The Billionaire's Stripper

Chapter Thirty-Two - Safe Place

"I told the man he wasn't allowed in the building," he told me.

I nodded and looked down. "Come on..."

She walked in, her hair was a mess, nothing like the cute hairstyle Chloe made this morning, and her pale cheeks were red, she kicked off her shoes and threw her backpack on the floor.

"Where's mommy?"

The bedroom door finally opened and Chloe stepped out, "Hey..." she smiled widely at her daughter. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and the tip of her nose was also red but she was acting like she didn't just have a mental breakdown a few minutes ago.

She crouched down and pulled her daughter in her arms. Acting like everything was completely fine, like the conversation with Lachlan didn't happen.

How can she do that? Put on a brave face within a matter of seconds for her daughter, for people. I knew that behind that smile were pain, anger, and seventeen-year-old Chloe. I know because I got a glimpse of her a few moments ago and I'm going to hold on to that. I'll try my best to bring her back even if it meant that I might get burned in the process.

Just the thought that someone might have forced her against her will sent a wave of sickness in my gut and it spread into my whole body like cancer.

"Go..." she said to the little human before she got up and faced me.

Alexa ran to the guestroom leaving me alone with her mother. Chloe intertwined her hands before herself and sighed.

"Alexa has a self-defense class in an hour, I'm going to accompany her there"

I nodded. "Anders will take you and he will stay with you"

She pressed her lips together. "Great, It's not like I'm going to run away," she gritted through her teeth.

I put my hands in my pockets. "I never said you were going to..."

"I don't need to be chaperoned everywhere I go, I have spent the last six years on these streets alone. I don't need anyone's protection now"

A shiver moved through me, the thought of her alone, homeless and scared made me want to turn back the clock and erase every single hurtful thing she ever had to go through.

"I know you don't need anyone's protection, Chloe." I stepped closer to her and my hands went to her upper arms, she flinched from my touch as I slowly moved my hands up and down. "You are so fucking brave, so strong..." I whispered.

An incredulous look crossed her face, she stepped back, and she gave her a slight shake. "I'm not..."

"You are..."

"Stop acting like you know me. You have no idea who I am" she turned the other way and followed her daughter into the guestroom.

I knew she didn't want to talk about that. Maybe, it was the reason she was running away to her daughter's self-defense class. I wasn't going to force her, I don't want to scare her. Chloe always needs to be eased into things, she won't tell me a thing if I coerced her into telling me the name of the man or men...

I watched as they came out of the guestroom an hour later, little human was now in small workout clothes, I have no idea that they made it this small. Little human lead quite a busy life. I smiled as she grinned at me.

Chloe was holding her stuff as they both walked to the front door and then Chloe turned to me, "I don't know the code"

I went to the door and put in the security code. The door opened and Chloe stepped out.

"Bye, Axel!" little human waved at me enthusiastically.

"Bye, Alexa" I smiled.

Anders was already downstairs waiting for them. As soon as they stepped into the elevator, I went back into the apartment and sat down on the couch.