Page 8 of Maxim

I swear these people need a better way to pass the time.

Music plays overhead just loud enough for the women to be dancing in designated areas but low enough that the men can talk.

I’m sitting in my corner booth, keeping an eye on the room. Several of the women approach, offering their services, but I turn them away like I always do.

I know I will likely have to do some questionable things to prove my loyalty to these people, but I’ll hold off for as long as I can. I don’t want to compromise my morals more than I need to for the cover.

My eyes catch on the woman behind the bar. Jan’s daughter. Whispers on the street are that his daughter is finally eighteen and ready to be auctioned off. He’s supposedly trained her to obey whoever ends up with her. What really sparks interest is her virtue. Everyone wants a perfect, innocent doll to break.

It disgusts me.

I take another sip of my bourbon as my eyes take in the room. That’s when I see him.

Jan.

He’s headed straight for me.

This will be the first time he has approached me. I’ve introduced myself to him, but I still haven’t gotten an invite to an auction yet. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times I throw my money around. He doesn’t seem interested.

I should be nervous that he is headed over to me, but I’m not. No matter what happens, I know we will take this sick fucker down.

I stand to greet him as he reaches my booth.

“Jan, good to see you.” I hold out my hand to him.

“Maxim,” he says simply, shaking my hand before taking a seat.

I follow his lead, taking my own seat.

“I’ve sent quite a few women your way tonight and even a male. They don’t seem to be of your taste. So tell me, what is it that you are searching for in my club?” he asks point-blank.

Can’t say that the man isn’t blunt.

“I appreciate the offering you have put in front of me, but none of them make my cock twitch. I have specific tastes. I don’t believe they will be met here, but one can hope.” I take a drink of my bourbon as my eyes scan the room.

Two guards within striking distance. Neither seems on edge, so he isn’t going to kill me. What is his end game?

“Why don’t you tell me what tickles your fancy and I’ll see if I can make it happen.”

I laugh. “I’m not sure you can. It’s quite specific.”

“What do you want? A newborn babe? I can arrange it. Nothing is out of my reach.”

My stomach turns at his words. My fingers itch to reach for the gun that isn’t there. They do not allow armed members into this establishment.

Still, the thought of smashing my glass and using the shards to cut his jugular before his goons can kill me is at the forefront of my mind.

The death I would receive would be well worth it.

It wouldn’t stop anything, though. He’s the leader, but he has fail-safes put in place. The show would go on without him. We need to figure out who his partner is first. Take not just the head of the snake, but the body and tail along with it.

“Nah, the young ones could never satisfy my needs.” I swallow a swig of bourbon just to get the next words out of my mouth. “I prefer the innocent ones. The ones who have never been touched or know what it’s like with a man. I like to take them and twist them into what I want them to be until they are so dependent on me that they have no reason to breathe unless I say so. The power over them being the only thing they know.” I think back to what Nikolai did to Lia. “I like to brand them with my mark so every other fucker knows she belongs to me. I own her, and it is up to my mercy if she lives or dies. I decide if she is shared or kept as my toy. That’s what I’m looking for. No offense to your product, but they all looked well used.”

It’s true too. They came and offered with their sultry smiles and innuendos, but they all looked tired beneath the surface. Well used and torn to pieces. I want to save each and every one of them.

“I see. You like the pricey ones. I could probably source one for you.” He admits.

“I prefer to pick my merchandise out myself. There’s this look they get in their eye. The one that says they might defy me. It gets my blood pumping. I like knowing I’m going to have to strong-arm them into obeying me.”