Page 38

I spent most of the afternoon sitting by the window, looking out at my new world. A world where Alex was gone, and I would most likely never see Vic again. The plan I had decided on could possibly set me free, but most likely wouldn't. Even if it did, it would take years. It was only a matter of time before I was too old for Trevor's tastes. Eventually, he would find someone new, but that was the goal. I couldn't just curl up and cry my sorrows away or act like a broken little toy. After all, that was what Trevor wanted. Someone so broken and afraid that he could scare them into submission.

The front door opened, and I glanced over to see Trevor saunter in, wearing a classy black suit with a matching top hat. Maintaining my act, I sassily got to my feet and caressed his chest. "There you are. I missed you, stud." I pressed my lips to his, running a hand down to his crotch and giving it a squeeze.

"We have no time for fun." Gently, he pushed me away. "The party is starting soon, and I have a surprise for you."

I bit my lower lip playfully. "Another present?"

"You won't get it here." He abruptly left the room, only to return a few seconds later with a set of intact shackles.

It took all of my inner strength to not recoil and cry. Instead, I held out my hands with a forced smirk. My silent compliance made Hobbs arch a brow as he attached the shackles to my wrists. He obviously had questions but kept them to himself for the moment.

Pressing a hand to the small of my back, he escorted me outside, where a car was waiting for us. He opened the door for me, and I climbed inside, resting my elbow on the window and looking bored as Top Hill passed by.

When we got to Sinful, Trevor unlocked the shackles and pulled out the pink bracelets. I was so confused. "What? Don't want anybody knowing our dirty little secret?" I asked with a cheeky smile.

That's when I remembered what Trevor told me the first time we came to Top Hill. Rich people didn't like seeing tacky orange shackles. It gave them the illusion that the person they were paying to bang wasn't being forced into it.

"Just get out of the car."

I grinned, hopping out with an exaggerated stretch. Trevor escorted me inside, pushing the door open so I could enter the club. It wasn't empty this time; a few employees walked around, setting up Christmas decorations all over the center stage.

"Top angel in the house!" shouted a voice that I was all too familiar with. Cherry rushed towards me and jumped into my arms.

"Bitch, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"She works here," Trevor commented from beside me.

When I put Cherry down, I glanced at her wrists. No shackles or pink bracelets. "I'm getting paid," she stated, obviously noticing what I was worried about.

"I figured since you couldn't return to the Sin District, I would see if your friend wanted to work here. She is, after all, one of the top female earners out there."

Cherry shrugged and grabbed my hand. "I'm gonna go show Starburst our matching outfits." She tugged me along to the dressing rooms, and Trevor thankfully didn't protest. After practically shoving me into the room, she slammed the door behind us.

"Are you fucking crazy? Why would you get into any kind of contract with Trevor Hobbs?"

"Because he killed Alex," she growled through clenched teeth. Glancing at the door, she ushered me to the other side of the dressing room so nobody could overhear us. "They did an autopsy on Alex. He was fucking drugged, Isaac. Someone drugged him and then lit the place on fire with him still inside it. And Hobbs was there right before the place went up."

"Is Vic safe?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

She nodded. "We're going to bring this motherfucker down, and Vic is in on it. He's not going to stop fighting for you, Isaac. And neither am I. We both want vengeance for Alex, too. I may not have known him as well as you did, but he kept me safe. When you weren't at Hell's Gate, he let me use your booth. He made sure I always had an escort home, and he kicked guys out for me when they made me uncomfortable. Vic and I know it was Hobbs because less than an hour before the place burned, your face showed up as the new star attraction for this club. It was like he wanted Alex to see that he won before he killed him."

"He thinks Alex helped me," I mumbled.

Cherry placed her hands on the sides of my face, making me look at her. "It's not your fault. Trevor Hobbs is a fucking psychopath." She smirked wickedly. "But what the dumb ass doesn't realize is that by coming to me, he fucked himself."

"What do you mean?"

"At first, Vic and I had no clue how we were going to help you. Not until Hobbs personally found me and offered me a job. He told me that you needed a friend up here. Obviously, I said, 'Fuck yeah,' 'cuz I miss your face, but he played right into Alex's hand."

"How so?"

"Alex needed someone on the inside, and he found someone who could help you." The look on her face told me that I wasn't going to like what she was about to say. "This is the tricky part. Alex found a guy who is utterly obsessed with you and…" She shuddered. "...me. Problem is, he's gross. Like gross, gross. He would do the job if we both fucked him." She rolled her eyes. "Together."

"Not like I haven't been forced to fuck gross before."

"Yeah, except he's broke, too. He can't afford to even enter the Nine Rings. Alex left Vic a lot of money in his will, but he can't access it until the investigation is over. Guess the police want to make sure Vic didn't kill Alex for the sinders. Apparently, Alex had a feeling Trevor would be gunning for him and wanted to make sure Vic had the cash to still help you. It's the other reason I took the job here. I'm going to save every single sinder that I don't need to survive. As it is, Hobbs already gave me an apartment upstairs, so I don't have to worry about rent." Cherry smirked. "You know damn well I'm not cheap. It may take a few months, but eventually, we can get the cash we need to bring the guy up here."

"And what is he supposed to do?"

"Get your real records. We may never be able to prove that Hobbs killed Alex, but we can prove that he is keeping you as his slave. That alone will get him in big trouble. With a fine like that, they may just throw him over the wall."

I winced. I wanted to be free of Trevor, but I wasn't sure I wanted him killed either. Especially since I knew Cherry was right. The debt for the crime of slavery would most likely be astronomical. If no sponsor picked him up, he'd be sent over the wall.

Cherry placed a hand on my shoulder. "It may take a few months. Maybe even a year. Do you think you can hold on for that long?"

I nodded. I had no choice. I would suck it up. This wouldn't stop me from working on my own plan, but I would no longer try to harm myself.

Cherry headed to a wardrobe, pulling out a red outfit for herself and a green one for me. It was a leather thong encrusted with gemstone studs, matched with a "top" that was nothing more than a bondage harness. "At least it's not pink."

"Well, pink doesn't go too well with Christmas," Cherry chuckled. "Besides, I thought green was your favorite color." As she changed into her own red thong, I did the same. It wasn't made of real leather, but it was still stiff, and I disliked the feel of it on my body.

I glanced at Cherry as she wiggled into her top. "Bitch, you have a bra? Why do I just get straps?"

"You ain't got tits," she pointed out, squeezing her boobs into the tiny cups. They bulged over the top, showing plenty of cleavage. I always thought that look was dumb, but apparently, the breeders liked it when a woman's milk bags were spilling out.

"Come help me with this," I grumbled, slinging the harness over my shoulders.

She made quick work of the contraption, fastening every strap across my back. I shuddered, hating the confinement.

"We need to go practice our routine."

The routine was dumb and dangerous. Both of us started by sitting on large rings. Then, we had to use our arm strength to act out acrobatic stunts until the rings were lowered to the ground. After that, we were supposed to pole dance and sing a duet together.

I nearly fell at least five times while trying to practice. Cherry, on the other hand, must have done the act a million times because she was damned near flawless. Eventually, when we both got it right, we were given a break.

"I need some fresh air," I muttered to Trevor.

He pointed towards a door. "Don't try anything stupid. I have security all around."

I just rolled my eyes and walked away. I didn't even bother covering up.

"Want a bump?" Cherry asked before I could leave. She held up a small mirror with a line of Nova resting on it and a straw.

Goodness knows I needed the extra energy boost to make it through the night. After taking the bump, I headed for the back door.

"I'll meet you out there in a sec!" Cherry called after me.

The back area of the club was fenced, but I noticed two men opening the gate to allow a truck in, and it pulled up directly in front of me. The instant the driver stepped out, I froze in shock.

He pulled the cap from his head and approached me with an electronic clipboard, subtly lifting a finger to his lips. "Shh."

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

Vic acted like he was scrolling on the tablet. "Just act casual."

"What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

"I got a job as a delivery guy for the Nine Rings. Coming here today was all part of the plan."

Cherry stepped out of the back door. "Don't freak. Act casual."

"Again, what the fuck?"

"I'm trying to talk Hobbs into giving Vic a job." She slung an arm over my shoulder. "As far as anyone is aware, he and I are dating, and Vic is a breeder."

I grabbed my hair, unable to act as casually as they expected me to. "Bitch, Trevor knows what he looks like! How does this help anything? You're putting him in danger!"

Cherry shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He's met Vic only a couple of times, and Trevor is around all kinds of people all day long. He doesn't keep pictures of his clients. He's not allowed to."

"You think I was going to wait too much longer to see you again?" Vic asked. "I may not be able to touch you, but we don't know how long our plan is going to take. I can't stay away that long... I have missed you so much."

"I was so stupid for leaving," I whispered.

"Why did you?"

With a heavy sigh, I explained how I tried to do laundry and ran into someone who recognized me. Leaving out the part about selling my body, I even explained how my birth giver betrayed me.

"That fucking cunt," Vic muttered.

"She always sucked." Crossing my arms, I leaned against the wall, trying to act as if Vic's presence didn't make me want to jump his bones. The last thing we needed was for security to give Trevor a heads-up. "How will you afford to pay the toll if you get a job here?"

Vic grinned. "You get a work pass. Think about it, what kind of rich snob from Top Hill wants to work in a bar unless they own the place? They hire outside help. It's how I was able to deliver here."

"He even has a pass for his interview tomorrow," added Cherry.

"How did you guys even figure this stuff out?"

"We didn't live in a tower for most of our life, unlike you. Because Trevor has always had his hands on you, you never had to look for a job. Cherry and I did, so we had to learn what was what."

"We should go back inside before we're missed, Starburst. We should practice the song a few more times before patrons show up."

I offered Vic a reluctant wave, saying a silent goodbye. I didn't want to say that I would see him later since there was no guarantee of that. I could only pray that Trevor would hire him.