Chapter 3 Bound by debt

About an hour after she had locked eyes with that mysterious, dangerous looking man from the warehouse, Valentina now sat atop a bed, feeling uncertain of the direction her life was going to take.

She recalled the last moments before she was carried out by the same men that had pointed guns at her and her brother, and took her to this room. She didn’t even know where she was.

“Keep her until I come,” she had heard the man - the men’s boss? - ordering them. “And don’t touch her. Not one hair on her fucking head.”

It had to be the boss, because he looked like no other man she had ever seen in her life before, and the strip club had given her a lot of experiences when it came to trusting her gut instinct. That man… was dangerous. A predator.

As soon as she was summarily shoved into the room and heard the door lock, Valentina had been feeling a great sense of numbness.

She still had no idea what she was doing in this situation; were it not for her damned stupid brother who dealt with these sort of shady people, all she would be worrying about was how to finish up her makeup for her set.

Instead she was faced with nothing but this uncertainty.

Valentina stood up shaking from the bed; finally deigning to look at the lingerie set on the bed. Who had placed it there and why?

She didn’t know but, as she looked down at herself - her favorite nightgown stained with dirt and her skin feeling grimy, she felt the need to shower.

But surely there could be something other than that to wear, she asked herself, glaring at the offensive lingerie set.

Minutes later Valentina was resigned to wearing the lingerie, having checked everywhere in the room and found nothing. Only if she wore the bedsheet or curtains… and that wasn’t very good either.

With a heavy heart, she made for the other door in the room and entered the bathroom.

… Druid put his suit jacket back on, smiling satisfactorily at the sight before him. Lorrel Gadot, tied to a chair and even more beaten and bruised than before. He was also delightfully unconscious, which served Druid very well.

What a sorry excuse for a man, he spat at his victim, before straightening his suit and striding out.

He had one more thing to see.Valentina Gadot, he thought with a smirk playing on the corner of his mouth.

She was interesting to say the least. Her career as a stripper was certainly not something he had expected when his man carried out the background check.

She just looked so fucking innocent, it made him want to sink his teeth into her. Finding out that she took her clothes off for a living only made him more intrigued.

But, he had to stay focused. She was for work, not for his pleasure. After all, her brother’s bills weren’t going to pay themselves. … The door opened suddenly and Valentina stood up from where she gingerly sat on, now dressed in the black flimsy lace and satin set, complete with garters and stockings and a glittery high heel.

The man from before entered in his dashing suit and as soon as he saw her in the dimly lit room, he stopped.

“Beautiful,” he intoned deeply almost like a growl, taking a step towards her. She took a step back, looking wary. Druid stopped.

“I believe we haven’t formally met,” he started speaking moments later. “I am Druid Steel. And you are Valentina.”

Nice to meet you I guess, she thought with a little bit of snark in her, but couldn’t dare to say it out loud. It seemed from the amusement that briefly flashed through his eyes, that he could somehow read her mind.

“Now,” he continued, “I think you have an idea that your brother owes me a sum of money. Rather, he tried to steal from me. And it doesn’t end well for him. I don’t tolerate thieves handling my business.”

Valentina gulped, feeling naked as his eyes hadn’t left her even once since he started talking.

“What does that have to do with me?” She asked. “And what kind of business do you even do?”

She had some idea he was already a shady guy, but the way his eyes glimmered as she asked that question told her it was likely not something she would want to know the answer for.

“I… have investments I would like to keep secret for now. Until we finish our talk, Valentina.”

He reached to touch her and it was then that Valentina realized that without her knowing, he had come close. His hand grazed the lace strap of her bralette and she flinched. He removed his hand instantly.

“I have an offer for you to help pay your brother’s debt and keep him alive. I assure you, if not for your pleading for me to spare his life, he wouldn’t be alive right now. And trust me, you likely would have joined him,” Druid stated almost nonchalantly but Valentina could tell the steel behind his calm facade. This was a dangerous man.

Was he part of the mob? The Mafia?

“You said you would do anything for your brother, right? Well here’s your chance.”

He stood only a few inches from her. If he reached his hand out to her he would be able to get her into bed with him. Valentina’s heart sped up with that thought.

Druid continued, his eyes never leaving hers. “You will work for me. I hear you have skills in dancing in little to no clothing.”

“I strip,” she swallowed before shrugging, not feeling any shame about it. “Is that what you’re talking about? You want me to strip for you? Or for someone else?”

“You will be working in my club, darling,” he chuckled and shivers ran down her spine. “You will be a performer, not a mere stripper. And during the day… you will be mine. My woman. Mine to use and keep. You will live with me and go where I order you . Do this, and you can have what you want.”

His words made her eyes widen just a tad. …