Chapter 10
What. The. Fuck.
Nala hadn’t been in the sex club for fifteen minutes before she saw her fourth penis and smelled her second whiff of a woman so aroused she could no longer contain herself. The entrance lounge, full of clothed people flirting and drinking at a bar, was nothing compared to the downstairs depravity. So. Many. People.
Doing God knew what!
Nala kept a straight face as her sweater was taken in a coat check. She managed to not let her voice waver when Vincent asked her if she wanted a drink. And by some sweet, Godly miracle she kept her shit together when they entered a large VIP area and came face to face with four other couples wearing glittery masks.
“Gale!” Robin called, jumping up from her couch and rushing in their direction. “Come here and check this out! Oh, if your Master will let you.”
Fuck calling this guy my Master. Nala covered her sneer with the back of her hand and morphed it into a sweet smile. “I’m sure he will. Won’t you, sir?”
Vincent gently pushed against the small of her back. “Go on, then. I’ve got business to talk anyway.”
Giggling, Robin led Nala away to a terrace overlooking the sexual revelry going on below. Although they were in a subterranean level, there were still multiple floors, with the VIP area high above in a private corner, full of leather couches and complimentary drinks. Xavier Crow never spared any expenses, regardless of where he hosted his voyeuristic parties.
Holy shit, this town is full of perverts. Surely, every town in the world was full of their share of pervs, but Nala couldn’t comment on the level of depravity occurring in Carson City or in her mother’s hometown of Korolyov. She only knew about Portland right now, and Portland was looking to be one of the biggest hotbeds of sex freaks Nala had ever heard of.
So many naked people. So many. People who weren’t in their birthday suits tottered about with tits hanging out or dicks slapping against thighs. There is more cock in this room than in a gym locker room. Nala knocked back some of her highball in order to erase the image from her head, if only for a few seconds. God knew it would pop back in soon enough. Oh, like now, when she glanced down and had the misfortune of seeing a woman in a sparkly yellow halter top drop to her knees and taste a random man’s cock.
“You ever seen anything like it before?” Robin asked. The mirth on her fair face made Nala want to shake her head. “I’m glad I’m not down there. It’s bad enough all those people will flirt with me and make my Master jealous. He can get pretty possessive.” She giggled again, informing Nala that this aspect of her boyfriend’s personality did not bother her. Weirdo. Even if Nala were in a real relationship with Vincent, there was no way in hell she’d let him be possessive like that. Gross.
My mother would’ve said that I’m a woman of the ‘90s. Fine and fancy free. And wearing a lot of flannel. That was Portland in a nutshell.
“Come on!” Robin pulled on Nala’s arm, urging her to join the group of girls meeting by the terrace. “Just because we can’t join them down there doesn’t mean we can’t be admired.”
Sure enough, Robin perched on the arm of a sofa and wiggled her fingers at a group of guys passing by downstairs. They whistled up at her, and she blew them a kiss.
“You hussy,” Starling admonished with a grin. “If Master Crow finds out you’re being a bad girl, you might get Master Lucian in trouble.”
“Sir can fend for himself,” Robin said with a huff. “He doesn’t need me protecting him. It’s his job to protect me.”
Nala knew this was her opportune moment to get some information. “What do you mean he could be in trouble? Why does Mr. Crow care?”
“Master Crow,” three girls corrected her. Maggie was the only one silent, although she appeared amused by the situation.
“Sorry. Master Crow.” Gag. “So, why does he care? It’s your business what you do.”
“Maybe out there, but in The Aviary, we have to play by Master Crow’s rules,” Quail said, curled up in a corner of the couch. “He puts all our Masters to shame when it comes to controlling what we do. After you perform the first time, you’ll have to sign a contract saying that you’ll remain loyal to only your Master – and any other man in the club who wants you.”
“What?”
“Didn’t anyone tell you?” Maggie asked. “We’re all pretty birds in a cage. Meant to be admired, to sing for the men passing by, and, most of all, to go to any Master who calls them. You may go home with your Master, but while you’re here, you have to do whatever Master Crow says. If Master Lucian approaches him to sleep with you, well… if Master Crow decides he likes the idea, he’ll tell you to do it.”
Nala’s jaw dropped into her lap. She looked at Robin, who remained nonplussed by the idea of her “Master” dallying with another woman in the group.
“Relax. It’s what you sign up for joining this private club. It’s great fun, really. Last month Master decided to get a taste of Quail, if you know what I mean. Hmph. Doesn’t matter to me. We made a proper swap out of it.”
“Beyond that, we don’t kiss and tell,” Quail said.
“Master Lucian has told me that he thinks you’re lovely,” Robin continued, grinning like an idiot. “Maybe we’ll swap.”
That was weird. This was weird. Seemed to Nala that one of the cornerstones of BDSM was staying true. Maybe the occasional dalliance with the other’s approval, but to make a lifestyle out of it? Well, she wouldn’t declare herself an expert by any means. She was playing all of this by ear.
“If you don’t like the idea of your Master sleeping with one of us…” Quail said, interrupting Nala’s thoughts, “then you need to discuss that privately with him. You should consider it, though. If he lets you sleep with one of the Masters, he’ll get a nice kickback for his business from Master Crow.”
“Oh, yes.” Maggie forced back a chuckle. “Master Crow really gets off on using us like his play dolls.”
“We don’t have to… with him… do we?” Nala hadn’t considered that. Until tonight, she thought The Aviary was a sexual club for dedicated couples. She knew Maggie and Jay were married. Robin and Lucian were together forever. Starling and her Master, Joseph, were as good as engaged, or at least the young woman couldn’t stop talking about wedding plans. Aside from Nala, Quail was in the newest relationship.
“Oh, no, Gale. He doesn’t touch us. Just watches.”
“And watches and watches.” Maggie pulled out a cigarette, holding it away from the gaggle of girl talk.
“This is a lot to take in.”
“Would’ve thought you knew already. Can’t imagine Master Crow letting a couple in without at least the Master knowing the details ahead of time. Didn’t Master Vincent tell you?”
“I feel like there’s a lot he hasn’t told me yet.”
The other women exchanged glances. “Young relationships,” Maggie said carefully. “I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to not have a psychic connection with Ja… my Master.”
Nala held the older woman’s gaze for longer than was kosher. During that time, Maggie winked, a delicate pink fingernail pressing against her lips – out of sight from the other women around them. What is up with her? Nala wasn’t unnerved by Maggie, but she was definitely suspicious of her. Her instincts were rarely wrong.
The party continued around them, the general rabble of Portland’s sex fiends having fun down below while The Aviary fluttered about in their VIP loft. Xavier Crow’s arrival was marked by a gorgeous woman stepping in with bondage gear clad all over her nubile body. The men whistled, the women expressed their jealousy, and Xavier Crow put his arm protectively around the woman he dubbed Hawk and said she would be joining them for the evening.
“Reconvene by the bar,” Vincent muttered in Nala’s ear as they passed each other. “I suppose you could say that’s an order.”
It should’ve been a joke, but coming from Vincent Lane, it was more like a dry attempt at poor humor.
“This club is fucked as fucking fucked up,” Nala whispered the moment they had a semblance of privacy. Vincent stood between her and the rest of the party, including Hawk, who offered to demonstrate on Robin’s ass how one properly used a paddle. To the sounds of that girl squealing in delight with every smack of her skin, Nala continued, “You didn’t tell me that if one of the other guys wants to fuck me I have to say yes or get us kicked out.”
“Thought that would come up later.”
“Fuck off. You knew and didn’t tell me.”
“You said you would do whatever it takes to avenge your sister. Well?”
“Well what? Would I fuck one of the other guys here if it means staying in this club?” Nala snorted. “Fuck. Off. You don’t get to ask me that.”
“All right. While you were finding that out, I discovered that Miss Hawk here is the first date Crow has brought pretty much since he founded The Aviary a year ago.”
“A year?” That was the only piece of information Nala cared about. “It’s been going on that long? Surely he didn’t have a couple members for so long.”
“No. There have been other couples who are no longer members. Some of whom… disappeared.”
“Who?”
“Nobody knows, because their real names weren’t known. Especially the women.”
“You think he had them killed too?”
“I don’t know.” Vincent poured himself a hasty drink, knocking back liquor like it was candy. “We both need to tread lightly. Don’t piss him off. He likes us, for now. He’ll like us even better if we fall in line and don’t bend the rules too much.”
“You mean…”
“Vincent! Nightingale!” Xavier appeared behind them, his stocky gait making him waddle as he propped himself up with a silver-tipped cane. Nala heard something about a trip in his office. And I’m the mayor of Portland. “Isn’t this place absolutely divine? Do take the time to enjoy Hawk’s displays. We’ll also have a demonstration by Joseph and little Starling in a few minutes. They say they’ve been practicing all week.”
Nala nodded politely, choosing to stay close to her “Master.” Thus far she had built up an image of a girl who was quiet around the other men in the group. Hopefully that doesn’t make me attractive. She didn’t think she could take any propositions. She wasn’t even sleeping with Vincent. What made anyone think she would fuck Lucian or Sebastian or Jay or Joseph? Fuuuuck that. Nala entertained the idea of being loose enough with her morals to take on Vincent for a night or two, but those fantasies belonged trapped in her head – and loins.
No fantasy was happening in the presence of Xavier Crow. One step at a time, Nala. There were many bridges to cross, but they had come upon few of them so far. Nala couldn’t get ahead of herself. Otherwise she would go mad.
“We’ll be delighted to enjoy the show,” Vincent said on both of their behalves. “Thank you again for inviting us.”
“Ah, think nothing of it. Say, this time next week, you two may become full-fledged members. Think about it, would you?”
Nala bit back her lip. Vincent remained as smooth as ever. “I don’t suppose that means sharing a bit of ourselves with the group, would it?”
Naturally, Nala assumed that Xavier would speak directly with Vincent. He was the Master, after all.
Instead, he turned to Nala, sharing with her a despicable smile stained in the coffee of the day. If bile had any other flavor, it would be that. Right there. Smite me now.
“Only if the lady is up for it. What do you say, Nightingale? Would you sing us a pretty song next week?”
Her heart thumped so hard in her chest that she thought she would die. This man is asking me to perform… sexually… She had to grin and bear it, however. For the sake of Tasha. For the sake of Desirée, and any of the other people this man had murdered. Too many. In the realm of the world, people went through worse things to see justice served. I can do it. Maybe. I’ll detach myself like a total badass. Nala had been practicing something similar ever since her sister died.
“I’ll have to practice my scales, of course,” she said timidly. How much of that was real and how much of it was show… she couldn’t say. “I’m sure I could come up with a tune. With the help of my Master, of course.” Nala looked to Vincent, smiling, willing him to finish this farce on her behalf.
“Nala is very talented. We both look forward to sharing.”
Not what I had in mind, buddy.
The look of expectation passing between them sent a tangible shudder through Vincent’s frame. “I look forward to it as well. Anyway, I must be off. Do enjoy the show.” Xavier waved over his head as he returned to the mischief going on between Hawk and Robin. Does that woman even know I’ve seen her have sex? Of course she did. She probably assumed everyone had seen whatever there was to see and then some.
“Well,” Vincent began, letting out a heavy breath. “I didn’t expect that to happen quite yet. Looks like I’ll be smacking your ass sometime next week.”
“Hell no,” Nala mumbled. “Keep your hands to yourself.”
“If you insist.” Nevertheless, here came Vincent’s arm, snaking comfortably around Nala’s waist. “Let’s go get this over with.”
Joseph was already setting up a small stage next to the balcony. Below, the sounds of partying and general merrymaking wafted up into the VIP area, full of music, shouts of joy – and orgasm – and smacks to asses and thighs. Glasses clinked as Quail served a round of shots. Nala was obliged to take one, and thank God, because Starling was already topless when she made it to the stage where her Master awaited her.
“There’s my lovely bumblebee,” he said, his neatly groomed goatee spreading with his smile. Joseph was a tall man with tanned skin and a dark ponytail that hovered above the back of his neck. Starling, in all her model-tastic blond glory, was exactly the type of woman Nala expected to see with a man who also looked like a model. Nobody could say they’re not beautiful. Even Starling’s breasts, which were an ample size for her petite figure, were still perky and tipped with pink nipples that hardened with a whisper in her ear. Oh, God, here we go. Nala sat in the back with Vincent, where they wouldn’t be scrutinized because they were only politely watching, and not actively playing voyeurs as expected of them.
Well, maybe. That was Nala’s intent, anyway. Yet the moment she caught a glimpse of the way Starling’s breasts moved with every slight undulation, she was fighting back the urge to see what happened next. Not like she didn’t know how things ended between Robin and Lucian. A happy ending for the both of them. Nala got up long enough to grab another drink. As an afterthought, she grabbed one for Vincent too, since it would be expected of her. When she returned to the couch in the corner, there was Starling on the stage, one hand bound above her head with the lights of the club below splayed behind her.
“Sweet pet of mine,” Joseph said, picking up a small crop and lightly touching one of his sub’s nipples. Nala felt her own peak in her dress, and she forced her eyes into her lap, where both her hands wadded up fabric. Her throat swallowed a large lump. “How much do you enjoy showing off for our friends?”
“Very much so, Master,” Starling was already breathless, her legs shaking. Below, a man on a speaker announced a gangbang about to commence in the center stage. Nala couldn’t see anything way back where she sat, but she heard the cheers, and she saw Robin curl her arm around her Master’s shoulders and bite the tip of his ear. Her hand disappeared between his thighs, stroking his bulge.
“Oh, boy,” Nala muttered. She hoped Vincent was containing himself.
His arm drew her into his embrace. “We shouldn’t look so cold and unfamiliar.”
He was right, but this was the last place Nala needed to be. The last time she watched something sexual like this unfurl, she went home to fantasize about this man fucking her raw in the shower. Come on, hormones, get a fucking grip. She couldn’t let that happen right now. She couldn’t inhale this cologne, mingled with this man’s natural musky scent, and let her imagination get away from her.
Yet her heart fluttered. Her hand absentmindedly went to Vincent’s thigh, feeling the thick muscle there. She didn’t dare draw her hand up farther.
Sweat traveled from his palm to her bare shoulder. In front of them, Starling gasped in surprise as the crop smacked her right breast. Nala nearly jumped as well.
The show was everything she expected – and everything she did not need. Namely, she watched Starling be stripped of the rest of her clothes, each one fluttering to the ground as her breaths increased, heaving her breasts up and down in a rhythmic motion. Down in the gallery, a woman groaned with a microphone broadcasting how good her damned gangbang felt. How many men was she taking on? Why in the world was Nala wondering that? It’s not like I’m into it. Yet that woman continued to groan in sync with Starling’s breaths, her legs slowly spreading open as her dark and handsome Master loosened his collar and planted a heavy kiss on her lips.
Something terrible happened while this went on.
Nala forgot why she was there. She forgot that Xavier Crow sat in some shadows somewhere, watching this unfold with the most perverse sense of glee any man had ever felt. Blood dripped from his hands, and yet these people were able to enjoy themselves – including Nala, who slowly realized her biggest obstacle had nothing to do with Crow’s presence, but the sick sense of shame she felt watching this spectacle… and getting aroused from it.
Shame? What shame? There was nothing shameful about listening to a gangbang, including a woman’s orgasm followed by a tender laugh and a demand for a fresh cock. Shame had nothing to do with the naked woman in front of Nala, the woman who felt hands all over her and let a tongue snake into her ear while a pair of strong fingers aimed for her cunt. She shrieked in joy, nether lips spreading to admit Joseph as he pumped his fingers into her in front of the entire Aviary.
She looked so happy.
That was the thing that struck Nala the most. Starling looked happy. She was loved, she was caressed, and above all she was pleasured by this man Nala could only assume she loved in return. It didn’t matter that they did this in front of an audience. Whether they got off on it or not, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the connection between them. The charisma. The chemistry. Not only were they a good looking couple, but they clicked in such a way that the one could anticipate the other’s next move. Even with her old boyfriend, Nala couldn’t say she ever experienced that before.
She was reminded of Vincent’s arm around her when his fingers pinched her flesh. Nala jerked in his embrace, nearly falling over to her side until Vincent caught her, like he had back at The Crow’s Nest over a week ago.
Had it only been a week?
“Beg for it,” Joseph commanded, his fingers all but disappearing into his sub’s body. “Tell me how much you want my cock.”
Eyes rolling back in her head, Starling nodded, her hips going back and her ass pushing into the air, as if to give her Master greater access to her inner chambers. “Please, sir,” she muttered, body shuddering. “Fuck me.”
“With what?”
Nala’s mouth watered in anticipation of what Starling would say. “Your cock.”
A familiar giggle echoed in front of Nala. Before she knew what she was watching, Robin bent down and unzipped Lucian’s pants. Oh my God. This party was officially underway.
To the sounds of one unknown woman taking on her third man in fifteen minutes, Nala watched as Robin licked a long trail down her Master’s cock. So that’s what it looks like up close, I guess. Only a few more feet away, Starling’s leg was lifted up, her Master making short work of any humility she had left. And that’s what his looks like. Soon, the only cock Nala hadn’t seen would be Vincent’s!
“Well, this is happening,” she said, hoping her partner-in-crime would say something witty in return. Instead, she got silence from his direction. Unbearable, unnerving silence.
Nala slightly turned her head, making sure she still saw the debauchery unfolding in the corner of her eye. Vincent sat, arm around her, his legs crossed and eyes neither focused on the scene nor on the floor in front of him. Will of steel. Or so Nala thought, until she happened to glance down and saw the tent struck in Vincent’s trousers.
Oh no. This is turning him on. Well, to be fair, he was a man. Just because Nala joked to herself that he was asexual didn’t mean he was. As a healthy thirty-year-old man, he probably got hard-ons every day from existing. Being in a sex club? It was amazing he lasted this long. Men can only have so much self-control. After all, here Nala was, fighting off her own arousal so she could stay focused on… on…
What was she trying to focus on, anyway? Because as far as she could tell, the whole point of her being here tonight was to get horny as fucking hell.
Forget the darkness.
Forget the anger.
Forget everything.
Sit back, the world seemed to say. Sit back, relax, and remember that you’re human and only young once. She was twenty-one. She was supposed to be enjoying her youth, whether that meant traveling, partying, or, well, exploring every facet of her sexuality that she could.
It was almost liberating, being able to forget all the crap.
Of course, all she had to do was crane her head to the right and see Xavier Crow muttering something in Hawk’s ear. The dominatrix laughed more than once, stroking the man’s cane and playing with the paddle still in her hand. As long as she didn’t look over there, Nala belonged to a group of people who celebrated life by getting aroused and having endless sex.
Without thinking – because who could think while Robin’s head bobbed up and down in Lucian’s lap and Starling begged for her Master to come inside her – Nala kneaded her palm against the inside of Vincent’s thigh, thinking back to that night she imagined him doing the same exact thing she saw before her.
She came dangerously close to his cock, but it was at that moment she snatched her hand away and Vincent turned his body in the other direction. I’m sorry. She didn’t know why she thought that. I shouldn’t be focusing on this. Wasn’t it okay, if only for a few minutes? Surely, a few minutes out of her long, grueling day could be dedicated to life’s simple pleasures.
Really, she was a bit put out that Vincent was acting like this. Maybe he had award-winning self-control after all. Jealous.
His hand moved from her arm to her shoulder. Fingers tapped her there. Fluttering commenced in Nala’s heart, and on cue, her head hit the back of the couch and Vincent’s mouth was on hers.
“Yes!” Starling cried, her whines competing with the woman’s below. “I’m coming, sir!” Grunts filled the air. The scent of heady sex met Nala’s nose as Vincent’s cologne mingled with it. Oh my God, ohmygod. Her hand untangled from his and shot into his hair, her mouth parting to accept his tongue the moment it plummeted down her throat.
Joseph climaxed with an intense roar that nearly knocked Nala over the back of the couch. Except Vincent was there, caressing her bare arms, her stomach, and treading so close to her thighs as he kissed with that burning, crippling passion that Nala was so scared to experience.
Her hand went to his cheek, fearing he would leave her otherwise. I’ve never been kissed like this before… Certainly not her ex-boyfriend. She had seen these kinds of kisses between other people over the years, mostly on TV, but never felt it for herself. And for everything she ever thought about Vincent, she had to admit that this… well, this was like ripping open one of her old scars and seeing what had transpired beneath.
Rush. Rushes of desire. Rushes of heat. Rushes of waves upon waves of give me more of this. Nala clung to Vincent in a vain attempt to make him awaken even more. Would it be so bad if you took me home with you? No, no this wasn’t the Nala she trained herself to be. She was supposed to be bitter. Fed up with the world and what it had thrown at her. Not… not hopeful.
Not desperate for affection.
Certainly not head over heels in exploding lust for this man.
“Vincent…” she managed to utter in between heavy kisses. “I want…”
He knew what she wanted. Vincent took her hand and brought it to his erection, letting her feel the size of him as he grew harder with every passing heartbeat. Every drop of blood in his body must have been rushing there.
“Oh, fuck me.” That self-admonishment escaped from Nala’s ear and disappeared into her throat, where Vincent’s lips went, sucking her skin and releasing one groan after another as she rubbed his cock. “I’m a fucking mess.”
“Me too,” she whispered, relieved to feel him come as undone as her. At least they were equal in that regard.
“Ha! I told you they were as horny as the rest of us.”
Vincent leaped off Nala, sending her upside down as she nearly tumbled off the couch. In front of them, Lucian grinned, languid from a climax as Robin continued to giggle into his chest. On the stage, Starling was released from her binds, her skin so flushed that she needed some pats to the cheek to come back to reality.
If anything killed Nala’s libido then and there, it was Xavier Crow gazing at her from his spot on the other side of the VIP area. There was something… strange, about him. More than usual. Hawk was nowhere to be seen, but Xavier remained transfixed on Nala, pleased.
Hell no.
“I’ve gotta go to the bathroom,” she announced, getting up and scurrying away as quickly as possible. The nearest bathroom was down a dark hall. This time there were no bedrooms full of people fucking to distract her.
She didn’t have to go, but she did have to stand in front of the mirror and splash water on her face. It helped, a little. Not enough to completely calm her down from her sexual high, but enough to placate the heat turning her inside out. Calm down, slut. Nala was damn close to saying that to her reflection, but she decided to go with fixing her hair and making sure her dress was as decent as could be.
Every time she tugged on the fabric, however, she remembered Vincent pawing at her, exploring her figure with a single hand. He had been determined to pinch her nipple, feel her heat before they were interrupted. God, Nala was sure of it.
The bathroom door opened. Starling stumbled in, barely with the fucking program as she fought with her clothes to get them back on. “Oh, hi,” she said, tripping over her feet to get to the single toilet stall in there. “You ever get dick drunk? I am so dick drunk right now.”
“Er…”
“You fuck your Master tonight?”
Nala shivered, quite involuntarily. “No, not yet.”
“Mm, you better get on it. People are going crazy out there. If he’s like any of the other guys, he’ll be needing you pronto.”
Starling opened and shut the stall door behind her. Shoes scuffed against the floor, toilet paper turned in its wheel, and one woman bemoaned how much cum she had to clean up.
“I need a priest,” Nala mumbled, splashing more water on her face. “A priest, an exorcism, and maybe a margarita.”
“You can get at least half of those out in the club!” Starling called.
Nala had to get the fuck out of there.
She wasn’t sure where she was going to go. Oh, at least her impulses were back. She may forget the anger and bitterness for a little while, but she could never fully get rid of the brash decision making that led her to trying to flee from the club before she had to face some unsavory emotions. Not just lust. Definitely not love. But something spoiled inside her stomach, and it wasn’t the seafood dinner.
All she knew was that she had to get far away from Xavier Crow. And Vincent. Definitely get far, so very far from that man who had nearly shown her what was what.
That was the mad plan as she dried off her face with paper towels and left the bathroom. That was her plan as she scurried down the darkened hallway, wondering where in downtown Portland they were and how she could get home to her dingy closet. Fuck the money. Fuck the mission for now. Vincent could make up a story about her having food poisoning. Surely that would get out of her Crow’s line of sight for…
“Nala.”
Vincent was there, like an arch-angel – no, a glowing demon – gripping her shoulders and halting her in her tiny tracks. Oh, no, please… let me go. Nala kept her eyes downcast as she struggled to think of what to say to him.
“We need to talk.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong about that.
“Okay…”
“This way.”
Vincent hooked his hand around the bend of her arm, hauling her farther down the empty hallway and into the darker shadows encroaching there. An abandoned leather chair sat in the corner where they finally came to a stop, Vincent forcibly turning Nala around with such strength, such determination that she felt like she was on a carnival ride.
“What do we have to talk a…”
Oh.
That.