𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨
﹥━━━━━━━━━━﹤

"Now that we're almost there, listen up," Lydia speaks for the first time during the whole hour long car ride out of the city.

Jabari, driving, turns down the music and puts the windows up so he can listen.

I sit up in the passenger seat to be attentive.

"There's rules at the joint, you'll follow them if you don't want to blow your covers. No flash photography. In fact, no photography at all. Don't spend too much time without being in the company of one of the girls. Anything goes but it's about taste; there are different rooms for different things. One will have a friendly game of poker, the next room could be a burlesque show, another a brothel..."

Lydia's rules were heard, just not comprehended. I don't give a shit about them because I didn't plan on drawing any attention to myself or being there too long.
Jabari and Andy know what to do, as well. If everything goes accordingly, we'll be in and out.
Lydia, however, does understand her role if we have to go to plan B. I'm hoping it won't come to that.

"Ready?" Lydia asks me, forcing her arm to link with mine.

I look down at her through the holes of my mask and tell her that I am.

Jabari and Andy went ahead of us so it didn't look like we all arrived together.

JB went in under the guise of a curious millionaire while Andy caught up with a pair of women who he happened to charm and walk inside with.

I'm going as Mrs.Augustin's right hand man, or date. She advised me to let her do all the talking so I am.

"Password?" The man asks upon our arrival.

He's oddly warm and inviting, eager to welcome in anyone who belongs.
That's just it, though, will he see that we don't belong?

"I must've forgotten it." Lydia tries to excuse the fact that she never knew it in the first place.

"No password, no entry." The secondary guard angrily cuts in. He's much less hospitable than his co-worker here.

The first man, who dawns a smile on his unmasked face, puts his hand to the other's chest.
"Remember." he sternly says to Lydia, his grin spreading slowly across his stiff face.

Lydia clears her throat and then removes her arm from my grasp. I tighten, trying to stop her from letting go, but she insists, pulling away.

All it takes is one quick glance at Lydia and the man steps aside to let us in.

I look at Lydia curiously but she just puts her mask back on and nods at the guard.

"That's Lydia Augustin," I hear one of the men whisper behind our backs.

Once inside, I whisper to Lydia, "What was that?"

"I told you," she says, talking to me as we stroll through the foyer, "Raymond owes me."

I make note of everything I see, but so far that isn't much. Inside of the manor is regular, opposing my assumptions. I expected, well, some sort of dungeon and girls being passed around like at a Diddy party.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I excuse myself from Lydia's arm to answer it.

A text from JB reads:

We found her

Relief washes over me. I can finally breathe. The mere fact that they've laid eyes on Morgan is enough to keep me going.

I push my phone away into the pocket of my slacks and proceed forward with Lydia.

Only, we're stopped by two women in sheer sequin dresses.

They stand before me, smirking, standing tall in their high heels.

I look them over, observing the red knees that stands out from their otherwise ashen skin.

Both women place gloved hands on each of my shoulders.

Lydia tries to speak up for me. "He's with me ladies." She says, cutting in.

In unison, the masked escorts snap their necks in Lydia's direction. It's enough to ward Lydia off.
She knew not to speak up anyway, it's the rules: if someone approaches you and taps you on the shoulder, you must go with them. The way it was explained to me, it's like slow dancing with someone and letting another person ask to step in. Of course you can say no, but you don't want to - it's rude. I didn't object to avoid bringing attention to ourselves, if we didn't obey the rules we'd look like noobs and raise some eyebrows.

Besides, I didn't want to be attached to Lydia all night. I had things to see, people to find. We'd look suspicious together in this setting, anyway; people might know about all the time Lydia's been spending with me as we've worked on her project together.

With nothing more but a nod of the head, I allow the model to take me wherever she pleases.

My curious nature wants to pull the girl aside and ask where Morgan was being kept and why she's doing this.

Though, before I can, we approach a portrait on the wall that brings me to a halt, demanding my frozen gaze.

"Right this way," the woman vocally guides me through the hole in the wall.

Before following her lead, I take in my surroundings. The candles lit along the walls shine on the other portraits lining the dark corridor and I finally see that Morgan's face is plastered all over.

Regret is what I immediately feel after looking at the price tag attached to the portrait.

How they even got the photo of Morgan in the first place is beyond me, and to advertise her all over is another thing, but the fact that some sick fuck is going to win it in an auction sends me into a deeper fit of anger.

"I'll take this one, too." Lydia's voice sneaks up on me.

I turn on my heels to see her walking with a guised man.

"This one is ten thousand," he reminds her.

The wave of her hand is enough for the man to clap his hands and rush a guard to remove the portrait from the wall.

I can't see Lydia's face behind the mask, but I just know she winked at me and has a smirk across her red-painted lips.

"Keep it movin'." The guard says to me, pushing me in my back.

I stumble inside of the hole in the wall, unveiling an underground speakeasy of sorts. . . I just don't think they're down here doing slam poetry.

I'm led to a table and pushed down into the velvety seat.

The woman who led me here, slides a glass near me and takes a glass of champagne from the neighboring table.

She stares me in the eyes while letting the champagne stream into my glass.

"How about you drink that and a few more, then come find me?" She says to me in an obviously flirtatious voice.

Knowing what she wants, I pull out a twenty dollar bill. Mostly I just wanted to get rid of her.

Pleased, the woman pushes it into her garter.

With a short laugh, she switches away.

In the next instant, the crowd's incessant cheering prompts me to give my attention to the stage.

"Life in plastic, she's fantastic. Give it up for Barbie!" The MC left of the stage announces.

The blonde confidently walks onto the stage.

I've heard this song before, I say in my head. It's by Lana Del Rey, I think. No, I'm sure, Morgan plays it a lot.

The busty dancer begins to move sensually towards the pole.

I look around and spot Jabari and Andy near the bar.

They locate me too and send an affirming nod.

That's Morgan on the stage, I can tell. I know all of her like the back of my hand. That's her tattoo-less body, her blonde hair with stubborn face-framing curls, those are the same long legs that I compliment all the time for being so buttery soft and glowing.

Her warm-ivory skin glistens under the spotlight as she fiercely entertains the sea of salivating men and women.

"Barbie" is a fiery, people-pleasing dancer who collects her tips from each sucker who gets entranced by her beauty as she walks the floor.

And what a fitting name for her - Barbie. I'm just hoping she won't get naked, my gun doesn't have enough bullets for everyone here.

After she works a woman at the table near mine, Barbie spots me.

She dances over to me and sways along to the music.

"I know what only the girls know..." the sultry voice sings through the speakers.

After a curious look up and down, she throws herself at me.

Powdery notes, amber and musk hits my nose. It's her, alright. I could never not recognize her signature, warm and alluring scent.

I get excited to be near her again, reaching out for Morgan as she performs in front of me.

Humoring herself and the crowd, Morgan [Barbie] slaps my hand away.

Warmth radiates off of her body, confirming my suspicions that it's my fiancé - I can physically and spiritually feel it. Besides, no one else has the ability to make me lose myself the way she does.

Morgan drops her weight on my lap and it's a familiar feeling, I know her body well. She twirls and bounces on me wildly, selling herself as a stripper.

At the conclusion of the song, this Barbie character grabs me by the head and pushes our mask together to kiss the plastic covering my lips. The crowd goes wild.

I gotta give it to her, she definitely knows how to put on a show. I get flashbacks to the night at Fat Angel's where Morgan performed that 'Butterfly' lap dance for me.

Since I'm playing the part— and just enjoyed the dance— I whip out a hundred dollar bill.

She leans forward, breasts proudly on display in my face, and waits expectantly.

I slip the hundred in her cleavage and earn another round of applause from the crowd.

I stand after her and offer my hand for her to take so we can get out of here together.

No, but that would've been too easy, wouldn't it?

Tate appears. The fact that he's the only one showing his face is telling.

An uncontrollable sense of infuriation makes my chest inflate and fists clench as I witness Tate grab Morgan by the waist.

Tate strokes her hair. "If you want her, you have to pay." He chuckles.

"—Alright everybody, give it up for Barbie!" The DJ fires up the crowd once again.

A hand on my shoulder from behind makes me turn, but hesitantly.

It's the same escort from before.

"Ready for me now?" She asks in a low voice.

Ignoring her, I turn back, ready to ask Tate how much, but he's gone.

A million questions swarm my mind: where is he taking her? What is he going to have her do next? When is the auction? Will I get to see her again? Should I follow them? How do I pay for her?

Jabari, who I recognize by his mask and suit, cuts in to distract the girl from me.

She shows him to a door and they pass through once another couple exits.

Andy pretends to bump into me, knocking a cigar and lighter out of his hands.

I bend down beside him to help, and he slyly whispers, "You see Morgan?"

"Yeah. Tate said I have to pay for her time, what does he mean and how do I do that?" I ask him discreetly.

"Let me," Andy suggests, rising up. "Give me five minutes."

I nod my head and watch him follow after Tate.

✕

Five minutes feels like a fucking lifetime, I internally complain as I pace down the hall.

My phone vibrates again and I eagerly rip it out of my pocket in hopes that it's Andy telling me he's found Morgan.

It's JB, instead.

He texts:

Found Jasmine. The plan is off I'm getting her out of here now

Why the fuck would he do something so stupid? He's about to put all of us at risk and we're so close!

I start to reply, but I'm pushed into a room.

I'm ready to swing but Andy reveals himself to me under the mask.

"Bro," I roar, "did you see J's text—"

"Chris?!" Morgan's voice appears immediately after hearing mine.

I look around Andy's body and see Morgan without a mask, in this little white, long sleeve and shorts lace romper outfit with a cutout on the stomach, over a v-string panty.

She'll have to excuse my wandering eyes, I know this isn't the time, but I can't help myself.

"I thought you were dead!" She cries out, lunging herself at my body.

"Dead? Why would I be dead?" I ask out of confusion.

She shakes her head. "Doesn't matter. What are you doing here?"

"Letting you tease me." I return, laughing.

I take the hundred from Morgan's chest and she laughs faintly.

"I knew that was you! Wait, what took you so long?" She asks why I didn't rescue her right away.

Finding myself staring at her, I bite my lip.

"You made my dick hard," I shrug.

Morgan starts to smile ear to ear. "Really? Aww!"

I hug her tight, making sure she feels that she's the center of my life, and don't let go for some minutes.

"Okay, we really have to go," Andy speaks up, "JB needs us."

"Shit! I forgot!" I roar, mentally kicking myself.

Against my expectations, there's two knocks at the door.

Morgan hurries to put her mask back on, so do Andy and I.

I push her behind my back in case whoever is on the other side of the door is prepared to attack, and Andy is to my right.

After one more strict knock, Andy says to me, "Just start making out, you're supposed to be fucking in here."

I don't hesitate to hungrily bend Morgan over the bed.

She dramatizes her moans to sell it, but it mostly just turns me on.

If someone doesn't come interrupting us, I might kick Andy out and fuck her right here, my thoughts race.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The banging quickly becomes impatient and then, finally, there's an intrusion.

"A-hem," Andy clears his throat.

One of the two guards stops and asks Andy to state his business here.

"I paid five k to watch." Andy makes up, looming in the corner.

"We'll wrap it ip," the security guard grumbles. "she's needed."

"How much?" Andy asks for a price to have more time.

"How much for what?" The man wonders.

"Another five minutes," Andy smirks arrogantly to sway the two henchmen.

"Your money isn't necessary, Tate and his father have asked for her personally." The man behind the purge mask tells us.

Just the mention of his name fills me with rage. I can't help but feel angry and want to hurt him, I try to contain myself and only feel a sense of ease once I realize, as soon as I lay eyes on him, I won't have to anymore.

"Well I'm not done with her," I speak up.

All heads turn to face me.

The first guard laughs out loud but in a taunting fashion, sarcastic even.

He grabs Morgan by the arm and looks right at me, then says, "I wouldn't keep Tate or his father waiting."