“You don’t think maybe that Burton was fucking with us?” Peter asked.
“I don’t know,” Mitch answered. “But I don’t think so. There’s something going on in that club, and if we don’t find out soon then more women are going to die.” He leafed through file on the table between them, which contained the crime scene reports for each of the women. “What do we know about these women?”
“If it has anything to do with Petrova,” Peter frowned, discussing the Russian monster, “they’re probably trafficked for prostitution. Eastern European maybe?”
Mitch nodded. “That’s what I was thinking too. Bring them here, make some money, ply them with drugs and dump their bodies. Nobody asks any questions or identifies them.”
“Is Leather & Lace into prostitution, though?” Peter asked. “We’ve never gotten any indication that sort of thing was going down there.”
“I’m sure lots of things happen behind those closed doors,” Mitch said. “That’s why I’m going there tonight.”
Peter didn’t have a chance to respond before Juliana Lark, the café’s owner walked over to their table. Mitch looked up and slammed the file shut.
“You guys are quiet,” she noted, putting two plates in front of them. Each contained a chocolate chip cookie which was broken into multiple pieces.
“What’s this for?” Mitch asked.
Juliana shrugged. “They were broken, and I can’t sell them,” she explained. “And I saw you both brooding over here. I thought you might like something sweet.”
Mitch had always thought Juliana was gorgeous. But as a result of his previous investigation into her café, she was prickly, cold to him. Thankfully, though, she’d started warming up to him. He looked up at her and smiled. he was wearing a skin-tight black leotard with cat ears and a tail. She’d even drawn on a nose and whiskers. He cocked his head to the side at her appearance. “What’s with the get-up?”
“It’s Halloween,” she responded. “The real question is why aren’t you dressed up?”
Mitch looked down at the black v neck t-shirt and jeans he was wearing. His team worked the street as part of a specialized anti-gang unit, and they dressed casually to blend in. “Because I’m an adult. And I’m at work.”
Juliana smirked. “I am also an adult at work,” she told him pointedly. “It doesn’t mean I can’t have a little bit of fun.” She tilted her head at him.
“Hey, I have fun,” he responded defensively. He was, in fact, caught up imagining some fun he could be having with her.
Juliana raised an eyebrow and turned her head to see a customer waiting at the counter. She turned around and started walking back to the counter, but she looked at him over her shoulder. “I’m not sure you even know how to have fun.” The sway of her hips in the tight outfit transfixed him for a moment, and he found it hard to look away.
When she was gone, Peter spoke, pulling Mitch’s gaze away from Juliana, as she stood behind the counter, serving her customers. “You’re going to the Leather & Lace Halloween party?” Peter asked him. “How exactly did that come about? That place is exclusive. And they certainly don’t welcome cops.”
Mitch shrugged, not willing to go into too much detail. He had called in a favour from a member of city council who owed him one. Mitch rarely hid things from his brother, especially when it came to the job, but it was something that he didn’t want to get into in public. “An opportunity to go tonight presented itself. I found an in.”
“You just happened to find an invitation to an exclusive sex club?”
“I guess so.”
“And what are you going to do while you’re there?”
Mitch smiled before responding. “What do you think I’m going to do? I’m going to look around. See if I can see who’s pulling the strings. Find this Russian guy, and see if he’s distributing the drugs.”
“We don’t have a warrant to go in there,” Peter reminded him.
“I know that. I also know that without a warrant, there’s no way they’ll hand over their employment records. This is our only option. I’m just going to the party.”
Peter shook his head. “I don’t like this,” he said. “You going in on your own. It doesn’t feel right.”
“I’ll be fine.” He leaned in again, and dropped his voice to an almost imperceptible whisper. “As far as dangerous undercover ops go, a Halloween party at a sex club will be a walk in the park. Nobody will know I’m there investigating. It’s just a party.”
Chapter 4
The cab drove up the long driveway leading to the innocuous heritage estate. Mitch was amped up, ready to go, just as he always was before going undercover. He took a deep breath as the car stopped in front of the door, and he paid the fare and got out.
Mitch looked down at his black suit that he’d paired with a white shirt and black tie. He would have preferred to wear his street clothes, but his source had given him the run down on the place earlier that day, and had made it known that the Halloween party at Leather & Lace was strictly a formal event, and jeans would not have gotten him past the front gate.
He got to the door and pushed the button for the doorbell. A loud chime sounded from inside and the door opened before him. A man wearing a gold bear mask that concealed the upper half of his face, answered the door. He was wearing a dark red shirt, open at the collar, and a pair of charcoal, grey pants. He was tall, about Mitch’s height, broad shoulders and chest, and arms huge like tree trunks. The whole image of this brute of a man wearing a mask was ridiculous to him and he almost chuckled, but there was nothing amusing about the canines of the mask’s snout, nor the stern, tight-lipped mouth of the man below it. Mitch restrained himself as the man, probably a security guard, looked him over. Without saying a word to him, the bear ushered him inside, gesturing for Mitch to follow him down a narrow hallway. The walkway was dark, but for the soft orange glow from scattered sconces attached high on the wall. It was quiet and Mitch strained his ears to hear anything but his own footsteps and that those of the man he was following. He wondered if he was perhaps too early or too late for the party.
They stopped at a long, high desk at the end of a hallway, and the bear walked away. The female attendant behind the dark marble desk was tiny by comparison, and mostly obscured by the desk. She was also wearing a gold mask, hers a rabbit. “Your name?”
“Mitch Swanson.”
The rabbit consulted her list, of which he managed to sneak a peek before she looked up and smiled. She produced a gold mask, a fox. Mitch looked at it and raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. “Do I have to wear this?”
She nodded slowly. “Discretion is everything here at Leather & Lace. And plus, it’s Halloween. It’s our masquerade night.” She then took out a plastic bag and laid it on the top of the desk.
“What’s that for?”
“Your cell phone or any other electronics might have on your person.”
“Fine,” Mitch dug out his phone. He didn’t like leaving it behind, but he thought of the job. He knew that there would be no way of getting in there if he didn’t cooperate fully with the rules. He held up his cell phone, smiled and dropped it in the bag.
“Nothing else?” she asked.
“No. But are you going to take my word for it, or is there a body scanner you want me to step through?” he asked, challenging her, thinking about the Glock strapped to his ankle.
“No that won’t be necessary,” she assure him, ripping a tag from the bag and handing it to him. It showed a number that corresponded to one on the bag so he would be able to claim his belongings later.
“And why is that?”
“Because when you step through those doors,” she pointed over his shoulder to the double doors behind him. “And you start taking part, you won’t be able to hide much.”
As if on cue, the bear returned, and opened one of the heavy, wooden doors, and ushered Mitch inside. Mitch crossed the threshold of the double doors and he was immediately immersed into a carnival of
sensuality. The lights were dim, while muted gold up-lights illuminated the walls. Dozens of people, all wearing gold masks mingled and the notes of laughter and polite conversation blended with the light music. Mitch looked around. With the exception of the heavy blanket of sexuality that hung thick in the air, it didn’t look different than any other formal party he’d attended.
He made his way through the crowd, winding his way around small clusters of people, overhearing snippets of regular conversation, recognizing some of the voices.
A woman walked by, wearing a mask and a skin tight, white dress and handed him a glass of champagne. He smiled in thanks and sipped. He took another keen look around the room from his new vantage point. Nothing seemed to stand out. He watched a man and woman walk through a set of heavy black curtains, thinking that anything of interest would definitely be going down back there. Still holding his champagne flute, Mitch walked a straight line to the curtains, and without hesitation he entered the next room.
Mitch found himself in a smaller area, but it was just as crowded as the last room. However, the vibe was completely different. It was darkened, more like a nightclub. The music was different as well. It was louder and the thumping, driving bass beat filled the air, taking over, drowning out individual conversations. People were drinking, some were dancing, others were in clusters along the walls and draped over the various furniture. There was a bar, manned by two women, who like the woman with the champagne, were wearing tight, white dresses and gold masks. There were only a couple of other single people in the area, and Mitch realized that this must be a staging area of some sort. Where people meet before continuing their evening in the private rooms, he imagined.
“Is this your first time?” said a voice in his ear and he turned around to see a woman standing behind him. She wore a floor-length, sleeveless red dress that was cut low, exposing the cleavage of incredible breasts, and a high slit that rose to the middle of her thigh. Her gold cat mask obscured the top half of her face, but Mitch’s attention was drawn to her luscious red lipstick. It called out to him and he knew it would leave a scarlet trail if she kissed her way down his body. He was on the job, but dammit, that didn’t dismiss the stirring of interest he felt for her low in his core.
He leaned in, speaking loudly over the music, “is it that obvious?”
She shrugged. “You just had a lost, clueless, over-your-head air about you,” she said in his ear, her lips skimming the outer shell and her breath warm on him.
“I might be a little lost here,” he told her. “But there’s nothing about what happens here that makes me feel clueless or in over-my-head.”
She laughed again, and he loved the sound of it. “That sounds promising.”
He took another look around and saw that more people had joined them in the darker room. It seemed like the party was getting under way. Time to see what this place was really all about. “How about you show me around?” He offered his arm to her, and she took it, putting her hand in the crook of his elbow.
They walked through the bar area, Mitch and the mystery woman both sipping their champagne. He took a looked at the people around them. Men and women with their hands on each other. People kissing, all body language signalling sex. “So I guess this is where people find partners for the evening?” he asked her. Even though he was speaking loudly to be heard, he tried to keep his tone neutral, as if people weren’t in various stages of undress all around them.
“See? Maybe you aren’t so lost,” she said leaning in and speaking loudly with a bright smile.
He looked at her, her eyes were a vibrant emerald colour than sparkled with a playful energy from behind her feline mask. She sipped her drink. They stood closer together with every step they took through the room. Eventually they were flush together and her hip bumped his as she walked beside him. Mitch fought the distraction to keep his mind on the task at hand.
“What happens next?”
“They can either stay here, or they can move on to one of the other rooms.” She pointed to another set of lush curtains. “There are some scenes set up in public areas behind those. One can watch or take part. But there are also rooms you can use, where you and any number of people can be together.” They stopped walking and she leaned in closer. “Or if you have more… exhibitionist… tendencies you can avail yourself of a room that has a two-way mirror. If you’re willing to explore you’ll find the club will provide almost any type of toys, implements, or scenarios you desire.”
Mitch wondered if that included drugs or trafficked women. He had to find out. He figured that if either were available, it would be in the further rooms. He needed to get deeper inside. He stood and faced her.
The woman nodded and she drained her champagne. Putting the empty flute down on a nearby ledge, she took his wrist. “Alright let’s go,” she said, pulling him toward the interior rooms.
“Where are we going?”
“Behind the curtain. If you want to get a feel for this place, see where you belong, that’s probably where you should start. There a re a few public displays set up for you to peruse, and then people start dancing. It’s a lot of fun.”
There was no way he would be able to gather evidence if he didn’t ditch the brunette. But he couldn’t make himself do it. But, he also knew that having a woman on his arm – especially one as knowledgeable about the club – was beneficial, and would help him blend in. He liked her company, and even though he couldn’t see her face, she turned him on immensely. There was something about the way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she touched him – that hit him square in the chest. He hadn’t had such a reaction to a woman in a long time, and it was refreshing. “You don’t have to do that,” he told her. “I don’t want to cramp your style if you have plans.”
She smiled and shook her head. “I don’t have any plans,” she assured him, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper in his ear, “at least, none that don’t involve you.”
Chapter 6
The next room was even darker, and the music just as loud though. The only light, however, came from many tall pillar candles scattered throughout the room. Mitch and the woman did a lap around the room, he tried to keep his eyes peeled for anything that might seem unusual. But he had to be honest, there were a lot of unusual things going on. He wasn’t sexually inexperienced by any measure, he’d been with his share of women, but he hadn’t yet been introduced into the world he was travelling in that night.
A group gathered around a man as he bound a woman in rope using a series of intricate knots around her arms, shoulders and chest. Mitch and the woman stopped to admire the work; the masterful skill behind it appealed to him.
“See something you like?” she asked him in a playful tone.
“It’s definitely interesting,” he admitted.
They moved on to various other scenes some tame, some extreme. Mitch’s eyebrows rose behind his mask as he watched a hairy, overweight man with a leash attached to the leather collar around his neck, being led by a women wearing a leather bustier and dangerously spiked high heels; and then again in another corner, as a woman was flogged with a leather strap. Mitch bristled at each of her cries and almost intervened.
The woman to his side must have felt his tension, and gripped his forearm. “Hey, it’s okay. Everything here is consensual. None of this would be happening if she didn’t want it to. In many ways she’s more in control than the guy with the strap. He’s there for her.”
Mitch nodded. This surely wasn’t his world. “Sorry. It’s just jarring.”
“I know. I remember my first time here. It took some getting used to seeing other people’s kink on display. Until I found my own place, I mean.”
“And what’s your kink?”
“On the kink spectrum, I guess I’m pretty vanilla,” she giggled. “I’m not that big into pain or bondage, but I often find myself in exhibition rooms.”
“Oh really?” His interest. “So you get off on people watching you?”
He looked around at everyone in their gold masks. There was no way to tell who was who. “But how do you know who you’re with? Isn’t it risky? Why not meet people through regular channels?”
“What regular channels?” she asked. “Meet online creeps for coffee? Swipe left or right on someone who’s a kilometer away? Or perhaps go to a nightclub and drag off with strangers?” She shook her head. “Those activities are more dangerous for a woman than anything else. At least here, I know people are tested, vetted, and the premises are secure. It’s completely safe here,” she told him.
Mitch nodded. He couldn’t argue with that. It was completely safe, unless you were a trafficked woman who was served a lethal dose of illegal drugs.
“I actually started off serving drinks here,” she explained, gesturing to the women who walked through the room, holding aloft trays of drinks. Of course, I didn’t participate then, employees are forbidden to, but I was always intrigued by it. So when I stopped working here, I joined.”
Mitch plucked two champagne flutes from a nearby server and he handed one to the woman. “They like to make sure everyone is hydrated,” he commented.
“Frees the inhibitions,” she told him. “But they’re careful not to overserve.”
“That’s good,” he said, sipping.
A crush of people entered the room at once, the noise volume more than tripled, as the dozens of revellers swarmed around them. The room was suddenly crowded, definitely over-capacity. It was time for everyone to get on with the festivities, it seemed.
Mitch turned around, and saw that his escort and her gold cat mask was gone. They’d been separated, but the crowd was so dense and the room so dark that he couldn’t see a trace of her, not even her bright red dress.
Tricks & Treats: A Romance Anthology Page 10
