Chapter 1
Ryker
The large gallery window in my office lets me see the club and its activity. From this spot, I have a perfect view of everything whenever I need or want to. I’m invisible to outsiders. And that’s the point.
The ground floor of Feather has three dance stages, positioned to the north, east, and west. The north stage is bustling with life on weekdays. When the weekend comes, all three stages buzz with energy and money, which the customers lavish on the girls. And on me.
A bar with a counter running its entire length dominates the south side of the club. It has at least two bartenders behind it. The girls know their job like no one else in the world and can prepare any customer’s most sophisticated cravings. They have top-shelf drinks at their disposal.
Three bartenders are working right now, sweating because it’s a busy weekend.
The girls, though exhausted, give the customers flirtatious smiles.
Leaning across the counter, Jenna is using her looks to get a large tip from a man, I'm sure of it. Katrina fiddles with her hair as she listens to a random idiot’s foolish words.
Before we close the club, he’ll give her everything he has in his wallet.
Good. They deserve it, even though they’ll get above-average pay.
Plush black and red couches fill the center of the room. Small lamps on each table give off a subdued glow. They create atmosphere rather than providing light.
The chairs next to each stage are for those guests who came here for the girls dancing on the pole. These seats allow them generous rewards for the girls’ sensuality and beautiful bodies.
The club is brimming with people tonight. Most of the crowd are men, of course. Maybe ten percent are women, whether wives, mistresses, or prostitutes. It doesn’t matter. What matters is their satisfaction and desire.
As I scan the crowd, one person grabs my attention. She’s standing in the semi-darkness, accompanied by one dancer. She doesn’t want to be seen is my first thought. Even so, she becomes the focal point, and the room frames her. I don’t know if it’s her clothes or her aura. But I feel it right away.
And yet she catches the eye of a predator like me. I don’t believe I have the final say. It’s stronger than me.
A cascade of curly hair reach almost her waist. Its chestnut shade shines even in dim lighting. When she nods, her hair rises and falls seductively.
The girl is wearing a plain black T-shirt. It fits her like a glove, highlighting her round breasts and flowing over her flat stomach. Based on my profession and other things, I would guess she’s a C-cup. The perfect size for my hands.
A leather skirt hugs her curvy hips, accentuating her delicious ass. The mere thought of biting into that area of her body makes my mouth water and sends a jolt through me.
I let my gaze wander lower and there's the biggest surprise. Long legs in a golden hue are hidden in combat boots. Seriously. Combat boots?
My eyebrows rise, and my focus sharpens. I can’t take my eyes off her. She’s unique, unlike any of the other women who visit Feather.
Because she’s not facing me, I can’t see her face well. But at one point her friend looks into my window, as if sensing my presence. And she also directs her attention here.
My learned and ever-present indifference turns into a slight smile. The corners of my mouth rise, and I touch my face to check if it’s really happening.
Holy shit! This isn’t a dream!
With surprise, I take a closer look at the girl. She’s not wearing any makeup; only her plump lips are coated with lip gloss. Only a natural beauty.
I can’t make out her eyes, and their color is unclear. That’s my biggest regret.
Though hidden from her sight, her gaze feels like a tangible weight upon me. She slightly parts her tempting lips. Too soon, she turns to my employee, her long hair falling like a dark curtain around her face.
As my hand rests on the glass, a strange sensation washes under my skin, making me want to reach for her hair, move it away, and see her face again. Something strange awakens inside me. I can’t quite put my finger on it yet, but it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my whole fucked-up life.
She’s freaking beautiful. And my opinion means something. I’m surrounded by beautiful women every day. But there’s something about her that keeps my eyes glued to her.
Something triggers the most primitive side in me. Desire, the urge to possess, to control.
Suddenly, those scantily clad women no longer interest me. I don’t see the ones in skimpy dresses or the ones dressed in rags with ten-thousand-dollar price tags.
My mind registers only her. Her every move, her every breath.
Behind me, the office door opens and closes with a quiet click. Only two people can enter here without knocking. One of them is pulling me out of this unnatural for me trance.
“Did I miss anything interesting?” Eli asks, standing by my side.
I take a quick look at him. With his hands in pants pockets, he seems deeply bored with his life. Before I return my gaze to the girl, I notice smudges of pink lipstick on his neck. I can’t help but comment.
“Bad hookup?”
“I’d rather forget about it, and I’d appreciate it if you’d kindly never bring it up again.”
“Kindness and I don’t live on the same planet.” His quiet laughter reaches me. “Where’s Theo?”
“Who knows? Theo is Theo. He walks his own path,” he answers.
Meanwhile, the girl downstairs nods once and, dodging my dancer, starts heading for the exit.
My hands turn into fists. I want to go downstairs and block her escape. But I do nothing.
I make a mental note to talk to the employee about her. It’s already clear to me that I want to know more about her. No, I need to find out more.
Who is she? Where can I find her?
With a silent exhale, I try to get back on track.
In a few steps, I return to my oak desk. The chair sags as I sit down. Ignoring my laptop and the urgent matters at hand, I turn my attention to the surveillance monitors.
We’re on the second floor. Besides my office, there’s also my private apartment here, in case I don’t feel like going home. This part has cameras installed only in the hallway.
I glance at the second monitor.
Customers who come to Feather don’t just come to watch girls undress. They find themselves perfectly at home on the first basement floor. Here, they can fulfill their darkest and dirtiest fantasies.
In the rooms designed for erotic auctions, two girls are now licking a third girl between her thighs. Around the room, behind glass, there are private boxes for bidders and admirers, who enjoy seeing how much power their money gives them.
In creating all this, I didn’t forget about themed rooms. We have a masochistic room and rooms designed for orgies, cages, torture cells, crosses, swings.
Even a fucking Barbie doll room. If a client has unconventional perversions, we can prepare just about anything for them. Nothing is out of reach at Feather.
I shift my gaze to another monitor, from the second basement floor.
This part was the last to be opened to customers.
While the price of entry to this level is a thousand bucks, my casino is only for high rollers.
No one here plays to win a few thousand extra.
Here, people play games with stakes that reach hundreds of thousands or even millions.
We have tables for roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps, and several varieties of poker. Since I opened this part to customers a few months ago, my bank account balance, as well as Eli’s and Theo’s, have increased tenfold.
“Are you even listening to me?” Eli’s words bring me back to reality.
I gaze upward at him. His dark eyes seem to penetrate me, but they reveal no sign of rage.
“Of course I’m listening to you,” I lie. But because we know each other so well, he’s completely aware when I’m doing it.
“You bastard.” He laughs and shakes his head. “I was just saying that your special guest accepted the invitation. He’s at the club right now.”
His statement sparks my interest. Although I’m well trained not to show any emotion, this news raises my eyebrows.
Finally.
“Timothy?”
“Timothy,” Eli confirms.
“Which level?”
“Private. First. He suspects you want to talk, and he’s not here out of pity from the Pact. That didn’t quell his curiosity, and that’s why he showed up.”
Eli has always been an excellent observer. He knows people like no one else. People are like puzzles to him, which he puts together in his head until the whole picture is complete.
“He’s cautious. Afraid of being outmatched. Yet, he’s intrigued. That’s why he didn’t stay at the club or take advantage of the erotic level or the casino,” I conclude.
Eli nods. “It’s no wonder he’s afraid of his own shadow after what happened with your father,” he adds after a brief pause.
“Except that things with my father never really end.”
Looking at Eli, my mind travels to a distinct reality, to a different time. For a moment, I’m a kid under my father’s thumb again. I know what it means to be on the receiving end of his anger.
To get rid of the unwanted past, I shake my head.
“Time to say hello, then.”
I button my jacket and head for the exit. Eli follows me.
The face of the girl in combat boots flashes through my mind. It annoys me that I have to take care of other responsibilities and can’t go after her right now. But this is equally important.
We walk down the hallway to the private elevator.
Surprisingly, Theo came up with the name for the club. He’s the quietest of the three of us and therefore probably the most dangerous, although Eli and I are no slouches either. The name was his idea, no matter what. And it fits because it tickles every circle of temptation in this world.
All the rooms on the first floor are for patrons who desire a tranquil atmosphere and personal shows from the performers. High-profile customers pay a fortune to be with my girls away from the eyes of others.