“You haven’t spent your own money in two years.”
My hands ball into fists. “My boyfriend took care of me. I didn’t ask him to—he insisted.”
I glance at Mavis. “That a crime now?”
“No,” he says, voice low. “But he did it to keep you quiet. Keep you comfortable enough not to ask questions.”
My mind drifts. I remember that night at Flare, one of Toby’s clubs. It was early in our relationship.
A woman with dark eyes and an elegant dress approached.
“I’m Paris,” she’d said.
“Sophie,” I flashed a warm smile.
“He looks like he’s in love,” she added with a grin.
“We just moved in together,” I’d said shyly. “We’re happy.”
“Are you enjoying the club?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m one of the entertainers.” She glanced over her shoulder, then met my gaze.
Her smile slipped. “He’s a powerful man. And powerful men love to keep pretty things locked away.”
What the fuck did that mean?
My brows lowered. “I’m not locked away. I go to work every day.”
I was driven to work. But why was that a bad thing?
I’d laughed her off then. Thought it was jealousy talking. She leaned in, voice louder over the bass. “Beware of the monster sleeping next to you. Just because he looks innocent doesn’t mean he is.”
I’d returned to that club many times with Toby after meeting Paris. I never saw her again.
My heart lurches in my chest as I come back from the memory.
Snapping back to the present, my throat tightens. “I think he killed a woman who warned me about him years ago. Her name was Paris,” I mutter.
The room stills.
I turn to Mavis, my voice low. “Captor, can I take a bath?”
Mavis stalks over. His fingers grip my chin and tilt my face to his. “Don’t fucking do that.”
“Why not? You could’ve left me at the club. You didn’t have to bring me here, show me your life. Then showcased me at your meeting like I'm some shiny new acquisition."
“You belong to me, Sophie. And I want the world to know it. The difference between me and that asshole is I’ve got nothing to hide. My grandfather held my trust fund over my head. I now control my life. I only have to go into the office to ensure the family business is being ran correctly. I love being a part of the Royal Bastards MC. My father loved being part of an MC too, before he and my mother were murdered.”
His pain flickers in those emerald eyes.
“I’m sorry, Mavis.”
He nods once. “Psycho and I have business. Make yourself comfortable. Check the master bedroom upstairs —first door on the left. You’ll find comfortable clothes in the closet.”
I start toward the stairs. His voice fades as he disappears down the hall with Psycho.
“He did what?” Mavis roars.
