Callum POV
The tension in the air feels suffocating as Sasha stands there, arms crossed, her sharp gaze pinning me in place. She’s waiting, watching for my answer, and every second stretches like an eternity. Finally, I nod, the motion heavy with reluctant surrender.“Fine,” I mutter, the words bitter on my tongue. “I’ll walk away from Lilly, and I’ll speak to Dante about you returning to work. But I need time. He won’t agree overnight.”
My voice sounds hollow even to me, but it’s enough for her. She smirks triumphantly, her victory slicing through me like a blade. Just as I turn to leave, she stops me, stepping closer.
“Are you really going to leave?” she asks, tilting her head, her voice deceptively sweet but laced with steel.
“I have work to do,” I lie, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.
She narrows her eyes, not buying it. “No, Callum. It’s
Callum POVMy body trembles as I ride back to the clubs and apartments, and I know I need to shower. When Dante opens the door, Luna is sitting on the couch, her eyes flicking to me with concern.“I’ll take a quick shower, and then we can talk,” I say curtly, barely meeting Dante’s gaze as I head straight for my apartment.“Callum, are you okay?” Dante calls after me, but I just nod in response.“Just let me shower,” I mutter before slipping into my own apartment. As soon as I step inside, Lilly greets me with a smile, the sight of her nearly breaking me. The thought of how much this will destroy her flickers through my mind, but deep down, I know this whole situation is already destroying me.“Hey,” she says softly, her warmth piercing through the cold shell I’ve wrapped around myself. She takes a step toward me, but I can’t face her. Not right now. I push her away gently.
Callum POVFinally, Dante breaks the silence. "Go speak to Lilly, tell her, then come back to me." He walks out.I push myself up from the chair, my body heavy with exhaustion, and make my way out of the building toward Dante’s apartment. Each step feels like I’m wading through quicksand, the weight of my choices crushing me. When I reach the door, I knock, my heart pounding as I wait. The sound of footsteps echoes, and Luna opens the door, her warm smile offering a brief reprieve from the storm raging inside me.“Come in,” she says softly, stepping aside to let me through. “I’m going to go read,” she adds with a small nod before slipping away, leaving me alone with Lilly.Lilly is sitting on the couch, her gaze fixed on the floor. As I approach her, she finally looks up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. My throat tightens, and I barely manage a whisper. “I’m sorry.”She doesn’t
Lilly’s POVYesterday, after talking to Luna, I made the decision to step away from working downstairs for good. The resolve had been building for weeks, but speaking with her solidified it. This morning, as soon as I woke up, I took the first step.Every one of my clients received a notification that this week would be my last. After that, I’d only be dancing. I braced myself for resistance—maybe some anger or guilt-tripping—but, to my surprise, the responses were kind. Friendly, even. Many of them wished me well, offering words of encouragement I hadn’t expected.Still, stepping back meant tonight was exhausting. I decided not to limit how many clients I’d see in these final days. There were men I’d been seeing for months, years even. If I set a strict cap, some of them wouldn’t get a chance to say goodbye, and that didn’t sit right with me.Tonight has felt bittersweet, like closing a chapter of my
Lilly POVThe shrill ring of a phone jolts me awake, and I groan, disoriented.“I’m coming!” Callum’s voice cuts through the haze, and I sit up, confused as I watch him scramble to get dressed.“What’s going on?” I ask, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.“I slept in,” he mutters, fastening his belt with hurried movements.“Dante won’t care if you’re a little late. Why are you rushing?” I slide out of bed, trying to make sense of his urgency.“I promised him I’d be somewhere. What time is your last client tonight?” he asks, avoiding my question as he tightens his boots.“I don’t know,” I say, still groggy.“Let Dante know, and he can tell me,” he replies before leaning down to kiss me. But something about his energy feels off—strained.“Callum, the clubs don’t open for hours,” I
Lilly POVLuna’s face softens with sympathy as she nods. “He has been super busy. Dante told me this morning that it was the first time he’s seen Callum sleep properly in over a week.”“We had time, though, Luna. He knows I’m stopping working.” My voice cracks, the weight of my emotions spilling out. “Now I’m wondering if it’s because he knows how many clients I’ve been seeing every night.”Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head adamantly. “No way. That’s not why.”“You don’t know that,” I say with a weak laugh, wiping away a stray tear. “It could be. Maybe he’s disgusted—repulsed by it all.”“Lilly,” she says firmly, “you’ve explained this to me before. You’ve told me how he always reassures you. You’ve even said he makes you stop overthinking it when you tell him you need to shower
Lilly POVMy chest tightens with frustration and worry. Giving up, I head back downstairs.“Everything alright?” Star asks, her voice soft and kind.“He’s not back,” I say with a small shrug. “If anyone needs me, I’m free.”Star nods, giving me a quick hug before walking off. I glance at my phone again, but the messages remain undelivered. Two hours crawl by, and I finally admit defeat. I head back to the apartment, the ache of disappointment settling deep in my chest.Stepping inside, the sound of running water catches my attention. My heart skips a beat as I sit on the edge of the bed, waiting. The shower stops, and moments later, the bathroom door opens. Callum steps out, a towel wrapped around his waist, steam swirling around him.His eyes meet mine, and I don’t even know where to start. Anger, relief, hurt—all of it wells up inside me, threatening to spill over. He looks at me, a
Callum POVLying in bed with Lilly wrapped around me, her warmth grounding me, I make a decision. Tonight solidifies it—there’s only one way to keep her safe. The problem is, I have no idea how to get her to agree to it.The day’s events play on a loop in my mind, each moment more gut-wrenching than the last. Sasha was livid when I arrived late, her anger crackling in the air like a live wire. It made everything tense from the start, but when she caught me rummaging through her bag, things spiraled into something far worse. Her fury was unmatched, her eyes burning with suspicion and rage, but even that didn’t prepare me for what came later.Then there was Lilly. That first message she sent reminded me why I was doing all of this—why I was enduring Sasha and her venom. Her words gave me a sliver of hope in a sea of chaos. But the next two messages? They wrecked me completely.The last thing I needed while trapped in Sasha&rsqu
Callum POVHer answer feels like a punch to the gut, stealing the air from my lungs. “I thought we could leave,” I say, my voice trembling. “We could forget all of this, move somewhere better. Somewhere safe.” I wait, my chest tight with hope, praying she’ll change her mind.She stares at me, her expression softening into one of hurt. “The club is my life, Callum. If we move...I’d have nothing.”The words slice through me. “You have me,” I argue, my voice breaking. “You’d have me, and you wouldn’t have to live with this danger hanging over your head.”“That’s different,” she says, her voice rising slightly as she struggles to make me understand. “Luna is my friend. Dante is yours. That’s our home, our work, our everything.”“We can find new friends,” I reply, but the words feel hollow, even to me.She stares at me
Callum POV“It’s my fault. Everything is my fault,” I admit, my voice cracking. “Yes, there’s a reason I slept with her. No, it wasn’t because I wanted to. It was to keep you safe. Or at least I thought it was. She threatened to tell people from your past, Lilly, to bring them here. I couldn’t let that happen. I thought losing you, if it meant protecting you, was worth the hurt.”My words hang in the silence, and I run my hands through my hair, frustrated and desperate. “Sasha hates me, and for some reason, she hates you too, and I can’t figure out why. You’ve done nothing to her, and yet she’s hell-bent on destroying us both.” I pause, listening, hoping for a response. But the silence stretches on.Then, finally, her voice comes, soft and trembling, almost a whisper through the door. “You said you’d protect me, Callum, and I was grateful for that. But I didn’t want that.
Callum POV“Lilly!” I shout, my voice echoing in the cells, but she doesn’t even hesitate. She’s already gone. My fists clench, my mind racing with every possible way to fix this, to undo the disaster Sasha has caused. Turning, I glare at PC Prick standing by with a smug expression.“You need to let me out. Now!" My voice booms, anger and desperation bleeding through every word.He crosses his arms, his stance unyielding. “No, Callum. You tried to kill Sasha. I’ve turned a blind eye to a lot of your shit because you keep the streets clean, but this? This crosses the line.”Is he fucking serious? “She’s using you!” I snap, my voice raw. “Just like she used me! Let me out, damn it!” My heart pounds as I step closer, gripping the bars so tightly I can feel the cold metal dig into my palms.“Not until I know for certain you won’t go after Sasha,” he says eve
Lilly POVThe door opens, and I glance up, expecting Callum—but it’s Dante.“Where’s Callum?” I ask quietly, the anxiety creeping back into my voice.“He’s gone out,” Dante says, his tone careful.I glare at him, my frustration boiling over. “Don’t do that! You know where he is, so where is he?” I scream, my voice breaking. Dante’s eyes widen in surprise, but he says nothing.My phone pings, the sound cutting through the tension in the room. Grabbing it, I unlock the screen and open the message.My hands freeze, my entire body going cold. My heart feels like it’s stopped.I stare at the screen. My chest tightens painfully, and the room starts spinning. I don’t even need to click on the messages to know what the videos are. Tears blur my vision, spilling down my cheeks as I clutch the phone, staring at it like it’s a weapon. My hand shakes, my breat
Lilly’s POVI sit beside Luna, but my mind refuses to settle. It races, spiraling through the same dark thoughts over and over. How did Andrew find me? How does he know it’s me—know my name? Dante swore to me that as long as I left my old life behind, no one would be able to track me down.But they have.Despite everything I’ve sacrificed—leaving my family, my name, and my past behind—they’ve found me. A part of me clings desperately to the hope that Andrew didn’t tell anyone else where I am. But deep down, I know better. I’ve never been that lucky.Today feels like the worst day of my life. I can’t imagine how it could get any worse.“Lilly, you know Callum won’t let anyone get near you,” Luna says softly, her hand rubbing comforting circles on my back. “Not even Dante would let that happen.”I wipe the tears from my cheeks, my chest aching from the ef
Callum POVHe tries to crawl, to escape, and I give him just enough space to think he might make it.“Go ahead,” I say, my voice eerily calm. “Try again.”He starts to crawl toward the door, dragging his broken body across the floor, his movements slow and agonized. I give him a few seconds of false hope, watching as he reaches out, fingers brushing the doorframe. Then I step on his hand, crushing his fingers beneath my boot. He howls in pain, his body convulsing beneath me.“Did you really think I’d let you leave?” I lean down, pressing my knife against his cheek, slicing a thin line just under his eye. His screams are music to my ears, but I’m not done. Not yet.“Again,” I hiss, yanking him up by the collar and throwing him back into the center of the room. His body hits the floor with a sickening thud. “Run.”He tries. God, he fucking tries. But he’s too weak now,
Callum POVJust as I’m about to move in for another hit, Dante wraps his arms around me, pulling me back.“Callum, stop,” he hisses, dragging me away from Andrew. “We need answers first. If you want to let him go so you can hunt him down and kill him later, fine. But you can’t kill him yet. Not until we get what we need.”My chest heaves, my breathing ragged as I stare down at the bleeding, gasping mess in front of me. He’s right. I need answers.We drag Andrew to a chair, tying him down with thick ropes that bite into his wrists and ankles. He’s bleeding from the gash on his face, and his breath comes in ragged gasps, but his eyes are defiant, mocking even. He’s not afraid. Not yet.I pace in front of him, my blood boiling, the weight of the blade in my hand a comfort. He refuses to talk, not a single word slipping from his mouth. His jaw clenched, eyes daring me to make the first move.Da
Callum POVI watch her as Luna runs out of the room to go to work, when in fact, it's to avoid me. Every ounce of frustration and guilt weighing down on me like a ton of bricks. Everything feels like it’s crumbling. I’m doing everything I can to protect her, to keep her past buried where it belongs, but it’s like every decision I make is pulling us further apart.Sighing, I head down to the office. Dante looks up at me as soon as I step in.“She knows?” he asks, his voice low and direct.I nod, slumping into a chair. “Not everything, just that I was with Sasha,” I admit, my voice barely audible. “But it’s enough. I’m going to lose her, aren’t I? Either to her past, or because she’ll hate me for what I’ve done.” Every damn decision I’ve made is pushing us closer to the edge.“I told you to give her a choice, Callum,” Dante says, his tone stern but n
Lilly POVI rush down to the changing rooms, my body on autopilot. The other women and men are laughing and talking, their voices a distant hum in my ears. I fix my makeup, force a smile, and push everything down. I’ve been strong before. I can be strong now.“Lilly,” Jane calls from the door, snapping me back to reality. “Mr. Emerson said he’ll be another fifteen minutes.”I nod, trying to steady my breathing. Good. Fifteen minutes to compose myself, to push down the hurt and betrayal clawing at my insides. I need to get through this night. I need to be professional, even if everything inside me is screaming.When the fifteen minutes pass, I step out of the room, my mind blank as I approach the door. I try to prepare myself for another session with Mr. Emerson, the regular who always looks forward to our time together. But something feels off.I light the candles, trying to create the familiar ambiance. “Mr.
Lilly’s POVThe rain drums softly against the window, a steady rhythm that does little to calm the storm brewing inside me. I stare at my reflection, watching the raindrops race down the glass. Everything feels off. The apartment is too quiet, too still, and the absence of Callum’s presence makes the silence deafening.I tug my cardigan tighter around me, trying to fight the chill that creeps through my body. It’s not just the cold. It’s everything—the weight of the past few days, the lingering fear, the confusion swirling in my mind.Callum.I can’t stop thinking about him. The way his eyes darken when he’s angry, the way he’s always there, steady and strong, even when I’m spiraling. But there’s something else, too—something that’s been eating away at me for days. His distance. The way he shuts down whenever I try to talk about anything serious. And I know I should confront him, but