The Billionaire's Pet

2. Leo

I gripped the glass so hard I thought it might shatter. "So what now? You want a private concert? You want me to play until my fingers bleed?"

"I want you to be perfect," he said, his voice dropping to a low, possessive hum. "I live a life of chaos, Leo. People lie. They steal. They fail. But you... when you play, you are precise. You are beautiful. And you are mine. You will live at my estate. You will eat what I provide. You will play when I ask. In exchange, your father receives the best care in the country, and your debts are erased."

"And if I say no?"

Ash reached out, his thumb catching a drop of whiskey on my lower lip. He didn't wipe it away, he pressed down, pulling my lip slightly, his eyes darkening.

"Then you step out of this car and return to a world that is about to tear you apart. The Morenos are not patient men, Leo. They don't want your music. They want your blood. I am the only thing standing between you and a very shallow grave."

He pulled his hand back, leaving my lip tingling and cold.

"Choose, Leo. Freedom in a graveyard, or perfection in my house."

Outside, the first heavy drops of rain began to pelt the armored glass of the car. I looked at the blurred lights of the city passing us by,a world I no longer belonged to. I looked back at Ash, who was waiting with the cold, patient grace of a spider.

"I'll go," I whispered.

"Good choice," Ash said, leaning back into the shadows. "I would have hated to see those hands ruined."

*

The city lights faded into a blur of grey and green as we climbed the winding roads of the Palisades. The silence inside the Maybach was absolute, broken only by the rhythmic thrum of the tires and the occasional flash of lightning that illuminated Ash’s profile. He didn't look like a man who had just bought a human life, he looked like a man who had finally recovered a misplaced piece of jewelry.

The car slowed as we approached a set of iron gates that looked like they belonged to a cathedral or a fortress. They were wrought with intricate, thorny patterns that seemed to claw at the night sky. As they swung open without a sound, a sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. This was the point of no return.

"Welcome home, Leo," Ash said softly.

The "house" was a monolith of glass, black steel, and ancient stone. It sat on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the churning Atlantic. It was beautiful in a way that felt hostile, a masterpiece of modern isolation.

The driver opened my door, and I stepped out into the biting wind. The rain was heavy now, soaking through my thin dress shirt in seconds. I looked up at the towering structure, feeling smaller than I ever had in my life.

Ash stepped out beside me. He didn't seem to notice the rain. He walked toward the massive front doors, his stride effortless. I followed, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

Inside, the foyer was a cavern of white marble and shadows. A grand staircase swept upward like the spine of a giant beast. There were no family photos here, no warmth. Everything was curated, sterile and as Ash demanded, perfect.

"Your old life ended when you crossed that threshold," Ash said, his voice echoing off the high ceilings. He stripped off his suit jacket, handing it to a waiting butler who appeared like a ghost from the side wing. Beneath the jacket, his black dress shirt strained against the muscles of his shoulders, and I noticed the holster of a firearm tucked discreetly at his side.

My breath caught. He wasn't just a businessman. He was a predator who kept his claws polished.

"Hendricks will show you to your suite," Ash continued, turning to look at me. His eyes roamed over my drenched form, the wet fabric of my shirt clinging to my skin. For a second, the coldness in his gaze flickered into something darker,something hungry. "Dry off. Sleep. Tomorrow, your training begins."

"Training?" I found my voice, though it sounded thin and reedy. "I’m a pianist, not a soldier."

Ash stepped closer, his hand coming up to tilt my chin toward him. His skin was warm, a terrifying contrast to the freezing rain still dripping from my hair.

"You are a masterpiece, Leo. But even masterpieces need to be framed correctly. You’ll learn how to exist in my world. You’ll learn that your only responsibility is to me."

He leaned in, his lips hovering just inches from mine. I could smell the expensive whiskey and the cold salt of the ocean.

"I don't just own your debt, Leo. I own your time, your talent and your loyalty. Don't make me have to teach you that twice."

He let go of my chin and walked away, disappearing into the darkness of the upper floors without a backward glance.

I stood alone in the center of the vast, silent hall, shivering. I had traded the wolves at my door for the king of the forest and as I looked at the heavy locks on the front entrance, I realized the terrifying truth.

The Morenos wanted my hands. Ashworth Sterling wanted my everything.

And I had given it to him.