Davina's POV:
His command brooked no argument, his eyes, now devoid of any emotion, fixed on me. The three women unbothered to what he said, kept pleasuring him in more ways that I could possibly imagine. He gestured to a thick stack of papers bound by a black leather clasp on the table beside him. "Your contract. You'll sign it now."
My heart sank like a stone in my chest. This was it. The official sealing of my servitude, the legal binding to this terrifying new reality. I leave the glass full of ice on the table and with trembling hands, I picked up the expensive pen he offered. The dense legal jargon on the pages blurred before my eyes, a suffocating litany of my obligations to him, the precise duration of my forced service, and the dire, chilling consequences of breaking the agreement. The crushing weight of my family's safety pressed down on me, a suffoc
Davina's POV: The cool L.A night air, hit my bare skin like a physical shock. Goosebumps erupted across my arms and legs, a stark reminder of my near-nakedness and the volatile situation I had just fled. I stood just outside the Devil's Club's grimy back entrance, the heavy bass still throbbing in my ears, a persistent reminder of the gilded cage I couldn't escape. My breath came in ragged, trembling gasps, visible in the dim light filtering from the flickering bulb above the steel door. The cold seeped into me, a deep, bone-chilling cold that offered a perverse kind of solace, a physical discomfort that momentarily overshadowed the suffocating fear and anger still churning within me.A moment later, the heavy steel door creaked open, and Ezra emerged, his imposing figure silhouetted against the warm, inviting light spilling from the club's interior. His expression was unreadable in the dimness of the alleyway, a mask of shadows and sharp angles."Davina," he said, his voice surprisi
Ezra's POV:The satisfying click of the magazine sliding back into the Beretta was a small point of order in the chaos that ran this club. The gun oil, slick and dark, mirrored the mood settling over me. Control. That's what this was about. Maintaining it. Roy's hesitant knock on the doorframe was a disruption I didn't welcome."Boss?" His voice was tight, a nervous tremor I rarely heard from the usually unflappable manager.I looked up, the polished steel of the handgun glinting in the low light of my office. "What is it, Roy?"He shifted his weight, his eyes darting around the room before settling on me, a flicker of apprehension in their depths. "It's Angel... Davina. Her performance..." He hesitated, choosing his words carefully.A muscle ticked in my jaw. "Get to the point, Roy.""She... she was good, boss. Really good. The crowd was eating it up. But then..." He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "One of the patrons, a regular... he reached out, touched her waist. And she... s
Davina's POV: A week had crawled by, each day an agonizing stretch of forced smiles and veiled fear. The opulent yet sinister world of the Devil's Club had become my unwanted reality, a place where the glittering chandeliers cast long shadows that mirrored the darkness in my heart. Tonight was my forced debut on the main stage, a prospect that filled me with a cold dread that dwarfed even the terror of Dexter's drunken assault.Standing before the cracked, harshly lit mirror in the cramped dressing room, my fingers trembled as I meticulously applied a thick layer of heavy-duty concealer to the ugly tapestry of purple and yellow blooming on the side of my neck.Dexter's drunken rage had left its mark, a visible testament to the violence simmering beneath the surface of my seemingly normal home life. The flimsy white and silver costume Devlin had laid out felt like a cruel mockery of clothing – a scant few strategically placed sequins and sheer fabric that offered little more than a su
Davina's POV:***Trigger Warning***Sensitive content***Proceed at your own risk or skip to the end**The front door creaked softly as I slipped inside, the familiar scent of home – a mix of Mom's cooking and Lexi's ever-present lavender candles – a stark contrast to the smoky, debauched atmosphere I'd just left. The house was quiet, the only sound the gentle ticking of the old clock in the hallway. I held my breath, hoping to make it upstairs unnoticed.But as I reached the bottom of the staircase, a figure emerged from the shadows of the living room. Dexter. He was sitting in his usual armchair, a half-empty glass of amber liquid in his hand, his eyes narrowed and fixed on me. The dim light from the hallway cast harsh shadows across his face, making his already unpleasant features seem even more menacing."Well, look who's finally back" he slurred, his voice thick with alcohol. "Out late, were we?"My heart sank. An interrogation was the last thing I needed. I tried to keep my voice
Davina's POV:His command brooked no argument, his eyes, now devoid of any emotion, fixed on me. The three women unbothered to what he said, kept pleasuring him in more ways that I could possibly imagine. He gestured to a thick stack of papers bound by a black leather clasp on the table beside him. "Your contract. You'll sign it now."My heart sank like a stone in my chest. This was it. The official sealing of my servitude, the legal binding to this terrifying new reality. I leave the glass full of ice on the table and with trembling hands, I picked up the expensive pen he offered. The dense legal jargon on the pages blurred before my eyes, a suffocating litany of my obligations to him, the precise duration of my forced service, and the dire, chilling consequences of breaking the agreement. The crushing weight of my family's safety pressed down on me, a suffoc
Davina's POV: The heavy, ornate door to the VIP room clicked shut behind me, the sound a definitive punctuation mark on the chaotic energy of the club floor. Here, a thick, almost suffocating silence reigned, broken only by the distant, muffled throb of the bass and the soft murmur of Ezra's voice. The room was opulent, draped in dark velvet and illuminated by strategically placed amber lamps that cast long, languid shadows across the plush furnishings. Ezra was a silhouette against the rich burgundy of the oversized velvet couch, one arm draped casually across the back, the other holding a half-empty glass of amber liquid. He gestured with a languid flick of his wrist towards the low, intricately carved wooden table in front of him. "My drink, Davina." My breath hitched in my throat, the lingering s
Davins's POV:Andrea's hand on my arm was surprisingly firm as he steered me through a narrow, dimly lit corridor behind the pulsating heart of the 'The Devil's Club'. The bass of the music vibrated through the soles of my cheap, unfamiliar heels. The air grew thick with a cloying mix of sickly-sweet perfume, the acrid tang of stale cigarette smoke clinging to the velvet drapes, and an undercurrent of something else, something musky and unsettling that made my stomach churn.The heavy velvet curtains at the end of the corridor were pulled aside by a burly man with a vacant stare, revealing a cavernous space teeming with a different kind of energy than the main floor. Here, the lights were lower, casting long, suggestive shadows. The air was thick with anticipation, the murmur of conversations punctuated by sharp bursts of laughter and the clinking of expensive glassware.A woman with vibrant red hair pulled back in a severe ponytail and a kind smile that didn't quite reach her eyes ap
Davina's POV: The familiar creak of the front door hinges as I pushed it open felt jarringly out of sync with the turmoil raging within me. The warm, comforting scent of Mom's lavender potpourri, usually a balm to my frayed nerves, now felt like a suffocating reminder of the normalcy I was being forced to abandon. My mother, Lydia, was settled in her usual armchair in the living room, the soft glow of the table lamp illuminating the worried lines etched around her eyes as she looked up from her well-worn paperback. The moment her gaze landed on me, her brow furrowed deeper, her green eyes, the same shade that often mirrored my own anxieties, widening with immediate concern. "Davina, sweetheart? What in heaven's name happened? You look like you've been crying," she s
Davina's POV: The world became a chaotic blur of streetlights and the rough fabric of Ezra's suit jacket digging into my cheek as he unceremoniously hauled me over his shoulder. My frantic kicks and feeble punches against his broad back were met with a chilling indifference, as if I were no more than a troublesome package. Each step he took through the sterile hospital corridors echoed the shattering of my former life. The automatic doors of the emergency exit hissed open, revealing the cool night air and the dimly lit expanse of the parking lot. The sleek, black car he approached seemed to exude an air of silent menace, its tinted windows like vacant eyes. With a grunt that spoke of