Page 25 of Hard Bargain

Knox found himself laughing once or twice despite himself. The fear from earlier faded beneath the club’s noise and the surreal normalcy of sitting in a strip club after watching someone die.

At one point, Cassian leaned in, dropping his voice. “Listen, kid. Stick with us long enough and you’ll learn to live with the brutalities of our world. Hell, you might even start to like it.”

The room suddenly felt too warm. This wasn’t just a fucked up day anymore, it was a new reality he hadn’t chosen, but couldn’t leave. The music seemed to push too close. Air caught halfway into his lungs. His fingers tightened around the glass until his knuckles turned white.

Cassian had already turned back toward the stage, distracted by one of the dancers. But Dominic noticed—of course he did. His scrutiny was relentless, like a hand around Knox’s throat. He leaned closer, eyes burning with something dark. “The world isn’t made for comfort. It’s built for people who refuse to break.”

Knox shook his head as Dominic’s gaze pinned him in place.

“Maybe you haven’t figured it out yet,” he continued. “You’re one of them. I see it.”

Knox managed a breath, but it came out uneven.

“You can panic if you need to,” Dominic said. “Just do it here. Where no one can use it against you.”

The words should have sounded cruel, but somehow they felt like permission. Dominic looked straight at the ugly thing unraveling inside him and, instead of mocking him, had made space for it. For the first time, he didn’t try to hide how overwhelmed he felt. “Yeah. I get it.”

Dominic leaned back and poured himself another drink. “Good. Because you’re not getting out.”

The strange flicker of safety vanished so fast it almost made him feel stupid for feeling it at all. His emotions were a mess, crashing into each other too fast to make sense of. Hatred coiled tight in his chest. He hated Dominic for trapping him in this, for the brutal reminder of who held the leash. And yet some twisted part of him still craved his approval, still felt that sick relief at being seen. He wanted to shove Dominic away, to scream that he didn’t belong here. More than that, he was terrified to see how far Dominic would push him, and how much of himself would survive it.

Before the contradictory feelings could drag him under, Cassian slid a couple of shots across the table. Knox hadn’t even noticed him ordering them or the waitress bringing them over. “Come on, Wolfe,” Cassian said. “You look like you need something stronger.”

The interruption shattered the moment just enough for Knox to breathe again. Grateful for something to do, he grabbed the glass and knocked it back in one swallow. He barely tasted it, but the heat cut through the cold running in his veins.

Cassian clocked the intensity at their booth. He nudged Dominic and said, “You two need to relax before you both grind your teeth into dust.” He lifted a hand and waved over the beautiful brunette who’d been running the floor. “Missy!”

“Yes, Cass?” she asked, her smile all charm.

“We need a little extra in the champagne room,” he said. “You know the kind. Three girls, but only if they’re willing. Tell them to bring their best game.”

She raised a perfectly arched brow, her eyes flicking to Dominic, waiting for the real permission. Dominic hesitated, glancing at Knox with a question in his eyes. “Is that what you want?” he asked.

The day had already torn through every illusion he’d been clinging to. He’d already crossed too many lines to pretend he was still standing safely on the other side of them. Maybe that was why saying yes felt easier than saying no. Maybe it was a need to outrun the images still clawing at his mind. Or maybe some darker part of him simply wanted to push further, to lean into the wildness.

This was the good kind of adrenaline—the kind he craved.

He held Dominic’s gaze, refusing to look away. “Yeah. I’m good with it.”

Missy’s smile widened, approval glinting in her eyes. “Consider it done.”

She disappeared down a hallway, and Knox watched her go, a strange knot of anticipation tightening in his chest.

Cassian clapped his hands together. “That’s the spirit. See? We’re salvaging this day already.”

The atmosphere around the table shifted, softening into something more indulgent. By the time Missy returned, Knox had finished another drink and felt the horrors of the day grow hazy. She stopped beside the table, one manicured hand resting against her hip. “Your room’s ready.”

Cassian stood immediately, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced grandly, gesturing toward the hallway, “let the healing begin.”

Chapter 8

Dominic

The champagne room wasn’t for this. Not usually. Chris Rock had been right about that much: there was no sex in the champagne room. At least not for customers. For most people, it simply meant privacy and lap dances, nothing more. Anything beyond that was illegal and crossed lines Dominic had drawn from the moment he took ownership of The Velvet Room. His rules existed for a reason. He had no interest in cops sniffing around his business because some entitled customer decided a dancer’s boundaries were negotiable.

But for him, the rules changed. Not because he forced exceptions—he never needed to. The women who worked for him knew exactly where they stood: protected, respected, paid better than they would be almost anywhere else. No one was ever forced. Which meant that when one of them chose to offer more, it was exactly that—a choice.

He let his thoughts wander as he settled into the red velvet couch that wrapped the private room on three sides. Cassian took the far wall, spreading out and flashing his reckless grin. Knox hesitated for a moment before claiming the spot directly across from Dominic.