to you.”

The woman smiles in a way that I don’t like. “Aren’t you just a cute, innocent thing?”

“That’s because I grew up all alone in a lighthouse.”

Her eyes widen. “Shit. Wasn’t expecting that.”

“I was kidnapped and held as a prisoner all my life.”

“Oh. God, I’m so sorry.” She slides off Jasper’s lap—which, judging from his expression, he did not want to happen—and walks over to me. “I’m Tracy.”

“Luna.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Luna. You should know that these men like a little fresh meat, so be careful.”

“I have Rose. And Maxim.”

“You’re Maxim’s girl?”

“I have no idea.”

She laughs and slings her arm around my shoulders. “I just want to put you in my pocket. You’re so cute!”

“I want to put her somewhere that’s close to my pocket,” Sal says. The men don’t laugh, though. They only shake their heads or groan. Rose walks over to him and smacks him upside the head. It’s so similar to what Maxim did that it makes me laugh.

“You laugh at a man’s pain?” Sal asks, rubbing the back of his head. “What the hell, Rose?”

“That was for your own good,” she tells him.

He sets his gaze on me. “You didn’t answer my question.”

My lips part, but nothing comes out. I feel suddenly frozen in my spot.

“She was laughing because you deserved it,” Tracy says. “You’ve always been a bit of a brute, Sal.”

“Not you, too, Tracy. I thought you and I had a thing going.”

“When have we ever had a thing? Jasper’s my man, and I’m his girl.”

I tense. I’m here to confront Jasper about touching me, but Tracy is his girl. Will she be upset with me if I say something? It feels nice to have a new friend.

But I don’t really know who’s my friend and who isn’t.

“I actually needed to speak to Jasper,” I say, finding my voice.

“About what?” Tracy asks.

Jasper leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Yeah, about what?”

I feel cornered, like a trapped animal.

“About how you just tried to assault her upstairs,” Rose says, breaking the silence.

Tracy’s arm around me tenses. “What are you talking about?”

Rose nudges me. “Luna.”

“Uh … Jasper grabbed my face. It hurt.”

“Why did he grab your face?” Tracy turns to Jasper with a flip of her hair. “Why did you grab her face?”

“I think this thing is an entire misunderstanding. Luna here is confused. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She’s so innocent. But I know what happened.”

“So, what happened?” Tracy asks flatly.

“I just wanted to make sure she was settling in ok. And then she threw herself at me, trying to kiss me. I had to grab her face to stop her. It was her own fault, really.”

“No!” I shout. “That’s not true!”

“Oh, fuck,” Rose mutters.

Tracy pulls away from me and sits down next to Jasper. “You really tried to kiss my man?”

“No. I’ve never been kissed. I wouldn’t even know what to do.”

“But that’s my point,” Jasper says. “Wouldn’t you want to experience it? You’ve never learned to have any self-control. You can’t control yourself around me. I had to stop you, Luna.”

“No! You grabbed me. I didn’t ask for you to do that. Rose told me I needed to stand up for myself. So, I’m telling you to leave me alone.”

He barks a laugh and slings his arm around Tracy’s shoulders. “Well, you’re the one who needs to leave me alone. You’ve been deprived of touch, and now, you’re a little sex-craved. I’m sure plenty of other men would love to have a go at you.”

“I would,” Sal says, raising his hand.

“Sal, stop being gross,” Rose scolds.

A scowl crosses his face, and he lowers his hand back down, looking like a dejected puppy. I know what dogs look like from one of my books. I asked God for one, but he refused to give me a dog. He said that it was better if I was alone. It meant I could focus all my attention on him.

I wish I had stood up for myself when it came to God, but I didn’t. I was scared then, just like I’m scared now.

“You touched me,” I say, feeling the panic rise in my throat. “I didn’t do anything. I didn’t do anything.” Tears spill down my face. “Please, I didn’t do anything.”

The air in the room shifts as I cry harder. A lot of the men’s expressions soften.

“Stop messing with her,” Colin says. “I saw what happened. Jasper grabbed her. He tried to hurt her.”

Jasper levels Colin with a scary look that makes me back away and bump into Rose. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Go back to your nursery, Colin. This is grown-up time.”

“You’re just a prospect,” Sal says. “You need to learn when to shut your mouth.”

“All I see is a crying girl in the clubhouse,” an older man says. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“Yeah,” a lot of the men murmur their agreement.

“Lucas, respectfully,” Jasper says, “you weren’t there. Luna tried to kiss me, I swear. She’s been locked up her entire life. She’s confused. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“I want you to leave me alone,” I tell him.

Jasper laughs. “It’s the opposite, baby. I want you to leave me alone. You’re a new little menace. Don’t get between my girl and me.” Tracy snuggles deeper into Jasper’s side.

“But I didn’t!” My voice is raw and visceral. I’ve never screamed like this before. And I’ve screamed plenty out my window, asking the world why I was kept in my lighthouse.

“Ok, ok,” Rose says, placing her hands on my arms. “Let’s just go back upstairs, sweetie. I’ll deal with Jasper.”

“You’ll deal with me? What are you going to do, Rose? You’re just the bartender.”

She glares at him. “I’m going to tell Maxim; that’s what.”

Jasper goes quiet for just a moment then scoffs. “Maxim won’t punish me. I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s my word against hers. And everybody in this clubhouse knows me. They know I love Tracy here.”

“That’s true,” Sal says. “I hate that you love her.”

One of the men claps Sal on the back without saying a word.

“See?” Jasper says. “I would never cheat on my girl. You all have to believe me.”

“I do,” Tracy says. “But she’s innocent, Jasper. She didn’t know what she was doing.”

“That’s because I didn’t do it!” I stomp my foot, and for some reason, that makes all the men laugh.

“She’s like a baby,” another man says.

“A hot baby,” someone else mutters.

I feel like I’m crawling out of my skin, and I have to run away. I have to leave this place before I lose my mind.

I turn around and start running …

… when I run into Maxim.