Chapter 96

MADDISON

The act of guiding Dante back to Gabby is one of the most heartwarming experiences I’ve ever had in Sanctum. The knowledge that I’m leading a man to her who is there solely to assist, to provide her some respite, and not to lay a hand on her is… I can’t find the words to express the whirlwind of emotions I’m feeling right now.

Asher has faith in his father, and his father has faith in this man. My thoughts drift back to that day in the office when Dante was sitting there, and I was trying to figure out where I had seen him before.

It’s only now that I realize he’s a regular at Sanctum, and Kacy wasn’t his only acquaintance. And by regular, I mean he’s been frequenting this place for months.

Sometimes he stays in one of the rooms, like he did this afternoon, and sometimes he takes the girls with him. He doesn’t stick around for the open nights in Mr. Fennick’s playroom, like last night.

He maintains a two-step distance behind me, his steps measured and silent as we pass by Mr. Fennick. A brief greeting and nod from Dante seem to satisfy him as I continue my stride through the room, heading straight back to Gabby.

“This way, sir,” I call out when I notice he’s lagging more than two steps behind.

“Could I get a drink? I’m quite thirsty,” he asks, clearing his throat as I stand in the open doorway.

What’s he up to?

“Hope.” Mr. Fennick rises from his seat, abandoning his laptop to approach Dante, noticing my inappropriate behavior.

I stand there, dumbfounded for a moment, wondering what on earth is going on.

Three sharp snaps of his fingers bring me back to reality as I glance from Dante to Mr. Fennick and then back at the laptop.

Suddenly, it dawns on me that Dante is stalling for a reason, and I need to play along. He may be old—no, ancient—but I’m sure he has his demands.

“Of course, sir. What would you like? We have—”

“Hendrix with a slice of lime, two cubes of ice. Poured, not shaken,” he cuts me off with a smirk.

“Excellent choice, Jeffrey,” Mr. Fennick comments, accompanying Dante toward the bar where I’m preparing his drink exactly as he requested.

I use the tongs to pick up two ice cubes, dropping them into the glass before selecting a slice of lime. Then, I tilt the glass at an angle to pour the whiskey over the ice.

Both men watch me intently, and I plaster on my professional smile.

“There we go, sir. Would you like anything else, or can I guide you back to your paradise now?”

“I’d like to be taken back to my girl now, thank you… Hope,” Dante replies.

“Very well, this way, sir.” I quickly head toward the door I had just released.

At that moment, I’m convinced Dante is in direct contact with Callum and their team. He was asked to stall, to buy them the time they needed to copy data, emails…whatever evidence they need.

I know Callum mentioned they would be duplicating the laptop’s contents onto a blank one, but I’m not entirely sure what that involves or how it works.

However, I’m absolutely certain they’ve obtained some sort of information they were after during that brief pause.

Dante picks up his pace, striving to keep up with me as I practically sprint toward the room where I left Gabby.

Despite my training, I can’t help but look back.

In that glance, I notice Mr. Fennick observing us with a raised eyebrow.

“Will I be having you, too?” Dante asks in a tone I assume is for Mr. Fennick’s benefit.

He grabs my bottom, touching me inappropriately, making me wince.

Another look back, and I see Mr. Fennick smirking as if that’s exactly what he expected Dante to do.

“It will cost you more,” I recite the line I’ve been trained to say.

“I think you’ll be worth it,” he whispers into my neck as my hand turns the doorknob.

“If that’s okay with you, Fennick?”

“Why, of course, Hope will take payment before you leave…” he responds cheerfully.

He’s already one foot inside the back room, not wanting to waste any more of Dante’s time and money.

He’s squeezing every last dime from the unfortunate guy, and as much as I hate to admit it, the more time he spends with Gabby and me, the less likely she’ll be exploited and the more I can share about the information I collected this morning.

I’m aware that Callum gave me the green light to proceed, but there’s nothing quite like hearing it out loud that I did everything correctly.

I step into the room, my gaze briefly meeting Gabby’s.

Her eyes are filled with a dread that’s tinged with fear, and I yearn to reassure her that everything will be okay, but the reality is that while things might be okay now, this afternoon, there’s no guarantee for the days ahead.

The door closes behind Dante, the sound of the lock clicking into place easing some of my worries.

“What happened to you? Are you all right?” he asks me right away, catching me off guard.

“Um, what?” I respond, confused.

He approaches me, examining my face and arms before circling around to my back.

“What did they hit you with?” he questions me in a voice that’s soft and shaky.

His voice belies his age, despite his youthful appearance.

“I…I,” I stammer.

“Maddison, I’ve been sent here to take care of you, to ensure your safety. But I can’t help if you don’t tell me about your injuries.”

“I’m okay,” I lie, my dress tugging at the welts beneath it.

“I beg to differ…” he says. “Your eyes are red, your cheeks are flushed. You’re clearly in pain, and your walk is stiff,” he points out.

I thought I was doing a good job of hiding the pain, concealing the fact that my lower back and bottom were burning and oozing with every step I took.

Apparently, I’m not as good at pretending as I thought I was.

“It’s nothing; I’m okay…” I insist through clenched teeth.

After all, I don’t need his pity. I don’t need this man to act like he cares.

His fingers press between my shoulder blades, his breath uncomfortably close.

“Please, don’t make me undress you to find out. Please cooperate with me, Maddison. I don’t want to violate you in order to help you!” he pleads in a frustrated tone.

I swallow my fear as his fingers trace the upper half of my spine.

He’s getting dangerously close to the oozing wounds that are causing me so much pain.

I glance at Gabby, her face a mask of confusion and her body shaking as she stands silently, terrified, in front of us. I’m supposed to be a role model for these girls, guiding them through this difficult time in their lives and shielding them from the worst.

It’s her that convinces me to play along, to set an example and accept Dante’s help, and by extension, the help of Asher’s parents.

I reach around to unzip the side of my dress, letting it slide off my body. It falls to the floor without a sound, pooling around my feet.

And there I am, standing in front of this man in my underwear. A thong, because less fabric seemed more comfortable.

And a matching bra, because that’s what’s expected of me. I stand there, eyes straight ahead, counting the seconds as they pass.

“He’s going to lose it when he sees this,” is all Dante says, his voice breaking the silence.