A DEBT PAID IN FLESH AND SECRETS

Ash's POV

“Father!”

The scream tore from Asher’s throat as he rushed over to the mangled body on the floor. I’d clenched my jaw then so I wouldn’t make a sound, even as I felt like the world had ended, and I clenched my jaw now. 

I wouldn’t be able to forget it, probably ever, not even when all of this was over.

"Raine?" A woman with a clipboard called out, looking around. "Is there a Raine here?"

I jerked back to reality. I was standing in line outside The Pit, San Francisco's most notorious strip club and, no doubt, that was what had brought all that pain to the forefront of my mind.

"Here," I said, raising my hand as I made my way up front where she looked me up and down flatly. "You're up. Don't waste Val's time."

I followed her through a side entrance, my heart hammering against my ribs. Two weeks of training and I still had no idea if I could actually do this.

The Pit wasn't just any club. It was owned by Andreas Lionel, and if I wanted to get close to him, if I wanted to find out what happened to Asher, I needed to be exactly where I was right now.

I put one foot in front of the other, walking toward a room where I'd have to prove I could sell my body for entertainment.

Soon we stopped at a door and she pushed it open, and walked away.

The audition space was smaller than I expected, and I kept my hands by my side so the person in the room wouldn’t notice them shaking.

"Raine?" he started, glancing at his clipboard, from behind his glasses. "I'm Val, and you've got five minutes to convince me you're worth hiring." 

"Got it." I tried to sound confident but I wasn’t sure I was successful.

"There's a speaker in the corner,” he gestured vaguely, crossing one leg over another. “Music's your choice.”

I went to it and connected my phone, selecting a song with a heavy bass line.

I took a moment, my back to him, as I tried to remember everything I'd learned. 

The key was confidence, Marco—the guy who'd been coaching me—had said. “It doesn’t matter if you aren’t the best dancer ever, as long as you own it.”

Taking a deep breath, I clicked play.

I began to move just like how I'd practiced it. Eyes closed, hoping I didn’t look like a chicken digging around for scraps, I danced until the song ended. 

I opened my eyes, panting. Val was watching me with an expression I couldn't read.

"Strip."

"What?" I wheezed.

"Strip,” he pointed at my pants. “Let me see what I'm working with."

“I… I thought this was a dancing audition.”

"It is but didn't you know there's more to being a stripper than dancing, kid?” He chuckled. “I need to see if what you have between your legs can fuck the brains out of our paying customers, in the event of them asking. So strip, or get out."

I swallowed, unconsciously glancing at the door. I wanted to leave. God, I wanted to walk out that door and never look back.

But Asher's face flashed in my mind—the last time I'd seen him, laughing at some stupid joke. And my father, lying in his own blood because he'd gotten too close to the truth about the Lionels.

My hands reached down to my shirt.

I yanked it over my head, kicked off my shoes, shoved down my pants and boxers. I didn’t stop until I was standing completely naked, refusing to look away from Val's face.

I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me ashamed. 

Val stood, pushing his glasses up his nose. He circled me slowly, assessing, like I was sketchy meat on a butcher’s table. "Not bad. Not bad at all. You work out?"

"Yeah,” I swallowed, eyes forward.

"Good. Keep that up.” He stopped in front of me. "As for your dancing, you're raw, and most of your techniques need work."

"So I'm out?"

"No." A slow smile spread across his face. "There's something about you—something magnetic. Angry. People are going to eat that up."

Relief flooded through me so fast I almost sagged. "Thank you."

"Tomorrow, six AM sharp. Marco will show you the ropes. Be late, you're fired. Understood?"

I nodded my head. "Understood." 

"Good. Now get out,” he said with a dismissive flick of his wrist. “I've got more auditions today." 

I pulled my clothes back on, my hands still shaking slightly, and rushed out the door. It hadn’t completely closed behind me so I heard Val’s voice when he spoke. 

“Raine, yes. He’s… interesting. Has potential–”

The door shut in my face, leaving me apprehensive. I swallowed, as I heard the murmuring continue.

Who was he talking to about me?

---

Marco was standing near the dressing rooms as the woman with the clipboard said he would.

He was tall, built like a Greek statue, with the kind of face I imagined would be a bonus for this type of work. "There's our fresh meat," he said, grinning. 

I looked around. It was just us. Was I the only one who passed the auditions? 

He clapped me on the shoulder, holding on to me as he started walking. "Come on, I'll show you around. And fair warning—tonight's going to be busy. Friday night, you know?” 

I nodded. The club was filling up. Men and women were dressed up, sitting sipping drinks or meandering about like this was some sort of zoo. And they never looked at our faces first as we passed by.

"You'll start on the smaller stages," Marco explained. "Then you'll work your way up to center stage if you're good enough. Don't let anyone touch you unless they've paid for it, and even then, you can refuse. Management's strict about consent, mainly because they don’t want anyone getting their product for free though."

"Good to know."

"Also, there's VIP rooms upstairs. Private performances, one-on-one time. But..." He trailed off, something dark crossing his face. "It's not for everyone."

I arched my brow, confused. "What do you mean?" 

"I mean you either fuck or get fucked. And depending on the price they pay, it can get really… intense. Some guys are into it. You'll figure out where you stand soon enough."

The words Val spoke yesterday came back to me. I'd known, logically, that sex work was part of this world. But hearing it, as I stood right in the middle of it, made it real in a way I hadn't prepared for.

"You okay?" Marco asked, studying my face. “Don't worry, no one's going to force you to take a dick you don’t want to.”

"Yeah, thanks. I was just... processing."

He nodded, as if he understood. “Take your time,” he continued, leading me to the curtained stages. “But honestly if you want to make serious money here, VIP is where it's at."

We ducked under a heavy red curtain, and Marci patted my back again before leaving. I swallowed, heart pounding as I stared at the plush red stage. The music was starting up around me.

I closed my eyes, forcing my breathing to steady as I remembered the last time we were all together; me, Asher, and Dad, two years ago at his college graduation. We were all smiling, holding each other, looking like we had our whole lives ahead of us. Including Dad.

I needed to find Asher no matter what. That wasn't going to come easy but I'd do whatever it took. Even this.

I climbed on the stage as the curtains began to raise.