Page 20 of Poison

There was a click, and the door audibly opened. Sitting up, I glared at a brightly smiling Hobbs, who sauntered into the bedroom like everything was fine. The moment he laid his eyes on me, though, his expression twisted into a frown. Swallowing hard, he glanced away in what almost looked like shame. "I'm sorry about last night. I was drunk. I didn't know what I was doing." Slowly, he sat on the end of the bed and reached out for me, but I pulled away. "Isaac, I'm truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you. My jealousy takes over after you'vebeen with someone else, and in my drunken state, I couldn't control myself."

"Just leave me alone," I mumbled, rolling over so I didn't have to look at him.

"I love you, Isaac. More than you could ever know. And when your debt is paid, we will be living like kings. You'll have everything your heart has ever desired. You'll never have to sleep with anyone for money ever again."

Irritated, I turned to glare at him. "If you love me so much, why don't you forgive my debt?"

He sighed, "Because your debt broke us.If you want a nice penthouse, expensive clothes, and money to party,then you're going tohave to help me earn it.What you do is the only thing that is keeping us floating. Paying your debt almost made me go bankrupt. And for what? All because you got jealous. If you hadn't gone crazy, you wouldn't be in this situation. I wouldn't have had to spend a fortune on you, and we could have been married by now."

"Yeah, you loved me so much, but let a guy suck your cock on our couch."

Trevor rolled his eyes. "He was supposed to be the new top name in gay porn. I was teaching him just like I had to teach you. A person doesn't just wake up one day and know how to properly suck a dick."

"Just had to take him on a test run, huh?"

"I'm tired of fighting." He got to his feet, effectively ending our argument. "I set you up with a spa day. You'll get your hair done as well. Your appointment is in thirty minutes. Go relax. I'll be taking you to an event later today."

"Yeah, it sounds like you're sorry," I snapped.

"You won't be sleeping with anyone. You'll be my date for the evening. I swear, nobody else will touch you."

With a soft grumble, I left the comfort of the bed. "I don't believe you."

Trevor gripped my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "Nobody will touch you. I swear it. Now, be my good boy andget readyfor your spa day." He leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips. "My perfect little star." After stroking my face, he turned and left.

Well, I might as well enjoy my day.After I dressed, I climbed into the prepaid taxi downstairs. It dropped me off in The Green, a nicer neighborhood that wasn't top-notch but decent. The massive buildings were clean of graffiti, the sidewalks were clear of trash, and the windows were washed and unbroken.

The next few hours passed by in a blur of relaxation. A massage, a mud bath, followed by time soaking in the hot tub. The spa service Hobbs paid for was thorough and... pink. My mani/pedi was quick and efficient, leaving my hands and feet soft. The tech didn't bother asking me what color I wanted. She simply started slathering bubble gum pink polish on my nails. The haircut was similar; I had no say in what the stylist did as she shaved the sides of my scalp in an undercut. My blond hair was bleached and colored until it was shiny platinum with thick pink streaks. The end result was a faux hawk that resembled a zebra pelt. My final stop was makeup. The techs applied white and pink eyeshadow and thick black eyeliner to my lids. For a flair of bling, they glued tiny pink and white jewels to the corner of my eyes, which made little swirls of color reflect across my vision.

When I got home, a new outfit was waiting for me.

"Why pink? Why is it always fucking pink?" I groaned. The outfit was comprised of a pair of shorts that would barely cover my ass cheeks and a cropped, sleeveless top that would dip down to show off my pectoral muscles. Both pieces were made of fake pink leather with golden buttons. The getup waspaired with thigh-high white platform boots. "Fucking pink."

Trevor rolled his eyes. "Pink is the brand."

I fought with one of the boots, trying to close the stuck zipper. "The brand is my tattoo, and it's not pink. It's purple, blue, and silver."

"I've already explained the pink," he muttered, clearly getting annoyed.

"And why heels? I'm already tall as fuck. Now I'm like a whole head taller than you."

"They make your legs look amazing. Are you going to just stand there and complain, or are we going to have a good time tonight? Get your choker on and meet me downstairs. Also, you will be going as Starburst, not Isaac. Nobody will touch you, but I still need to sell the name."

Of course. He wouldn't want to go out in public with Isaac. Isaac was defiant, skittish, and didn't like to be touched without permission. Starburst was cocky, flirty, confident, and didn't mind having hands all over him. Starburst was perfect. Isaac wasn't.

Despite the sick feeling in my stomach, I found the choker and put it on like a good little boy. I didn't want to spend a night out with Trevor. I wanted my freedom. But if a club in Top Hill would make that happen quicker, I had no choice in the matter.

Chapter 15

People in the lower-income parts of the city called the area surrounding Top Hill the "Nine Rings of Heaven" because it was in the dead center of several rings that gradually got richer the closer they were to the land of high society. Cherib Lane, which had the lowest income and was the farthest away from Top Hill, was still rich enough that ordinary people had to pay a toll to enter if they didn't live in the town.

Hobbs and I continued through the rings, paying an ever-increasing toll at each checkpoint along the way. It was impressive how much space the homes and businesses had between each other. Never in my life had I seen so much grass, or better yet, trees. I lived in a concrete jungle where homes were stacked fifty stories high or more. Everything was crowded; you could barely walk down the street without being shoulder-to-shoulder with someone. The only places the poor got to see grass or trees were in the tiny nature parks speckled throughout the city. Hell, I hadn't even seen a living tree since I was fifteen years old.

Hobbs placed a hand on my thigh to grab my attention. "You need to stop looking so impressed."

I arched my brow at him in question.

"I need you to be a snob tonight. They need to want you, not the other way around. I want you to treat these people like they are beneath you. The rich always want what they can't have, and they will be throwing themselves at your feet."

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