by Abby Angel
It’s the walk of shame, and yet I have nothing to feel shameful for.
My night with Finn was fabulous. Every woman should be so lucky.
In the back of the cab, I go through the day’s business. First things first: I have to check my bank account.
I know I’m rich, but Anders has access to it, too. We’ve shared the same account ever since we were young. Our parents always wanted to make sure we had enough money. And, until recently, we did.
Thanks to my personal sacrifice, we’re three billion dollars richer, though I wouldn’t call any of it a sacrifice.
I check the accounts and feel worried as I see that there’s about $250 million missing.
What the fuck? He did it again.
I’m cursing Anders all the way home.
How can he blow through money so quickly?
I wish there was a way to freeze him out of my bank account. He’s gonna ruin us all over again.
Once I get home to the Park Avenue apartment, I hurry upstairs and change my clothes. I don a silky white top and a black business suit. I have to get to Highmore Chocolates and make sure everything is in order.
My driver takes me. I’ve had enough of cabs for one day. He pulls up, and I get in, all the while checking my phone for any activity.
It’s no surprise Anders wasn’t home. He practically lives on the streets. I shudder to think of his lifestyle and how close to death he probably is at any time.
It’s my biggest fear: getting that phone call to hear that he’s dead. I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time.
My entire mission in life revolves around getting him into treatment. But there’s nothing I can do unless he agrees to go.
I’m pissed at the staggering amount of money that’s missing from our account. I’m cursing him in my head and wondering how my own big brother could have leveraged my virginity for the sake of his addiction.
The office feels like home. It’s a building that my parents rehabilitated. It’s got a brick façade and looks old. But once you get inside, everything’s modern.
“Hi, Aurora,” my assistant says. “Is there anything you need today?”
“Thanks, Alyssa, I just need some espresso if you’ve got it.”
“Sure thing.”
I don’t make it into the office very often. I spend most of my days worried about Anders and tracking him down.
But things are running pretty smoothly here with our vice-president in place. She’s been here since before my parents died.
The only problem here is that we’re constantly bleeding money. No one knows that the reason is Anders. No one suspects that their jobs are on the line based on his late-night binging.
It wouldn’t do to have them know either. I don’t need panic-stricken employees quitting on me once they find out that we could go under virtually any day.
In my little office, I feel at home. My parents designed it for me, and it’s my favorite place to be.
Modern white accents feature plush surroundings and various seating areas. They wanted Anders and me to run the business one day. Too bad we got to this place so quickly and, instead of having a partner, I have a drug-addicted brother.
I feel like I have too much on my shoulders. I feel like the world is caving in.
If I lose Anders, I will have lost everything.
Immediately I call my financial advisor. He’s admonishing me for spending so much money. If only I could tell him that no, it was Anders. He needs help, and I don’t how to give it to him.
Instead, I go over our various options for investing the money we have to keep the business going. It’s a boring meeting, but at the back of my mind is the feeling of Finn between my legs.
I miss him. I wish he could come in and take care of everything.
For once, I’d like to not have to be the most responsible person in the room.
For once, I’d like to breathe freely and know that everything’s gonna be okay.
Chapter 23
Jasper
The air is thick with smoke.
Not cigarette smoke. Shit, no.
It’s the artificial stuff, the kind that gives the right mood in a strip club.
You don’t want to see the girls in bright, neon-type lighting. Oh no, it’s got to be just the right kind of fucking light.
Apparently, research has been done into this shit. And according to research, strip clubs need smoke, and lots of it. I do as my manager suggests. He’s a fucking genius and is my right-hand man.
The lighting, the smoke—it’s all very sexy and it makes me a ton of fucking money. Of course, the club has to have the best of the best and the latest in state-of-the-art technology. It pays to stand out, and we do.
My club caters to the elite. It’s not open to the public, and only the people who think they are somebody can join. If you’ve got money, lots of it, then you’re somebody.
We’re here to offer top-of-the-line service to the rich and famous. If you haven’t got money, forget it, you’re not welcome. I don’t believe in charity in the entertainment industry.
For charity, I might make a donation to some worthy cause, but it doesn’t belong in my club.
Fuck, my girls are too valuable to have some deadbeat low-life touching them. They deserve better, and we certainly cater to that. I’ve got the best of the best working for me. My girls are more valuable than most elite athletes.
I keep membership prices steep. You’ve got to be committed and have the bucks behind you if you want to be a member.
Another way we stand out: we offer memberships to both men and women. We’re not an exclusive male club. Fuck, I don’t believe in segregation like that.
Let a woman in, I say, if she’s prepared to pay. I won’t even ask why she’s here.
I’m leaning against the side of the bar and watching the show. We’ve hired a new dancer.
My eyes scan the room. It’s not overly crowded yet. I don’t recognize anyone important.
It’s a good idea to get the girl used to the place when we’re not packed. It can be intimidating to be here dancing when the place is packed.
When it’s that crowded, some of the men—and a few women—try and get onto the stage. Our bouncers have their hands full on those nights.
No doubt about it, the new girl I’m watching has talent. Her upper body bends backwards until her hands touch the floor behind her back. She kicks her right leg up in the air, followed by the left. When she stands again, she’s holding her panties in her right hand.
A lot of the guys near the front are cheering and clapping. For once, I only appreciate the show for the skill involved.
Sure, I can see the woman is hot. She’s got class. Black long hair cascades down her naked back. Her tits look fleshy and adorned with soft pink nipples. Flat abdomen, and I’m sure her pussy is as good as the rest of her.
Strangely, though, I don’t feel the need to go over and fuck this beauty. Black Beauty. Her name should be Black Beauty, I decide, and make a mental note to raise this with Cam, my manager, later.
The new girl is not alone onstage. There are four others alongside her.
Two of them are now naked, with only their thongs still on, the one piece they usually keep on to collect their well-earned tip.
Black Beauty took hers off in that amazing backwards walkover. I wonder how she’ll collect her tips.
Seconds later, she tosses her tight black mini skirt into a small group of men huddled near the front.
Now I can see a thin gold belt around her waist, a belt soon holding numerous hundred-dollar bills.
“What brings you here today, boss?” Cam taps me on the shoulder.
I spin around. “Checking up on business.”
I don’t like it when people surprise me like this. My fist instinctively came up to my chin into a defensive position.
“Chill, man,” Cam laughs at my fist.
Fuck, if anyone scares me like that from behind, they’re taking their life into
their own hands.
“How are things going?” I ask and look back at the dancing girls.
This new girl knows the most amazing moves. She seems to be super flexible, and right now, I can’t work out where her body begins, her legs and arms end, and her head is.
“You mean with the new girl?” Cam thrusts his chin in the direction of the dancer.
“She’s good, I can tell. She’ll pull the men in,” I say.
“Business is great. The figures for last month were stable, not high, not low. Nothing drastic to report. I don’t think we’re doing better than last year, but we’re also doing no worse.”
“Good,” I say casting my eyes in the direction of Black Beauty.
What the fuck is wrong with me? Normally, I’d be all over her. But something in it feels wrong, like I’d be betraying Aurora or my true goddamn feelings.
Even though this woman is awesome, my cock’s…I mean, my heart’s just not in it. Part of the reason may be that in my head, I keep comparing her to Aurora.
Aurora, who has milky white skin, perfect curves, gorgeous blue eyes, and angelic features.
Aurora, who is exquisitely delicate, unique, and otherworldly.
Aurora.
It’s fucking obvious. I’m obsessed with Aurora.
“I’ll be seeing you.” I turn away from the show. “There’s something I need to do.”
“Later,” Cam walks away and gives me a casual wave.
With large strides, I leave the club and head home. I’ve got something important on my mind.
Back in my penthouse, I take to the punching bag. It’s in the gym that I’ve outfitted with every manner of equipment essential to keeping up good health.
The punching bag is naturally my favorite feature. It comes in handy when I’ve got shit going on in my life. Right now, I need to it to vent and work up a fucking sweat.
Left jab, right jab, and left again. I go over and over, pounding my aggression and inner turmoil out on the bag. It becomes clear to me what the fuck I need to do, and yet I’m resisting.
I’m not the type to resist. I’m full of fucking action.
But I can’t do what I want. I promised my brothers. We all promised.
We promised not to go after Aurora. And yet I can’t stop thinking about her.
I want her. My fucking cock wants more.
Ever since that night, when we took her virginity, I haven’t been the same. I’ve increased my workouts and spent more hours at work, but nothing’s helped.
I’m like some lovesick puppy.
Only one way to fix it. Call her, fuck her, and get her out of my system. Easy. With any luck, my brothers will never know I broke the brotherhood bond.
What the fuck am I talking about? We hardly get along as it is.
Does it really matter if I go against my own word? They’ll never even know. I just need one more time with her to get her out of my system.
Sweat is pouring down my back and chest, and I stop. I’m breathing heavily and feel no better. The urge to punch someone is still surging through me like massive electric currents.
Instead of keeping on with my impromptu boxing session, I walk over to my desk. In the top drawer, I’ve got her phone number.
I doubt the others asked for it. I did, and I got it.
As I stare at the numbers, written by her, I feel my cock stir to life. I have to call her. I owe it to my cock.
Since fucking Aurora, my dick’s hasn’t been interested in any other pussy. It’s never gone this long between good fucks.
I take a deep breath and enter the numbers from the paper into my phone.
One ring, two rings, three rings, and I’m about to hang up when I hear her breathless voice come through the receiver.
“Hello, Aurora speaking.”
Such delicate tones. Her voice is music to my cock.
“Hi, Aurora. It’s Jasper.”
“Hi,” she says simply.
I think she’s purring. My cock’s rock hard.
“How are you?”
Small talk is usually not my thing, but I want to make this moment last as long as I can.
“Fine, and you?”
“Good. I just wanted to make sure you’re fine after the other night and not, you know…” I trail off because I’m not exactly sure where I’m going with this.
“I feel great, thank you for asking.”
I can’t believe how fucking polite she is.
“And I wanted to see if you’d meet me again.”
Here goes nothing. I’ll find out if she says yes or no. Up until I actually asked the question, I never considered she’d say no. But suddenly, I’m not so sure.
I mean, no woman has ever said no to me, Jasper Grayson. I’d hate this to be the first time.
“Sounds great. Where are we going?”
I chuckle and feel a sense of victory. “Let me surprise you.”
It’ll be one date she won’t forget in a hurry. I’ll make sure of it.
Chapter 24
Aurora
With a slightly trembling hand, I hang up the phone.
I can’t believe he just called me.
I never expected to hear from Jasper Grayson again.
He’s the bad boy of the three brothers—that much is clear. So I never thought I’d see him again. I thought for sure things with us would go no farther than a one-night stand.
Don’t get me wrong…it was a pretty hot night.
I close my eyes for a minute and just try to remember the way Jasper felt with his hands on my body. The image of his perfect cock and how it felt inside of me is enough to make me come right here.
A part of me wants to sneak back to my bedroom and masturbate to the thought of him. There’s another part of me that’s extremely worried about Anders.
Damn him. He ruins all my fun with the men. He ruins all my fun—period.
No matter how happy I am, ultimately, I’m always worried about Anders. He has an addiction. And it’s not going anywhere soon.
I decide to call Dr. Pembroke. He has to have some ideas on what we can do for Anders. Pushing all thoughts of Jasper and how badly I want him out of my mind, I get down to business.
“Dr. Pembroke? Hi, it’s Aurora again. How are you?”
“Aurora, so nice to hear from you. How’s your brother?”
“That’s the thing. That’s why I’m calling. He’s been out again. And he hasn’t been home in several days. I’m really starting to worry, and I think he might be in really bad shape,” I say with sadness in my voice.
“Oh, dear, that’s not good. Not good at all. He has to keep clean for a while, or those drugs are gonna take over his system, and he will need a serious amount of detoxing. When was the last thing you heard from him?”
I think a minute to the last time I saw Anders. It’s been a while. He was in a drugged-out state like usual.
“I don’t know, a few days maybe.”
“Well, once he shows up, I’ll need to see him. We need to make sure his vital signs are okay. I wish that he would enter rehab of his own accord,” the doctor says.
Tears threaten to spill from my eyes as I realize what he’s saying. He and I both know what a precarious position Anders is in. This is my older brother, for God’s sake.
I’ll never give up on him.
And at the same time, I don’t know what I would do if I ever lost him.
“Thank you, Dr. Pembroke. I’ll contact you as soon as I can find him. I know he needs treatment, but I just don’t see him making that decision on his own.”
Dr. Pembroke is a kind man. He’s been our doctor for as long as I can remember. He’s watched Anders go from healthy and strong to a drugged-out shell of a man.
It must be hard for him to watch. But it’s certainly harder on me as his sister.
For the thousandth time, I imagine what my parents would do if they were here.
What’s the answer to this problem?
“Okay, Aurora, you ju
st keep me posted. Don’t worry. Everything will be all right,” he says.
“Okay, thank you.”
I hang up the phone, and the tears fall freely now. I can’t imagine living my life without my older brother. The man I always looked up to, the man who always had my best interests at heart, is now gone to the dark underworld of drugs.
My parents envisioned a better life for us than this. They had us both slated to run the business. That day came all too soon, though.
And instead of having Anders as my partner, as someone to lean on in times of trouble, I’m all alone. Instead of helping me, I’ve had to sell my virginity for money, and Anders is still blowing through our new fortune.
I’m hesitant to even look at the bank account. I know it’s not gonna be good news.
I take a deep breath, wipe the tears away from my face, and check the account.
To my utter horror, we are five hundred million dollars poorer today. The money’s fading fast. He must’ve done it.
Anders is out there somewhere in New York City, and it looks like he’s playing with the big boys. How else can he spend that much money in such a small amount of time?
It worries me, because he’s blowing through our fortune—but also because I know he must be in bed with some very bad people to have had this happen.
I shudder to think of the trouble he’s gotten himself into.
Somehow, I have to get the account away from him, find a way to protect our assets somehow. I just don’t know how to do any of it. I would love some guidance on the issue, but I have no one to talk to.
Making my usual phone calls to the city jail, to the morgue, and to some of Anders’ friends seems like the only thing to do in the moment. No one has seen him. It’s the usual story, and I’m not surprised.
My thoughts go to dark places as I imagine him lying in a gutter somewhere. I picture him being taken advantage of by bad people. He’s entered this world by his doing.
I wonder if he knows how to get out.
I have to stop thinking about him, though. I deserve to be happy. Jasper’s asked me out on a date, and I don’t want thoughts about Anders to ruin that.
In my room, I turn the shower on so it’s hot. I’m hoping the warm water will melt away my troubles, and I’ll feel like a new person. I want to be reborn and ready for my date with Jasper.
