Page 7

The idea of stabbing myself in the neck crossed my mind, but that would be painful. The problem was, I didn't even really want to die. It just seemed so much easier than what I was going through. I was so tired of being hurt and used. I was tired of Hobbs acting like he cared only to force himself on me when I was already afraid and in pain. I just wanted to be treated like a fucking human!

Setting the green case aside, I pulled out some clothing, a tight black T-shirt with black pants and a studded belt. I finished the look off with a thin, black, hooded jacket. Next, I pulled out a makeup kit and stood in front of the mirror. I couldn't go out in public like this. My eyes were still painfully swollen, and my lips were getting bigger by the second. Maybe I could put enough on to cover it all up. The last thing I needed was for people to stare.

When I was done, I winced; I barely covered it. The discoloration was under control, but the swelling was still there. As a last-ditch effort, I put on some black eyeshadow, hoping that would draw people's attention away from the rest of my face. When it was as good as I could make it, I stuffed the little green case in a pocket and rushed out the door.

Bypassing the line stretching far down the street, I stepped into Hell's Gate, searching for Alex. Typically, I would avoid him, but I needed a favor. Despite the crowd, he was easy enough to find, leaning on his golden cane by the bar.

When Alex spotted me, he grinned. "Starburst, so good to see you."

I looked up, and his face changed; the smile vanished. He tensed but remained stoically silent. I glanced around for a second and then met his gaze. "I need some Bliss."

The man cocked his head to the side for a moment before nodding, motioning for me to follow him to his private office. When the door closed, he asked, "Who did this to you?"

My jaw slackened slightly before I sighed, "Is it that obvious?"

"You rarely come in here with makeup, and I believe this is the first time I have ever seen you wearing foundation. Usually, it's only a tiny bit of eyeliner… The eyeshadow is nice, though."

I rolled my eyes.

Alex dug through a desk drawer. "Was it your sponsor?"

"A client got rough."

His lips pulled into a thin line as he pulled out a long box. "And is that man alive?"

I looked at him blankly. "I assume he is."

"Your sponsor is about as useless as tits on a turtle, isn't he?" That remark actually made me crack a grin. "How much do you owe on your debt?"

"A lot."

"You should set up a meeting with me and your sponsor. If your debt isn't astronomical, I could take on your debt, and you could work here."

My face twisted into a scowl. "Sure. Instead of being a sex slave there, I could be one here."

Alex shook his head. "You wouldn't have to have sex, Starburst. You would dance to pay me back what is owed, but that would be it. I take very good care of my dancers." His eyes narrowed. "Nobody touches my dancers. Those who do find themselves having accidents. I can't fathom how they manage to climb the city wall and fall off the other side."

My eyes widened in shock. "I just want some Bliss to make it through the night. I'll pay you back for it later, I swear."

Alex pulled out a small, clear bag of blue crystals from the box. "No need. You do me favors by getting patrons to spend their money. The least I can do is give you this for free… You have a clean needle?"

I nodded.

"Be careful with this. If you do it too often, it can be addictive. It is also one of the easiest drugs to overdose on. If it weren't for the fact that many servants are ex-users, I'm sure they would have outlawed the stuff by now." He shrugged dramatically. "But, of course, the rich up on Top Hill can't go without their servants, so they keep the drugs legal."

"Is Cherry here?"

"Not that I've seen."

Taking the bag from his hand, I sighed, "Thank you, Alex."

"You're welcome."

As I walked out of the office, I thought about his offer. What would it be like to work for Mr. Alex Freeman? Would it really be only dancing? No porn? No private clients? Just me and the pole? I chortled internally. Yeah, right. The moment Alex had his hands on me, he would be the same as Hobbs. Why would he settle for less? Even with all of the extra money my influence helped him get, selling me off to private clients could make him so much more.

As I walked towards my booth, I stopped and surveyed the dancers. Only one of them had shackles; the rest were paid employees. I could ask the dancer how she was treated, but would she tell me the truth? Her eyes locked on mine, and she offered me a flirty smile. I looked away and continued to my booth.

No sooner had I sat down than a man walked up to the booth with a large grin, holding some type of blue drink. "Fuck off," I growled in a tone so dark it shocked even me. The man stopped dead in his tracks, scowled, and left.

With shaky fingers, I flicked the lighter, creating a small flame under the spoon, gradually melting the crystals into a bluish liquid. The drug swirled inside the clear barrel as I drew back the syringe plunger and squirted a bit back out to remove any air pockets.

I hesitated; I hated needles. I despised feeling like I had to do this, but I hated feeling anything more. Running my tongue over my swollen lip, I carefully slid the needle into my skin and pushed the plunger. The relief was almost immediate. A euphoria spread through my blood, making my body tingle and wrapping me in a cozy warmth.

In a haze, I tossed everything back into the green case and sat back. A blissed-out smile spread across my face as I observed the lasers dance across the ceiling.

"Can I take your order?" asked a voice.

I grinned at Vic, soaking in every inch of his form. He was so handsome; it wasn't even funny.

"I don't know, can you?" I giggled.

He shook his head but kept his professional smile in place. Somehow, I got to my feet and walked to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and plucking an olive from the tray he was carrying.

"I could drink you." I thought I saw him blush, and that made butterflies swarm my stomach.

His eyes found mine, and the smile dropped from his face. "Are you okay, Isaac?"

I shook my head, the rush of Bliss making my head spin with the motion. I liked the feeling of his shirt and wanted nothing more than to keep touching it. As my gaze drifted down his body, I realized I wanted to see what his skin felt like, too. "I'm great."

He pulled away, scrutinizing me as if he were trying to figure me out. "Do you need a drink?"

I rolled my eyes. "No money." I walked backward until my legs hit the bench, where I collapsed in a drugged heap.

"You're just going to sit here? All alone?"

I nodded, giving him a toothy grin. My lip didn't hurt anymore! "You can keep me company."

"I'm working."

Jutting out my lip, I pouted dramatically. "Your loss, sugar."

Vic started to leave but stopped and looked over his shoulder at me. "I'll be back to check on you." He held my gaze for a few moments before walking off.

I sighed heavily as I arranged my limbs on the bench. The lights above danced and flickered about at a pace that made me sleepy. My eyes grew heavy, and that was my sign to get back to the apartment. Slowly, I forced my body up; it felt much heavier than normal. Every step I took was like walking through wet concrete. As I stumbled down the two steps to the main floor, I paused. I couldn't hear the words of the song playing. It was nothing but a distant thumping in my ears.

Wrapping my arms tightly around myself, I forced my feet to move, swaying dangerously. I should rest. I need to rest. I stopped walking. Like a switch being turned off, my eyes began to close, and my body slumped. Someone bumped into me, and I violently jerked back from the foreign touch. But they were long gone. I moved forward again, stopping every so often to rest my eyes.

Eventually, I made it to the front doors and out onto the street. I managed to stagger about one hundred feet or so before I decided to take a break. Pressing my back against a wall, I slid to the ground.

There was a tug on my arm, and I yanked away, unable to open my eyes to see who had their hands on me. They tugged again, and like before, I pulled away, this time falling onto my side. My body felt so heavy. I couldn't do anything about it.

"Isaac, get up. Come on, we have to get you home."

I didn't respond.

"What did you take?"

I groaned.

"Isaac!"

I finally heard nothing at all.