4. Toro
4
Toro
Fuck!
This trip has gone from bad to worse in the most spectacular fashion. I knew from the start there were risks, but who would’ve guessed some deranged individuals would go out of their way to attack this club?
Sure, anything cloaked in secrecy would always garner nosy people’s interest. I’d imagine many, if not all, members of Club Wonderland have important and influential jobs—and knowing who the owner is, I bet even dangerous. So, who is stupid enough to target this particular establishment?
Now we ’ re trapped. ?Mierda!
I pace the middle length of the room, trying to release the anger coursing through my blood. As a soldier for my country and now in private security, I’ve been in conflicts enough to know nothing can be resolved without a level head.
Looking around, I wonder why the place is called the Chamber of Curiosities. Except for the high-tech door and the lights, the room feels more like an underground prison than anything that will invoke my curiosity. Red exposed bricks surround us. On the wall ahead of me, stands a St. Andrew’s Cross, inspired by his crucifixion, a wooden X with shackles attached at the end of each arm.
I know in the Club Wonderland context; consenting adults use it to fulfill a bondage kink, but all I see is its use for pure torture. Quickly turning away, I run face first, smack into something. Startled, I look up and find different loops, chains, and leather straps hanging from the ceiling.
“Watch where you’re stepping in here,” Kitty warns a bit too late. “I think this is where they store their vintage items .”
The term items is a mild way to describe them. The collection of medieval kinky devices here is impressive, though I can’t say I know what most of them are used for. But just from the look of them, I know I’m not into them.
An image of bloody wrists and ankles flashes through my mind. I shudder, but quickly shake off the memory and try to ignore my surrounding. I focus on Kitty instead.
When I saw her a few minutes ago, my brain couldn’t put together the vision before me with the memory of Kate I have in my mind. Though her voice should’ve alerted me, my eyes can’t believe this was the same Kate I knew.
She’s tall for a woman, probably close to six feet. But here, standing in four-inch stiletto heels, she’s almost eye to eye with me. A leather coat covers most of her curves, but her long, toned legs ending at delectable curvy hips are visible through the high slits on the side. This is a woman with a highly trained body, not quite like the lanky Kate Bishop I remember.
The years have transformed the cute computer nerd into a femme fatale.
When I drag my gaze to hers, she asks, “You’re ready to talk now?”
“Tell me everything. From the part where you double-crossed me,” I ask, keeping my voice level through my anger.
She lifts a hand in protest. “Hold up. Double-cross is a harsh word.”
“What would you call it? This is supposed to be a simple escort job. But you took Princessa without warning and left me in the dark. And now this mess. How did we get here, huh, Kitty ?”
Looking a tad sheepish, Kitty says, “First, I didn’t create this mess. Second, Princessa privately requested an abduction scene at the last minute. She demanded authenticity, to put it simply. It meant neither she nor you could know when, where, and how it would happen.”
My jaw goes slack at her explanation. Núria asked to be kidnapped? What the fuck? For someone in her position, the threat of an abduction is too real. That’s why she almost always has a security detail on her.
“Why would she want that?”
“It’s part of the fantasy. I don’t ask too many questions, especially for a job as peculiar as this,” Kitty replies.
“You should’ve told me,” I say, feeling betrayed, especially after the many flirtatious planning calls we had.
“I’m sorry. But you didn’t want to know the fantasy details. That’s why you recruited me, remember?” she points out.
That’s true. Though Núria and I are close, there are some things I prefer not knowing. But I’m still annoyed, so I push for more.
“Why didn’t you just take me along with you?”
This time, it’s Kitty who sweeps her gaze over me. “Have you seen yourself, Toro? We couldn’t possibly take you down if you’d known we were abducting Princessa, let along drag you with us. How realistic would it be if you just strolled along with us? So, I decided stealth was the way to go about it.” She lays a hand on my shoulder, then in a softer voice adds, “I’m sorry I had to do it that way and made you worry. But you know I would never put her in real danger.”
Despite my annoyance, I know that. Though I can’t let it go easily.
“You could’ve still given me a heads-up,” I grumble.
Kitty smirks and pats my shoulder before sauntering away.
“Or maybe you need to be more vigilant when you’re on a babysitting job.”
I stalk behind her like a bull seeing red. “Oh now, you’re saying I’m incompetent?”
“No. I think you’re mad because I outsmarted you.” Kitty turns back to face me, then puts her hands on her hips. “I’ve apologized. Can we move on and go back to the debriefing?”
She’s got a point. I don’t do babysitting jobs if I can help it. I’m more of a seek and destroy type of guy. If Kitty had truly abducted Núria, there would be nowhere in this world I wouldn’t go to find her.
I cross my arms at my chest and prompt, “ Bien. Fine. Go on.”
“So, everything went smoothly. I stayed with Princessa the whole time. Through their final contract discussion, I had my eyes on her even if I wasn’t privy to the conversation, all the way to settling her into the private room with Knight.”
“Knight?” I scoff. “Who came up with these names?”
“Well, Princessa imagined being stolen by an enemy knight from a different era who’ll coax her into—”
“Falling in love with him?” I say, cutting her off.
“Submission is the term she used. I think there’s something romantic about it.” She shrugs and adds, “But it’s not my fantasy.”
I frown at her for the remark and study her again. Curiosity nudges me.
What’s your fantasy, Kitty?
“So we have a princess and a knight. What are you supposed to be, Kitty?” I ask. “A cat burglar?”
“Just a facilitator,” she answers with a mysterious smile on her fuckable red lips.
I feign disinterest, as if this Kitty persona doesn’t have an effect on me. Now that she’s standing a mere foot from me, she distracts me with more than just her voice. Those full lips, so juicy. Those emerald eyes, so sharp yet full of mischief. And what the hell is that fragrance? She smells like summer storms—warm, stimulating, with a hint of danger.
I shift to ease the growing discomfort in my groin.
“And me? Toro the mascot?” I ask, covering my wayward thoughts.
She eyes my mask and bites her bottom lip before answering, bringing my focus back to her mouth.
“The animal symbols in the medieval family’s coat of arms are called charges, not mascots. They represent the traits the families take pride in. The bull symbolizes valor, bravery, generosity, and magnanimity,” she explains with a half-smile. “It suits you, I think.”
My chest puffs up at her flattery, but her whole naughty-teacher-giving-facts-to-her-pupil bit makes my pants fit tighter in the crotch.
Instead of acknowledging her compliment, I narrow my eyes at her. “Did you swallow an encyclopedia or something?”
“I like doing my homework.” But her lips flatten as she regretfully adds, “But we need to focus on the problem at hand.” She walks back toward her computer that sits on what looks like a tall padded wooden bench, near the Andrew’s cross.
I step behind her to see what she wants to show me, but can’t help noticing my surroundings. At one end of the bench, there’s a slab of thick plank with two small holes. Seeing the hinge and a lock on it, I gather it’s another device to keep someone’s limbs from moving. Next to it sits a glass-topped box filled with an array of various sized dildos. Are those made of mammoth tusks?
Dios mio. My god .
“Look here,” Kitty says, turning her high-tech laptop to me. I quickly refocus my attention on the crisis. An image of a laughing fox is on the screen, along with the demand of money. “It looks like your typical ransom ware,” she continues.
From her tone, I sense she doesn’t believe it is.
“But?” I ask.
“Groups who commit ransomware attacks like easy targets with high potential loss, like hospitals or companies whose operations rely heavily on their network.”
“Makes sense.”
“It took a lot of effort to tap into Club Wonderland’s security system and planted cameras. The club doesn’t even use Wi-Fi. All members’ personal devices are turned off and stored in lockers,” Kitty says. She points at a hole in the wall covered by another piece of BDSM furniture next to her where cables and a small device with an antenna attached to it stick out. “I suspected they must’ve planted hardware.
“I advised Oracle and her security team they should conduct a discreet sweep through the mansion as soon as I learned about the breach," she continues. "Because an outsider can’t hack into a closed circuit without physically tapping into it. They found this hard-tap and the camera locations. Fox created a way to download the video footage and send the demand.
“I can go through the technical details of how they’ve done it, but I won’t. My point is it takes effort and thorough planning. It’s not just one hacker smuggling the ware to corrupt a network through a random email which we typically see," she finishes.
“What are you saying?” I eye her sharply.
“I’m saying this is about more than a ransom.” She leans in closer to me over the bench, her voice low, serious, and sultry. “You know about the people behind this club.”
I nod once. Kitty and I are on the same page.
“What if we weren’t the only one who found out?” Kitty speculates. “This might be an attack on the larger organization.”
I think back to the information I read about Cillian Kane and his business. He might own the club, but it doesn’t look like the club plays a part in his operations.
“Why is Fox targeting this club?” I question.
“Perhaps this club is their weak link.”
“Maybe. But why go to the hassle of smuggling hardware to mess with this particular family? Do they have a death wish?” I turn my gaze toward the closed heavy door and frown. Another theory comes to mind. “What is Oracle doing to meet this demand?”
“She’s trying to reach her husband. I’m sure they have the funds, but Oracle is a smart woman. She won’t pay off a blackmailer without discussing it with Cillian. He’s away at an off-the-grid organization-wide meeting.”
“That’s convenient,” I mumble. “Are you sure you can trust her?”
“Princessa does. Why?”
“Just wondering why this is happening right after you delivered Princessa here. My cousin is worth over five hundred million,” I think out loud. “And how convenient that Oracle somehow got you and me into this Chamber of Curiosities down in the basement, and the door shut, locking us inside.”
Kitty’s eyes widen. “Wait. Is that what they call this room? Chamber of Curiosities?” She looks around with a grin. “Makes sense. I’m definitely intrigued.”
Her intrigue makes me laugh, lightening up our tense discussion. Shit, this woman is so unpredictable. And I like that about her despite the fact it also drives me crazy.
I quickly sober up and continue, “Anyway, you said it yourself. The security is tight. How can someone infiltrate them so easily? My theory is, it’s an inside job, and Oracle may just be on it. She knows who Princessa really is and how much she’s worth. At this moment, we can’t trust anyone.”
Her lips purse in doubt, but she replies, “Maybe. But for now, I’m more concerned about blocking Fox. We’ll figure out who’s behind this once I gain control again.”
She’s right. We can speculate all we want, but we won’t have answers unless we can stop Fox first. And I feel helpless in that capacity. I have neither the skill nor the weapons to do that and it’s frustrating.
The trill of a sinister laugh suddenly comes through the computer, sharply cutting the tension in the air. We simultaneously turn to the screen. The laughter accompanies a new image of a fox holding a magnifying glass and a message that reads: “ We want our money in one hour or say hello to the world .” Close-up stills of the Club members flash across the screen.
I squeeze my fist so hard when Núria’s naked form blinks in front of me. Despite the crown mask, I easily recognize her. It means someone else who knows her well can, too. I want to smash that screen.
A warm hand covers mine.
“We’ll lose our only advantage if you break my laptop,” Kitty warns.
With a hard exhale, I shake out my fist. “ Lo siento . Sorry.”
She brushes off my apology and checks something on her computer.
“Why is Fox sending this to you?” I ask.
“No, not to me. Fox’s messages go to the club’s security network that I’m piggybacking. Oracle and her people are seeing this, too. I’m trying to triangulate where the messages are coming from.”
“Any progress?” I ask.
Kitty shakes her head. “It’s rerouting to a different location every few seconds. They’re not dummies.”
New footage appears on the screen. It’s an image of their backs, hunched over the computer. Another message types out: “ Hello, Kitty and Toro. Welcome to Club Wonderland, where masks stay on, so we all can play naughty games .”
Kitty gasps. “Fuck. They know I’m in the network. But how do they know our code names?”
This confirms it’s an inside job. We exchange glances.
“We have a mole in Club Wonderland,” I conclude.