Page 48 of Poison

My body was stiff from not being able to stand for so long and having to sleep curled up in the doghouse, but there was only a stand-up shower, so I wasn't able to soak as I would have liked. After one of the quickest showers of my life, I stepped out of the steam-filled room wrapped in a towel.

"You have an appointment." Trevor tossed me a bundle of clothing: a white crop top with my stage name written in purple jewels and a pair of low-rise bell bottoms. The outfit was paired with white and purple sneakers. Imports. Very expensive.

When I was dressed, he pressed a hand to the small of my back to lead me into the kitchen. It was simple, with white stone countertops, golden floor tiles, and expensive appliances. Beyond it was a dining room with a gold table and chairs. Matching countertops decorated with fake fruit bowls and random wine bottles were set along the walls.

After going back the way we came, we walked down a hallway to a large and open room with a second-floor balcony. There were a lot of modern red seats placed around a fireplace on the far wall with yet another Christmas tree next to it, except this one was gold with red bulbs. A piano sat off in the corner next to a fully stocked wet bar.

I was then escorted to a small elevator, where Hobbs practically shoved me inside and pressed a button for the second floor.When the door opened,I was led to another large room with violet tiles.A pool table with a purple felt top dominated one corner, and a comfortable couch satin front ofa massive, suspended TV.At theveryback of the room wasa massivebed with averysoft-looking purple blanket and white pillows.

Trevor ran a hand along my chin. "This will be our room."

"Ourroom?"

He smiled. "I never meant to make you feel like you were only a product to me. You will always be my perfect little star. I shouldn't have made you feel like you were a prisoner. We shouldn't have been apart. You and I can live like kings if you only follow your role." His lips brushed against my ear. "You can have it all, Isaac. Just play by the rules."

What other choice did I have? I tried everything. Nothing worked. If I didn't play by his rules, I was sure Vic would be Hobbs' next victim. I nodded slightly, not bothering to put on a fake smile. Trevor pulled me close, kissing the top of my head. "We have places to go."

Right outside the front door of Hobbs' new apartment building was a parked black car waiting for us. Trevor opened the back door for me, and I silently slid inside. He climbed in, too, and the driver was off. It was obvious we were in one of the Nine Rings; I had never seen so many plants in my entire life. Hell, I had never seen so much space in general. There was even a couple walking a dog on the sidewalk. If anything good could happen while I was trapped, I hoped Trevor would get me a pet.

Eventually, we ended up in an area that was more familiar to me. Not because I was going home, but because everythingwas a bit more crowded. A business district with shops of all kinds. The car stopped at a salon, and Trevor got out to open my door. The driver joined him, holding a pair of bright orange, intact shackles. My heart sank as Trevor clasped them onto my wrists, and I willed myself not to cry. What was the point? My sponsor wasn't going to change his mind. Not until he was sure I was going to behave.

Silently, I followed him inside the salon. Hobbs gave the stylist very specific instructions on how he wanted my hair done. And so, the process to return me to "Starburst" started. The woman lathered in some bleach, tweezed my brows, and cleaned my nails. By the time my hair was processed, toned, and styled, the golden strands were neatly trimmed and slicked back in a small fauxhawk.

"You couldn't get it any lighter?" Trevor demanded as he glared at my new style.

The woman winced. "Black is hard to lift without severely damaging the hair. I toned it as much as I could, but the pigment didn't lift anymore. I didn't want to melt his hair."

"What the hell did I bother paying you for?" Grabbing my arm, he pulled me to the waiting car outside.

Our next stop in the business district was a white building with a bright pink neon sign that read, "Sinful." A grand matching carpet covered by an awning stretched from the road to the front door.

Trevor tugged on my shackles, leading me inside. It was a club. The black walls were a huge contrast to the white exterior, and the grout separating the dark tile floor glowed a vibrant bubblegum shade. A large stage in the center of the room boasted two poles, and cages hung from the ceiling above semi-private booths. A long obsidian bar with a mirror backsplash reflected the entire room as multicolored lights danced over everything, allowing just enough light to see.

"Welcome to Sinful," Trevor said, placing a hand on the back of my neck. "This will be the hottest sex club in all of Top Hill. The upper levels are rooms, of course. And don't worry, my little star, you won't be entertaining anyone in them. Those are for the common folk. You, my dear Isaac, are a star and should be treated like one. You will have your own suite to entertain guests on the top floor. And, of course, they will have to pay top dollar for your time. You will dance and put on a show every so often, but you are to always treat the regular men as if they are beneath you. The more money you make…" He lifted my shackles. "...the sooner you get rid of these. Then, you and I will own this club together. We will train a new star to take your place, and you never have to touch anyone else ever again."

I glanced away, but he gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. "And you can have all the fun you want. Drink, snort a little Nova, and dance. I want you to get these men to spend their money on you. They will be more willing if you partake. Get them to dump their wallets on drinks, and you'd be surprised how often you're not taken up to that suite."

Oh, how I wanted to roll my eyes. Sure, that tactic worked in the Sin District. But it wouldn't work in Top Hill. Only the richest of the rich lived up here. Everyone had money to throw away. Rage burned in my chest. Trevor could afford to live in Top Hill, yet he still wanted to keep me as his little slave.

"Can we go back?" I asked, unwilling to look at the club any longer.

He frowned. "Fine. You will start work tomorrow."

Chapter 36

It was dark in the room, and Trevor was asleep beside me as I crawled out of bed. Intermixed with his snoring was a light tapping. Leaning over the balcony, I stared at the brightly shimmering lights on the tree. The tapping got louder, and I followed the sound to the first floor and the full-length mirror. My reflection glared at me but didn't follow my movements. He lifted his arms and tapped the glass. "Let me out."

"...What the fuck?"

"You know what you have to do. It's the only way you're going to survive this. Let me out. Isaac can't handle this. But I can."

It wasn't Isaac in the mirror. It was Starburst. The porn sensation who couldn't be broken. An alter ego I had to create to put up with the trauma.

I reached for the mirror, and the surface rippled like water. It encased my hand, gradually swallowing my entire body.

My eyes snapped open, and I sat up. Hobbs was still lying next to me, snoring. It was a dream, but it felt so real.

I never considered Starburst a different being. The alter ego was a block against the catastrophic waves of trauma. A display for clients and fans. Hobbs never truly met Starburst, but even he knew it was only ever a persona. Trevor liked Isaac. Isaac was a train wreck that needed to be protected. Isaac was timid. Isaac was a yes man. Starburst wasn't. Maybe it was time to give Trevor the star he always wanted. It was time to let Starburst shine.

---