CHAPTER 29
C HAPTER 29
ALLYN
The next day, I stayed locked in my room right after breakfast.
Maddox is the only member of the King family left in the house, of course, tasked with watching over me. Angelo went for a business meeting a day after our engagement party. He made sure to spend a whole day here before disappear like he usually do.
A knock on the door broke my train of thought, pulling my eyes away from the book.
“Come in,” I called, expecting Lara, who usually stopped by around eleven for our daily chat before heading back to work.
But instead, Maddox stepped into the room.
“Yes?” I asked, closing the book and setting it down on the bed.
I tried to act like his presence was not affecting me, even though it did very much. He took a step inside, his gaze flicking to my bare legs before snapping back to my face. I didn’t miss it.
“I’m heading out. I have something to take care of,” he said, his tone flat but direct. “If you need anything, my people are here for you.”
“Can’t I come with you?”
He raised a brow, his expression skeptical.
“Why would you want that?”
I shrugged. “I’m bored.”
“I just told you I’m going out for business, Allyn.”
“I won’t get in the way, I promise.”
It’s better than staying locked in this house all day, anyway.
I don’t thrive with the idea being with Maddox either but at least is something that won’t bored me to death.
After some time, he clapped his hands.
“Alright, princess. I’m giving you ten minutes. If you’re not ready by then, I’m leaving without you.”
“I need five.”
He smirked, clearly amused, before turning and walking out of the room.
Five minutes later, as promised, I was waiting downstairs wearing my cute little pink dress. Maddox, standing by the car, held the door open for me with a look that lingered just a second too long.
As we settled inside, I turned to him.
“You didn’t tell me where we’re going.”
“Does it matter?”
I bit my lip, meeting his piercing gaze.
“No, I guess it doesn’t.”
The rest of the drive was silent, with Maddox speeding along the road like a man on a mission. It wasn’t long before the car slowed to a stop.
He stepped out first, walking around to open my door, and as I stepped out, my eyes landed on the building in front of us. It was luxurious, sleek, and modern. The tinted windows gave little away, but the vibe was unmistakable—this was no ordinary place.
‘‘Where are we?”
“One of our clubs.”
That’s when I noticed the massive sign above the entrance, its bold letters screaming affluence and exclusivity.
“Fantasy Club.”
“A strip club?” I choked out. “Seriously?”
Maddox turned to me with a playful grin, clearly amused by my reaction.
“You wanted to come.”
“What the hell are we going to do in a strip club, Maddox?” I demanded, hurrying to keep up with his long strides as he headed toward the entrance.
His pace didn’t falter as he replied casually, “We? Nothing. I have something to take care of really fast. You will sit at the bar and wait for me. Without doing anything stupid, like you usually end up doing.”
I gasped, feigning offense.
“Me? Doing something stupid? I would never!”
He scoffed, giving me a knowing look because, let’s face it, we both knew that was a blatant lie.
As we stepped inside the club, my jaw practically hit the floor.
“Is it… is it weird to call a strip club beautiful?” I muttered under my breath.
The interior was luxurious, sleek, and undeniably opulent. It had an old-money charm but paired with just the right amount of modern edge. The walls were adorned with gold accents, the lighting dim and sensual, creating an atmosphere that was both seductive and inviting.
Despite it being the afternoon, the club was bustling with activity. My eyes darted to the main stage in the center of the room, where a stunning blonde was performing. She moved with a hypnotic grace, dressed in a delicate lace two-piece that seemed more like art than clothing. Dollar bills rained at her feet as the men gathered in front of the stage watched her with rapt attention, their faces slack with fascination.
I couldn’t blame them.
Her every movement was calculated, and entrancing, and there was something in her eyes—a kind of magnetic confidence—that pulled you in.
Meanwhile, Maddox barely seemed to notice.
His focus was straight ahead as he walked through the club with the ease of someone who owned the place.
I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop looking around. My eyes soaked in every detail, from the dancers on smaller stages to the waitresses in matching two-piece costumes. Each one of them exuded a polished allure, but it didn’t escape my notice how their gazes lingered on Maddox as he passed.
The hungry, flirtatious stares they shot his way were impossible to miss. Not that he cared. He didn’t so much as glance in their direction.
“Do they always look at you like that?” I blurted, still trailing close behind him.
He smirked, his voice low and teasing.
“Jealous already, princess?”
I scoffed. ‘‘You wish.’’
But the waitresses practically undressed Maddox with their eyes while I stood right next to him made my skin crawl.
Not that Maddox seemed to care.
He moved through the room like he was immune to their attention, not even sparing them a nod as they greeted him.
Almost every table was occupied with men in expensive suits, each with a woman—or sometimes more than one—perched on their laps.
Kissing, touching, and whispering in ways that made it impossible not to notice. I had to force my gaze away, focusing instead on Maddox’s broad back as he led the way to the bar.
When he stopped, he turned to face me. “You’re going to sit here and wait for me,” he said firmly. “It won’t take long.”
“You don’t have to talk to me like I’m some child, Maddox. I got it.”
His lips quirked, but he didn’t argue.
Instead, he looked at the bartender. “Look after her for me.”
The bartender nodded, and Maddox spared me one last glance before turning away. He headed toward one of the sliding doors at the back of the club, two towering guards opening the way for him.
Once he disappeared behind the door with the guards following, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and turned back to the scene around me.
“Would you like something to drink, miss?” the bartender asked, drying a glass with a clean cloth.
“Water,” I started, then immediately changed my mind. “Vodka sounds good.”
His hands froze, and he glanced around nervously. “I don’t think Mr. King—”
“Mr. King isn’t here,” I interrupted with a saccharine smile. “So, just do as I said. Thank you.”
Reluctantly, he complied, placing a glass of vodka in front of me moments later.
Minutes ticked by as I sipped my drink and watched the show on the main stage. The women up there were mesmerizing, spinning gracefully around poles, their movements both athletic and sensual.
They looked like they were having the time of their lives, and judging by the way the men crowded the stage, tossing bills without hesitation, they were certainly delivering the show of a lifetime.
For a moment, I let myself get lost in the dazzling lights and rhythmic music, the vodka warming me from the inside.
It was easier to focus on the performers than the nagging thoughts swirling in my head. I took my drink in hand and slowly approached the stage, drawn like a moth to a flame. The woman on the pole moved with an effortless grace that held me captive, her every motion commanding attention.
She was beautiful. Seductive. Free. Free to do whatever she desired, and doing it so well that I couldn’t look away.
For a brief, forbidden moment, I imagined myself in her place.
Imagined all those eyes fixed on me, not in judgment but in awe. I pictured the rush of being desired, powerful, untamed. A thrill surged through me—a fleeting taste of rebellion against the life I was trapped in.
“Are you new here, miss?”
A deep voice behind me snapped me out of my daydream.
I turned to see a man, probably in his thirties, standing a little too close. His brown eyes matched his neatly styled hair, and a short beard framed his chiseled jaw. He exuded an easy confidence, the kind that came from knowing he could have whatever—or whoever—he wanted.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you here before,” he continued, his lips curling into a half-smile. “I’d remember you if I had.”
“Oh, no,” I laughed softly, shaking my head. “First—and probably the last—time here.”
“I see,” he said, tilting his head as his eyes lingered on me, perhaps a second longer than polite. “Not your scene?”
“I guess not,” I replied with a polite smile, shifting my attention back to the woman on the stage.
“You’re the first woman to come in here and steal the show from the dancers,” he said, his tone carrying a note of admiration. “You’re definitely something else, miss.”
His words took me by surprise.
“Oh,” I stammered, unsure how to respond. That couldn’t possibly be true.
Yes, I’d noticed a few stares as Maddox and I walked in, but I’d assumed it was because of my dress—a bubblegum-pink sundress in the middle of a strip club. Hardly the attire for this setting.
It never occurred to me that their stares might have been for… me.
“Would you like another drink—?” He paused, waiting for me to offer my name.
“Allyn,” I said, giving him a small nod. “But no, thank you.”
I glanced at my glass. It was only the afternoon, and I was already nearly through my first drink. The last thing I needed was to look like an alcoholic.
“Why not?” he asked, his lips curling into a small, teasing smile. “A drink is always a good idea.”
His confidence was disarming, but I kept my guard up, glancing over my shoulder toward the door Maddox had disappeared through.
I felt his hand graze my waist as he gently guided me toward the bar. My skin prickled under his touch, but not from pleasure. I decided not to cause a scene. Maybe he was just being polite, I reasoned. So, I played along.
At the bar, he pulled out a chair for me and took the seat beside mine. His casual confidence was almost suffocating as he ordered another round of drinks.
The bartender, who Maddox had tasked with looking after me, glanced our way nervously. Sweat gleamed on his forehead, and his hands fumbled as he poured the drinks, but he kept his mouth shut.
Meanwhile, I found it nearly impossible to focus on the man in front of me. He was talking, but I wasn’t listening. His words were white noise in the background as I kept glancing toward the door Maddox had disappeared behind.
Then, out of nowhere, I felt his hand brush against my cheek as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
His fingers lingered for a moment, tracing the curve of my face.
The touch was gentle, even kind—but completely unwelcome.
“Is everything alright, Allyn?” he asked, his voice soft and concerned. The sound of my name on his lips felt wrong.
Before I could answer, his hand was yanked away so fast it startled me. In a blink, Maddox was there.
He didn’t just appear—he stormed in, his massive frame radiating fury. He grabbed the man and tossed him to the ground as if he weighed nothing.
Maddox stepped in front of me like a shield.
He stood tall and unyielding, his shoulders squared, his fists clenched at his sides. His body heaved with each breath, and though I couldn’t see his face, I could feel the raw, violent energy rolling off him.
The man on the floor scrambled backward, his wide eyes filled with pure terror.
“Get the fuck away from her,” Maddox growled, his voice low and dangerous, like the rumble of distant thunder.
“Maddox, stop!” I shouted, stepping between him and the man on the floor.
I pressed my hand against his chest, the heat of his body almost burning through the fabric of his shirt. His eyes—blazing and wild—met mine for the briefest moment.
“What is wrong with you?” I yelled, my voice cracking.
His eyes were pure black—wild, burning with a fury that seemed to consume him entirely. It was as if he couldn’t hear a word I was saying, his gaze locked on the man behind me.
“Get out of my way, Allyn.”
The coldness in his tone made my stomach turn, a shiver crawling up my spine—not from fear, but from the sheer force of his anger.
“Leave him alone. He didn’t do anything!”
“I’m sorry, Maddox, I swear I didn’t know she’s with you,” the man stammered, barely managing to push himself up. His eyes were wide, filled with terror, and he staggered back, keeping a safe distance behind me.
The only thing preventing Maddox from obliterating him was me standing there—like a thin, fragile barrier.
“If I had known, I would never have come close to her.” the man continued, his voice laced with desperation. But Maddox’s wrath wasn’t something to be appeased by apologies.
In a move that was faster than I could process, Maddox shoved me aside and seized the man by his collar with one powerful motion. The man gasped for air as Maddox’s massive hand tightened, pulling him close and lifting him slightly off the ground.
“You should be on your knees, thanking whatever god you believe in that I didn’t cut off your useless fingers for touching her,” Maddox growled, his voice deadly quiet.
The contrast between them was almost laughable—Maddox was a mountain, and the man was a mouse. The fight was over before it had even started.
“I’m sorry, Maddox,” the man choked out, his voice breaking. “I didn’t know she’s your girl, I swear. I’m sorry, come on… we’re friends, aren’t we?”
“But you did fucking touch her!”
Maddox’s words were like ice, cutting through the air. His grip on the man’s collar tightened, shaking him as if he was a ragdoll.
And then, without warning, Maddox’s fist connected with the man’s face with a sickening thud. The man crumpled to the ground, his nose pouring blood as he howled in pain.
The crowd around us backed away, but no one dared intervene.
“Maddox, enough!” I screamed, my voice cracking with panic.
I pushed forward, desperate to stop him before he did something that would destroy everything. The blood lust in his eyes hadn’t faded.
I grabbed his hand, squeezing it with everything I had, something in him shifted. His fingers tightened around mine, just as fiercely—but there was a subtle change in the intensity.
The darkness in his eyes softened, and for a moment, I saw something almost vulnerable in them. He turned to the man on the ground, who was trying to stop the blood from his nose.
“I don’t ever want to see your pathetic face in my club again, or next time, it won’t just be your nose bleeding.”
Security helped him to his feet, and with their assistance, he left the club, leaving bloody trails behind him.
“You’re a fucking psychopath,” I hissed, my cheeks burning.
He chuckled darkly as If I was complimenting him.
“You’re laughing? You find this funny?”
I was stunned by how he showed no regret.
“You broke his nose for god’s sake!”
“I was going to do a lot worse if you weren’t here,” he confirmed, as if it were perfectly normal. “Now, let’s go.”
“Stop telling me what to do!”
I was almost shouting, drawing more attention to us.
“Don’t make me carry you out.’’
“All of this— just because you can’t accept that some guy bought me a drink?” My blood was boiling. He’s out of his mind. “You’d kill the poor man over that?”
“I’ve killed men for less, Allyn. Why do you think I’d spare his life for laying a hand on you?”
I laughed.
“You need help, Maddox.” His face didn’t even flinch. “Just leave me alone.”
For a moment, I forgot we were in a strip club, surrounded by people and they were watching us. I walked straight to the exit, and of course, Maddox followed me.
Once we were outside, I stopped, turning toward him just as his body almost collided with mine.
“If I want a man to touch me, I’ll let him—and there’s nothing you can do about it,” I hissed, my face inches from his, feeling his body tense against mine.
“You’re no one, Maddox. Just my bodyguard, so start acting like one.”
He clenched his jaw so tightly I feared it might break. His eyes were dark, like an endless void, and I found myself lost in them. His entire body was tense, like he was struggling to stop himself from doing something he desperately wanted to do.
He leaned in closer, his gaze dominating mine.
“Do you really want to play this fucking game with me, princess? Because I can play it very fucking well,” he threatened, his warm breath spilling over my lips, his voice deep and husky. “I won’t think twice before fucking you right here, in front of all these worthless men, just to prove my point.”
My breath caught in my throat as I gasped.
“You can’t do that. I’m Angelo’s future wife.”
I reminded him—or maybe reminded myself. At this moment, I wasn’t even sure. He tilted his head to the side, like the psychopath he was.
“You want to see how much I fucking care?” he chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “Because if I cared even a little bit, I wouldn’t know what your naked body looks like or how sweet you scream my name when I’m deep inside you, princess.”
His cruel words hit me like a slap. My whole face turned red, his vulgar statement still echoing in my mind.
This wasn’t going to end well—not with him.
Not when my whole body burned with need for him, not disgust.
I should be disgusted—by God, I should be. Disgusted by him. By myself. I want to yell, punch him, send him straight to hell if that were possible.
I ripped myself away from him, walking toward the car to avoid any more trouble.
Maddox was following me again. I heard his footsteps, felt his cologne chasing me like a nightmare. A wet nightmare.
I climbed into the car, slamming the door behind me. Maddox followed, driving off without a word. The drive was short, but it still felt like a punishment—trapped with him, unable to escape.
As soon as the car stopped in front of the mansion, I didn’t wait for him to open the door. I threw it open, slamming it behind me as I walked quickly toward the house.
“Don’t walk away from me, Allyn,” his deep voice called from behind me. I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t tell me what the fuck to do,” I yelled, turning to face him. “You don’t own me, Maddox. Get it in your goddamn head.”
My words made him stop cold, like I’d slapped him or caught him off guard. His face shifted with surprise, but that only fueled me. I closed the gap between us, standing right in front of him.
“Do I need to fuck Angelo in front of you to make you get it?” He just stared, stunned, while I was a full-blown hurricane of emotions. “I’m not one of your whores, Maddox, so stop acting like you own me.”
My voice cracked, and I hated it. Hated that he could bring out that side of me.
And more than anything, I hate that I’m lying right now. I don’t mind him owning me. Goddamn it, I’d even choose him owning me over Angelo. That’s how fucked up I am.
But the reality is different.
What happened between us was a mistake—a moment of lust. He proved it every single time by running off right after he was done with me.
Sneaking around with a man behind Angelo’s back is one thing, but doing it with his brother?
That’s too low, even for me. And yet, I’ve done it more than once.
And the worst part is that I don’t regret it. My only regret is how much I still want Maddox, even after everything. Even after he showed me his true side.
I still want him.
Maddox remained silent, but he didn’t need to say a word. Everything was already clear.
I turned my back to him, heading into the house.
He’s nothing to me. He could never be.
Then why does it feel like something inside me just broke when I left him standing out there alone?