Page 33 of Property of Chux

I swallow hard. “Because he’s my family.”

Damian steps closer, his presence like a storm cloud rolling in. “That’s not a good enough reason. Family ain’t blood, baby. Family doesn’t cross the people they claim to love. Family steps up, back to back watching every angle protecting each other at all costs. Not using them, not putting them in shit they aren’t prepared for without warning. And mostly family doesn’t ghost family when the storms come.”

Anger flares in my chest. “He’s the only family I have, Chux.” My voice wavers saying his road name, and I hate the way it sounds. Small. Vulnerable. He’s the one who told me Chux is hard and right now he’s being Chux. But I can’t stop the words from coming like I’ve opened some flood gates. “He raised me. He was there when no one else was. And now—now I don’t even know who he is anymore. He’s keeping things from me, and those things are getting me in danger. So, yeah. I need to talk to him. I need to understandwhy.”

Damian studies me, his expression unreadable. Then, after what feels like an eternity, he exhales and shakes his head. “You wanna see the truth?”

I blink. “What?”

“You wanna know what all this means? Whathe’sbeen a part of?” Damian takes another step closer, his gaze burning into mine. “Then you gotta be ready to face it, Alaina. All of it. Not just the pieces you think you want to see.”

A shiver runs down my spine. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

His jaw tics. “No. You don’t.”

A beat of silence stretches between us. My pulse pounds in my ears.

Finally, I exhale and nod. “Then show me.”

Damian’s lips press into a thin line, but he nods once, like he expected my answer. “Alright,” he says. “But once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Once you step into this world, there’s no turning back.”

I hold his gaze, my hands trembling at my sides.

“I’m already in it, Damian,” I say softly. “Whether I want to be or not.”

His expression darkens, but he doesn’t argue. Instead, he jerks his chin toward the door.

“Then let’s go.”

And just like that, I step into the unknown. A short motorcycle ride and we are at my grandfather’s business.

The air is thick with smoke and tension the moment we step insideThe Velvet Hall. The dim lighting casts long shadows across the walls, the scent of whiskey and leather mixing with something darker—power, danger. The room is filled with men in cuts, their eyes tracking Damian and me as we make our way deeper inside.

This isn’t just a strip club—it’s a throne room. And Konstantin sits at the head of it.

My grandfather is standing near the back, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his expression carved from stone. His graying hair is slicked back, his sharp eyes scanning me first, then Damian. He doesn’t look pleased.

Scratch that—he looks furious.

His voice cuts through the tension like a blade. “You had no right to call this meeting, Chux.”

Damian doesn’t slow his stride, doesn’t falter. He walks right up to Konstantin, stopping just short of being in his space. The tension between them crackles like a live wire.

“She has questions,” Damian says, nodding toward me. “You’re gonna give her answers.”

Konstantin’s gaze shifts back to me. For the briefest second, something flickers in his eyes—something I can’t name. But then, his expression hardens.

“And if I refuse?” His voice is calm. Too calm.

Damian doesn’t hesitate.

He pulls a hand gun and presses the barrel under Konstantin’s chin.

The room erupts in murmurs and males reacting. The strippers keep dancing not missing a beat like this is normal while I gaze around seeing how outnumbered we are. Yet, Chux stands here without even a tremor in his hand.

Guns are drawn—Konstantin’s men reacting instantly, weapons raised, aimed at Chux. The click of safeties being flipped off echoes through the space like a countdown to something deadly.

I can’t breathe.

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