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When I finished getting ready, he told me to get in the car while he filled the trunk with our suitcases and what I can only assume was a duffel bag with guns or other weapons.
It isn’t the first time he’s brought things like that into a home where I was. My mother would always have a go at him for doing it, but he never cared. I wish I had escaped long ago. I was too scared to tell Dahlia’s dad about it, and that was a mistake.
Fear keeps us prisoner in the one place we need to escape. And now I’m about to perform for people I’ve never met, for strangers who have paid to watch me. Like an exotic dancer stepping up on stage, I’m meant to behave until my father tells me otherwise.
The drive is silent, and I’m tempted once more to ask him not to do this. I want to beg him to be a good man, someone who loves me, but it’s no longer my father beside me. No, this man is a stranger, an evil man who will do anything for the Sovereign that Abner created.
Even though he’s been a part of the society, he’s never been crowned, and that’s the ultimate goal for the men who are inked into the society. I learned that when I saw how Etienne, Tarian and Ares fought for their place in the society before I was stolen from Tynewood.
And knowing that Dahlia is one of them makes me sad. We were best friends, like sisters, and now as Dad weaves through the darkened streets, I feel more alone than I ever have before. When we pull onto a small side street that leads up to a small hill about an hour outside of Tynewood, my nerves take hold of me, twisting my stomach into anxious knots.
I don’t recognize this place, and I don’t know who lives here, but the house we’re nearing after we enter through humongous steel gates tells me it’s someone with too much money. Three floors of illuminated windows greet us as we come to a stop outside the mansion; there’s a large fountain that sits just outside the front door, and it’s lit up with blue strobe lights.
I can’t see much of the garden, but what I can make out, it’s massive. Wealth drips from every inch of the property, and when I exit the vehicle, a man in a black tux, white button-up, and black tie makes his way toward us.
Dad’s hand urges me forward, and the stranger before me grins. His eyes are dark, and his skin porcelain in the low lighting.
“Good evening,” he greets us both. “The party has already started. I’m so happy to see the entertainment has arrived.” His hungry gaze trails over me, causing me to shudder with revulsion. Even though he’s not bad to look at, there’s nothing but pure animalistic lust in his gaze.
“She just needs somewhere to change,” Dad tells him, and the stranger nods, gesturing for us to follow him into the cavernous house. Marble tiles brighten the entranceway; we head down a long, narrow hallway, which leads deeper into the home.
When we reach a dark wooden door, the man before us shoves it open and steps aside. “You can change in here. I’ll wait until you’re done,” he tells me then looks to my father. “Mr. Wilder is waiting for you.”
Dad nods, offering me a small smile, before he leaves me with the stranger. “What’s your name?” I ask once we’re alone.
“You don’t need to know that,” he responds. “All you need to do is look pretty, dance for them, and wait for your father once he’s finished with his meeting. Other than that, you’re merely a pawn in a game for adults.”
“I’m not some fucking toy you can shove around,” I bite out, crossing my arms in front of my chest. He steps closer to me, causing me to stumble backward, my body hitting the doorjamb eliciting a wince from me.
“Listen to me and listen good,” the man sneers. “Women are nothing more than entertainment for the Sovereign. You think because you have friends in Tynewood that you’re not going to be used as a bargaining chip?” he chuckles evilly, turning my stomach upside down with fear and revulsion. “You’re nothing in this house. The man you’re about to meet is worse than Abner Lancaster. So if you think for one second that you can walk in here and act like a sassy little bitch, you have another thing coming.”
I don’t know what possesses me in that moment, but my hand flies up and makes contact with his smooth, white cheek. The sound reverberates through the space, and seconds later, there’s a hand wrapped around my neck.
“You think I won’t end you, bitch?” There’s a darkness in his eyes that tells me this man has killed before. He’s done things that would haunt my worst nightmares. I can’t move. Even if I could, I know there’s no getting out of this safely, so I stand there, waiting for him to release me.
