I had the leash with me, but I wasn’t going to use it. I had it in my pocket just in case we both agreed it was a good idea.
It would take a lot to convince me of that.
Donny took a deep breath. “You’re right. Of course. We don’t want this to happen again and we’re not going to be able to ease Simon into this. Top floor it is. I’m going to have one of the house pets show you the way up—”
Vanity cleared her throat. “Again, it’s probably better if I guide him up,” she said. “If they see us being led by a pet, they may not carry through with any plans.”
Raising an eyebrow, Donny inclined his again. “Again, you’re right. You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. I have. With Master…” She cringed. “Darien Thompson.”
Donny’s eyes grew wide. “Darien is your Dom?”
“Sometimes, yes.”
I raised my hand. “Who’s Darien?”
“He’s the Master at Wanderer’s End. He trained with Franz, and trained Killian and several other well-known Doms. He’s…hardcore.” He studied Vanity. “Are you that into S and M?”
She nodded and said nothing more.
I was confused, but I didn’t chase that line of the discussion. “So, you know how to get us to the top level of the Stadium.”
“Yes, easily.”
“And you’ll be discreet about explaining? And keep up the charade?”
Charade?
Vanity nodded. “Of course.”
“All right. So, Mistress Dee would like a report from you before you leave tonight, if that’s possible. She’s very concerned about all this. She paid off the television stations to say nothing about this.”
I held up my hand. “Not another word. You can’t bribe me. I’m on the up and up—if you want nothing said, I will say nothing. I get that’s probably better in this case.”
He nodded. “Yes. It’s better.”
“Then it’s done.”
“Excellent. Ready to go?” He nodded at me and Vanity.
She nodded and went right back into her submissive persona. It was strange to see someone so able to turn it on and off. The friends I had at Club Imperial were either one or the other. Vanity was the first real switch I’d ever seen.
I nodded as well, and Donny motioned us to the door. “We have security everywhere, Vanity will know how to spot them if you need them.”
Donny pushed the door wide and I walked out ahead of Vanity. She stuck to me like glue, just next to and behind me. I’d only had time for a few pointers from Darcy before tonight. We’d both been too busy to really sit down and get some good tips.
“I’ll guide you,” Vanity whispered as the door shut.
“Thank you,” I answered.
“Don’t look up. There’s a woman in a shibari rigging in the center of the hall. It’s a centerpiece. There’s a waiting list for that position about four months long. One of Cece’s students has recently taken over, and he’s excellent. Cece did it for a few months, but then moved to Club Imperial.”
I walked down the stairs, with her against my arm. She held on to my arm and gently pressed in whatever direction we had to walk. I kept my face neutral, but I was woefully unprepared for what really went on here.
Imperial was tame. I knew that. I just wished I hadn’t skipped the middle level to go straight to this hardcore stuff.
There was a man walking his sub. Another woman using hers as a seat. There were people tied up and dressed in full latex, with only eyes and nostrils open. Some didn’t even have zippers on the mouths.
There were several more people in shibari creations. Women with their breasts bare. There was a woman seated on the bar and was clearly being humiliated by her Dom, on purpose. Anyone was welcome to touch exposed parts. There were subs being led by their nipple chains, and others who were locked in chastity belts and cages and some were locked in cock and ball torture devices.
In the darkest corners were darker things I didn’t want to know about. A sign hung above the door that Vanity guided me through that said ‘Stadium–>‘ and ‘<–Orgy rooms.’
Rooms. More than one.
Vanity pressed me to the right, away from the orgy rooms. I was grateful for that. There was a stairwell with the words Stadium Seating over the top. It was a climb up to the top, but that was the best place to be to keep an eye on everything.
I was a little afraid of what I might see, at this point.
We stopped at the top, and I looked around. There was going to be an excellent view from here, and I was glad we decided to risk it.
“Suggestions for a place to sit?”
“Front and center,” she whispered. “We’ll be able to see all the way down, into all the rooms.”
I headed for a table I spotted just about dead center of the level. The tables that were occupied had candles on them, and as soon as we sat, a server appeared and lit the candle.
“Good evening, Master. Would you like anything as table service?”
“Scotch. Your best. A double. And a glass of sweet white for my pet.”
Ugh. Pet.
“Of course, sir, thank you.”
Vanity settled close to me. “Thank you.”
“Just because we agreed on pet doesn’t mean I can’t order you a nice drink,” I answer, looking over the edge.
Whoa.
I could see all the way down to the first floor, and I hadn’t realized they put glass ceilings on. Not only could I see what was right in front of me, I could see everything all the way down to the ground floor.
And there was a lot to see.
I could see the smirk on Vanity’s face. “Your gasp was a dead giveaway, sir,” she said.
“Let’s say it was a heights thing, okay?” I mumbled back to her.
“Of course, sir,” she answered, a laugh in her voice.
I had to look again. I schooled myself and glanced down.
Room after room had occupants in various states of undress and engaged in different forms of intercourse. The ones at the bottom were all sensual and gentle. There wasn’t much anything of interest—sort of. I could watch the one couple, three rooms from the end, for hours. They were so perfect for each other.
I moved to the next level where there was more discipline, more nudity, and more rope. It still wasn’t too hard, nothing more than I had seen in Club Imperial, though.
Another room, opposite the other couple I had seen, had three people in it and I wanted to know what was going on in there. But that wasn’t what I was looking for either.
The next level was way more intense. There were cages being employed. Toys. Clamps. Punishment. Full nudity and full penetrative sex.
That level was going to merit watching.
And then there was the last level. The one I could see the best, the hardest one. There was straight up torture going on, sex, fellatio, cunnilingus, sexual torture. And most everyone who was on the receiving end was fully nude.
“The top level will get harder as the night goes on,” Vanity said.
I didn’t take my eyes off the room at the end, where I knew the girl had been beaten so badly. “Harder.”
“Oh, very much. You’ll find out why only a Dom realized what was going on in there.”
The server reappeared at the table and placed the drinks. “Anything else, sir?”
“Not for now,” I said. Vanity pressed my arm hard, so I didn’t say thank you. This was all strange to me and felt a little rude.
He nodded and walked away. Vanity was smiling again. “Well done.”
We sat side by side for a long few minutes before Vanity leaned in and put her head on my shoulder. “We weren’t touching, there was no sign of possession just now. You have to show possession of me.”
I nodded and let her nestle in closer.
Damn. She was soft and curvy. She smelled like rosemary and mint and a little bit of cocoa butter. The leather of the bustier brushed against my hand,
and then slipped up, leaving my hand touching her side.
Seriously, today was the day my libido was going to come back from vacation?
I went back to looking at the rooms across from us. There were lots of scandalous things going on over there. I was no stranger to porn—after all, I had been a fourteen year old boy once upon a time—but this was nothing like that.
These couples, and groups, were not performing for a camera. They were acting for their own pleasure. They weren’t trying to give the people watching the best angle. It was only about their own delights and kinks. That there were people watching was only a coincidence. It may have added to a few of the participants, but not all. Some just didn’t care about what they were seen doing.
“Oh, ew, watersports,” Vanity whispered. “Flag down the server. That’s not legal. They’re not supposed to do that.”
I put my hand up and there was a server there in a heartbeat. “Yes, sir?”
“My pet here says there are watersports going on,” I said.
“Cube Three-twelve,” Vanity said, with her eyes downcast.
“Thank you, sir.” He skittered away.
“Watersports.”
“Pee play,” she explained. I nodded, familiar with the term. “Any sort of that thing is forbidden. It gets you kicked out for the month, at the least.”
“Pee play.” I lifted a lip, grossed out.
“Some people enjoy it. The problem is that it could lead to other issues, like scat play.”
“Oh, I don’t need that explained.”
She giggled. “No one does. That’s why it’s all forbidden here.”
“Are you…”
“No. That’s not the way I go. And personally? I’m kind of squicked out by all of it. Sex is complicated enough without bringing that…stuff…into it.”
I watched as the door opened on the cube Vanity had called out. Three huge brawny security guards walked in, and a moment later, one of them pulled a shade forward and down on the glass.
Those were new. But they were effective.
“They’re in real trouble,” Vanity said, sipping her wine. “At the very least, they’ll get the cleaning bill and a one-month suspension. Worst, they’ll be kicked out of the house and their names given to all the houses and clubs in the area.”
“They are serious about this.”
“Simon, look around. Not just at the rooms either. There are people fucking everywhere. There are people being beaten and humiliated, exposed and tortured. This is their naked humanity. They have to follow the rules of that, and they have to prove they are able to be trusted with this. Not following the rules is the most obvious way to prove no one should trust them.”
“That makes sense,” I agreed.
Her eyes were scanning the top row of rooms, and I paused for just a moment. “So, as a part of this lifestyle, I want your honest opinion on what you see, and what you think will happen.”
Vanity seemed shocked but nodded and looked back at the rooms. “I don’t think he’ll hit again this soon. It was only last Thursday, and this is the first time we’ve heard of him. People who have a terrible reputation get known in the community very quickly. Their names are passed around and people are warned off from them.”
She glanced farther down. I let the silence hang for a moment. I knew there was more to her story if I waited—I wasn’t a detective for nothing.
Leaning back and taking a sip of the wine, she chewed her lip, clearly wondering how much further she should go with the story. It didn’t take her long to decide. “So, this is something you need to know because of this. We don’t usually talk about the dark side of the dark side.”
My eyebrows shot up. “The dark side?”
“For every evil you imagine there is always one worse,” she said. “There’s an underground lifestyle, because there’s always someone who wants to do things that are beyond the scope of safe, sane, and consensual. And, there are people on both sides, looking for a partner or three. I…know a few people in the deviant scene and I could ask if they’ve heard of an SM master who is on that end of the spectrum. I’m sure there are a few, but I could narrow the field a bit.”
I cocked my head. “That would actually be extremely helpful in this case. Do you have a place to go? Do you need me to go with you anywhere?”
“Email, Detective. Email.” She smiled lightly.
“Of course. Do you need a dummy account?”
“No. The person I’m thinking of would never lead harm to me. They know I’m out.”
I jerked a little. “Out?”
Her lips pursed, and she looked cross with herself. It was an adorable expression. “I’m a masochist. I like pain. It does things for me. For years, I wasn’t safe about it. How I didn’t end up injured with more scars than the few I have, I’ll never know. Master Thompson helped me figure out what I liked and what I needed.”
“Is he why you’re in such a good mood most of the time?” Why was I feeling jealous? That was damn bizarre when she just confessed to masochism.
She smirked. “He keeps me in check.”
It was quiet a moment as we both scanned the area below.
“How masochistic?” I finally asked.
Vanity threw me a quick glance. “My favorite toys aren’t even allowed on the premises at Imperial. I’m not allowed to use them in the glass rooms here. I have to book a special room at the Vault so the other patrons aren’t completely freaked out. Master Thompson generally hosts me at Wanderer’s End because he knows the environment.”
“Hosts?”
Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, then snapped back open and scanned the area again. “What do you want me to say? Beats the shit out of me once every two weeks?”
“No, that’s not what I want you to say at all, Vanity. I want to know more. I may work with all of you through the police department but don’t think I know the lifestyle at all. I can wield a flogger and a whip, and know what a CBT device is, but that doesn’t mean I understand why or how.”
She turned her head toward me, curiously. “You…know how to use a flogger?”
“I learned. Emmy, Peter, and Cece all helped. Since I’m the subject matter expert for the sex crimes in the BDSM arena for Pittsburgh, I felt it was important.”
Her mouth made an adorable little ‘O’ and she turned back to the rooms. “That makes sense. Sorry about the outburst.”
“Not needed. I’m intruding in a lot of your personal life here.”
Vanity was right. There was very little chance the guy would be back so soon after the last one. He’d left a mess, and it was still fresh in everyone’s mind. Still this was a good base to establish, to get an idea of what a normal night was like.
We both sipped the drinks slowly. I stored the floor plan, the movements of the patrons and servers, and the mood of the place in the back of my head. Vanity seemed to be as sharp-eyed about the whole thing as I was.
About half an hour later, she raised a finger, not much, not fast, and pointed at room just four down from us. “That’s what I like.”
I looked down to the right. I wondered if she had been walking around in my brain, because I had been curious what exactly she did like in her S and M.
As if it were a morning order of Starbucks.
A man and a woman were in the room. She was prone on the bench there, her arms straight out from her body and fastened with an artful weave of rope. Shibari. Her legs dropped to another level on the piece of furniture and I could see her ankles, knees, and thighs were fastened to the bench as artfully as her wrists.
She was fully naked, but her breasts were bound with more rope that crossed over high on her back and around her shoulders.
As I watched, the man in the room brought a flogger down on her back. It was a wicked looking piece of leatherwork. There were knots and metal balls strung through it and he was using a stinging strike. After the first hit and I saw the red bloom brighter on her back, I watched her face.
&n
bsp; Streaked with tears, contorted in pain, there was something else in her features that let me know she was all right with it. She had asked for it, sought it out. The contortion and tears were her physical reaction to this humiliation.
“Do you see how she doesn’t flinch when he lands the flogger?” Vanity whispered. “She’s in subspace. She’s where she wants to be. Floating and safe. I’ve been watching him build her up to this for nearly twenty minutes, and she is deep in her space. So is he. They are so connected, it wouldn’t shock me if they were committed to one another.”
His last blow fell, and he quickly put the flogger to the side and knelt to the woman there. He took a careful finger and wiped her tears, and I saw both of them smiling. I turned to ask Vanity something but was caught by her rapture in the couple. She watched each move they made, the way he cared for her, wiped her tears, smoothed ointment on her back, lost himself untying her hands from the bench…
“Vanity?” I asked quietly, as close as I could to her.
“I want that,” she whispered, a note of sadness in her voice. “They’re only here for the thrill of voyeurism. Of being watched. He’ll take her home, pamper her, wash her, let her rest, and then make love to her for hours. He’ll blindfold her, tease her with feathers and silk, and she’ll scream his name into a satin pillow so their children don’t hear.
“They’ll tease each other all week, with scarves and toys. He might dare her to wear an egg or tell her to wear the ben wa balls so she’s ready to come at his touch later that night. And in two weeks or less, she’ll ask him to bring her back here and send their minds away again, to the place where they just are, and there are no worries, no jobs, no dirty dishes or diapers. Where they connect. Again.”
I stared at her. I hadn’t ever heard so perfect an explanation of the relations of a Dom and sub who were committed as she had just done. I had even heard what I wanted out of my life with a partner.
Her long eyelashes fluttered in silhouette, the hard light below giving her an eerie, bright, glowing outline. Her mouth turned into a soft, sad mimic of a smile.
“Someday, I want that. I want someone who will understand that this isn’t cruel, that this isn’t punishment. Who will help me find that quiet space in my mind.”
Double Entendre: (City of Steel 2) (The Vault) Page 4
