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His eyes flash silver and he glowers. I try not to react at my almost admission of no longer being a virgin. “Why do you think I had you do the private show with the Grey Coven?”
Rage consumes me, and I swing my hand out and slap Alexander across the face. He roars and shoves me off him, sending me crashing to the floor. I try to scramble away, but he lunges at me, using vampire speed and grabs me by the wig, yanking the pins out and pulling it off.
“I should fucking cut your hand off, you ungrateful little bitch,” he says, snarling with the words. Pulling a dagger from inside his jacket, he aims it at me, focusing on my arms. But he doesn’t try to sever my limb. He grabs my real hair and yanks it above me so tightly that I clutch my head. Swinging the blade quickly, he nearly nicks my fingers as he chops through my locks and lets them spill around me. “You’re so fucking lucky you need them to perform.”
I cry and hit the floor, his cutting my hair also releasing me from his grip. I automatically clutch my scalp, feeling the uneven, chopping pieces left. “Alexander, please. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. It was a reflex. I’m just—the Greys fucked me up. They tormented me and killed my friend. I hate thinking that you arranged it for them to have sex with me. I know you’re not that horrible kind of a man. I know you wouldn’t put us with a coven if you knew they’d hurt us. Right?” I sniffle, my eyes blurring, my mouth speaking softly, hoping he buys my act. I know better than to argue with him and his fucked up reasoning. Instead, I need to appeal with his need to pretend to care about me.
I’m still in shock over him cutting my hair, but it’s the only thing I can lose. I should be thankful it wasn’t my hand. It still hurts me on a deep level.
Releasing a rasping breath, he sets me on my feet and clutches my hands. My ankle throbs, but not as bad as my ass, and I try my best to keep my shit together when all I want to do is cry. I knew it was too good to be true, thinking that the Bella Crew could possibly protect me. I don’t even think anyone has access to this section of the hotel beside Alexander.
“Oh, my sweet baby doll. You’re so right. I had expected the Greys to treat you like the prize you are and not try to take things without permission. My heart aches for Quartz, and I’m terribly sorry I wasn’t there to save you. If I could go back and change things, I would.” He strokes my wet cheek, smearing my tears. “Will you forgive me for my poor judgment? I had no idea that you felt so strongly about that. If it would make you more comfortable, I can arrange one of my closest allies to help you with your virginity. I think you could really enjoy him, and then your days at The Pala won’t be so bad.”
I don’t even know how to react to his words. He’s dead serious, and now I worry he will stand by and watch the act of his ally thinking they’re doing me a favor. I’m too scared to disagree with him. I’d rather wait it out instead of telling him to fuck off and have him beat me until he kills me.
“Can I meet him first? I just—everyone else got to choose, you know? You’ve been so adamant about what I do that I desire to have the best.” My stomach twists and turns at my comment, the idea shadowing the edges of my vision.
“That might be a lovely affair. Perhaps I can arrange a contract with him as well.” Alexander notices me shaking on my feet. “I’ll have to discuss it with Opal. She’s a bit upset that I gave her no warning about the negotiations with Pala.”
Of course she was. I don’t say as much. I can’t.
“If you could be my perfect baby doll and—” A siren goes off, ringing through the air. Someone hit the stun alarm, which sends all vampires to their knees if they’re not used to it.
Alexander drops to the floor, covering his ears for a minute. I’ve never seen him affected like this before, and I can’t help staring at him in surprise.
“Hayley, tell us where you are. We can’t find you.” Monroe’s voice hums in my ear. “We thought you’d be with the other dancers. Mya said you were taken.”
I open and close my mouth, afraid to make a sound.
Alexander composes himself and gets back to his feet. He rushes to get to his computer and taps the digital keyboard on the desk, bringing up a glowing projection on the wall. He glowers from the indecipherable stream of words, symbols, and numbers on the wall and to me.
Flying at me, he slams my back into the door and flashes his fangs. “This is the Bella Crew’s doing.”
I rub my lips together, trying to think of something, anything to say, but no words come out.
Alexander flares his nostrils and searches my face. “You know it’s them, don’t you? Is this because of you? You’ve been lying to me this whole damn time.”
“What, no,” I say, my voice rasping with my nerves. “I don’t know what’s happening.”
He roars and slaps me across the face, sending me sprawling to the floor. “You’re lying to me! I know it. I’ve known you all your life. I helped make you, and I can break you and destroy you all the same. I will do so before I ever let some asshole Strip dwellers think they can come in here and ruin my business.”
I hold my arms up protectively. “Please, I swear. I don’t know anything. Please. You have to believe me.” I say a silent prayer to the universe. “What do I have to do to prove it? Please, Master Aris. Please.” I use his title, hoping that it helps him see I’m serious. At this point, I’ll do anything. He’s hurt me so damn much already that I won’t put it past him tearing me to pieces. I can’t handle another moment of pain. Of this agony.
I knew I was stupid for thinking things could possibly be different, and that I could even think I was worth saving over the damn donor population. And why would Sawyer, Knox, and Monroe destroy their chance to change La Vega for me? I barely know them. I’m just a donor who likes all three of them. Maybe the idea of sharing me became too much already.
I just—fuck. The only way I can ever keep from drowning in this goddamn brutal world is to act as if my end is inevitable. There aren’t psycho sweethearts intended to save me. All I can do is save myself by being Alexander’s good girl who lets his guests drink their fill of my blood while also sucking their cocks and ensuring they always come back to the Aris Hotel for more. And now, I know I’m going to have to train myself to exist without hope. I’m not equal to vampires. I was born a donor. I was born a blood slave. And now that I’ve satisfied those expectations, I will have to spread my legs and accept the life of being alive solely for a man’s pleasure.
Maybe it would be better just to die. I don’t know how much more I can take. Alexander made it so I can never be tough. He smashed me into a million pieces early on and molded me into his perfect baby doll, so that’s how I’ll live and die.
Alexander’s deafening silence digs deep into my very being as he studies me, keeping his gaze trained on mine. I don’t try to speak or beg again. I know there is nothing more I can say. I just have to accept that he controls me. If he deems me useless, then that’s it.
Releasing me, he drops me to the floor with a thud. I whimper, covering my mouth with my hand, trying to suppress my painful cries. Alexander strides to his desk and leans over, staring at his glowing projection screen. He clicks a few buttons and brings up surveillance of the hotel, tapping each of the individual feeds until he pulls up one from where the stage caught fire.
I catch sight of a figure blurring around the place, and Alexander follows along with the feeds, watching as the cameras turn off, not giving us a clear view of the vampire sneaking around. It takes hitting the dressing room for me to finally see Sawyer, peeking his head in and glowering.
“There’s our asshole,” Alexander says, growling deep in his throat. “He’s coming for you, baby doll.”
I try not to react. “Please, I swear. I don’t know anything.”
