chapter twenty-five

The doorbell rang as I was getting cleaned up, and my body was still smeared with blood from the latest merchandise. I grabbed the first tub of organs and headed for the front door. Resting the tub against the wall behind the door, I straightened my clothes before opening it.

A man I’d never seen before stood on my doorstep. He was tall, with dark hair, and wore a black hoodie that made him look like a delinquent. His eyes flicked to the tub of organs behind me before returning to my face.

“You’re Vanessa?” he asked, his voice deep and gravelly.

As I nodded, I discreetly clenched my trembling hands, desperate to conceal my nervousness.

“I’m Maddox,” he said, extending his hand. I hesitated for a moment before shaking it, feeling the roughness of his skin against mine. “Hadrian asked me to come by and pick up some… packages.”

I nodded again, stepping aside to let him in. He carried the tub of organs into the kitchen, his movements efficient and practiced.

“You do good work,” he said, glancing at the other tubs of organs lined up on the counter. “Hadrian’s very impressed.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled, not exactly wanting to talk about this.

“I can sense you’re crazy, so I’ll be a good wingman. He’s been watching you,” Maddox said casually as if he were discussing the weather, shocking me to full attention.

I froze, my hands trembling. “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Maddox smirked. “He’s been watching you for a while now. He thinks you’re very… interesting.”

I kind of figured he was. After all, he had to figure out my secret somehow.

“He’s been watching me?” I repeated, trying not to show how anxious I was to learn more about Hadrian.

“Yep,” Maddox said, popping the p. “He’s quite taken with you, actually. Thinks you’re a bit of a rebel, a wild child. He likes that.” Maddox moved about the kitchen before leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed and a smug grin spreading across his face.

“He’s seen you at your best and your worst,” Maddox continued. “He knows everything about you.”

I couldn’t help but feel flattered. I knew he was keeping tabs but couldn’t believe Hadrian had been actively watching me, but at the same time, it turned me on. The thought of him watching me, seeing me at my most vulnerable, filled me with a strange sense of power. Hadrian had seen everything about me, and he still wanted me.

“Don’t tell him I said anything, but he’s watching you through your webcam,” Maddox said, his eyes glinting with amusement.

That must mean he hacked my computer, but I didn’t care. I wanted Hadrian to watch me. I wanted him to see me at my best and my worst. I wanted him to know everything about me.

“He likes what he sees,” Maddox said, his voice low. “He thinks you’re beautiful.”

Pride welled up inside of me. I was beautiful, everyone thought so. Why wouldn’t Hadrian think otherwise?

“He wants to meet you,” Maddox said. “He wants to talk to you in person, to get to know you better.”

As I nodded, I could feel my heart racing, pounding against my ribcage. “I want to meet him too,” I said.

I knew one thing for sure: I was going to make him want me.

After walking Maddox out, I practically flew up the stairs to my bedroom, the anticipation bubbling inside me. Upon entering, my eyes zeroed in on my nightstand, which held all of my toys, and I flopped on my bed as I started rifling through my collection. My fingertips ran over a deep red toy that was made of silicone. It was a great toy and fun to play with, but it was definitely not something I wanted to give my first show to.

Ah, this was the right one.

As I grabbed the toy I lovingly referred to as Casper, I couldn’t help but notice how the smooth, cold glass sent a chill through my fingers. I bit my lip as warmth pooled in my stomach. If I used this one, he’d be able to see everything, especially with the ring light attached to my webcam. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, holding my breath for a second before opening my eyes with the exhale. A grin stretched my lips wide.

“It’s show time.”