The Defiant Rabbit

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Chapter 3

~Ari's POV~

The stage lights burned down on me, the leering eyes of the men beneath them making my skin crawl. I could feel their stares, the hunger and thirst for the fresh meat. 

The music blasted through the speakers, but my limbs refused to move. Who in their right mind would? Every nerve in my body screamed for me to run, but where would I go? 

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe. Dance, they had said. But I wasn’t a dancer. My feet stayed rooted in place, and my mind frantically raced for a way out.

Just as I managed a shaky step forward, someone grabbed my wrist, yanking me off the stage. My heart slammed against my chest as I stumbled, nearly tripping over my heels. 

I was face-to-face with an older-looking man with a disgusting look on his wrinkled face. 

"Go, Luca Tadeo, show that b*tch some manners and make her dance,” one of the patrons called out. 

Luca? As in Luca Tadeo—a name that carried weight in Thania, one of the most ruthless politicians the city ever had. 

“Luca’s gonna break her,” I heard someone from the left scoff.

My attention was soon brought back to Luca when his fingers dug into my skin, his tightening grip bruising the soft flesh. 

Though I worked odd jobs, my flesh and skin never told the tale, surprising those closest to me.

His hot breath laced with whisky fanned my cheeks as he glared down at me.

"Think you’re too good for the stage, huh?" he growled loud enough for the others to hear. "Get on your knees and beg, whore. Show us what you’re really made of."

I froze, rage and disgust bubbling up inside me. My throat tightened as I met his gaze, defiance flaring in my chest. 

I was not going to let him humiliate me like this, not in front of everyone. 

But my stare must have angered him as the next thing I knew, he pulled me with him, stopping in front of his chair, picked something from the table before turning to face me and handing it to me.

I felt that same intense stare on me again, this time worse. I swallowed, feeling like the little rabbit Xander called me in the sea of jungle predators.

“Let's make this easier,” Luca stated with a grin and murmuring ensued as his hungry eyes raked over me, stopping at the base of my flimsy back gown. “Take off your panties, stick this inside you, turn the remote on, get back on stage and twerk for us as you cum.”

That was it. All the patience I had left was tossed out the window and into the garbage bin. 

I was tired of being humiliated and insulted. Whatever happened after wasn't my cup of tea but right now I felt like slapping this idiot of a human being.

"Well, whore, either do it or I do it for you. It’s tight b*tches like you that make the best squirt.”

That was the last straw.

I jerked my wrist from his hold and stood tall, even as fear clawed at the back of my mind.

"Hell no," I spat, louder than I intended.

The whole room seemed to still. Tension filling the air, eyes darting between me and Luca, waiting to see what he’d do next. 

His face twisted with fury. Without warning, he grabbed me by the hair, yanking a fistful my head hurt, dragging me toward the center of the floor. 

My heels scraped against the polished ground, my heart racing. I fought against his iron grip while panic rose in my chest, but it was no use.

"You’ll learn your place," Luca hissed, shoving me roughly in front of the crowd. My eyes saw stars as the pain raked through my skull. 

"You think you can refuse me? I’ll show you what happens when—"

He raised his hand to strike, the motion so sudden I barely had time to react. I braced for the hit as I was used to, my body tensing up for the impact when the deepest baritone I’d ever heard resounded in the room.

"Enough."

The word sliced through the chatter like a knife. Everything stopped. 

Luca froze mid-swing, his eyes widening in shock. Slowly, he lowered his arm and turned, and all heads snapped in one direction—the right corner of the club, as the owner of the voice stepped forward from the shadows.

Damon Dark.

His name was a ghost that haunted Thania, whispered in dark corners and feared by those smart enough to know better. I swallowed hard, my heart thundering in my chest. 

This wasn’t just some sleazy strip club. This was his kingdom. And I had just made an epic trouble in it.

I hadn’t seen him move, but his presence was unmistakable—dominant, authoritative and commanding. 

The entire room seemed to bow under his control. My heart pounded harder as his cold, piercing ruby-like eyes locked on Luca.

"She’s mine," Damon said in a low and dangerous voice. "You don’t get to touch her again."

Luca’s lips twitched, anger flashing in his eyes, but he said nothing. He knew better than to challenge Damon here. No one did. 

“Understood?”

“Master Damon… I was only teaching her her place. You should have seen her proving high and mighty, refusing to perform for us or…?

“Out.”

The silence that ensued would make a single pin drop loud enough for anyone to hear. Luca looked confused. 

Pointing at himself, he asked, “Master Damon are you kicking me out for this… th-this…”

“I said…” just when I thought his voice couldn’t get any deeper, they drilled through my skull, vibrating my entire being as he rang out loud and clear for all to hear. “Get out.”

With a single command, Damon dismissed him, and Luca slinked back into the crowd, humiliated and furious.

My legs wobbled beneath me as I stood frozen in place, unable to process what had just happened. Damon turned his gaze to me, his dark eyes locking onto mine. I felt pinned in place by his stare, a chill running through my body.

"Little mouse.” I blinked. “Come with me."

It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t even a request. It was a command. My body moved before I could stop myself, following him but two steps forward and Scarface alongside a different bouncer blocked my path. 

I raised my eyes to look at them. 

“We’ll be taking you. You cannot walk with the boss.”

I didn’t quite know what they were all about but a few minutes later, we went through the crowd and into a dimly lit corridor. My heartbeat never slowed down till now, adrenaline still coursing through my veins.

They led me into an office, sleek and poorly lit too, the scent of leather and cigar smoke heavy in the air. Once in, both men walked out, locking the door behind them and leaving me standing in there. 

I barely made out my surroundings when his chilly voice startled me. "Welcome, Arianna," he said, his voice low and husky. "I've been expecting you."

I stood frozen, unsure what to say or do or say when he stepped out from the shadows and into the light.

A single clap and the white light in what seemed to be an office came on, illuminating him like an ethereal being. 

His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, and I felt my breath catch. But what made his handsomeness stand out were his neatly styled black hair and pointed nose, like that of an A-list model.

Damon's gaze roamed over me, his expression unreadable. "You're even more beautiful than I imagined," he complimented as his tone dripped with seduction.

My cheeks flushed, but I refused to back down. "What do you want from me?" I demanded.

Damon's smile sent chills down my spine, his pearly white teeth glistening as he leaned close, uttering the words that froze me. "Everything."