Chiara In my humble opinion, there is nothing worse than a slow song when you’re a stripper like me. Pair that up with a young obviously inexperienced man wanting a lap dance and that's basically my hell loop. Pretending to enjoy it as the song dragged on. Slapping greedy sweaty hands away from my thighs. Getting paid cheap for arching my back all night. All packaged in an awful tune. The blue and pink neon lights flash on my blonde wig as I push my young client onto a chair, sliding the twenty euros that he just paid into the hem of my lingerie. I flash him a polite smile as he tries to touch my butt, waiting for the damn song to finish. It just has to be another jazz number. The owner of this club Monamour, a portly woman named Heidi, claims that she loves to make things feel classy. Sophisticated. That’s why she prided her club as some kind of gentleman's cove, a tasteful place to explore desires. I have to call bullshit on that. There’s nothing classy about bored women trying

Chiara "So this is his daughter?" "Yes, Master. She went home because of her father's request." "Perfect. Did you search her belongings?" “We did. But we didn’t find anything other than costumes and wigs, Master.” The two male voices talking in whispers pull me out of unconsciousness. My eyelids feel sticky. My limbs feel like they're a hundred pounds heavier. I try to get up, but then I feel a strip of cold leather strapping me down. I realize that I'm bound to something hard and cold, like a steel bed, through my neck, wrists, and ankles. I blink repeatedly, trying to get rid of the haze in my vision. Slowly, the room I am in starts to loom into view. Dark red walls. Bare, except for the array of weapons that are displayed in cases. Knives, swords, axes . . . even what looks like teeth. Sharp, big, animal teeth. Chills run down my spine. I try to move but I'm plastered in place. I want to scream, but something is slapped right in my mouth, preventing me from making a single

Chiara The man whispers something under his breath, glaring at me. Then his head snaps up and calls to someone in the distance. “Get her out of here and take her to one of the bedrooms upstairs.” The words seem to echo in my head as soon as the masked man says them. I try to look up but that moment of surprise seems to make me forget that I still have a strip of leather binding me to the metal bed, because I end up gasping for breath. The man named Gio shuffles in his spot. “Are you sure, Master?” “I’m sure,” the masked man says in a low voice. “Meanwhile, tell the others to keep an eye on Lazaro. I’m sure he would reveal eventually where he put the money.” “So it’s not with the girl?” “No, it’s not. She’s innocent.” That’s music to my ears. He spared me. He actually spared me. “Are you going to let me go?” I ask, my breath still caught in my throat. “Will I be free to leave?” The masked man faces me again, and I’m once again struck by his eyes. They’re piercing from behind t

Alessio “Tell the servants to leave,” I tell Gio, massaging my temples as I draw the curtains closed over the darkening sky. “I need them out of the mansion before the sun sets completely.” He nods, but he doesn’t leave the study immediately. “And how about the prisoner, Master?” I pause. That very nearly slipped my mind, but I can’t say I blame myself since it has been a busy day trying to find Lazaro and capturing his daughter Chiara. It’s supposed to be the full moon tonight, and I nearly forgot to make preparations for what will inevitably happen. I can already feel the pull of the moon, calling to the other side of me that I want to drown. “Just keep her there, don’t move her anywhere else,” I say, slumping onto my seat. “I don’t think she will be roaming around tonight.” “Of course, Master,” Gio replies. I expect him to leave and get at it, but he stays in his spot. I arch a brow. “Is there anything you need?” “No, Master.” He bows deeply. “I just want to know if I shoul

AlessioEvery single fiber in my body tenses as I stare at Rafael. It’s been more than a decade since I’ve seen him, but the effect he has on me is still the same: overwhelming repulsion and a deep wish to uninhibitedly violent.I can’t believe he found me. I can’t believe that years and years of hiding and concealing my identity has been for nothing.But still, I knew this day would come eventually. It’s only a matter of time.As Rafael advances towards me, I just take a deep breath, get back in the car, and step on the accelerator.Only to have Rafael stop in the middle of the road and put a hand on the hood of the car, stopping it completely.Sighing, I turn off the engine and get back out. “Congratulations, you finally found me. Now kindly fuck off.”He shakes his head and clucks his tongue, leaning against the hood of my car. “I must say, I never expected to find you that easily. I thought you’d be better than this, brother.”“Half-brother,” I correct him. “Let’s not leave that t