Page 31 of Unspoken Lies

There is a dom teasing a woman on a spanking bench, her body spread beautifully over it. She’s completely naked while he still wears his pants. Whether or not they’ll take this to a private room or they’ll fuck here to complete their scene is up to them.

“Yes,” I admit. “Now what are you doing in Santa Barbara?”

“I’m working for my father and Mr. Emil,” she says idly. “I’m also attending UCSB, so you can brace yourself in case you see me.”

The warning is one I need, because my eyes insist on playing tricks on me. I’m glad I’m not seeing dead people, even though the girl I saw at the gas station wasn’t Lili. I’m almost positive.

“What are you doing for Ignacio’s father?” Theo asks as we walk.

“Classified stuff I can’t discuss,” she says with a bored shrug. “I have certain needs that I am getting scratched with in my current employment.”

“Well I know that’s not sex related at least,” Jared grunts. “You’re very cagey today.”

“Only because we aren’t friends and it’s not something you need to know,” she says. “I’m still surprised I got an invite.”

“The law office that handles our business is screening people who are invited to the speakeasy. It’s not like I could say no one with a history of criminal activity is allowed to attend. That would exclude a lot of people with deep pockets, especially in this area,” Theo says

My soft snort brings grins to Jared and Theo’s faces. They smile easier than I do, but Theo isn’t wrong. We aren’t worried about criminals, just the right ones with deep pockets and a need for kink.

Liliana continues to be cagey with her responses as I lead her through the Below, discussing everything that’s mandatory to be able to be a member here. We decided that a membership would be the best way to keep money flowing into the business, and also keep its exclusivity.

“You require a psych eval?” she asks curiously as she watches a scene develop. I can tell it’s affecting her as she licks her lips. “Kink isn’t something that should need that.”

“No, but it’s the best way for us to know what they need, and also know that they’re not going to hurt someone,” Jared says.

We’ve always picked up the ends of each other’s conversations, and I love the way they always flow no matter who’s speaking.

“While some people want to be hurt here, there’s a level of safety we adhere to,” I add. “Aftercare is also important, and if there’s someone who doesn’t want to do it, we have people on staff who are more than willing to do it. We’ve tried to take everything we possibly can into consideration.”

“It looks like you have,” she murmurs.

“What made you decide to come here?” I ask curiously.

“I needed a night outside of the college bars and mafia shit,” Lili says. “Classes have been brutal this year too. This is my bubble of time for me. It just happened to be coincidental that you own this place.”

“Well, we can bring you back upstairs to enjoy your night,” Theo says. “I would hate to hijack your bubble.”

Lili rolls her eyes as she checks her watch, shaking her head. “I have a few minutes before I have to leave to kidnap someone.”

We’re in a corner with some privacy, and her words don’t faze me. Kidnapping is a part of our lives. I wish that she wasn’t working for Ignacio’s father, because he’s a level of fucked up that may rival the things that we’ve done.

“No lecture?” she teases as we begin walking back to a hidden elevator. Most people’s trips down here involve a one way trip and then they leave through a different section of the building.

Our time at Carlysle Prep taught us all about hidden nooks and crannies meant for secrecy, and this building has many. Some we created, and others that were already here that we discovered during renovations.

Lili’s comment makes Theo, Jared, and I shift uncomfortably because they hit home. We’ve protected her for decades, until her relationship with Rachelle changed all of that. Even then, wenever hurt her physically. It’s the emotional scars that I can see that may be worse.

“Not our life,” I say, my voice even. “You have people to help you tonight, right?”

“I’m not your problem,” Lili says. “I prefer to work solo anyway. Less people to fuck me over.”

Walking into the elevator, Lili is followed by Theo and Jared. Shrugging, Jared hits the button to close the doors and get to the main level. Lili is right, we don’t have any real claim to her or what she does.

When we were kids, we forced the issue, but now she’s deadly all on her own. I can see in her eyes that there’s a dangerous glint in it, the same one that Ignacio used to carry. They kill because they enjoy it.

As the doors shut, I blow out a breath. I hope she finds what she’s looking for.

LILIANA