All Chapters of The Stripper’s Protector: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

The ride went on for hours before we drove into an archaic looking estate. The buildings we passed by were built from solid concrete and looked like they hadn’t been inhabited in ages. The car came to a stop in front of a giant building with a large, empty compound. Immediately it did, my abductors came to a stop and filed out of the car. I didn’t wait for them to tell me to before I followed suit. They surrounded me like a human forte– all six of them– as they led me into the compound. I couldn’t really see where I was heading to because of their tall, built frames so I blindly followed. We came to an abrupt pause in front of two elderly looking men and the leader of the men stepped forward. “We’ve retrieved her from Lord Perez’s residence,” he stated, bowing slightly afterwards. One of the men gestured for the men to step aside, and when they did, he gestured for me to come forward. With careful steps, I moved forward. The man who looked to be in his mid sixties thereabout

He grabbed my arm and lead me off the plane towards the mini crowd. She was stunning, in the way a poisonous flower is stunning. Her dark hair was cascading in perfect waves over one shoulder, and she wore a red dress that clung to her curves like a second skin. Her eyes, sharp and predatory, locked onto Stephan immediately."Mi Amor," the lady squealed, charged towards him and literally threw herself against him. Stephan had to let go of me to hold her. She had wrapped her legs against his waist and he simply supported her weight against him. Seems like they've done this a million times before with how effortlessly they melted into each other.I took a step back to give them their breathing space. "I was worried sick. You didn't call. You never call,” she cooed, planting kisses all over his face. He hummed, keeping a neutral expression, and didn't return any of her gestures, but he didn't push her away either. He stood there, stoic, enduring her embrace like one endures a sudden c

Morning arrived faster than I wanted it to.I woke up tangled in sheets that cost more than my entire medical school tuition, my body aching in places that had no business aching. The spot on my inner thigh where Stephan had injected the tracker throbbed—a persistent, stinging reminder that I was less of a guest and more of a somewhat cherished wild animal.I dragged myself out of bed, my stomach growling loud enough to echo in the empty room."Right," I muttered, smoothing down my wrinkled pajamas. "Time to see if the jail comes with breakfast or if I'm expected to photosynthesize."I opened the door cautiously. The hallway was empty. No guards. No Roberta lurking in the shadows like a disgruntled gargoyle. Emboldened, I padded down the grand staircase, following the scent of brewing coffee and frying bacon.I found the kitchen easily enough. It was a large space of gleaming marble and stainless steel, appearing cleaner than any operating theater I’d ever seen. But it wasn't empty.A

I left the study, my blood boiling with a mixture of frustration and something else I refused to name.I made it to the top of the stairs when I heard it. A voice. Not Stephan’s.It was coming from the slightly ajar door of the guest room Brielle and Atalia were staying in. I hesitated, then crept closer."...yes, he has her," Brielle’s voice whispered, trembling. "No, he doesn't suspect... I am doing what you asked... Please, don't hurt him... I will tell you where they are going..."I froze. My hand hovered over the doorknob.Brielle. The sweet woman making pancakes. The woman Stephan had saved.She was on the phone."Barcelona," Brielle whispered into the phone. "They are going to Barcelona tomorrow to find Dante."My heart stopped. She wasn't a victim. She was a mole. I stepped back, the floorboard creaking beneath my foot.Inside the room, the whispering stopped instantly.The floorboard groaned under my foot—a high-pitched whine that sounded like a gunshot in the quiet hallway.