“Well, I think they pretty much just have ‘scenes.’ Like people who are all into the stuff acting out their fantasies or something.”
My brows scrunched down with confusion. “So, they’re like, screwing each other and stuff? In front of strangers?”
“No. The girl said they don’t allow people to actually screw, at least not at this party. I think they can get naked, but they just can’t screw each other.”
Constance snarled her lips up. “Well, what in the hell do they do then?”
I stretched my legs out in front of me and said, “Are they just like, tying people up and whippin’ them with things?” I was completely perplexed.
What in the hell?
Ashley shrugged. “Yeah, I guess…don’t know. But I figured it’s better to go observe it and see what it does to you than just go to some sex shop and stock up on leather and floggers only to realize it’s not what you thought it was.” She smiled. “I mean, at the least we’d probably learn some pretty cool techniques to try on our men.”
Constance glared over at me. “Brooke, don’t tell me you’re actually gonna go to this thing?”
Looking back at her, the corner of my mouth slowly tugged up into a small grin.
Constance shook her head. “Oh, shit! I knew you were a damn freak. Damn it!” She pointed at Ashley, “I can’t let you go by yourself with this whore monger.” Rolling her eyes, she said, “Great, just how I hoped to one day spend my Saturday night, watching people spank each other. Oh joy!” Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.
Ashley squealed, clapping her hands together. “Ohhhhh, I’m soooo excited. This is gonna be super kinky.” She looked at me and Constance, her tone becoming serious as she said, “Don’t tell anyone about it though. Not Colton, not Gavin. Nobody! The girl said that you’re not supposed to talk about stuff like this with ‘vanillas.’ ”
“What the hell is a vanilla?” Constance yelled. “She’s already talking their lingo! Brooke, she’s a for real freak.”
Ashley flung her wadded-up napkin at Constance. “It’s someone that isn’t into that stuff, so like us,” Ashley’s finger made a quick triangle as she pointed at us, “we’re considered vanillas.”
I thought for a moment and then asked, “So, if we’re vanillas, why can we go to this party?”
“Well, because we’ve expressed an interest and have been invited,” Ashley said.
Constance’s eyes popped open and twitched a little. “You mean, you’ve expressed an interest and been invited.”
“Yeah.” Ashley flipped her hair behind her shoulders. “But the girl told me I could bring a couple of friends if I had any that were interested.”
Constance narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know…” she paused and glared over at me. “How do we know we’re not gonna get in there and someone’s gonna try to wrap a collar around our necks? Sell us off as sex slaves?”
Ashley rolled her eyes. “For the love, Constance, it’s not like their criminals. I mean half of them are like, executives, lawyers, and doctors. Hell, we may see some people from work there.”
I frowned. “Oh, please, no!”
“I’m going, I don’t care if I go by myself,” Ashley said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Glaring over at Constance, I raised my eyebrows and nodded as I said, “We’re going too, aren’t we?” I punched her in the arm.
“Yeah, sure. Whatever,” she huffed and sprawled out on my floor. “Damn freaks! Screwing up my weekend plans.”
I slapped at her knee. “Oh, hush, Constance. You don’t have any plans. I’m sure they ’d be okay if you brought BOB with you.”
She stuck her tongue out and flipped me the bird.
“I love you too,” I said.
Sitting back against my couch, I thought about what I was about to do. My curiosity had definitely been piqued, so what would it hurt to just go see what it was really about outside of a fictional book? You only live once…
Chapter Thirty-three
Brooke
August 2, 2014
We pulled up and parked on the side of the street. It was dark and we were in a part of Atlanta I’d never been in before. It looked somewhat deserted with many of the buildings sporting for lease signs in the tinted windows.
My nerves were on edge. I looked over at Ashley, then back to Constance. I felt like I was near hyperventilating and tried to breathe in through my nose and exhale slowly through my mouth. My heart was banging around in my chest and my stomach was churning. “Maybe this isn’t such a great idea, Ashley. This place looks shady.”
Ashley looked over at me. “Oh, get a grip, Brooke. It’ll be fine.” She reached across my lap and yanked her glove compartment down, rummaging through the papers and napkins from fast food restaurants. “Here,” she said as she handed me a small can of mace. “That make you feel better?”
“No,” I wrinkled my forehead up at her, “not at all!”
Constance leaned up between the seats and said, “Well, I’m just pissed that you wouldn’t let me get all decked out in a leather leotard. I mean, if we’re gonna do it, let’s do it right.” She peered over at me. “Chill, Brooke, it’ll be fine. I mean, the worst thing that could happen is that the person Ashley’s been talking to is actually a serial killer and they’re gonna gut us and toss our mutilated carcasses out in the back alley where rabid animals will feast on it for days before anyone ever finds our remains.”
“I can’t…” I started to hyperventilate again.
Ashley opened her door and glared back at me. “Get your ass outta the car.”
Constance crawled out from the back of Ashley’s Jeep Liberty and motioned angrily for me to get out.
I placed my sweaty palm on the handle and opened the door, pulling my shirt down as I followed them to the door of what looked like a club. The windows were dark and the entrance was sunken in between red brick columns.
Constance pointed to the entrance way. “They do stuff like this at clubs? WTF?” The tone in her voice sounded slightly disturbed.
Ashley peeked back over her shoulder. “They rent them out. You know, kinda like you can do for private parties.”
“Oh, this is about to get really private.” Constance mumbled as we stopped in front of the tinted glass door. “Bow-chicka-wow-wow.”
I punched Constance in the arm.
She narrowed her eyes and added, “Chicka-wow.” She just couldn’t help herself.
Glancing back, I saw cars parked sporadically along the street. The majority of them were luxury vehicles, a lot of them were sports cars. I panicked when I saw a Mercedes M-class with the parking decal from the hospital plastered in the windshield.
I grabbed Ashley’s arm. “Look,” I squeaked out in absolute horror as I pointed at the car.
Ashley sighed. “Yeah, a Mercedes, whoop, whoop. Brooke, you’re humpin’ a guy with a Porsche, what’s your deal?”
“No, the decal. They work at the hospital.”
The edges of her brightly glossed lips turned up in a wicked fashion. “So they do,” she paused. “Interesting, hmmm? Wonder who that is?”
“Ashley, I can’t go in there and see somebody from work.” I turned and hurried toward her car.
Ashley chased after me and grabbed my arm tightly. “Do you know how big that damn hospital is? The chances of you knowing them are nil. Now, stop freakin’ out on me and come on,” she demanded and drug me back to the entrance of the building. She knocked loudly on the door and we stood silently waiting for someone to open it.
I felt like I may throw up at any moment.
The lock clicked and I was certain I was about to pass out. The door slowly creaked opened and a strikingly attractive young woman stood in the entrance. She was dressed in a short, fitted lycra dress, her blonde hair pulled tightly away from her face in a high ponytail. She was wearing a leather collar that had bright red stitching in it and a thick silver ring dangled from the middle
of it. Her makeup was exquisitely done, her thick black eyeliner was drawn out into perfect cat eyes, and her red lipstick glistened in the dim light of the entrance way.
“Ashley, a guest of Raven,” Ashley said confidently.
“Welcome,” the woman greeted us with a soft voice. Opening the door, she stepped aside to allow us in.
We walked in, all huddled together. The inside was dark, the floor was stained concrete, and the walls and ceiling were all painted black. A familiar song by the Deftones was playing so loudly I could feel the percussions vibrating through my chest. Red light bulbs hung from the pendant lighting that lined the long hallway, which opened up into a large dance floor area.
I grabbed onto the back of Ashley’s shirt as we followed the collared woman down the hall. Constance clutched onto my back when a man in a full leather outfit passed by us. He stole a glance and leered down at Ashley. I immediately redirected my eyes to the back of her head so I wouldn’t make eye contact with him.
I was absolutely terrified.
“Wait here,” the woman said before walking off.
I watched her approach another woman in a black corset and underwear. The woman tapped the end of something that resembled a whip in her palms as she glanced over in our direction.
“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!” Constance mumbled into the back of my shirt, her fingers sunk into my skin as she tightened her grip on me.
Ashley glared over at her. “Shut up, Constance.”
The woman who’d lead us in walked away and knelt down in front of a man who was wearing tight black pants and no shirt. I watched, completely stunned, as he bent over and attached a leash to the ring of her collar. The woman proceeded to place her hands on the floor and walk on her hands and knees, following the man who held tightly on to her leash.
The woman in the corset sauntered over to us. Her steps seemed to be synchronized with the harsh rhythm of the music blaring into my ears. She walked up to Ashley and halted. “Ashley?” she asked.
Ashley nodded. “Yes.”
“I’m so glad you decided to bring some friends.” She gave me and Constance the quick once over. “I’m Raven and I hope you find the answers that you’re looking for.”
Raven’s dark eyes skimmed over me and Constance. Her gaze fell back to Ashley and a halfway smile pushed her lips up. “For many this is a lifestyle, for some it’s just recreation. You really can make it all your own. That’s the beauty of it. It’s unique to each person, each couple. There are many layers to this… your involvement depends on how deep you’re willing to go.” A wicked laughed trickled from her throat.
Raven escorted us back to the dance floor. We came to the end of the hallway and she pushed chains out of our way, allowing us through the doorway. “This is the dungeon. As you can see, there are various scenes in progress right now. Feel free to watch, but do not touch, unless asked to do so, of course,” she paused, “and only if you want to.” She smiled momentarily as she glanced back at me.
Raven gripped the end of a long leather whip. The handle was slender and the end of the whip had several long pieces of leather hanging from its end. Her fingers stroked the small pieces of fabric, allowing them to fall carelessly through her gloved fingers.
“So,” she pointed the handle of the whip at me, “you seem like you’d make a nice, obedient sub. Such innocence, I’m sure you’d make some dom very, very happy.” She laughed and looked sternly at me. “That is why you’re here, right? To see if this is the appropriate choice for you?”
I stood completely still, paralyzed by fear. My mouth was so dry that it seemed nothing but air came out when I tried to answer her. Swallowing, I furiously whipped my tongue around in my mouth to try and wet it. “I — I’m just curious,” the words came out as a hoarse whisper, “ma’am.” I felt like she should be addressed that way for some reason.
Raven nodded once and shifted her gaze over to Constance. “Same for you, sweetheart? Curiosity?”
Constance nodded quickly. Her face had turned pale and her clammy hand gripped my wrist. I’d never seen her look so completely terrified in her life.
“Very well. Please come see me before you leave. It’s only proper etiquette to tell your hostess goodbye.”
Raven walked off, leaving us in the middle of the dungeon. Alone.
I took in my surroundings. Furniture was scattered throughout the open chamber. Numerous metal objects were placed around the room. I had no idea what their purpose was. The only thing I could think was that they all resembled medieval torture devices; intimidating, threatening and in no way could I imagine they were as pleasurable as that book had managed to describe. Leather swings hung in the corners of the room and chains precariously hung from the ceiling.
Constance poked me.
Her eyes were fixated on the ceiling. I glanced up and saw trapeze swings. Constance let out a loud gasp and dug her nails deeper into my arm. She slowly scanned the room, standing slack-jawed, her lip quivering.
“What-in-the-hell…” she panted out.
Following her gaze, I stopped on a woman who had been hung upside down on some metal contraption, her arms and legs spread apart and attached to the device. Fear gripped me by the throat and I shut my eyes.
This was a bad idea, Brooke. Very, very bad idea…
I looked to my right in the hopes I would find a less disturbing image and saw a couple. I watched intently as the man took handcuffs from his belt and cuffed the woman to a railing. She was nude with the exception of a lace thong. He stomped across the room and picked up an object, coming back to kneel in front of her. He looked up and spoke to her, his voice silenced by the music. The woman immediately spread her legs apart and he placed the object between her legs. The thin bar stretched from one leg to the other. He closed the thick cuffs at each end of the bar around her ankles. I watched as he pulled his belt lose from his pants, rolling it around his hand. The woman drug her lip in underneath her teeth and I observed her breath become harder as she anticipated what this man was about to do to her. The man raised his hand back and lashed the belt across her thigh. The woman let out a loud moan in return.
My mind kept screaming at me to look away, close my eyes… but curiosity had me. My stare remained focused on this couple, watching, wondering why I felt a slight twinge of heat fluttering across my stomach.
My eyes widened and the beats of my heart became harder and more definite. I realized that I was becoming deeply turned on as I watched this man restrain and discipline this woman with his belt. The look of absolute ecstasy on her face became more intense each time the leather of his belt met her skin. The complete control he had over her was oddly arousing.
I faced Constance. She was gawking, her mouth still hanging open. She was stunned. Her eyes didn’t blink as she drank in her surroundings. Terror was written all over her face.
Glancing back toward the couple, I felt Constance’s sweaty hand grab onto my bare shoulder. She lowered her face to my neck, her breath warm on my skin as she whispered, “Brooke, what the fuck place is this?”
I shook my head, not sure of what to say.
Raven strutted past us. My gaze locked onto her as she pointed down toward the ground. A man knelt down onto his knees and lowered his head. His hands were held out in a beggar’s pose and Raven lifted her booted leg up, placing the heel of her shoe into the man’s palm. Lowering his face, he stuck his tongue out and licked from the heel of her boot up to the skin of her leg. He got as far as the middle of Raven’s thigh and she abruptly grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked him to his feet.
Ashley had a large smile plastered across her face. She was completely enthralled with this scene.
Raven walked toward us, dragging the man behind her by his hair. His body was completely limp, he wasn’t trying to resist her. She released the grip she had on him and shoved him in front of us. His gaze never lifted from the floor.
“Any of you girls want to play? I’
m more than willing to share one of my subs with you.”
“I do,” Ashley eagerly held her hand out.
I looked at Constance, who now had a look of pure and utter mortification washing across her face. “Oh — holy — shit,” Constance panted out.
We stood there, horrified as Ashley took the whip from Raven’s hand.
Ashley forced the guy away from her. “Down,” she snarled. Her shoulders drew back and her stance widened.
The guy immediately obeyed and knelt in front of her.
“On all fours,” Ashley barked.
The guy hung his head and placed his palms underneath him. Taking the tip of the whip, Ashley drug it slowly across his back. She circled him as she brushed the whip against his skin. Pulling her foot up, she placed it on his lower back. The heel of her shoe sank into his skin. She raised the whip and cracked it across the middle of his back.
I was speechless. I realized I hadn’t let my breath out for a moment and exhaled. I glanced over at Constance, who still looked absolutely shell shocked.
“Oh, she’s done this before, Brooke…” Constance said.
Ashley bent down and grabbed the guy by his hair. I quickly redirected my eyes to Constance and commented, “Or either she’s done a whole lot of research!”
We just stared at each other trying to figure out what exactly was going on when Raven appeared behind Constance.
“So, what do you girls think of my little dungeon here?” Her voice made me jump. “Something you find pleasing? Anything you have questions about?” Raven asked.
“It’s very… intense,” I said and swallowed hard.
Raven laughed loudly, wildly. “Ah, yes. Intense, but you didn’t say shocking, absurd, disturbing — you like what you see, don’t you, sweetheart?”
“I —uh, I’m in a relationship,” I stumbled over my words and didn’t even realize that I was backing away from the woman until I felt the rough texture of the wall against my back. Looking into her eyes, her stare was so hollow and dark. An uneasy feeling splintered through my core.
Bound to the Fallen (Prophecy #2) Page 29
