Chapter 85

ASHER

As luck would have it, Jonathon is the first face we see when we step into the club, which is already buzzing with preparations for the night ahead. His expression falls noticeably when he realizes Maddison isn’t with us. I don’t let his obvious disappointment deter me, though.

I keep moving, pretending he’s not there, and head straight for the hallway that I know leads to Fennick. Jonathon’s footsteps echo behind us, along with his voice as he trails after us.

“Where’s Maddison?” he asks, his tone laced with contempt.

“In bed,” I reply, sticking to the story Callum instructed me to tell. I had wanted to say she was at work or at Starbucks, but Callum pointed out that people like Jonathon and Fennick would have her under surveillance and would know she hadn’t been at work all week.

My attempt at humor with a “people like you then?” comment to Callum didn’t go over well. I guess it was a bit harsh and not really funny.

We stop in front of a door, and Jonathon brushes past Addison to unlock it with a key fob. I notice her flinch, but I don’t say anything, keeping my focus straight ahead.

I have no doubt that Jonathon has crossed a line with Addison. Her look of confusion and desperation confirms my suspicion. I can’t erase her past, but I can protect her now and in the future.

So, I switch her position with Ebony, moving her to my left and Ebony to my right. I don’t think he’s done anything to Ebony. She doesn’t react to him, and there’s no change in her demeanor.

Addison mouths a silent “thank you” to me, and we continue on to Fennick. He’s exactly where he was last Saturday, surrounded by paperwork and stacks of cash.

~Déjà vu~, I think. It seems like this is his day to show off his wealth, earned off the backs of trafficked teenagers. The thought makes me sick.

I wonder if he also takes advantage of the girls or if he just profits from their exploitation.

“Asher, cutting it close again, aren’t we?” Fennick greets me, his voice smooth and amused. He finds my lateness amusing for some reason.

I find his humor irritating, even if only slightly. “It’s Saturday, you see them, and now we’ll be leaving…” I mumble. That’s the plan; Callum wants me to get in and out as quickly as possible.

“Not so fast, son. Where is Maddison?” he asks. I clench my jaw, rolling my eyes. Maddison warned me they wouldn’t be happy about her absence, and now I’ll have to admit she was right.

I didn’t think they’d make such a fuss. “As I told him, Maddison’s in bed. She isn’t well,” I confess.

A mix of emotions flickers across his face as he glances at Jonathon and then back at me. “Oh, what’s wrong with her?” Fennick asks.

I watch Jonathon shift uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye, hating him for pretending to care about Maddison when he clearly abuses her and his position in this organization.

“Just a stomach bug. I didn’t want to wake her for such a trivial meeting…” I recite Callum’s story flawlessly. The fact that he made me rehearse it over and over again has paid off.

The lie sounds convincing. Maybe it’s some kind of reverse psychology, tricking my brain into believing it’s the truth.

“The deal was—”

“I’ll stop you there. I have no contract for Maddison. After all, you made me pay for her on a whim. So no, I don’t need to bring her, and I won’t make her get up when she’s feeling terrible! When there’s no need.”

Fennick raises his eyebrows and leans back, bringing his fingers to his lips. It’s a gesture I’ve seen Zach do when he’s deep in thought during a meeting.

I can tell I’ve made an impression on him. His smirk grows slowly, like he’s trying to resist the urge to let it take permanent residence on his face.

“All right… But I need to see her within the week. Jonathon misses her; he didn’t anticipate her being away this long. He wants her back home, where she belongs.”

I choke back my words, the question burning on my tongue: does he truly think Maddison or any other girl in this place belongs here, under his control?

But I swallow the words down, trying not to let them spill out as I attempt to keep my cool. “When she’s better, I’ll make sure she’s here,” I fib.

I’m praying she won’t have to return at all, but Callum wants her back to collect the things he needs. I stand tall, a defiant look on my face, daring him to insist I bring her back immediately or tell me I can’t leave.

That would only work in our favor, but he just sits back up, dismissively rifling through his paperwork.

“All right, same time next week?” he inquires.

“Within the week, as agreed,” I respond before turning to leave with both girls. Now that he’s expecting us next Saturday, I might just change the day to annoy him.

This is happening on my terms, not his. Ebony clings to me again, and Addison walks ahead of us, my hand resting at the small of her back as we exit the building the same way we entered—without any drama.

The cool, fresh air hits us like a slap in the face, but none of us pause until we’re safely back in my car. Another week survived—thank goodness.