Elicit: (Decadence After Dark Book 5)

by M. Never

  I don’t buy his indifference one bit.

  THERE’S A SOFT KNOCK ON my bedroom door.

  “Come in!” I yell as I slip on a tank top, fresh out of the shower.

  “Hey.” Jenna enters timidly and it hurts my heart. She used to burst through the door without even knocking.

  “Hey.” I smile warmly as she crosses the room. I want her to feel welcome. I want her to feel how much I miss her. She’s my best friend, and she’s hurting, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. My fear has finally come true. This life has tarnished yet another beautiful soul. Javier managed to break her in just a few short weeks, in turn destroying all the good things she had in her life. Me, Jett, school, the promise of a brighter future. I understand everything she’s feeling—the fear, the shame, the vulnerability. Emotional isolation. I have walked ten thousand miles in her shoes.

  “I came to say goodbye.”

  My face drops. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m leaving. I think it’s best.” She wraps her arms around herself.

  “Where are you going?” I swallow the knot of emotion prickling in my throat.

  “To live with Marcus.”

  “Marcus?”

  “He wants a house pet. I think I can handle that for a while.”

  “Let me guess. He offered you money and cars and jewelry?”

  “Doesn’t sound so bad right now.” She looks everywhere but at me.

  My sadness deepens. Jenna deserves so much more. She deserves someone to love her for the amazing person she is, not just what her pretty face and body have to offer. Which is all Marcus is interested in.

  “I wish you would stay.” I step closer to her, linking my fingers with hers.

  She can barely handle looking me in the eyes. “I can’t. Not while he’s here,” her voice strains.

  As much as I hate it, I understand. I was so desperate to escape the man who abused me, I killed him. Jenna hasn’t reached that point, and I pray she never does.

  “I’m going to miss you.” I hug her tightly, biting back my upset. Inhaling her strawberry scent one last time.

  “I’m going to miss you, too,” she sniffles.

  “I’ll be here if you need me. For anything.”

  “Thanks.” She squeezes the life out of me.

  Don’t let go. Don’t let go.

  “Promise me one thing,” I request.

  “What?”

  “Ne pas avoir peur d’aimer, même si ça fait mal.” Don’t be afraid to love, even if it hurts.

  “That’s a big promise.” She laughs through her tears. “But I’ll try.”

  “Please try.” I pull away and wipe away her tears. “I love you.” I kiss her sweetly. A goodbye embrace.

  “I love you, too.” Jenna tries to smile as she holds my wrists.

  “Finish school. Study your French,” I urge.

  “Je promets.” I promise.

  “Good.”

  “I have to go.” She releases me a little too easily.

  I let go reluctantly, my voice nonexistent.

  I stand on the top landing of the marble staircase and just watch as Jenna and Jett wait for her car. The separation anxiety is starting already, and she hasn’t even left the house yet. In my heart I know this is right. I just hope Marcus treats her well and allows her to find her way.

  My tears drip as she walks out the door and disappears into the back of a black limo.

  Jenna was my first real friend and my first real heartbreak.

  Love does fucking hurt.

  Jett climbs the stairs after she’s gone. And just as naturally as falling snow, he wraps me in his arms and protects me from the cold.

  Love can hurt, but at the same time, it can also heal.

  I’m learning these hard lessons day by day, minute by minute.

  Jett makes the heartache bearable. He’s the one who’s there at the end of each day. He’s my illuminating salvation. I’m his darkest fantasy. Together, we dance in the twilight, shielded by the shadows and liberated by the light.

  “IT WORKED!” KAYNE NEARLY KNOCKS down the door to my room.

  “You’re lucky I’m not naked.” I fasten the button on my jeans.

  “You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” He shrugs. “Pierced or not.”

  “Good to know. What worked?” I finger comb my damp blond hair in the mirrored wall.

  “Javier wants to throw El Rey a party.”

  I spin to face Kayne. “He’s coming?”

  “Yup. The day after tomorrow. So we need to move our asses.”

  “The day after tomorrow? That soon? What did you tell him exactly?”

  “Just that we’d throw El Rey a party he’d never forget.” Kayne’s bold blue eyes sparkle sinisterly.

  My smile reflects his stare. “If there’s one thing I can do, it’s throw a party.”

  “I have no doubt.”

  “You coordinate with Juice.” I lower my voice and plan. “I’ll set up the festivities. This will be Mansion’s last hurrah. We need to go out with a bang.” The wheels start to spin as I begin to craft the perfect reception for our guest of honor. I already have the ideal theme.

  Captive Angels.

  It’s easy to get things done when you have great connections and a boat load of money. Mansion’s parties are legendary, so throwing one together last minute isn’t an impossible task. I’ve had vendors coming and going for nearly forty-eight hours, transforming the great room into a BDSM night club, complete with a VIP bondage area outfitted with furniture and complimentary men and women.

  The invitations specifically directed everyone to wear white so they glow under the black lights, and when the clock strikes eleven, cannons will explode, dousing the crowd with UV paint, turning the canvas of white bodies into a colorful work of art. My favorite part of the whole decor? The real-live captive angels. Beautiful women dancing inside enormous bird cages, decked out with white feathered wings, dressed in skimpy lingerie and scattered all over the gigantic room.

  It should be a night to remember. For everyone. If I could sprout devil horns, I would.

  I put the finishing touches on Ellie’s outfit. I’ve been primping her for the party for the last two hours. It’s bittersweet to dress her for the last time. I’ve become very fond of this frisky little kitten.

  I pulled out all the stops tonight, transforming her into an angelic vixen. Heavy eye makeup, fake eyelashes, and stained pink lips. And just because I could, I had the butterfly design, floor-length, mesh lingerie flown in directly from Milan. It’s some of my best work, if I do say so myself.

  “Bellissimo.” I blow an air kiss off the tips of my fingers.

  Ellie eyes me like I’m nuts. “You are a very odd individual.”

  “I know. One of a kind,” I amicably agree.

  “How did you come to be this way? If you were gay, I’d understand.”

  I smile endearingly as I run one hand through my hair. Up until now, I’ve evaded as many of Ellie’s questions as I could. But I don’t see the harm in giving her a tiny morsel tonight.

  “One day I’ll tell you the whole story. But the Cliff’s Notes version? I grew up around a lot of women.”

  “Sisters?” she asks, thirsty for information.

  Sisters, funny. I can’t help but laugh. “No, not exactly, but my mom did take in a lot of strays. Me and a house full of females, I learned a few things.”

  “Like how they think and what they like?”

  “Yes, that, among other things.” I emphasize the word things.

  “What things?” she probes.

  I clam up. I said a tiny bit. “Jett, since I’ve been here, you have bathed me, dressed me, and groomed me. Made me laugh and consoled me when I cried. It’s sort of unfair. You know more than most about me, and I know next to nothing about you.” She argues a good point.

  “You know that I care about you,” I counter.

  “Jett.” She puts her hands on her hips and glares a
t me playfully.

  My vague, run around responses aren’t cutting it.

  “Those eyes are killer.” I sigh as my resolve crumbles. “My mother was a Madame, Ellie.”

  “What?” she responds bemused.

  “Yup. I grew up in a very affluent whore house. While other boys were playing football in high school, I was learning the family trade.”

  She’s rendered speechless. No surprise. “It’s how Mansion came to be.”

  “Mansion?” she questions. We really have kept her in the dark.

  “Yes, that’s what we call the business. I train all the women who work for us.”

  “Train? Like how Kayne trained me?”

  “Yes. Very much like that.”

  “And they just let you?” The concept is foreign to her. Again, no surprise.

  “Yes, Ellie. Some women crave to be controlled. It’s a lifestyle that isn’t always understood. But in this house it’s done in a safe and sound environment. With like-minded people. Happy you asked now?”

  “I guess,” she replies blankly, trying to digest this new information.

  “Not what you were expecting to hear?” I ask casually, as I fiddle with her long golden hair.

  “No,” she divulges truthfully.

  “It never is.” I laugh. “I’ll tell you more about my upbringing and Mansion one day. But for now,” I clap my hands to get back to business, “we need to get going. Kayne is going to flip. Like lose his shit completely when he sees you.”

  “You think?” Ellie bites her lip, glancing down at her outfit.

  “I know.” I’m completely confident. “I’ve known Kayne a long time. And I know what he likes.”

  Ellie suddenly frowns. “Has Kayne been with many women?”

  My mouth falls open. “Umm?”

  I wasn’t expecting that line of questioning.

  “That many, huh?”

  “No, not exactly. It’s just this lifestyle allows for an open tap of unadulterated pleasure. He’s never hurt for company.”

  I wouldn’t use the word many, though. I’m pretty sure the man can count on one hand how many women have been in his bed.

  “Then why did he take me?” Ah, the burning question. I rest my hands on her arms. “You’re going to know soon enough, sweet thing. And it’s something Kayne has to explain.”

  “I don’t like the way that sounds, Jett.”

  “And you shouldn’t.” The truth can go either way. It could set them free, or it could destroy them forever. Ellie swallows hard, a sudden upshot of fear grabbing her.

  “He keeps telling me things are going to change. Is he going to sell me?”

  My eyes bulge. “Where did you get a ridiculous idea like that?”

  She shrugs, all out of sorts. “I’m a slave. Slaves get sold.”

  I shake my head emphatically. “No more erotic suspense novels for you. And I can say with absolute certainty he would never sell you. But he is afraid he won’t be able to keep you.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You don’t have to. All will be revealed in time.” It’s all I can say at the moment.

  I walk over to the bed and pick up Ellie’s collar. We need to get moving.

  “Final accessories.” I fasten it around her neck then move to the armoire, opening one side of the double doors. I return with rhinestone wrist cuffs attached to several strings of thick crystals. One string I fasten to the D-ring on the front of her collar before I clamp each of her wrists. She’s a dolled-up pet. A kitten on an ultra-extravagant leash.

  “Perfect.” I admire my handiwork. “It’s time, sweet thing.”

  “Time for what?” Poor Ellie is just about to explode from all the secrecy.

  “Your unveiling. This party is important. Be on your best behavior. Listen to Kayne. Stay by his side no matter what,” I instruct.

  “He has me on a leash. Where do you think I’m going to go?”

  I snicker. “I’ve become quite fond of you, little one. And that snarky mouth.”

  “It’s all I have left. My snark.”

  I can’t hide my melancholy expression as I lead her toward the door by her shiny new leash. She still has everything and just doesn’t know it yet.

  “Where are we going?” Ellie asks like the curious kitten she is. “Kayne is the only one who takes me for walks.”

  “Kayne’s room.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re his birthday surprise.”

  “It’s his birthday? Is that what the party is for?”

  “Not really. He’ll probably decapitate me for telling you. But I don’t give a fuck.” I look back and wink at her. Ellie follows me through the dark hallway with the deep purple carpet and hand-blown chandeliers toward the sweeping staircase. We can hear music playing faintly from the first floor as we walk down one flight of stairs to the second level.

  “Wait till you see this party. It’s my best yet. Going to be a real bang.” I widen my eyes excitedly. I stop at a huge wooden door where two very large men are exiting.

  “Everything set up?” I ask.

  “Done,” the tall, brawny blond responds.

  “Excellent.”

  I usher Ellie inside Kayne’s room, which has a very masculine feel. In the center of the understated décor is a giant birdcage I had set aside just for them. Its gold bars compliment the dark cherry furniture and glossy wood floors. I notice Ellie spying the impressive canopy bed with maroon bedding against the back wall. See something that interests you, kitten? It’s very majestic, very commanding, very magisterial. Just like Ellie’s owner.

  “We have to hurry. Kayne takes a long shower, but I don’t want to run the risk of him walking out and ruining the surprise.”

  “What surprise?”

  “Why you, of course.” I lead her inside the enormous cage with shackles hanging in the center. I remove one pair of cuffs from her wrists and replace them with another. “These cages are decorations for the party. I thought it would be a fun birthday present for Kayne to have his own captive angel. That’s the theme.” I smile at my own genius. I’m sure the irony of my statement is not lost on Ellie.

  “I’m already his captive.”

  See? Told you.

  “True,” I agree. “But I think deep down, you like it. You like serving him. And obeying him. And being dominated by him.”

  Ellie chooses not to respond.

  Her silence proves me right.

  “You look entrancing, sweet thing.” I pull out a red ribbon from my pocket and tie a bow around Ellie’s chest. After which, I remove a thin metal chain from my other pocket and weave the delicate cord through her fingers suspended above her head. I don’t think Kayne has experimented with a clit clamp with Ellie yet. Happy birthday to you, bro.

  “What’s that?” she looks up inquisitively.

  “Kayne will know.” I smirk devilishly. Call me an enabler. I don’t care.

  “My work here is done. I’ll see you at the party, gorgeous girl. Behave.” I tap her nose playfully with my index finger.

  “I don’t know how much trouble I can get in just hanging around.” She pulls on the restraints.

  “Well, just in case you get any ideas.” I wink, closing the cage door.

  That may well be the last conversation I ever have with Ellie Stevens. After tonight, everyone’s world is going to be altered. And with change comes new endings and new beginnings. And those new beginnings have no guarantees. Not for any of us, despite what we may want. Or in Kayne’s case who he may want. It will be Ellie’s decision whether she stays or goes after she finds out the truth.

  I may be in the same boat with London after she finds out what I have planned.

  But I would gladly ask for forgiveness than permission in this scenario. Her life matters more than mine. She deserves a new beginning over anyone, and I intend to give it to her even if it’s the last thing I do.

  Which it may well be if things go awry.

  ONLY FOR JE
TT WOULD I climb back into a fucking cage.

  When he announced his plans for this party and the giant birdcages, I think I went pale.

  It took me a few tries, but I finally mustered up enough courage to step through the door. And now here I stand, wearing huge white wings, boy shorts, and a lacy bralette. An angelic attraction for everyone to admire. The only thing that’s saving me from panicking right now is the knowledge the door is unlocked, and I have the ability to step out if need be.

  Party guests dressed in all white come and go, mingling, drinking, and dancing. Jett transformed the great room into a nightclub. A very loose, very lewd nightclub. Sex is flowing freely in the VIP area, on the clusters of couches in the corners, and playing explicitly on the wall. The porno is a nice touch. Adds to the ambiance.

  I dance seductively to the sexy music as I was instructed to do. It all feels a bit like the red light district. A call girl on display.

  I don’t know how long Jett secretly watches me entertain in the cage, but when I turn, he’s there. The man can stop your heart with just his gorgeous face alone. Strip him out of his clothes and it’s a full-blown spasm of a coronary artery. Tonight he’s sporting wild blond hair, sharp blue-green eyes, and a skin tight white T-shirt that accents every ripple on his chest. The ring of his nipple piercing peeking out under the taut pull of the cotton.

  I seduce him as I move, pressing my body against the vertical bars and undulating my hips to the rhythm.

  A naughty smirk brightens his face as he reaches up and grabs the cage. I can feel his body heat through the metal as I press my chest as closely as the bars will allow.

  “I know I shouldn’t say this, but I fucking love you in that cage. All that’s missing is a collar.”

  “You’re the only one I’d crawl into a cage for.”

  “London,” he expels in agony, adjusting his cock.

  “I can take care of your little problem.” I run a fingernail down the center of his chest.

  “Believe me, little bird, there’s nothing I want more than for you to drop to your knees and suck my cock through the bars of this cage. But that’s not why I’m here.” His tone becomes dire. My defenses immediately go up.