Page 23 of Dollhouse

“You should’ve seen them a few minutes ago. Dry humping like horny teenagers,” Eli adds, shoving a forkful of pancake into his mouth.

“It wouldn’t have been dry humping had you not interrupted us!” King throws a piece of bacon across the table at Eli, the two of them erupting into laughter. Meanwhile, Rowen’s cold eyes never leave mine. If he thinks he can make me uncomfortable or intimidate me, he’s fucking wrong. I glare right fucking back at him. Bastard.

“So, is anyone going to tell me why you kidnapped me?” I cut in, asking them all, but only looking at Rowen.

“You are a means to an end,” he states harshly. “Someone has taken something that belongs to us, so you’ll be helping us get it back.” My blood runs cold. His explanation is void of emotion, as if I am an inconvenience they have to deal with in order to get whatever it is that they really want.

I scoff. “You’re going to trade me?” He nods. “But why me? What do I have to do with anything?” They can’t be serious. They’re going to trade me like some type of animal.

“Someone wants you. Can’t imagine why, but they do. We have you, so we’ll get what we want by giving you away.” In my peripheral, I can see King and Eli staring at Rowen and I, they’re eating silently.

“I don’t understand. What are you trading me for? You were hired to kidnap me?”

“It doesn’t matter what we’re trading you for; that’s our concern, not yours. We weren’t hired exactly, but we saw the perfect opportunity and took it.” King reaches underneath the table and places his hand on my thigh, squeezing it gently, as if he’s trying to provide me comfort. Oddly enough, I appreciate the gesture.

They’re not going to kill me, but that doesn’t mean that whoever they’re trading me to wouldn’t. Who could possibly want me so badly? And why?

I have so many questions, but by the way Rowen’s staring at me and grinding his molars, I know he’s not in the mood to answer any more questions. I could push him, I should push him, but I choose to shut the fuck up for once.

“Eat your food before it gets cold,” Eli says, pointing toward my plate. I take the glass bottle of syrup and pour it over my pancakes before cutting into them and shoving the warm fluffy goodness into my mouth. I may be angry, but I’m not going to let a perfectly good plate of food go to waste. I’ll need my strength to escape these fuckers.

Without another word, Rowen stands abruptly from the table and leaves the room, leaving the three of us to finish breakfast ourselves. He’s a strange one with clear anger issues. What the fuck is his problem with me?

I’m the one who should be angry… and I am… right?

Tate.

She calls herself Tate. What a perfect fucking name.

I can’t be around her. I thought I’d be able to, but I can’t. She defied me by coming back to this city, and she doesn’t even recognize me, which only adds to my anger.

Seeing her walk into the kitchen with a smile and King’s arm around her shoulders, I wanted to fucking scream at them both. I wanted to hold her down and fuck her bloody until she remembered me. I searched her turquoise eyes hoping to find recognition in them, but again, I found nothing.

I found nothing within her to resemble the girl she once was. If it wasn’t for her eyes, I would’ve second-guessed myself. Her eyes give her away. They’re a direct portal to our past. She may not look the same, but one look into her eyes and I see everything that she’s trying to hide.

Gone is the gentleness that I used to find in her eyes. And I know she’s been through more things than I’m aware of, more than I can even fathom.

I don’t want King and Eli to look at her the way they do. Especially King. That bastard will ruin her more than I ever have. I ruined her, and until she remembers me, I want my scars to be the only ones that ever mark her perfect creamy skin.

I had to remove myself from the kitchen during breakfast because I couldn’t stand having her that close to me again and having her in my space. My need to get away from her is what brought me down to the basement gym to work out my frustrations.

My shirt is off and I’m pushing myself harder than ever, hitting the punching bag to release all my anger and annoyance. When Eli told me about her, I was on board with his plan all the way. It wasn’t until later when I saw a photo of her that I became hesitant to go along with his plan. He and King know everything about my past, they know everything about her; they just didn’t know who she was. It was a mere fucking coincidence thatsheturned out to be the very one that holds the key to us getting control of our city again.

I’m all in, and I can’t turn back now. I never wanted any harm to come to her, but whatever happens is now out of my control. My brothers come first; I’d never turn my back on them.

The minute Tate stepped foot into our city, we became aware of it. We made sure she got a job where she did so we could easily keep an eye on her. She was a hot piece of ass that King and Eli wanted to sink their teeth into. But it wasn’t until recently that we learned how useful she could actually be to us. They spent months watching her while I stayed away, only learning who she really is not long ago.

Sinners was the first business venture the three of us embarked on. Men love to see naked chicks, and we found they’d pay a hefty price in order to keep everything they do inside of our club discreet. And that’s exactly what Sinners is. A discreet strip club where the identity of our clients and dancers are hidden, and for the right price, there’s a dancer who is willing to do anything the client wants.

Except Tate. No matter the price, she has many limits.

She doesn’t even get fully nude, and a lap dance and time in the VIP rooms is the furthest she’ll go. Meanwhile, we have some dancers that’ll spread their legs or drop to their knees for a high price.

After everything she has been through, I’m surprised she’d even be comfortable working in a strip club. But then again, she did always surprise me. And that’s exactly what she’s doing to me now. Her mere presence in my house is charming me and I can’t control my feelings around her. We have a fucked-up history, and she acts as if she’s unaffected, while I relive the guilt and nightmares every single night.

Thirteen years ago, I told her to run and never come back, and here she is. Back in the city that started it all, back to the place that holds our history. A history she seems not to remember. Or at least it’s me she doesn’t remember. And how could she fucking not? What we experienced together isn’t something you can easily forget. It’s not something you couldeverforget.

You never forget your first love, or the first time you fuck.

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