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“What are you asking for, Little Lulu?” Jax prompted, his finger circling the pearl button now.

I knew what he wanted to hear. What I wanted to say, despite everything. “Please undo the button, Daddy,” I whispered, my cheeks burning with shame and need.

“No,” Jax said firmly. “From this point on, I need you to be needy. I need you desperate for touch, for use, for approval. That’s what will sell this operation.”

His finger continued to play with the button, sending little jolts of sensation through me with each pass. “Do you think you can ‘pretend’ to love being used by many men at once?” he asked, his voice deepening so that it seemed to vibrate through me.

I squeezed my thighs together, trying to ease the ache building between them. “I think I can,” I whispered, my voice barely audible even to my own ears.

“Good girl,” Jax murmured, finally removing his finger from the button. He turned me around to face him, his eyes studying mine intently. “Now, let’s go over the timeline of the conference. As I told you, when the moment comes I’ll give very specific instructions, but I want you to be prepared more generally for how things will work.”

I nodded, trying to focus on his words rather than the persistent throbbing between my legs.

“Oscar and Viktor will each bring two bodyguards,” he explained. “That’s six men.”

My stomach fluttered nervously. “Six?”

“Yes.” Jax’s expression remained serious. “If I know Oscar and Viktor, they’ll keep you to themselves and not let their security teams touch you—but you should prepare yourself in case they decide they want to watch. They’ll expect to use you however they want. Some will be gentle. Others won’t.”

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “And I have to… enjoy it?”

“You have to make them believe you enjoy it,” he corrected. “The more convincing you are, the more they’ll let their guard down. That’s when we’ll make the arrests.”

His hands moved to my shoulders, gripping them firmly. “Can you do this, Little Lulu? Can you be my good bad girl and help save lives?”

Put that way, how could I refuse? I squared my shoulders and nodded. “Yes, Daddy. I can do it.”

CHAPTER 21

Louisa

The Velvet Crown Social Club was in the heart of downtown, a stately old building that looked out of place among the many modern ones around it. The limousine glided to a stop at the curb, its tinted windows concealing me from the outside world. My heart hammered against my ribs as I smoothed the pleated plaid skirt over my thighs for the twentieth time. The white blouse Jax had chosen felt too tight across my chest, the top three buttons undone to reveal just a hint of cleavage. My hair had been styled in two loose pigtails that made me look even younger than my nineteen years.

“Remember,” Jax said, his voice low as the driver opened his door, “you belong to me, but tonight you’ll do exactly as Oscar and Viktor tell you.”

“Yes, Daddy,” I whispered, my fingers unconsciously tracing the outline of my collar beneath the white blouse.

Rudy exited first, scanning the area before nodding to Mateo, who followed. Then Jax stepped out, turning to extend his handto me. I took it, my own trembling slightly as I emerged into the cool evening air.

The club looked imposing from the outside—all old stone and discreet brass fixtures, with no sign announcing its presence. Just a small crown emblem above the heavy wooden door. A uniformed doorman nodded respectfully to Jax, then pressed a button hidden beneath his podium.

Instead of entering through the front, we were led around to a side entrance where another suited man waited beside an elevator. He pressed his palm to a scanner, then gestured for us to enter.

“Parking level,” Jax instructed as the doors closed.

The elevator descended smoothly. I stood between Jax and Rudy, their imposing presences on either side making me feel small and protected, even as my anxiety spiraled at the thought of what awaited me. My fingers found the hem of my skirt again, fidgeting with the fabric.

“Stop fidgeting,” Jax murmured, his hand closing over mine. “Remember who you are tonight.”

The elevator doors opened to reveal an underground parking garage—spotless concrete, expensive cars gleaming under harsh fluorescent lights. And waiting for us, standing in a loose semicircle near several black SUVs, were Oscar and Viktor, each flanked by two enormous men who I immediately recognized as their bodyguards.

My stomach clenched at the sight of them. Oscar in his immaculate suit, his dark eyes gleaming with anticipation. Viktor, taller and broader, studying me with that calculatinggaze that made me feel like he was cataloging my every weakness.

“Jax,” Oscar called, stepping forward with his arm outstretched. “Right on time.”

The men exchanged handshakes, the formality of the gesture at odds with what I knew would follow. Viktor’s pale eyes never left me, his gaze traveling slowly up and down my body in a way that made me shiver.

“And Little Lulu,” Oscar continued, turning to me with a predatory smile. “Come here, little one,” he beckoned, his finger curling in a summoning gesture that made my throat go dry.