Chapter 5

Harper’s POV

I was certain that people always blinked after a while of staring, but it didn’t seem like the hungry-glaring eyes of the lascivious men in the Nyx club were ready to let their eyelids flicker as they gawked at me amidst the naughty comments they made about how sexy they thought my body was.

Asher had insisted that we clubbed that night, stating that he needed to unwind.

Unconcerned about my social welfare, I gave the perfect excuse that I had a test the next morning, but as usual, he seemed to have figured everything out.

“You will pass, Harper. I am aware of the test, and I also know you have been preparing…”

His voice, as cold as always, his eyes locked into mine.

Maybe his grip was gentle this time, but he dragged me into the car, and then into the car.

“We want Sexy steel!” Some of the men screamed, calling out the stage name of their favorite dancer.

We were not supposed to be there, but the Kingston heir always had a way to figure things out without having to blink twice.

He had the money, the influence, and even the connections to make things happen.

Asher was tall and huge, and no one was ever going to suspect that he was still a student.

Dressed like one of those tough bosses mostly seen in movies, he came in the company of two of his friends who posed as bodyguards.

They seemed to be enjoying their roles, clinging to him like a magnet.

The skimpy dress that Asher insisted I wear exposed my legs, going upper than I had ever shown.

But he insisted, and just when I thought he was going to be there to protect me, he vanished into one of the VIPs, the inner chamber meant only for the ones of ones.

So I sat there, a glass of whiskey in my hands, barely taking a sip from it.

Each moment I spent trying to appeal to the perverted senses of those men all night against my will reminded me of the circumstances that made me do what I did.

The painful memories of my mother’s betrayal, which led to my father’s predicament. I couldn’t get rid of the words my mother, Anissa, said the night she sold everything that belonged to my father and eloped with her lover.

“You are finally out of the way, Harper. I hope you die just like your silly sister!” She didn’t hide her contempt for me, and so did her brother Henry, a constant reminder of what the devil would have looked like if he was human.

“There you are!” Morgan startled me, wrapping his hands around my neck the moment he was close enough.

“I have been looking for you, Harper. I thought I was not going to find you…” He sniggered, showcasing his golden tooth.

“Mr….”

“Nah…” He didn’t let me finish, sensing the nervousness in my tone.

I looked around, scouring in search of Asher.

There was no sign of him or his cohorts.

“Your father owes me money, Harper. And it’s either you do this, or I will get him arrested by tomorrow. The choice is yours…”

The man has no pity, walking away as soon as he made his point.

That fateful night was different. Apart from the strong stench of liquor and smoke, there were whispers that someone very important was coming to the club.

No one knew who he was because of how exclusive Nyx was. A place where the majority of the illegal transactions and deals in the city were carried out.

Asher was soon nowhere to be found, but not until the party became more interesting, high-paced music playing from every corner.

As soon as he walked in, his aura was accompanied by a sudden stillness that was so intense that I paused for a while to be certain that one of those usual encounters was not about to happen.

I knew how hard it was for me to run with my heels on the last time there was a shooting in the club.

“Why the hell did you stop, bitch?! We paid a huge amount of money for you to stand like a rock! Shake that ass!”

Some of the men had become so angry that I had stopped twirling and shaking, and they began lashing out at me, cussing and growling impatiently.

But my ears didn’t seem like they were paying attention, just like my eyes were staring raptly at Asher Kingston, whose dominance followed his marching footsteps.

There was no way in this world I could forget the head of the most dangerous gang in the City. The same man who had remained a mystery to me.

His ocean-blue eyes stared into mine like they were trying to lure me to him, and I watched as his lips curled in a blissful beam.

I was able to get a grip of myself and resumed my moves just to satisfy the cravings of the wealthy men who didn’t mind spending a fortune just to watch me twerk.

Soon, the music was done playing, and I felt so much relief that it was finally my turn to leave. I didn’t spend an extra second to let go of the pole.

“One more time!” A deep voice resonated from the VIP section, causing me to gasp while I looked to discover that it was him.

“I will pay for it!” He added, saying the exact words the owner of the club was always excited about each time she heard them.

“You heard him! Go on!” Morgan Dante echoed from where he stood, even though that had never happened to the best of my knowledge.

He was not going to displease the most feared man in the city, even though it was obvious that I was very exhausted. But I was standing between him and his money.

He didn’t joke with business and was ready to deal with anyone who was going to make him lose even the smallest amount of money.

Before I could know what was happening, the music was back on.

This time, the tempo and beat were higher, meaning that I was going to have to dance sexier and more energetically than I did a few moments earlier.

“Yeah!”

“Go, baby! Shake it!”

The cheers and applause became louder and louder until some of the men began to get up to throw cash at me. But I dared not to pick them even though I knew I could regain my freedom if I did.

I didn’t have any problem with some of the drunk men who started clustering hungrily to the stage until I felt a tight grip on my leg from behind me.

“Let go of me!” I panicked!

I screamed for help and tried to free myself. But it didn’t seem as though the man was ready to let go, and the bouncers were not paying attention.

“Come to me, baby! I am going to take you home!” The man sniggered loudly, revealing his set of brown teeth. He was old enough to be my father.

“Somebody, help!” I found myself on the ground, still struggling to free myself.

The crowd was still much, and most of them were either trying to touch my boobs or grab my butt. They had found the perfect opportunity to bring their fantasies to reality.

I thought I was going to be devoured by those men, and I knew that Morgan didn’t care as long as they kept on throwing money at me.

He didn’t even bother to look my way when I let out a shrill as the fingers of the old man holding onto my leg clawed into my flesh.

All of a sudden, the hands holding onto me left me, and then I heard the sound of a loud thud behind me, causing me to turn at once, even though I was crawling away because I had regained my freedom.

There he was, standing above my assaulter with a bloodshot expression that sent shivers down his spine.

“Are you tired of living?”

“No! I am sorry, Mr. Kingston!” The man got up and scrambled away while the rest departed fearfully from me with their eyes staring at Asher, whose presence roared echoes of subjugation into them.

The same man who was the reason why I was in that situation was there to rescue me.

I thought that was the only surprising thing that he was going to do until he reached out to me and said with a calm voice;

“Give me your hand, Marbella. Let me help you.” His voice was reassuring, but I was shocked.

“You look so much like Norah.” He mentioned my late mother’s name, causing a loud gasp to erupt from me.

I froze instantly.

No one knew my real name, and I was certain that we had never met before.

But he left the club as soon as he helped me stand without giving me the chance to ask the questions that lingered in my head.