Page 10 of Leash Me, Daddy

“For fuck’s sake, Vesper.”

“I can keep myself alive,” I scoffed.

Gavin gave me a long look. “Then start by not leaving alone tonight.”

“I leave alone every night.”

“Then make sure you don’t tonight.”

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “You manage the club. You do not manage me.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, but before he could answer, the music changed beyond the corridor, announcing the next stage rotation. My name appeared on the narrow monitor above the door.

Vesper—Main Floor

Perfect timing.

I smiled at Gavin, patted his cheek once, and walked away before he decided to become brave.

The main room opened around me in a wash of amber light and dark velvet. The crowd had nearly doubled while I was upstairs, bodies gathered around the stage, glasses raised, faces tipped toward the spotlight. As I climbed the steps, the first notes of the song rolled through the floor beneath my heels.

This was the part I loved.

Every eye in the room turned toward me because I decided it would. Every inch of skin I showed belonged to me. Men could imagine whatever they wanted from the dark, but imagination was all they received unless I said otherwise.

Here, no one tried to arrange my future. No one decided what name I answered to. I was Vesper, and for the next four minutes, I owned this room.

I moved beneath the lights, letting the black silk robe slip from one shoulder and then the other. The bass curled around me, deep and rhythmic, while silver reflections moved across the mirrored walls. Men leaned forward. Women watched too, some curious, some admiring, some with the keen interest of people wondering what it would feel like to stand beneath the light and know an entire room was waiting for their next move.

Through it all, I kept track of the two Armenian men.

The taller one had left his table. The shorter one remained, but his chair had shifted closer to the private corridor.

I kept dancing.

When the song ended, the room erupted in applause. Money covered the edge of the stage, scattered across the surface like pale green confetti. I collected my robe, tied it loosely around my waist, and descended the side stairs with my shoulders pulled back and my chin held high.

Theo, one of the new security men, was waiting at the bottom. He was built like a concrete wall in an expensive suit and generally spoke no more than three words at a time. Tonight, his expression was even harder than usual, which made me immediately suspicious.