Page 88 of Never Tell Secrets

“I’m not unescorted, I have Elliot with me. I just need to speak to Damien.”

Kal chuckled and just when I thought he might turn me away, I heard a click, a swish of mechanisms shifting and suddenly the entire wall panel sank back and slid to the left, revealing a black door. I heard another click and the red light above the door handle switched to green. I tested the handle and the door opened, revealing a set of stairs leading down into darkness.

Damn. Alfie did not play about his security.

I hesitated, turning to my obnoxious companion. “Are you going to get in trouble for this?”

“Probably not,” he grinned. “I can’t say the same for you though. If I’m lucky I’ll get a front row seat to your punishment.” Elliot stepped between us, glaring at the man who simply raised his hands and walked away, still smiling.

Worry was etched in the deep grooves of Elliot’s face. “Miss, this is a really bad idea.”

“It's just a bunch of rich boys and their toys, Elliot. Stay here if you’re scared.”

“It’s not them that I’m worried about. It’s Alfie?—”

“He’ll have to get over it. This is about Keira, not him.” With that, I stepped into the darkness, a reluctant Elliot following behind me. The sounds and smells below changed almost immediately from the aromas above. It was like stepping into an entirely new world.

Kal met me at the bottom of the stairs, his white dress shirt undone, trousers open, his chest glistening with sweat. “I was so hoping I’d get to show you around down here one day. You’ve got that sweet little ingénue look and fuck, I just can’t get enough of that.”

I rolled my eyes at him, not in the least bit put off by his brazenness. “I’m just here to see Damien.”

“Sure, but just so you know, the man you first spoke to on the intercom is obligated to inform Mr Tell of any unauthorised persons entering these rooms. This is the first time he’s ever had to make that call and he’s not happy.” He took a step closer, a wicked smile playing around his mouth. “I get the feeling Alfie won’t be either.”

For a second, I wavered. This was my last chance to back out, but my worry about Keira took precedence over my fear of Alfie’s anger.

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance Damien could meet me in another part of the house that I’m allowed to be in?”

“He’s in the middle of a session, he doesn’t like to go up to the surface till he’s finished. It breaks his concentration.” He winked at me and I gritted my teeth. I didn’t know what a ‘session’ was but I had a feeling I was going to find out.

“Guess we should hurry up then.”

He smiled, his perfect teeth glistening in the low light. “Right this way.” He turned and I followed, feeling like I was walking through a dungeon. “We have to walk through the kennels first.”

“The what?” I asked but his only answer was a sly grin as we turned into a darkened corridor. It looked like an old fashioned prison, a row of barred cells lined the walls. I got an uncertain feeling in the pit of my stomach that didn’t ease at the sight of a naked woman curled up, fast asleep on the floor of a cell. She was wearing leather mittens and…was that a tail?

“Pet play,” Kal whispered, standing so close I could smell the sweat on him. “Some of our members like to play at being owners. They can come down here and spend time with her, if they'd like." Seeing the look of horror on my face, he continued, "it’s entirely consensual. See that button?” He pointed to a red button on the wall of her cell. “She can press that anytime and we’ll let her out.”

I stared at the woman. I’d never in my life seen anything like this. I took a step back, looking up at Kal.“I didn’t…I thought this place was?—”

“What? A bit of light spanking?” He laughed, the noise echoing down the corridor. “This is a place where you can explore any kink a person can have as long as it's legal. No kids, no animals…you get the picture.”

I wrapped my arms around myself. This had been far more than I’d bargained for–was Alfie into this stuff too? I wasn’t judging the woman but this was never going to be something I wanted.

“Hey,” Kal’s voice softened suddenly, “do you still want to see Marx or do you want to run screaming for the exit? I won’t judge you.”

I took a breath, getting a hold of myself. This wasn’t a big deal. It was just sex. Consensual if slightly unusual sex.

“I’m fine. I want to see Damien.” I gave Kal a reassuring nod. Briefly, all trace of bravado was gone from his face. A lock of pale blond hair hung forward, adding a boyish touch to the pleasure-based man in front of me. I looked back at the woman, concern twinging in my chest. "She really can leave anytime?"

"I promise. Come on."

Shaking my nerves away, I followed a Kal led me down the corridor before turning onto another. My eyes were wide as we walked, the screams of pleasure, whips, the rankle of chains, it was overwhelming but I tried not to think about it. That wasn’t why I was here. I was here for Keira. Because she was hurting and I was pretty sure Damien Marx knew why.

“How big is this place?”

“It spans beyond the house.” It was more extravagant than anything I’d imagined. “There aren’t many people that can find their way around down here without getting lost, so don’t ever come down on your own, alright?”

I nodded. That wasn’t going to be a problem.