Page 12 of Shadowing Charlotte

Chapter twelve

Alexander

" Y ou're really fucking adorable, you know that?" I grinned like an idiot. Charlotte was jealous, and she had no reason to be. I'd been following her around for two years, for fuck's sake.

The line went dead before I could say anything else, but the smile remained on my face.

I glanced down at our messages again. She'd sent fourteen of them, only minutes between each.

When I told her she needed to get a hobby, I imagined her freckled face turning furiously red.

Oh, the incredible irony. She was just as fucking obsessed with me as I was with her.

Fourteen fucking messages. A friend request. I woke at three in the morning to find the notifications. It was something I hadn't expected of her. That was what I liked the most about Charlotte. After two fucking years of watching her, she still surprised me at every turn.

You're so fucking cute when you're pissed off.

Her name is Jessica, btw. And she's gay.

I closed the app, ignoring the ding that notified me of her response. I'd let the information marinate. It was incredibly addictive, knowing that I could get under her skin, the way she had burrowed her way beneath mine and never fucking left.

The phone rang again; this time it wasn't Charlotte.

"What do you want?" I snarled into the speaker.

"I'm just checking in, bud. It's been a while," my dad replied warily.

"Yeah, there's a fucking reason for that," I snapped. Just hearing his voice left a bitter taste in my mouth. It only reminded me of what we'd lost, what he'd ruined .

"Are you going to hate me forever?"

"Probably." I answered bluntly.

"Look, bud, I tried." Bill sighed. "Your mom was just—"

"Don't you dare fucking talk about her." My anger ignited in an instant, morphing into a seething rage in a matter of seconds. "You lost that right when you couldn't keep your cock in your jeans."

"That's not fair…" he replied anxiously. He sounded like a petulant child.

"Life isn't fucking fair, Bill. Get the fuck over it." I hung up. It had been ten years since he'd admitted my mom into Meadowview, and I still hadn't forgiven him. I didn't imagine I ever would.

Opening my contacts, I made another call.

"Zane, what are you doing tonight?" I asked the minute he answered.

"Going to Tarot. You finally going to give up on cradle robbing and come out with us?" I could practically hear him holding back his laughter. My father's sudden call had left me on edge. The last thing I wanted was to listen to Zane's smart-ass comments.

"Fuck it," I finally replied, anger and bitterness still pumping through my veins. "You're paying."

"Fuck yes!" he exclaimed, "Be here at ten.

" I didn't bother to agree, ending the call and setting the phone on the table.

The high of the moment didn't take long to dissipate, replaced by an overwhelming feeling of regret.

Tarot wasn't really somewhere I wanted to be caught hanging out, and I couldn't help but feel like I was betraying Charlotte.

She has a fucking boyfriend… I reminded myself. There's nothing between us to betray.

"Knight of cups," Zane said as the little square of the metal door slid open.

The entrance of Tarot was in a seedy looking alley, hardly a place that looked like a club, but Zane had been here enough times to know the ins and outs of getting inside.

As the door opened to reveal a mass of a man, I tried to act like I wasn't anxious, like this wasn't something new for me.

"Zane…" the giant greeted with a nod, "Non-members are—"

"I know. I'll go see Daphne right now," Zane interrupted smoothly, undeterred.

At the bar, Zane ordered us whiskey and began talking in a soft murmur to the woman who poured the drinks. A stack of papers was dropped in front of me, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You know what this place is?" she asked in response to my look of curiosity.

"Of course."

"Then you know that you need to read through the rules and sign an NDA," she replied firmly, "You can't go downstairs until you've signed everything."

I took a few minutes to pour through the legal jargon and the club rules. Safe words, masks, intoxication policy, protection. Simple rules to protect member's identities and safety.

"When were you last tested?"

I blinked at her blunt question. "About a year ago, but I haven't been sexually active for a couple years," I replied, my cheeks burning as Zane grinned at me.

Once I'd signed and Zane had paid, we were free to go downstairs.

"You're good for a month, after that you have to pay for yourself," he informed me with a crooked grin, handing me a mask to tie around my eyes. I didn't imagine making this a regular routine, but I nodded anyway.

"Sure," I agreed automatically, wondering how anyone could like this place enough to keep coming back, to keep paying five hundred bucks a fucking month.

The door at the end of the room was pulled open for us, the faint music that could be heard through the bar before, dark and pulsing, was suddenly overriding any other sound.

"Ready to go play?" Zane asked with a mischievous grin, descending into the darkness in front of me. I really didn't want to be there, but I'd already agreed; Zane had already paid.

"The Dungeon" as Zane aptly called it, was dimly lit with red lights.

It consisted of a long, wide walkway with alcoves on both sides.

Some of them were filled with couches and seats, others had small stages, set up with varying furniture and toys.

A horse, a fucking pillory, and other instruments I couldn't name.

I sank into one of the leather seats, sipping my whiskey as Zane wandered off to find someone to occupy his time.

It was overwhelming. People being guided by leashes, a slew of women who were half naked.

A few feet away, on the sofa, a woman sat, wearing nothing but a thick leather collar.

Her long brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail, her face only concealed by the tiny lace mask that had been tied around her eyes.

She was still as stone, her back rigid, hands clasped together like she was praying.

"You good?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, sir," she murmured .

"How long have you been sitting like that…?" I asked, noting how she was trembling, struggling to stay still.

"Mina," she offered her name, likely not her real one. "Maybe an hour, sir," she added softly. "I'm not allowed to move until Daddy comes back." Oh…

"I see… Where is your Dom?" I asked. Her eyes flicked across the room to a man with two naked women in his lap, both of them with their tongues stuffed down the other one's throat.

"Are you being punished or just playing?" I asked.

"Playing…" she murmured, her eyes fixed on the two women, her chest heaving as she sucked in panting breaths. Although the pair were practically fucking in his lap, the guy wasn't watching them. He was watching Mina, his eyes shining with amusement.

I couldn't deny the strange thrill that coursed me from watching the display. It made me think of Charlotte, made me wonder she would ever do something like this.

"Be good, kitten!" the guy called out, grinning.

Mina was shaking, trying desperately not to squirm in her seat.

I glanced around. Zane already had someone bent over the table, rutting into her like a fucking animal in heat while people watched, cheering them on.

Fucking hell. What did I get myself into?

I pulled out my phone. As intriguing as Tarot was, there was something more important occupying my mind.

What are you doing?

I sent the message and then waited, sliding my phone back into my pocket. One of the rules I'd legally agreed to was that there was no recording or pictures down in the main room of the dungeon. It wouldn't do me any good to be caught with my phone in my hand all night.

I turned my attention back to Mina.

"How did you get into all of this?" I asked curiously.

"I met Er—Daddy—at my work. He brought me here on our second date," she answered anxiously.

"And you enjoy… this?" I asked. She nodded, slouching slightly.

"Up, kitten!" The bark that came from her 'Daddy' was loud and commanding and she straightened up instantly, letting out a shaky breath. My phone vibrated and I pulled it out, reading the notification.

Taking a bath.

Fuck, that's not the mental picture I needed when I was in a place like this. I answered before I could stop myself.

Let me see princess .

The response bubble appeared briefly, as though she was typing back, and then disappeared.

No response. Damn it. My eye started to wonder around the room, taking in the scenes of varying debauchery.

A man was now inside the pillory, getting his ass smacked with a paddle by another guy who was clad in leather.

Mina had begun to whimper, practically drooling down her chin as the pair in her Dom's lap had begun to grind against each other.

The bathroom window is open.

Where are you?

Fuck. I couldn't very well tell Charlotte I was watching people fuck. I should have been watching her.

Busy tonight, babe.

Sorry.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, my fingers burning like acid as I typed the half-truth out.

Shoving the phone into my pocket, I drained the rest of my whiskey, letting out a sigh.

That's when I caught sight of her. Short, curvy, her long auburn waves flowing behind her.

Not quite cinnamon colored, but close enough.

"Here alone?" I asked as I crossed the room and approached her.

"For now," she replied, her red stained lips curving into a smile. If I didn't look at her too closely, I could almost imagine she was Charlie.

"Top or bottom?" I asked with a smirk.

"Depends on my mood," she answered, her grin widening. "I'm Lilly."

"Negan." I replied, almost bursting into laughter as she quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Where's Lucille?" she asked. Good. She had a sense of humor.

"Not here, tonight, princess. Want to play?"

With a wide smile, she caught hold of my hand, leading me across the wide space and down the hall, toward the private rooms.