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Chapter 6 : At Gun's Point...

My entire body vibrates with ferocious jealousy. Fists clench tightly to stop myself from swinging back and breaking my bastard of a Master's jaw.

Stumbling on weak legs, I manage to get out of the private room no. 4. Tears blind my path for a moment. I lean my shoulder against one of the closed doors in the narrow hallway, breathing raggedly.

Oh God, I should have never come here. I should have never begged Lucas and Bert to take me with them. I should have stayed behind to escape when I had the perfect opportunity.

A searing pain arises in my chest. I wheeze and heave for air as my lungs close in on me. I have never felt this devastated… cheated… betrayed… and it is all my fault. I shouldn't have trusted him with my heart, my soul, my everything.

“Pearl, why are you crying? Nothing happened. I swear...” Adrian's desperate voice reaches out to me with a hint of frustration underlining his tone. Of course, he's frustrated. After all, I just broke into his room and ruined his moment.

Gritting my teeth against the harrowing pain in my chest, I pull myself away from the door. “Save it, Adrian. I'm not in the mood for your manipulative lies.”

“Watch your mouth, Pearl. I won't say it again. And stop. I'll explain everything.” His low commanding voice sends chills running up spine. Damy you, my traitorous body!

But rage overshadows my fears. “You're seriously not trying to threaten me, are you?”

“It's not a threat. It's a warning. You're really not going to enjoy the consequences if you didn't fucking stop right now and come back to me.”

Sweet Jesus, this guy is seriously loco. I can't believe he expects me to just forget what I saw and crawl back to him like he deserves a chance to explain after trumpling my faith under his steps.

I whirl around when I'm near the stairs and flip him off. “Fuck you and your warnings!” Then I twist back and fly down the steps without another glance backwards.

Bert and Lucas shoot up to their feet when they see me. There's an exchange of wary looks between them before they both turn to give me worried looks.

“You found him, didn't you? Is he upstairs? What's he doing? Is he drunk?” Bert bombards me with questions when I approach them.

Lucas remains silent, watching me with a stoic expression. But when I meet his gaze, he sees right through me and stops Bert from saying anymore.

I take a deep breath, flexing my fingers. But the anger and hurt simmering in my blood refuses to die down. I need to let it out before it can consume me. Now. My blazing eyes find Bert, who seems really worried about the jackass that broke my heart twice!

“Are you going to answer me?” Bert raises his eyebrows and regards me tensely.

I give him a malicious smile and say, “Yes, you're right. I found him. He's upstairs, preparing to fuck a stripper like Lucas had said. But don't worry, he isn't wasted. That Bastard is still sober enough to threaten me because I interrupted him.”

Bert's mouth goes slack, a horrified look blankets his expression. But as soon as I see the hurt flash in his translucent blue eyes, I regret opening my mouth and saying all that out of spite.

“Esclave…” Oh, hell! “That should be enough.”

An Arctic cold voice gravels behind me, burying my muddled mind in depths of fear.

I start shaking at the harsh timber in his dangerously low command but refuse to admit I'm scared. One glance at Bert's ash white face and Lucas's hardened green eyes confirms my suspicion that Adrian has followed me down and heard everything I've said.

My knees threaten to buckle under my weight. I turn around and face him... Almost staggering back when I meet his dark blue glaring eyes, boring holes through my already fractured heart.

I watch him with a mixture of emotions like hate and hurt. But he watches me with intense certainty. There's no confusion or conflict in his cold, detached expression. And his open stance and hands in pockets only show that he's dead set his mind.

He's going to take the matters in his hands.

And as if he's read the realization on my face, his sinful lips give a subtle twitch at the corner. My breathing picks up, turning erratic. But I hold my ground, glaring right back with acute loathing.

“If you already have women to fuck around with, then why did you bother to waste your money on me? Why!? Why listen to me, manipulate me to have sex with you… when all you wanted to do was destroy my heart, tear it into shreds… What have I ever done to deserve this? I don't — I don't understand what I did wrong to make you hate me so much that you had to get away from me because you wanted to kill me! Did I not satisfy you in bed? Was I such a bad fuck that you had to come out here!?” I scream the accusations and questions out loud, not caring that the entire club can hear me.

And as expected, more faces pop inside the lounge and look over the scene unfolding.

Adrian swipes his chilling blue eyes around the space once, then pins me with a wilting glare. His voice drops even low when he says, “I said that should be enough, Esclave. I understand where all of this is coming from but you have to stop. You've made quite a scene and I hope you've got what you wanted. Now, let's get out of here and allow these people to enjoy the evening they have paid for. I'm still willing to sort this out like adults.”

And by adults, he means punishing me with sex, torturing me by denying my pleasure and turning my body against me.

My eyes bulge in disbelief. The fucking nerve of this man… he still thinks that he can control this situation… like with a snap of his fingers he can make me forget the blonde woman he was about to fuck after giving me those heated looks that said he wanted nothing but me.

“Go. To. Hell! You rotten son of a bitch. I hate you!”

I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm provoking him, testing his self-control by tugging on his already loose leash. But I don't care. I can't fucking care right now!

Paddling backwards, I skip towards the metal doors on the other side of the club.

“Esclave.”

I hear impatience rising in his tone. He uses that word against me, making my heart pound painfully inside my chest. I ignore him.

“Stop.”

I don't stop. I keep going like I can't hear him.

“I said fucking stop, you—”

Before he can finish, I'm out of the Public Lounge. I approach the exit double doors but I don't open them.

The doors pull back and a man in a waistcoat, steps in and raises his arm to my forehead. It all happens in a matter of seconds. My heart thuds to a full stop. I freeze. My breathing halts when I feel the cold muzzle of the gun poking me right between my brows, sending fright jostling through my veins.

I'm shocked into silence.

My wide eyes follow the fingers wrapped around the barrel, upto the hand holding the gun, then travel down the extended arm to look in the face of the man who is now holding my life in his hand with a finger on the trigger.

Panic makes me breathless. I don't dare make any noise. My lips press into a thin line when my chin starts quavering. But I can't stop the tremors shaking my body.

Oh fuck! Oh god! Oh hell!

He's pointing a fucking gun at me!

The man meets my frightened gaze and my mouth runs dry. There's no sympathy in his bloodshot eyes. But there is something… hatred and a thirst for something murky and wrong, very wrong.

“Oh, hello there, chéri. I've never seen you around here. Looking for a job?” The man slurs in an overly sweet tone, sounding even more delirious than the psychopath who haunts my wet dreams.

“Please don't shoot me. I don't know anything.” The plea tumbles out of my mouth before I can think it through.

*I'm so petrified, I can't think past begging him to move the gun away from my forehead. My entire body feels paralysed with terror. *

“Don't worry your head, pretty girl.” He says, so slowly, it sounds like he's hypnotized. My heart hammers inside my chest as he slides his gun down my cheek and traces it down my neck, between my cleavage, pulling down my shirt to reveal more skin for his hungry eyes. “Tonight, I'm here for someone else.”

“Who?” I ask in a trembling voice, hoping to distract him. But it doesn't work.

I watch in horror as he hooks a finger in my shirt and dips it even more low, discovering the small black bow on the front clasp of my hot red bra. He leans closer to get a better look and the strong pungent smell of alcohol chokes me. I hold in the coughs bubbling up in my throat.

His lips curl at the corners cruelly. Lustful eyes sear my skin without any touch. Revenge and hatred taints his voice as he confesses, “Adrian Black.”

Just as I gasp out loud, the creaking sound of the metal doors captures the attention of the hateful man. He glances over my shoulder and his expressions transform from dark and hungry to cold and murderous.

He snarls like a rabid animal at whoever is behind me. And before I can work up a scream, he grabs me and swivels me around to face the metal doors. One of his slinky arms comes up to wrap around my neck as he presses the mouth of the gun to my temple with a trembling hand.

My pleading eyes fall on the dark figure standing in the shadows of the door. When he steps under the fluorescent light, all of my hope vanishes. It's him and he's the target.

We both are so dead...

“Look, little slut. Who we have here?” The man cackles behind me.

“What do you want, Rukus?” Adrian's baritone of a crippling voice slices through the dangerously light mood that the drunk man standing behind me had created.

They both know each other! Are they rivals or something?

Rukus ignores Adrian like he isn't even there and instead of saying more spiteful words, he nuzzles my hair and inhales deeply, making me want to slam my head back in his nose and let him bleed.

Wait… Maybe I can break his nose… twist the gun out of his hand… aim it at his forehead… and bully him out of the club…

“Wow. Your hair smells real good.” He exclaims crazily and I take advantage of his distraction. Rearing my head, I snap back and connect with his cheek instead of his nose. Oops!

He flinches back but the impact seems to have an opposite effect on him as his grip has only tightened around me.

I choke on panic. My glazed eyes fly back to Adrian. He gives me a bewildered look, staring at me with wide eyes… trying to figure out if I've lost my damned mind. And I think maybe I have.

“You sneaky little bitch!” Rukus hisses in my ear and removes his arm from around my neck to dig his fingers in my hair and keep my head still. My hands fly up at once to grab his tugging arm. “I'll deal with you later. Right now, let's take care of this arrogant motherfucker who appeared out of nowhere and fired me for no reason.”

Even he doesn't deem me important enough to deal with firstly. I know I should be glad that I'm safe for a few more minutes from whatever he's going to do with me but I'm not glad. I'm pissed off. Because seriously, chivalry has died. What about ladies first, goddammit!? And more importantly, why the fuck do I want to go first?

“You broke my rules.” Adrian injects coldly, piquing my curiosity and distracting me from my crazy thoughts.

“What did he do?” I jump in without thinking. Adrian glares at me while the lunatic pulls my head back, giving me the glimpse of his evil smirk.

“Go ahead, Monsieur. Tell my little curious kitten why you made me sign an unwilling resignation letter.” He drawls, his eyes dancing with twisted amusement.

Adrian's lips press into a hard thin line; Of course he's not going to explain if it's not important to him... Does that mean I'm important to him? After all, he had said that he would explain when I barged in the private room before this happened…

“Don't want to say the word, do you, Maitre?” Rukus barks out laughing then goes quiet and makes me yelp by pulling my hair. Adrain visibly goes from still to vibrating with restraints.

Oblivious of the deadly glare of my master, Rukus mumbles unerringly. “But don't you worry, kitten. If he doesn't want to tell you, I shall do the honours.”

Then he inhales my hair again. I bite back a growl. Nasty Creep!

“That bastard forced me to leave because I was fucking my assistant. But I swear, nobody knew about it. And it wasn't really my fault. This is a fucking strip club, for fuck's sake and I'm a man. I have needs too. I bet any men would have felt horny while looking over all the whores rubbing against the pole, clad in barely any clothes.”

His words make me wonder if Adrain had been tempted too, felt horny after watching over the management… if that's the case then he should be fired too. But of course, he's the boss man. Nobody can go against him or they'll have to wash their hands off of their job and lose their livelihood.

That's just so unfair! Why does he get to have the upper hand in everything, all the time?

Rukus, the lunatic, who has started to seem a little less crazy to me, goes on with his ranting. “How is it my fault that I felt even more horny that night and ended up nailing my assistant? We had consensual sex after the working hours. I've always been a good and efficient worker. Then why did I get punished for a single slip? I even swore to never do it again but this heartless bastard threw me out anyway. I've lost my job, my apartment. Hell, even my girlfriend dumped me. And it's all because of him.” He grinds his teeth. “Now, it's time for him to pay for my loss.”

I stare at Adrian with narrowed eyes, studying him warily. Somewhere between the drunk man's explanation, Adrian has relaxed his tense shoulders and the tightness has left his face. He has easily slipped back in his aloof personality and is now playing with the cufflinks of his shirt like no one is pointing a gun at anybody.

What changed? What the hell is he thinking?

I want to know. I have to know.

“I see your dilemma, Rukus.” Adrian begins, paying me zero attention and staring at his former employee with shrewd eyes.

“Do you, Monsieur?” The little-less-lunatic responds, strain stretching his slurred syllables.

Despite the bitterness in his tone and hatred in his demeanor, everytime Rukus speaks, there's a hard-edged respect in his voice. Indeed, he sounds and acts like a loyal employee. Showing both fear and defiance in equal measures without realizing that he's doing that.

I start shaking with newfound knowledge. I have always been right to be wary of Adrian Black. This guy is dangerous on so many levels, harbours insidious secrets and holds such a crackling command over us, that even a wild beast would bow to him like a slave, just to hear him call him a "good boy" in his utterly captivating tone while staring at him with those luminous blue eyes.

“I know that you deserved a chance after being loyal to me for so long.” Adrian continues in a low articulate tone, like he actually can understand what Rukus has been going through in his life. “But you see, if I'd allowed you to stay, it would have been equal to allowing you to carry on with your late night shows. You have a great self-control, I'll give you that because you didn't break my tempting rules before, ever. But still, you're a human and humans make mistakes. You would have slipped and finally, you did slip, the night I showed up. And you have admitted that yourself, haven't you?”

“Yes… Yes, I have, Monsieur.” He almost sounds regretful and dejected as he coincides with Adrian. His tight grip on my hair loosens and his head bows.

I become even more terrified.

Adrian has got to him so easily.

“Don't think as a broken man. Put yourself in my shoes and tell me if I made the wrong decision. Lie to me that you wouldn't have let that happen again.”

“I… I'm sorry. You did the right thing. I know it would have happened again.” Oh my freaking God! The lunatic has tears in his bloodshot eyes.

“Then tell me you understand and let go of the girl.” Adrian's sharp eyes fix on Rukus, who can't seem to be able to look away.

“Yes, Maitre. I understand. I'll do anything, just take me back. Please…” Rukus lets go of me completely, as though he's not even aware I exist.

“Bring the gun to me if you want me to give you a chance.”

Without any hesitation, Rukus pushes me out of his way and staggers towards Adrian. Handing over the gun, he drops to his knees and bows his head in submission. Willingly.

I feel traumatized and utterly horrified after witnessing the entire emotional breakdown through masterful manipulation by the sadist who dominates almost everything and anything that he comes across; whether an object or a living breathing thing, he possesses them all like he has the right to do so.

A sharp click sound slices through the heavy silence, capturing my attention. I lift my head… and my eyes fall on Adrian. The fully loaded magazine of the gun is now in his hand. He's examining it with a keen look of boredom. Cold eyes assess the piece of mental for a while. Then he flicks it away and rivets his focus on the body of the gun.

With dexterous fingers, he dismantles the weapon and drops the parts in a heap on the ground, right in front of the kneeling guy, who jumps a little, giving a startled gasp.

Then the devil meets my gaze and once again, I get the feeling of being helplessly trapped by his mesmerizing cobalt eyes. He's at perfect ease, like being in control is his true nature and ruthlessness and manipulation are one of his many secret weapons that he uses to get what he wants.

I'm so getting the hiding of my life tonight…

~

I stare down at my feet to avoid looking around my surroundings. The putrid smell and cold heavy air are enough to make my skin crawl.

I try to block my ears to stop hearing the loud music thumping inside the lounge that's carrying out through the double doors as I lean against it.

When the commotion had cleared out and Adrian had taken care of Rukus and his business without making another scene out of it, the party resumed with the strippers coming up to their posts and slow sexual songs roared back to life.

Adrian had taken us out of there at once and instructed Lucas to take Bert home safely… which meant I was staying behind, with him. I didn't like the idea, not even the slightest bit. I said so and got reprimanded by a cold, dark glare.

But I'm not the only one who doesn't like the idea. Bert halted Adrian as soon as he realised what it meant for me and started up an argument with his own brother.

They both are still in a heated debate. Lucas has chosen to take a seat on the steps and hear them fight verbally from afar. I'm still near the closed doors of the club and trying not to freak out while praying for Bert to win.

I strain my ears to listen to their arguments but I'm out of earshot. Inconspicuously, I walk down the stairs and take a seat beside Lucas. He doesn't pay me any attention except for a strange mischievous smile. And before I can dwell on the implication of that smile, I'm drawn into the harmless banter.

“Why aren't you trying to understand, Rain? This is not a joke. It isn't only her life that's on stake here. I can't just turn my blind eye and allow you to become a criminal.” Bert says as he rakes his hands through his golden hair in frustration and desperation.

Adrian remains firm and adamant on his decision. “You're overthinking. Nothing like that is going to happen.”

“I don't care. She's coming with us and that's it.” Bert stomps his feet stubbornly.

Adrian merely shifts, planting his feet wider and tensing his shoulders, looking even more intimidating. “That's not up to you to decide. Get in the fucking car or I'll have Lucas help you inside and strapped to the seat before he drives back.”

“That's cheating. You don't play fair.” Bert whines.

“I never claimed to.” Adrian responds without any heat or interest.

And the next minute I know, Bert is dragging his feet to the car and giving sad, remorseful and sympathetic expressions. I start hyperventilating. Adrian closes the door as soon as Bert has settled and Lucas leaves my side to get in the driver's seat and drive away.

I stand near the bottom of the stairs, trembling and scared to death for my safety. My helplessly wet eyes scan the empty street. The cold breeze dances deadly circles around me, whipping my long hair in my face and seeping inside my thin clothes to make me shudder.

Oh God, please don't leave me alone. I won't be able to escape him.

What has he planned to do with me now? I watch my owner's broad back with fearful eyes, my heart rabbiting inside my chest. Is he going to take me back inside the club? I don't think I want to ever return to that horrid place. But what will he do if he manages to get me in there? Will he punish me, abuse me? Then what? Debase me then throw me away like a used toy… Just like what he has done with me before?

I've fucked up big times. I shouldn't have said all that.

A single tear erupts out of the corner of my left eye. Resignation settles heavily on my chest. I crumble to the ground with a shattered heart, broken trust and petrified soul.

I have no choice but to accept my fate, so… I do.

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