Page 87 of Never Tell Secrets

I watched as she retreated down the hallway, adding my best friend's bizarre behaviour to the list of things I needed to worry about, alongside Natalie and her new baby daddy, my failing project and whether Alfie was going to smash my heart into pieces again. And judging by the serious-looking letter pile, the electric bill was overdue too. Great.

I downed the remaining dregs of my coffee, and headed for The Kew Gardens. I needed to think and I had a project to plan.

All day, I turned my project in circles, my mind distracted by my troubled best friend. I couldn’t stop thinking about the marks on her wrists. I imagined her tied up, being hurt. Keira had always been a bird that flew a little too close to the sun, I couldn’t help worrying that she’d finally been burned. What if she’d bitten off more than she could chew this time? What if someone had done something to her and she was too ashamed to tell me? The thought made me sick.

Finally, I gave up and headed home. Keira was the person closest to me in the world. The fight we’d had once, manipulated and exacerbated by Alfie, had caused cracks in our bond that were still healing.

Sure, I could blame her behaviour now on her insecurities about that but my instincts told me it was something more and I had a feeling I knew who could give me those answers.

On the tube, I chewed on my lip, trying to talk myself out of this. Alfie would be pissed, Keira would be very pissed, but I had let her down before and I didn’t want to be guilty of that again. If something bad had happened to her, I needed to know.

By the time I got off the tube, I’d made up my mind. Walking home, I pulled my phone out of my bag. Elliot picked up on the second ring.

“Lola, what can I do for you?”

“I need a ride, are you free?”

Elliot was free but once I got into the car and informed him of my destination, he was very much not willing. Nevertheless, he’d set off, not saying a word until we pulled up outside the black iron gates with the decadent gold lettering.

“Miss, I’m not certain this is a good idea. Alfie won’t be pleased.”

We passed through the gates, winding down the darkened road. I didn’t know for sure that Damien Marx would be here but when I’d asked Elliot to take me to him, he’d said the clubhouse would be a pretty safe bet, though I had a feeling he was regretting telling me that now.

“I won’t stay long.” The giant peacocks eyed us as we passed and a moment later, the Never Tell Clubhouse came into view. I fidgeted, slightly nervous. It had occurred to me that I probably should have asked Alfie’s permission before coming here but this wasn’t a social visit and besides, he would probably try and stop me and I needed to speak to Damien.

Elliot pulled to a stop outside. I hopped out of the car and he followed suit. I gave him a questioning look, I hadn’t realised he’d planned on joining me.

“I can’t let you go in there alone. Without a collar you’re fair game.” He gestured at my bare neck. I was about to argue but he had a point.

“Okay, let's make this quick.” I hadn’t asked Elliot if he’d told Alfie where I was going but he always seemed to find out anyway. I was hoping he would play by Priya’s rules and not interfere without my permission.

I stepped through the front doors. The place was quieter than the last time I’d been here. Raucous laughter replaced with tittered giggles. Club members lounged, drinking leisurely, enjoying each other as they pleased but overall it was a far more relaxed vibe.

I stood in the foyer, unsure where to start. I recognised none of the members here. I picked the closest person to me, a young Asian man flirting with another man.

“Excuse me,” they turned, looking me up and down, eyeing my casual, worn-in clothes with distaste, “do you know where I can find Damien Marx?”

“I know where you can find the exit.” The young man snickered, turning to his companion. “I thought those Tellers kept a stricter membership policy.” He pressed himself closer, nuzzling the other man's neck, but his companion kept his eyes on me, studying my face.

“Don’t I know you?” he asked, ignoring the gentleman who was currently tugging on his earlobe with his teeth.

“I don’t think?—”

“You came here with Mr Tell a few weeks ago, right? I saw you, standing up there with him and the Tellers.” He pointed at the balcony where we’d entered the party. His friend had stopped his nuzzling, gazing at me with interest now.

“That’s right.” I nodded and they shared a look.

“I don’t know where Mr Marx is,” the first, obnoxious guy said, “but you can usually find him in the Onyx rooms.” Damn. I was not allowed in there. “I’ll show you.”

He disentangled himself from his friend and I followed him through a series of twists and turns to a part of the house Alfiehadn’t shown me last time. We stepped into a hallway decked out in black drapes and black tile walls. He came to a stop, pulling back a drape revealing just a plain tile wall. He pressed one of the tiles, seemingly at random. I gasped as it sprung open, revealing a keypad and intercom.

He keyed in a code and a voice came through on the intercom asking for identification. “Club member 5624, I have a visitor for Mr Marx. Her name is…” He looked at me and I stepped forward.

“Lola O’Connell,” I said into the speaker.

There was a pause and then they finally answered. “For fucks sake. Mr Tell is going to lose his shit. Wait a minute.” We stood there in awkward silence for a few moments until a voice I recognised came through the speaker.

“Miss O’Connell,” Kal Strauss crooned, “wasn’t expecting you back so soon, and unescorted too? You’re either very brave or very stupid.”