Sinful Torment: A Romantic Suspense Novel

by Tia Lewis

  Ethan chuckled once more as he shifted a bit in defeat. The cock swung in a small circle as he stood up. "And if that does happen, it'll be a first."

  I blushed and got up from the couch to retrieve my clothing for the evening. Simple leggings, T-shirt, and sandals. "True. And here I wanted to just sit in the lounge and enjoy the club tonight."

  Ethan eyed me as I dressed like he always did.

  “Why are you so beautiful, Jessica?"

  “I don't know."

  My face flushed as I felt Ethan's gaze on me and I swayed my hips from side to side enticingly knowing I was playing with fire. I turned around and saw him slowly walk toward me to retrieve his own clothing as well.

  “I love it when you tease me," he growled in my ear.

  Then with an unexpected spank on my ass, I quickly shot up. My mouth dropped as I hadn't expected any form of punishment for being a tease. I pouted at him while I watched him pick up his pants from the floor.

  “Ethan!"

  “That's what you get for teasing me."

  "Awww. I didn't deserve to be punished."

  Ethan merely chuckled and got dressed in his business suit. I couldn't tell if he was sexier in the suit, or without it.

  "It wasn't a punishment, Princess. You merely have a sexy ass, and I couldn't help myself."

  I knew he was right. I did have a gorgeous rear, but the stinging still stuck with me as I sighed somewhat.

  "One of these days, I'll have to return the favor to you."

  "Slap my ass? Not if I tie you up first," he replied, in a matter of fact tone. The bluntness of the statement sent a shiver down my spine.

  "We'll see about that, Mr. McKnight."

  “Maybe if you're a good girl."

  "I'm always a good girl," I walked toward him in my sandals and stood in front of him.

  "And yet you get spankings," he buttoned his blazer, leaned down, and offered me a gentle kiss on my forehead and another one on my neck.

  The sensation of his goatee tickling me, and his warm lips and the heat from his body sent a jolt of electricity between my thighs. The musky scent of his body, soap, and cologne mixed with desire and sex. It was intoxicating, but I tried to remain firm as I stood there, swaying on my feet for a moment before I opened my eyes with a slight, smitten flutter. My mind cursed itself for being taken advantage of so easily with his touches, but I knew I couldn't resist.

  "Well, maybe I like getting spanked."

  “I know you do," Ethan winked, knowing that if we started on that topic of conversation one of us would end up without pants again. “You and I should take a break in the lounge like you said. I'll order the kitchen to make us something to eat."

  "You got a kitchen set up now?" I asked as I followed alongside him. I felt his caressing hand press against my backside as he guided me out to the Cave of Pain and Pleasure. The flashing lights and decor had grown on me as he greeted the other party goers while we walked.

  Soon, we emerged into a circular room which was filled with tables and plush couches that sat along the walls. Unlike the other sections of The Twisted Sanctuary, the lounge itself was more or less designed for sitting, eating, and talking. Compared to the bar, dance floor, and the Cave of Pain and Pleasure's private rooms, it was classy and simple.

  "It's in the pre-launch phase."

  “Wow, that's wonderful to hear," I said. I took a seat beside him, and he put his arm around my shoulder. We got comfortable with one another for the evening, to rest and enjoy the atmosphere of the club.

  Just then, I heard shouting from the distance of the club and grabbed Ethan's thigh.

  “You hear that?"

  “Someone probably had too much to drink tonight. It happens from time to time, but my bouncers are good at kicking them out."

  “Oh, okay," I forced a smile.

  Then the shouts became louder, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from with the sea of people. "Where is she? Get the fuck out of my way!"

  “Ethan, I think I hear it coming from the dance floor."

  “I said get the fuck out of my way, unless you want a bullet to your head!"

  “Ethan?"

  We both got up from our seats and saw the commotion on the dance floor. The shouts, spilled drinks and the gruffness of that voice. That voice was filled with anger, and hints of threats within it.

  I recognized who it was.

  “Wait here, Jess," Ethan put his arm in front of me to block me from going toward the disorder.

  I could feel the bottom of my stomach fall into a pit; it couldn't be. Not here.

  It sounded just like Nick.

  I shook my head, trying to convince myself otherwise. Turning, he looked at me with a quizzical look before he turned once more toward the dance floor where it sounded like several men were yelling. I could see their fists were clenched as they looked around the club.

  Then a man emerged from the group of men which caused me to nearly swallow my breath in shock. Coming from the dance floor was Nick himself. My ex-husband.

  And he looked angry.

  Chapter Nine

  It almost felt like a dream or a nightmare in reality. Which was strange.

  For a while, I was rather happy, at least up until this point. Things were starting to look up for me with me enjoying my life as a divorced woman, ready to put the unpleasant history behind myself.

  Not only that, but I met a man who I felt a connection with. Someone who could treat me well, but still take command over me sometimes, to the point he brought out my hidden desires.

  And just like that, the fantasy came back to screaming reality.

  The monster, my ex-husband, came back into my life with the intent to grab me, chase me, or otherwise drag me back down to that Hell that I never wanted to return to. A dungeon of shattered self-esteem, loneliness, hopelessness, and desperation that I promised myself I would never go back to.

  Here he stood now. Nick Notaro. I watched him stand among several men that he no doubt persuaded and bribed into doing his dirty work for him, but yet so prideful to not see it through himself. He stood tall, proud, and angry, likely in the belief that he was some conquering hero to act as my savior and take me back to be his. Instead of realizing that he was the villain of the story of my life. He walked toward Ethan and me with clenched fists.

  Ethan moved to stand in front of me and now both men were squaring off. The tension of the club, so carefree before became encased in a clouded thickness as onlookers stopped their own private festivities to watch the altercation. The uneasiness could almost be cut with a knife, and I started to perspire.

  "There you are. I've been trying to get a hold of you for months for fuck's sake. This is where you've been?" Nick yelled with his group of entourage standing behind him with their arms crossed over their chests so proudly and arrogantly.

  Ethan stood firm even though he only knew about Nick from my conversations about him. Still, he wanted to defend me.

  "Who the hell do you think you are?" Ethan asked. "You can't barge into my place of business and start shit."

  "Yeah? And just who the hell are you, jackass?"

  "I'm the jackass who owns this place," Ethan replied. "Now I'm asking you to leave before I call the cops."

  That response only provoked a grunting chuckle from Nick. His entourage stood next to him like a wall of criminality.

  "I ain't leaving without my wife. Now get the fuck out of my way. Jessica and I need to talk."

  With that, it almost seemed like a lightbulb went off in Ethan's head as he turned toward me for half a second, putting two and two together and realized who was standing in front of him. He appeared, at first, in need of confirmation but he turned before I could nod that it was indeed my ex-husband Nick.

  “So, this is Nick," Ethan gave a barking laugh of sorts. “The answer is no. Now leave."

  "Wrong answer, pal," spoke one of the goons from behind Nick's shoulder.

  "No, it's not a wrong answer," Ethan ret
orted. "They're divorced. They're not married anymore. She can go where she wants to and do whatever she wants. She's not his property."

  "You think I'm going to just give up on her? She belongs to me!"

  "You sure about that?" Ethan raised his brow.

  "Yeah, he's sure!" The second man of Nick's entourage shouted.

  Everyone now turned to look at me, expecting an answer. I felt the weight of the decision press down upon my shoulders, nearly suffocating me. Ethan was expecting me to tell the truth, and side with him as a princess should be beside her prince. Nick, the fallen knight, clinging to a love that was lost by his own actions and uncaring nature. His entourage, the followers with nothing to lose, and nothing to gain, simply standing by with unmatched loyalty.

  "No. Let her speak. I want to hear it from her mouth who she belongs to," Nick responded.

  Nick stepped closer toward me holding his hand out, as if he expected me to take it and leap faithfully back into his arms. But it only served to disgust me further. Where once it was anger at his refusal to at least change and love and respect me as a person, I became more livid toward him and his actions, as if I was finally seeing him for the first time.

  I shook my head in response as I spoke. "No, Nick," the words continued to sputter out of me. My mouth moving faster than my mind could process, the questions not yet forming, but a need to know how he found me still came. "I don't."

  "I don't what?" Nick twisted his face and his hand which was held out for me was now clenched in a fist.

  Ethan looked as if he was going to answer Nick, but I quickly intervened, if only to keep the situation from turning more hostile than it was, and possibly violent. Ethan only knew the surface of what I figured Nick was capable of doing. I quickly spoke and moved from behind Ethan and stood beside him.

  "I don't belong to anyone who stalks me!"

  "Stalk you? It's not like you didn't make it obvious. What? You didn't think it would be hard to follow you? Are you that fucking stupid?"

  "I knew it, you piece of shit!" I snarled.

  “Listen, you worthless fat slob…" Nick replied.

  “Hey! Watch your fucking mouth," Ethan warned.

  “I got this, Ethan. This is between him and me."

  For so long I had sensed that Nick had followed me, or kept tabs on where I had gone. The eyes I often felt at the back of my head when I was out in the world, the feeling that someone was trailing along behind me whenever I exited or entered a building was now true. For so long I felt crazy, paranoid even. But now, it appeared I was right.

  Nick merely shrugged as the crowd of onlookers only increased in size all around us. Our marital issues and entwined webs of fate we wove with one another were now on display like a cheesy romance plot made for daytime television.

  But Nick wasn't done giving them the show that some craved.

  "You're my wife. I don't care what some divorce papers say."

  "No, she's not," Ethan interrupted again, and I could sense he was losing his patience. "Leave my fucking club now!"

  Unexpectedly, another man from Nick's entourage came from behind Nick and flicked open a long and sharp pocket knife.

  "Watch your mouth. That's what your man at the door said before I showed him this," the man waved the knife around. “Some bouncer. Asshole turned to chicken shit the moment I pulled this out."

  And it only got worse from there as the rest of Nick's entourage pulled out knives and guns from their waistline. The mood turned even more dangerous and deadly. The crowd of bystanders scattered darting to the exit of the club and now Ethan and I were caught in the middle.

  "You want to say that again, huh?" Nick spoke, his ego and narcissism now fully on display. I watched as he pulled out a gun from his jacket and my head was heavy with horror at what was happening. I had been on the receiving end of his anger before, but nothing like this.

  "You're going to have to kill me first before I let you touch her," Ethan grabbed my arm and pulled me behind me.

  "That can be arranged," Nick smirked.

  “The cops are on the way!" A bystander shouted from the other end of the club. “The cops are coming!"

  “We should go, Nick," the man said holding the knife.

  Nick sighed as he looked at Ethan and me. Hatred and anger burned within his dull blue eyes, a fiery intensity that I had never seen before.

  "I will be back. Don't think this is over."

  "Nick. Just go!" I shouted from behind Ethan.

  "I'm warning you, Jessica. I'm serious. You come back here, there's going to be trouble."

  “Fuck you!" I snarled. “I don't belong to you! I'm not your wife anymore!"

  “What did you say?" Nick took a step toward me, but Ethan prevented him from getting closer.

  “Come on, man. We need to get out here now! We got heat on us!"

  “Very well," Nick nodded. “See you soon, Jessica!"

  It felt like an eternity as I stepped from behind Ethan and watched Nick and his entourage scurry out of The Twisted Sanctuary. The club was now silent and the music was gone along with the fun, and sensual atmosphere.

  Minutes later, some of the bystanders made their way back inside the club and the whispers started once the danger had passed. Their voices expressed their discontent that the owner would allow thugs to come in. That Ethan was a part of the criminal underworld himself. That The Twisted Sanctuary was a mafia and criminal front.

  “Are you okay?" Ethan asked and kissed me on the forehead.

  “Yeah. I'm fine."

  "I'll be right back. I need to go make sure my bouncer is alright."

  I nodded before I told him. "I'm not going to leave you alone, Ethan."

  Ethan nodded and reached out for my hand.

  Ethan held my hand, and we made our way through the Cave of Pain and Pleasure's doors. The scintillating lights overhead and fog that was used for mystery and seduction were still going. I saw people peeked their heads out from the private rooms. The fun had left. No one was laughing, no one was grunting or moaning, no spanks or slaps of pleasure echoed.

  “Everything is fine, everyone. You can go back to your rooms," Ethan assured them.

  We made our way to the bar section of the club and out came the lumbering figure of the bouncer from earlier. He came walking up at a quickened pace; his hands were raised up in defeat like he expected to be lashed by Ethan.

  "Sorry, boss. I tried to keep them from coming in, but guns and knives kind of won that argument."

  Ethan sighed and patted the bouncer gently on his shoulder.

  "Everything is fine, Brody. They're all gone now, right?"

  “I saw them get in their cars and leave," he replied with his arms folded. Laurence the bartender who was listening in on the conversation walked over.

  "Brody is right. They're gone for now. Johnny cut off the music and told me what was happening, so I called the cops."

  "Where is Johnny then?" Ethan asked as he looked around the semi-vacant club.

  "The coward ran as soon as I told him some guys with guns went in the back."

  Ethan shook his head.

  Laurence then rose his brow. "Boss? What the hell did they even want? I thought shaking people down for money was something they only did in the movies."

  "It's..." Ethan spoke in exasperation, looking from both his bouncer and bartender and back over toward me. “It's complicated. Apparently, I did something that pissed someone off. A lot."

  In response the bouncer shrugged his broad shoulders. "Better than getting a bullet to your head in the back of an alleyway, I guess."

  "Agreed," Laurence replied. "For now, we'll wait for the police to leave. Afterward, you can take your girl home, and Brody and I will close down the club for the evening."

  Then, right on cue, all three men looked toward me.

  “Hi." I waved at them.

  Ethan simply smiled.

  "Yes. That'll probably be for the best. Hate to see what the press will say about thi
s. The last thing we need is a bad reputation and for all our 5-star reviews, that we worked so hard to get, be diminished."

  "Fuck the press. If they want to talk shit about us to give us a bad name then they can suck my dick," the bouncer growled and walked off.

  "I agree with him. Who knows," Laurence shrugged. "Maybe bad press is good press, and it'll bring out more thrill seekers."

  "That's enough for the night. I'm sure the cops have paperwork I need to fill out," Ethan said to Laurence.

  “Alright, boss. I'll start cleaning up." Laurence nodded and headed to the bar.

  Ethan walked to me and pulled me closer toward him.

  “I'm so sorry. I feel terrible since this is all my fault. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I was the cause of club losing its good reputation."

  “Shhh…" he then kissed my eyes. “Everything is fine. Shit happens."

  “Promise?"

  “I promise," he smiled. "Looks like we're going to have a bit of a wait before we finish the evening."

  I blushed, not knowing what to say.

  Chapter Ten

  Things quieted down for the most part after everything had happened at The Twisted Sanctuary.

  Ethan did his best to apologize and comfort the club patrons that the alternation was not a normal thing to happen at his club. I couldn't help to feel guilty and even apologized to people as well in hopes they'd return.

  All of us gave our statements to the police. I told the cops that the ringleader, Nick Notaro, was indeed my ex-husband, gave photographic evidence of what he looked like, where he lived, and what he had threatened us with. Ethan confirmed what I had said. The bouncer followed up with his statement soon afterward, testifying what had happened at the door where he was doing his job. The police stated that they would find Nick but also his entourage since they collected video evidence from the security footage inside the club.

  Ethan put his arm around my waist as we exited the front of the door of his club. The bouncer closed the doors behind us and locked and chained it shut.

  “Have a good night, you two." The bouncer waved at us.

  “Goodnight," I replied back and watched the bouncer walk down the street.