I take a deep breath when I reach the black door, then apprehensively turn the knob.

The lights are dim when I walk in, so all I see is the profile of a shadowy figure sitting on the couch. The smoke from the lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth wafts through the air.

But then he turns his head…

And those intense, menacing eyes lock on me.

My stomach twists, my insides welling with dread.

How does he know?

Why is he here?

The second question is easy to answer. He’s here to terrorize me…because that’s all Knox is capable of.

I’m about to tell him off, but then I remember I have my mask on.

There’s a chance—albeit a very slim one—that Knox just came here looking for a lap dance from a random redhead.

God, that sounds stupid even to my own ears.

He’s here because of me.

I back up, intending to make a run for the changing room.

He’s caught me off guard and I need time to figure out a plan for how to deal with my nemesis knowing my secret.

“Come closer, Aspen.” His voice is a rumble of smoke and ashes. “Or should I say…Ginger.”

I don’t move a muscle.

“What are you doing here?” I whisper, defeat rushing through me.

He brings his cigarette to his mouth. “I told you there would be consequences.”

I’d assumed those consequences would be him tormenting me even more than usual…not digging up my dirty little secret.

He crooks a finger. “Come here.”

I don’t want to, but I have no choice.

I’m now his unwilling pawn.

“Monster” by Meg Myers plays through the speakers as I make my way over to where he is.

I’m about to sit down on the other end of the couch, but he shakes his head. “By the pole.”

If he thinks I’m going to dance and strip for him, he’s out of his damn mind.

“No.”

He stares me down in challenge, but I refuse.

When it’s clear I’m not going to budge, he cocks his head and smirks. Almost like he expected me to snub his request.

“I guess I’ll have to tell your mom and my dad about your after-school job then.” Veiled in his threatening tone, there’s also a hint of amusement. Like this is funny to him. “See how aggravating it is when someone threatens you?”

My heart lodges in my throat as I stand in front of the pole. “How long have you known?”

His face hardens as he snuffs out his cigarette. “Since the first night you started.”

I want to ask how he found out, but I’m too distracted by the fact that he’s known about this for so long.

Yet, he hasn’t told me or presumably anyone else about it.

Which means he was either saving this little bomb in his back pocket so he can fuck with me at the time of his choosing…

Or he wants something in exchange for his silence.

A smug smile curves his lips. “Shouldn’t you be dancing?”

I look him right in the eyes. “I don’t dance for douchebags.”

Fear skitters up my spine when he stands, eyeing me like a serial killer eyes his next victim.

The room feels smaller, the air growing thin as he approaches. The pole digs into my back the closer he gets.

Instinctively, my hand flies up to protect my throat.

Knox dips his head, his lips ghosting over my ear before he speaks. “You’ll do anything I want you to, Stray.”

I ignore the goosebumps breaking out along my flesh and steel myself, unwilling to give in to the fear pumping through me, because that’s exactly what he wants. “So that’s how this is gonna work now? You’re gonna blackmail me by telling people about my job?”

A job I desperately need.

I wince when he grips my chin between his fingers. “Blackmail would imply that I want something.” His gaze drops down, his features twisting with disgust as he takes in my sparkly black bikini top and booty shorts. “But you have nothing that I want.”

We both know that’s a lie.

There’s a thin line between hate and lust…and he walks across it like a tightrope master.

But even the greatest ones can lose their balance.

I press a hand to his chest, ushering him toward the couch.

He steps back without protest, a glint of intrigue in his harsh features.

When he sits, I step between his parted legs. “I’m pretty sure I have something you’ve always wanted.”

He sits like a stone, his expression giving nothing away as I slowly begin moving to the music.

I hook my thumbs into the sides of my shorts, lowering them enough to reveal the top of my G-string.

There’s a flash of challenge in his eyes now, daring me to make my next move.

Holding his stare, I slip them down my legs and step out of them. Then I spin around, giving him a deliberate roll of my ass and sway of my hips before I plant myself in his lap.

Knox might have all the power right now, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to fuck with him a little.

“What if I let you take me right here?”

He doesn’t say a word, but I feel the hard ridge of his cock between my legs, so I taunt him more, grazing the length of him with my ass as I dance.

“Or would you like it better if I begged for it like a good girl?”

I’m about to end this little tease, but he grabs my hips. A deep grunt leaves him as he thrusts upward, grinding his hard dick into me.

My skin tightens, and my stomach dips as everything around me starts to spin.

He fists my hair, yanking my head back before running his nose up the side of my neck. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

I open my mouth to tell him to fuck off, but his hand clamps around my jaw, tilting my head so his lips can capture mine.

His mouth is savage and hungry. A reward and a punishment.

My heart picks up speed as his fingers tighten around my jaw and he feeds me his tongue in greedy strokes, giving me no choice but to take it. He runs the metal barbell against the roof of my mouth and I fight back a shiver from the sensation.

One hand drops to my neck while the other slides down the length of my torso. To my horror, a moan escapes me. I dig my nails into his thigh, warning him to stop, but that only makes him deepen the torture by skimming his thumb along the edge of my panties, teasing me.

Coming to my senses, I clamp down on his tongue until I taste the hint of copper.