Chapter 58

ASHER

“Maddison, come here,” I order, my voice harsher than I intend. She’s just placed Fennick’s drink on a coaster that looks like a skull, and I’m seething. I hate that she has to pretend to be someone else, especially when she’s not under his thumb.

Her eyes meet mine, filled with fear for a moment, until Fennick speaks. His voice is calm, but his authority is clear.

“Go to your master, Hope,” he commands.

She obeys him more readily than she does me, and I realize my mistake. I’ve called her by a name she doesn’t use here. I should’ve remembered. Did I mess up?

His eyes sparkle as she takes hesitant steps toward me, her gaze lowered, her hands clenched at her sides. I want to comfort her, to show her the kindness I would in my own home, but I can’t forget that I paid for her. She’s mine. At least for now.

“I see you two are getting along,” Fennick comments.

“You didn’t think they’d stick with those ridiculous names, did you?” he asks.

He glances at me briefly before his gaze returns to Maddison. His expression is calculating, filled with an emotion I can’t identify. Is he reading too much into her name? Does she really only go by Hope here?

Did I ruin everything in the first thirty seconds because I was jealous that she was pleasing him and not me, especially after I paid for her? I must be an idiot, but that’s not news to me. My sisters remind me of that every time we see each other.

“So, how does this work? We’ve seen them. They’re okay. Can we go now?” I ask.

He laughs at my question. I’m sure he has a witty retort, but he just continues counting money. There are already six neat piles.

“You can leave, but someone wants to see Hope first,” he says.

“Who?” I can’t help but ask.

“She knows. Hurry up, he’s been waiting all day,” Fennick urges her.

But I’m not having it.

“No way. I paid a lot for her. She stays. She’s mine,” I insist. He grins, a malicious glint in his eyes. I feel like I’ve walked right into a trap. What the hell is happening?

“You paid for me?” Maddison says.

A man’s voice echoes, “You’ve paid for her?”

I turn to see the man who cornered me outside in my car—the one who climbed into my car uninvited to warn me about Maddison.

He strides in, anger flashing in his eyes, and heads straight for us, straight for Maddison.

“Hold on, don’t you dare.” I stand, positioning Maddison behind me. There’s no way I’m letting another man touch her now that I’ve bought her freedom.

I push her behind me, using my body as a shield. The man frowns, his fists clenched. I’m sure he’s about to take a swing at me, but he steps back at Fennick’s command.

“Easy, Jonathon. He paid a lot to have her. Let him enjoy himself.”

We both recoil at Fennick’s words. I didn’t pay to sleep with Maddison. I paid to keep the peace—to give her a break.

Jonathon? I think he believes Maddison is his, and he’s not happy about the idea of her being with anyone else or being bought by someone else.

His eyes are filled with jealousy and possessiveness. His posture is challenging me to fight him, and I want to—just to get it over with, but I don’t move.

I stand in front of these girls, holding Maddison’s waist behind me. I can feel her heart pounding against my hand. She’s expecting something, and I’m afraid it’s a fight. She knows these people better than I do. I trust her judgment, but that doesn’t mean I’ll back down.

I won’t let her go with this jerk who’s probably been waiting to do terrible things to her. No, she stays with me. She stays safe, within my reach.

I take a step forward, pushing Jonathon back. He steps back, a look of dismissal in his eyes as he turns to leave. Maddison lets out a breath behind me, but I don’t break my confident facade. I watch the poor sap retreat, vanishing through the door at the back of the bar.

“Your allure seems to be the gold standard, Hope. What’s your secret?”

“I’m not that special,” she replies, her voice trembling. Her self-esteem, or lack thereof, is clear in those three simple words.

“All right, Fennick, if you’re done intimidating my girls, I’d like to call it a night,” I say.

“Fine, but remember, this is a weekly gig. We wouldn’t want the girls to be mistreated, would we?”

A rush of thoughts floods my mind. ~It’s not me they need protection from~, I think, but I keep that to myself.

“All right, girls, time to head home,” I announce.

Fennick chuckles at my words but remains seated, not moving an inch from his chair. I lead the girls out, just as I have since we left my apartment less than an hour ago.

We exit the building with surprising ease, pile into my car, and I’m ready to hit the road. Everything went smoother than I could have ever anticipated, and I can’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop. ~Something bad is bound to happen~, I think.

But it doesn’t. I drive home at a brisk pace, pulling into my usual parking spot in the garage. ~All that anxiety for nothing~, I think.

I guide the girls into the elevator, bypassing all other floors to go straight to mine, ensuring we don’t run into anyone. Finally, we’re back in my apartment, not even ninety minutes after we left.

Something feels off. ~Things can’t be this easy, can they?~