"OK, Rook," Roger says, interrupting my thoughts. "Take his shirt off, slowly."

Oh, shit.

"Any day now, Rook."

I nod. OK. I lift up the bottom of his shirt—

"Slower, Rook."

Right. Slowly.

"Now look at him while you do it."

This gets very personal, very fast. Because Billy here has a hard-on, I can feel it as he presses his leg against my hip, and his eyes look like he's about to throw me down on the bed and make me scream his name right here in front of the whole studio filled with people.

"Keep working, Rook."

I tug the shirt up again and Billy lets out a moan. "Shit, Rook," he says. "You're sexy. I don't even have to try."

I do try… and ignore him, that is. But it's pretty hard when Roger is constantly telling me to look Billy in the eyes. Finally, finally I get the shirt over his head and then he starts on mine.

"Am I supposed to take my shirt off?"

"Just go with it, Rook, or we'll be here all f**king night."

Billy leans in to kiss me and the shutter goes wild again.

"Slower this time, Billy. I need lips for stock art."

Billy slows down and takes his time coming at me.

"Rook, either respond or we'll have to do it again."

I do my best, but I'm not that great of a kisser and Billy here is doing enough for both of us. His hands slip around my waist, pulling me close. "Touch me, Rook, let the man get his photos."

I allow my hands to travel up his torso and feel a shiver burst from his skin. My body responds the same way as his hand slips under my shirt and then he spins me around, lifting the loose fabric up as his hand explores my breast. He's kissing my neck and tugging on the jeans. They are so loose, they almost fall down my hips. This makes Roger call out a "Nice, Billy! Do that some more," to which Billy responds by slipping his hand right between my legs.

I let out a giant gasp and Billy is about to swipe my shirt clean off when Ronin is up in his face screaming. "What the f**k are you doing?"

I'm discarded by Billy, instantly forgotten as the two of them push each other.

Roger is trying to run interference and then Ronin pushes Billy so hard he comes hurtling towards me, knocking against my shoulder, and sends me crashing to the ground.

Everything stops.

Everyone looks.

And then Elise is pulling me up and shoving me towards the stairs as Antoine and several other people pull Billy and Ronin apart.

"I f**king told you portraits, Antoine! What the f**k is going on here?"

"Go upstairs and wait for Ronin, Rook," Elise says sternly, like this is somehow my fault.

I start walking, watching them fight.

What just happened?

I get to Ronin's apartment but the door is locked, so I go back and sit on the top step because I can't even remember my birthday right now, let alone his security code. I just sit there and listen to them all argue inside Antoine's office. The door is closed, I can tell by the muffled voices, but it's not sound-proof.

The yelling gets louder and then the door opens because the voices are like right there, echoing off the massive walls of the studio. Almost everyone has cleared out now, and then I watch Ronin as he takes the stairs three at a time. When he gets to me he stops.

Just stops. There are no hurried words or fast actions. He is just still.

"I'm sorry, I told Antoine what I wanted, but he forgot to tell Roger. It was a mistake. I'm sorry."

"What was a mistake?"

"That shoot with f**king Billy!"

He says it like he can't believe I had to ask, so I just nod. "Right, OK."

He takes my hand and leads me towards his apartment, then he must spy my bare feet. "Where're your shoes?"

"The dressing room, with my clothes."

"OK," he says, pushing me through the apartment door, "I'll get them, you stay here."

I stand in the middle of the room, watching the empty space where he just was.

This whole thing is getting weird. I might need to go back to the shelter. This thought makes me swallow down a giant lump in my throat because I really do not want to go back there.

Ronin takes forever, so I just take a seat on the couch and wait. Still, he does not come back. I lie down and close my eyes. I have to admit, even after all I've been through in the past few months, this has been one of the longest and most confusing days of my entire life.

Chapter Twenty-Three - ROOK

I wake abruptly as Ronin adjusts my body so my head is resting in his lap. "What?"

"Sorry," he says. "You fell asleep and I just wanted to sit with you. Rook, I am so sorry about earlier. Antoine said he was going to do the shoot himself, I asked him to keep an eye on you. It shouldn't have happened."

I sit up, the make-up from earlier making my face feel caked with filth, and I'm almost positive that it's totally streaked all over my face. I have like a ton of goop in my eyes and it's taking every ounce of self-control not to rub them red. "What was supposed to happen?"

"Just some portrait pics, that's all. I told him."

"Well, that Roger guy did take a bunch of those. I know that for sure. Then he said I was dressed for an artistic shoot with Billy and—"

"Yeah, f**king Roger knows better. We don't stick new girls with Billy."

I take a deep breath and turn to look at him. "Ronin, why don't you tell me exactly what you guys do here? Is it  p**n , or what?"