“You have a choice about some things, but not about whether you come upstairs. That’s nonnegotiable, so come,” he says, holding out his hand.
I ascend a couple of steps, but don’t put my hand in his, even though I’d like to.
“C, I should go. You should let me go now.”
“Should I?” he asks in a low voice. “I don’t think so.”
My breath catches, but when he beckons me, my body sails on, gliding behind him.
He leads me into a bedroom where there is a king-sized bed with a giant wood frame. The carpet is a swirl of brown and beige. I don’t know what it cost, but I know it’s the most expensive carpet I’ve ever seen. On a whim, I bend forward and run my hand over it.
“Beautiful,” I say. “You have an amazing house.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He sits on the edge of the bed and pulls off his boots. He tosses them into the corner. “Strip down for me. I want to look at you.”
I undress all the time backstage in front of dozens of people, men and women. But here, alone with him, it’s very different. I hesitate, trying to figure a way out of the house.
“I think I could use another drink.”
“Later. First, do what I asked.”
“You’re very good at issuing orders,” I say.
“I’ve had a lot of practice.”
“With everyone? Not just the people who work for you, but in your bedroom, too?”
He nods. “I’m the boss in every room. Not that I usually have women in this room.”
“Where do you have them?” I ask.
“Elsewhere,” he says. “It’s not important.”
I’ve heard things about him and his friends. They’re rumored to like things rough and dirty—very, very dirty. I wonder how much of the gossip is true. A part of me has always wanted to find out the truth for myself.
“Connor, look, I can’t be with you. Frank would see that as a betrayal. He’s done things for me, supported me financially after my mom got sick. You and he are enemies now. A condition of my being allowed to perform at the theater was that I wouldn’t socialize or even speak to you. I can’t help that you brought me here, but I can ask you to let me go now.”
“You gave us some information. Until we verify whether what you told us is true, you’re not going anywhere.”
I stare at him. “I mean—there were a lot of people at my place. You can’t just keep me here as a prisoner until someone talks to all of them. That could take days.”
“I can keep you here as long as I want,” he says.
A knot twists in my belly. I’m both terrified and excited by the prospect of spending days with him.
“If Frank finds out I’m here, I’ll have no choice but to tell him that I was held against my will.”
“Go ahead.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea? Making this personal?”
“It’s always been personal. Frank made it that way.”
“What happened?” I ask. “What made you leave?”
“That’s enough questions.”
“I really want to know. Why wouldn’t you tell me? I know what business you’re in. Everyone does.”
