Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
ANA
T he last three weeks have been pure hell, but none of that matters now I’m back with James. When I saw him again, my heart actually fluttered and I definitely made the right decision to come back.
We waste no time in grabbing a cab and our lips are only apart long enough to tell the driver the address and as I lose myself in James, nothing else matters.
We don’t need words or conversation. That can wait. It’s all about actions now and if this is going to work, I must understand the whole of him. Dive into the shadows holding his hand and discover every dark, depraved thought in his head. I want to rip off the paper and discover what’s hiding behind it, unwrap the mystery, and make my own judgment.
Now, as we pull up outside The Scarlet Cage, a fresh bout of nerves reminds me of what a fool I am.
“We don’t have to do this,” James says softly after paying the driver, our fingers entwined as we stare at the scarlet door.
“I want to.”
My voice is huskily edged in trepidation and James squeezes my hand and whispers, “We can leave at any time. Just say the word.”
We head inside and I note the welcoming entrance, more like a hotel than a club.
There are soft couches set around glass tables and ornate furniture, with candles and flowers decorating their polished surfaces.
A jug of water is set on a tray, with crystal glasses surrounding it and I see nobody at all, which surprises me.
The only people that appear to be in this room are the two of us, reflected in the ornate mirrors that hang on every wall.
Chinese rugs scatter on the polished wooden floor and cushions rest on cozy couches, inviting us to take a seat.
“What happens now?” I whisper, strangely nervous, and James pulls me to sit beside him.
He removes two keys from a collection in a lidded jar on the table and then reaches inside his jacket and removes a plastic card and says with a small smile.
“Are you ready for this, Ana?”
“I think so.” My voice shakes, but I smile brightly and I’m not comforted by the worry in his eyes.
“I should warn you–” He glances at the key. “We must wear masks the entire time and conversation is restricted to commands and answers relating to the club. No personal information is divulged, anonymity is the key.”
“Okay.” I bite my bottom lip and his eyes swirl with sudden danger and I swear my blood heats as if he’s taken a blowtorch and held it against my skin.
He stands and heads to the door at the far corner of the room and swipes his membership card down the metal strip.
I steel myself to be corrupted forever as we head through the open door into a corridor painted deep red. It is lined by small lockers and James takes the key and locates the corresponding number. As he opens it, I notice a mask and a robe inside and he says huskily, “Take them and place your valuables inside.”
He repeats the process with the other key on the fob and as we stow our possessions, I wonder what the hell I’ve just signed up for.
Once he has locked the items away, we head to another door, and he says casually, “There’s a room we use to change into our robes and pull on our masks. You place your clothes in a bag and hang it on the hook provided. They will be perfectly safe. Everybody plays by the rules here.”
I say nothing and he points to a curtained area and heads to another one nearby and as I remove my clothing, my heart is beating to critical levels.
I must be mad.
I should be certified because I’m not even sure what I’m signing up for. I already know it’s bad. The expression in James’s eyes tells me that, and I can tell he’s worried. I want to reassure him, but I can’t even do that and so I take a deep breath and attempt to get my nerves under control. I must see this through so I can understand the whole of him.
What happened in that hotel room with Adele is forever seared on my mind. I don’t understand it. It horrifies me, but perhaps it will all become clear when I have experienced this club with James.
With a deep breath, I meet him outside and my legs shake when I regard him hiding behind his mask for the first time. His eyes flash through the holes and his mouth is set in grim determination and it’s as if the mask has transformed him. He appears powerful, untouchable even and a prickle of desire shoots through my core as his hand closes possessively around mine and he says huskily, “Come with me.”
I am grateful for my mask as we head into the next room. It gives me something to hide behind, an anonymity where nobody can judge me or use this against me. If anything, it gives me freedom and chases away any lingering nerves. James is holding my hand tightly and yet words are unspoken as we walk into a place that makes my eyes pop.
It’s a huge room where a stage is set in the middle, a parade of men and women standing on it wearing masks and robes .
James whispers, “When you arrive, the submissive, either men or women, stand on the stage and wait for a dominant to choose them.”
“I don’t–”
I tighten my grip on his hand and he says softly, “You are with me. There is no requirement for you to go up there. Many people come here alone in the hope of a night where they can indulge their desires. Nobody judges them, or even knows who they are. It’s set up that way.”
I watch as a robed figure grasps the wrist of another, their masks obscuring their features along with their robes.
“How do they choose?” I’m surprised because all of their features are disguised and James whispers, “It’s all about the sexual act, not attraction.”
“That’s quite liberating.”
“It is. Attraction has nothing to do with the way you look, or how expensive your clothes are. You are stripped of all the material trappings of society and are merely a receptacle for sin.”
I watch as the masked man leads the silent woman to one of the many doors set against the surrounding walls and James grips my hand.
“Come, I’ll show you what happens next.”
We head to one of the doors and I note the green light outside and as we head inside, he locks the door behind us and switches on the light.
He says nothing as I stare around a small room, its purpose leaving me in no doubt at all about its use. It’s basic, extremely so and there is only a padded bench set in the middle and an array of devises on boards strung up on the walls.
A small sink is in one corner and there are shackles attached to the bench.
I swallow hard.
James whispers, “You bring the submissive here and indulge your fantasies. Every participant has a safe word and if the game gets uncomfortable for either one, they say the word and the game ends.”
“Has anyone ever used the safe word on you before?”
I turn to watch his reaction and he nods. “Yes.”
“I see.” My heart beats like a steel drum as I imagine James in here, unleashing his anger on some poor woman who was out for a night of fun.
I perch on the edge of the bench and say with interest, “Have you ever used the safe word?”
“No.”
He joins me and takes my hand in his.
“This club was my escape. A release from the hell Adele held me captive in. Unlike with her, I am in charge here. I call the shots and I say what happens next.”
I’m silent and he sighs. “In here I am free. I’m no longer James Warner, victim of life. Orphan child who was exploited by a woman who should know better. I’m in control. I call the shots and what I say goes. It’s difficult to explain, but it gives me my dignity back and allows me to cope when I’m with her. ”
His eyes gleam behind his mask and the atmosphere surrounding us sends electricity through my veins. This is another world—his world, and it’s as if I’m an imposter. I understand nothing about it but if I’m to understand him, I must experience the whole of him first.
My breath trips on my tongue as I whisper, “Then show me, James. Pretend I’m a submissive you picked off the stage. Show me who you really are.”