A Taste of Danger

Live Shows

Rose

“Live shows?” I choke.

He doesn’t even notice that he is squeezing my wrists so hard that it stings.

Steven just continues. “Yes, I have a lot of fans. I could be the next Hugh Hefner, the next porn star. But of course, we will start with you. You already have a good body, and you’re a slut, so this is a match made in heaven. This will be your retirement plan. You’re going to do whatever I say, and if you criticize it, I will make your life a living hell. Got it?”

Oh my god, he is actually crazy.

“I-I’m not in on this! And I’m not a slut!”

“Don’t you lie to me, Rose! You want to be my slut.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Now that you’re a video star, you want to be a real-life porn star, don’t you? Think of all the money. Imagine how many people you can f**k, Rose.”

Tears fall from my eyes. “I don’t want to be a porn star! And I am not your slut!”

He laughs at me. “No? Did you, or did you not have the best orgasm of your life when I called you my little slut in bed?”

My eyes widen. “But that was only between us! We were role-playing in bed, Steven! I don’t want this in real life!”

“Well, I do.”

I shake my head. “No, Steven, please. Don’t do this to me. Please delete those GIFS and the videos and let’s just forget this ever happened. Please!”

“No can do, Rose,” he murmurs. “I’m earning too much money to stop this now.”

I clench my eyes shut, not wanting to see what is going on right now. “If you keep blackmailing me, I-I will call the cops.”

“And say what? That your boyfriend is an asshole? Because in the videos, it looks like you’re very much into it.”

My head starts spinning. “Please, Steven. Stop this. I’m begging you…”

“You’re begging? Good. Now beg for my c**k,” he whispers in my ear.

“Steven, please. Don’t do this. I’m not in on it, I swear!”

“Don’t you lie to me, Rose. You—” Steven trails off to the sound of his phone ringing. He glances over his shoulder and then makes a “Tssk” sound before releasing me. “I will be right back. Stay where you are.”

I give him a nod, but as soon as he is in the other room, I bolt out through the door.

It doesn’t matter that I haven’t packed anything. Everything inside the apartment reminds me of Steven, and I want nothing to do with him. I want to go incognito and tap my brother’s number into my phone while racing down the stairs.

My brother Stanley and I are close, but our relationship has suffered since he doesn’t like Steven. But now, I need him more than ever. Stanley and I might not have talked in forever, but if I want to move and start over, he is the answer.

Stanley’s best friend, and my childhood crush, is none other than Victor Giovanni. I haven’t seen him in years, but I’ve now sunk so low I might have to ask Stanley to ask him if he needs a private chef or something.

It might be desperate, but I need to get out of here!

I call my brother, and he answers immediately.

“Hey, Mads, I was wondering when you would call me again,” Stanley says, sounding happy.

I can’t keep the tears from coming. I’m walking quickly away from the apartment, afraid that Steven might come for me at any moment. “Stan…I need your help.”

There is silence for a while before he growls. “What the f**k did that bastard do? It’s Steven, right?!”

I take a deep breath and enter another apartment building for shelter. “Yes, and I need a place to escape to. I need somewhere to go.”

“You can come here,” Stanley says in a soft tone. “Are you crying?”

“Yes…” I don’t even bother to deny it. “Steven is terrible, but I will tell you more about that later. I would love to go there, but I don’t have any money or a car,” I cry louder and laugh at how pathetic I am. “s**t, I can’t stop crying. This is so embarrassing and so not me. I don’t react like this. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.”

I nod even though he can’t see me. “I have to get away from Steven. He is a piece of s**t and f*****g crazy.”

“Glad we both agree on that,” Stanley says in a dry tone. “And I will see if I can have someone pick you up. Just go and sit at a coffee shop meanwhile, and I will call you back, okay?”

“Okay,” I smile despite the situation. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” I can hear his smile through the speaker. “I’m the best brother there is, and I will take care of you, Mads. A couple of phone calls and I’m sure I can even offer you a new job in the big city.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but…you would have to work as a chef for Victor. I’m so sorry, Mads, but he is the only person I know with an insane amount of wealth. I’m sure he would hire you, though, especially if I explain to him what happened.”

I laugh. “You don’t even know what happened.”

“I know that your ex-boyfriend is an asshole, and that’s all I need to know, okay?”

“Okay.”

“By the way, does Steven know that you left?” Stan asks me.

“No,” I’m fleeing from him. “And I don’t want to confront him about it, or he might not even let me leave. He is crazy.”

“What did he do?”

“I will tell you about it later. Just get me out of here, please.”

“Alright, alright, I will fix a ride for you, but once you’re here, we will discuss this in private, okay? I need to know what he did.”

“Yes, I will tell you everything.”

“Good, now stay safe.”

“I will.”

We both hang up, and I decide to go to a coffee shop so that I can get myself together. But the memory of what Steven said keeps haunting me, and remembering his face when he said I was a slut sends a tremor through me.

My ex-boyfriend is crazy.