Chapter Three
I hated going against Cameron’s advice like this, potentially damaging a relationship that went back years.
But I saw no other choice.
It would probably be Pendulum that broke our friendship.
I parked his BMW a long way down the street making sure it was out of sight from guests arriving or leaving Pendulum.
During the drive over, I recalled the times that Cole had mentioned a sister, but nothing had prepared me for meeting her. I felt compelled to find out more about her, but at the same time, I was wise enough to know she was forbidden.
Even though it was Amelia who drew me back to Pendulum, it was her I was thinking of—the woman in the hallway. She had bewitched me completely.
It’s best to forget her.
I hoped Cole came to understand why I had to return to Pendulum, despite the risk.
The club’s security guard welcomed me back as I strolled through the foyer.
The hardwood floors bore witness to the privilege that permeated each room. The place resonated with entitlement.
I asked the concierge to order me a taxi and have the driver wait at the back of the club. I offered to pay the driver double for having them wait for an undisclosed amount of time.
I didn’t expect to be long.
My thoughts flew back to Cameron’s hallway and that ethereal vision backlit by the chandelier. A rare beauty edged with unyielding elegance. There was something about her, even though she hadn’t said a word, and I had experienced a visceral response to her—something that slipped past reason and took hold of me, a sensation I couldn’t fathom.
Stop thinking of her.
I needed to be alert.
I may be hurt beyond repair, but it was here, on the brink, that I saw everything clearly—knew the extremes needed to end this.
I encountered familiar faces, the usual members seemingly unscathed or unbothered by recent events.
Amelia wouldn’t be bold enough to come back.
Even thinking that, I strolled along the hallways searching for her.
In the cigar room, fifty or so tuxedo-clad figures gathered, their sleek silhouettes cutting through the haze of smoke. Their eyes, sharp and calculating, sweeping the room in search of their conquest, be it for business or pleasure.
Taking in the scene, I felt reassured that the vetted submissives remained, the women who deserved their own corner of Pendulum for their safe play. Some wore bodices, others preferred the elegance of gowns, a sensual display of feminine power and grace.
We were improving this place one rule at a time.
I left the room and continued to search, but with so many masked men and women, finding Amelia was like the proverbial needle.
In the heart of opulence, the scent of aged oak mingled with the tang of fine whiskey. Beneath the veneer of power lay a darker truth, a sensuality that simmered with all its addictive splendor.
Outside the great hall, scantily clad women prepared to enter, headdresses like exotic birds, their eyes filled with desire. Some playful, others more serious, eager for what lay on the other side of that door.
The chamber was guarded by a tuxedo-wearing bouncer who doubled as a Dom. Some rooms were more difficult to access, creating a sense of exclusivity that made people crave entry.
I let out a sigh of frustration. Amelia had stained this place with her betrayal. Everywhere I looked reminded me of my time with her.
Love obliterates. Decimates. True love is a lie.
I hoped Amelia hadn’t ventured up to the sixth floor. Having seen another side to her, I knew just how reckless she could be.
Seconds after entering the great hall, a waiter buzzed by, and I accepted the tumbler of bourbon. With eyes on the crowd, I took my first sip. It hit with a smooth sweetness, followed by a burn that lingered like toasted oak.
Leaving now would save my soul but break my heart.
Because I saw her.
There, amongst the kaleidoscope of shadows and neon, knelt Amelia. Head tilted as if listening to some secret in the music, her blue hair in a perfect bob, red lips curved in a faint, knowing smile.
She didn’t see me.
My throat felt tight, the bourbon not helping, as regret dripped from my soul.
Pendulum had always been her obsession.
It was never me she’d cared about—it was only this place.
Standing in the shadows, I endured the cruel torture of watching her.
I wanted to go back in time and pretend the fun we had shared, though brief, was real. There had been something about the way she’d lit up a room when she came out of her shell. Her look of gratitude for what I’d given her.
Had she always been working for Jewel?
My mind couldn’t fathom how a person could be so cruel. I questioned if what I’d seen was real and if the decisions I subsequently made were a mistake.
All my reasoning defied logic.
And there I was again, making excuses for her as though I could save us both. Walking in front of a flamethrower—craving my own obliteration.
All for her. The girl with the blue hair.
On her ring finger was the orange diamond given to her by Eve, Atticus’ girlfriend. Amelia wore it like a trophy, though I guessed most people would assume it was fake. The bribe had convinced her to reveal where the submissives had been hidden. She’d been willing to sell them out for a piece of jewelry.
Had she assumed I wouldn’t come back to Pendulum by myself?
She’d never known me at all.
Three Doms approached Amelia, who had been waiting patiently in the center of the room. They unzipped their tuxedo pants and presented themselves to her. The men caressed their shafts with swiftness, as though their self-control proved their worth.
This act was the showcase, and she was the main display.
Beneath the soft glow of the lights, an erotic vision promised to unfold. Her beauty was mystical—I’d always thought that.
Her eyes glinted with desire, holding secrets too deep for this dim lighting to reveal. Her poise was a feminine gift to these men, silent, even as she was breathtaking, and yet utterly unknowable.
I knew the truth about her now, and it hurt like hell. I knew that something darker lay beneath the surface, a sinister nature that harmed others without regret.
They stepped towards her, all three of them with their cocks out, and she set about pleasuring each one, lavishing them with affection, taking her time to suck each man off, moving from one to the other, a submissive serving her new masters.
My gut told me Jewel had conspired to make her do this—her way of cutting me deep as she preyed on the woman who was meant to be mine. Stealing her away, even though I knew we were over.
Choices… They come and go and it’s only in retrospect that we know if we did the right thing.
I finished off the bourbon, letting its burn cleanse me. Shielded by shadows, I fought the urge to intervene.
Or maybe I hoped they’d fuck her to death.