The night of the party, I had an early shift at the club. Once it was over, I’d head upstairs to the penthouse to change, wondering what ridiculous outfit he’d have me in this time. If I’d be painted gold again. I hated that paint. It made me feel like I couldn’t breathe. But if things went as planned, tonight would be it. I’d be done.

Except that when I got upstairs, Maxx was waiting for me just off the elevator.

“Kat,” he said, gesturing down the hallway with a cocking of his head.

“I’m supposed to be serving. I think this is the changing room,” I said, pointing to the door straight ahead, which opened as I finished my sentence, and two girls stepped into the hallway. This time, they were painted silver instead of gold, and instead of the thong we were allowed the other time, they each wore a fine silver chain that hung from their hips and hooked onto a ring each girl had pierced on her lower lips.

I admit, I stared, shocked, until Maxx cleared his throat.

“This way. Mr. Markov is waiting for you.”

I allowed myself to be led toward a door I’d never entered before. He opened it and stood aside. As far as the eye could see, everything was either red or gold—carpets, curtains, the upholstery on the furnishings. It all reeked of too much money and too little taste.

He led me through the main room to another one, where Alexi sat behind a desk, reading something on a laptop. When we walked in, he closed the lid of the laptop and looked up at me. Maxx stood back at the door, folding his arms across his chest.

“Kat.” Not quite a greeting. “Sit.”

I obeyed. Like a dog.

“You look…tired.”

“I’m fine. Just anxious about the party.”

“Hmm.” He stood and walked around the desk to lean against it. He folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side. “Anxious, huh?”

“I guess.”

He shifted his gaze to the ceiling, then back to me. Every movement seemed calculated, purposeful. It made me nervous.

“Trust is a difficult thing to earn, hmm?”

“I suppose so.”

“It’s important to trust one’s employees, isn’t it? For example, Maxx. I trust him. He and I go way back, isn’t that right, Maxx?”

Silence as Maxx stood at the door, unresponsive and looking at something just beyond me. I guess he knew he wasn’t meant to respond.

“When they put my father behind bars, I had to challenge each of his employees. I had to start from scratch. I let many go. But I still made mistakes.”

I shifted in my seat, imagining what he meant by letting many go.

“You know my father and I, we don’t see eye to eye. Never really have.”

“I’m not sure what this has to do with me, Alexi.”

He stretched his arms out and studied his fingernails. “Your relationship with my father was a close one, wasn’t it?”

“I don’t know what you’re getting at?”

“I know you don’t like to let on that he fucked you, and I understand that. People would lose respect.”

“I didn’t. He didn’t.”

“I mean, I ignore the rumors. I understand what jealousy can be like, especially for such an attractive young woman.”

“Get to the point, Alexi.”

He gripped the lip of the desk, still facing me. “Did you talk to my father that way?”

“There was nothing between us. And even if there was, why do you care?”

“How is dad?” His question came abruptly. Unexpectedly.

“What?” My mouth was a desert.

“How is he? I admit, I haven’t been to see him. What did dear old dad want? You know, when you visited him the other day.”

My heart raced. He knew. Shit. He knew. I glanced at Maxx, who stood still, studying the far wall, blocking the exit. Not that I could get away, not if Alexi didn’t want me to.

“I was close to him,” I said after clearing my throat. “Like you said. I wanted to visit him. See how he was holding up.”

One side of Alexi’s lips curved upward. “You don’t think me stupid, do you?”

“Alexi…” I felt out of control, powerless. This wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go. “Of course not.”

Alexi lifted the receiver off his desk and told whoever was on the line “there’s one more.” A moment later, the door behind his desk opened, and an older, ragged woman appeared. She stood there and gave me a once-over, her mouth a thin line. She looked either bored or annoyed.

“Stand up, Kat.”

Maxx took a step forward.

“Alexi—” I started.

“Up. Party will begin soon. I need you in makeup. You won’t bring me much, looking like that, will you? Now get up.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head, clutching my bag tightly when Maxx crossed the room. His hands fell to either of my arms, lifting me to my feet. “I didn’t agree to this.”

“What you agreed or didn’t agree to doesn’t matter anymore. You forfeited any rights when you decided to go against me.”

“But, Alexi!” Maxx began to walk me to the door, to where the woman stood aside, unfazed. “Please!”

Alexi opened a drawer and withdrew something familiar: the folder I’d hidden between the mattress and box spring of my bed. But when he opened it and set the photos out, I noticed there were only four of them. The one of Maxx was missing.

“Get her out of my sight.”

Alexi resumed his seat behind his desk. Maxx led me through the door and down the hallway to another room. There, he held me tight as the woman cut through my clothes with a pair of scissors and stripped everything from me, even snipping my bra and panties before laying me on a cold metal table and binding my wrists and ankles to it, even strapping a leather restraint across my forehead so I couldn’t move my head.

“Is she a screamer? You know I hate the noise,” the woman said to Maxx.

“She won’t be a screamer,” Maxx said, meeting my gaze. “Will you?”

I took one look at his huge arms and hands, not wanting to know the damage they could do. I muttered a ‘no’ as the woman began to prepare me for what I knew would be the auction. I berated myself for my stupidity, for my naivety. For letting myself be put in this position. I’d be beaten tonight. And raped. Or worse. I didn’t know. All I knew was that I’d given up my freedom the moment I’d gone to Sergei for help.