CHAPTER FIVE
GIVEN THE FACT that I was lying on the floor while experiencing a pounding headache, and recalled being outside my body, I knew I’d had a seizure. Bad timing.
The drug-induced feeling wore off, and I swallowed back the sickness burning my throat with stomach acid. I attempted to sit up and checked between my legs, because, sometimes that happened, too. I looked up, expecting to see no one. Expecting that if Calind hadn’t already run screaming for the exit, he would’ve stared at me as though I was an oddity.
There he was, sitting on the edge of the bed. He’d changed his clothes since I last remembered, looking flawless, as usual. While he leaned forward, watching me, there was no scrap of pity or concern in his face.
The drapes were open to the window behind him, showing a glimpse of the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip. I didn’t remember getting to this city, or to the hotel room. Did I pass out in the car and he carried me here?
He gestured to what was on the night table; a glass of water and a familiar white pill I assumed he retrieved from the prescription bottle in my bag.
I tried to lean forward. Vertigo kept me still. “There’s a reason I have so many left. They’re useless. I’m fine.”
“Do you want to manage the symptoms, or do you want to diminish the quality of your life?”
“My life is short. Six months or less, short.” I shrugged. “What the hell does my quality of life matter? It doesn’t. My quality of life fucking sucks.”
“You will give up and die in pain and agony? To prove what to whom?”
“Are you really asking me this right now?”
“The person who submits to death is a coward.”
I swallowed back the dry heaves. It was taking me longer to recover than usual. “You figure me as lots of things I’m not. Guess what that says? That you don’t know me. So, stop trying to be a bad version of Miss Cleo.” I said off to the side, “Rest in peace, madam.”
The hardness in Calind’s face diminished. With smooth movements, he arose from the bed and walked over to the hotel safe on the far wall.
“When did we get here? Did I sleep the whole ride?”
Calind pressed his finger into the biometric scanner, and the metal door pried open. He pulled out a small metal case, placed it on the bed and opened it, revealing twelve vials full of cloudy, red liquid. He prepped what looked very similar to the computerized needle Mr. Paré used at Executive Suites.
“Whoa!” I held up my hands, halting his approach. “Pump the brakes. What is that? Why the hell do you have whatever that is?”
“Do you want to stop the seizures, or not?”
“You’re offering me some strange serum, and you think I’ll trust you? That’s crazy. What is it?”
“Do you have any other immediate alternatives?”
“Yes,” I said with a dramatic nod.
“The seizures will become more severe, rendering you unable to function. I can’t do much with you or to you once you’ve reached that point.”
Maybe it was simply a sugar pill in a much creepier form. I was beginning to question signing on the dotted line. This was abstract. “Is it your syringe of gold?”
“Red diamonds,” he corrected me.
“I don’t think injecting me with whatever it is, is such a good idea.”
“If you want to die, why wait? We could do it now. Today. Your death will be painless and the authorities will discover your body before decay takes your beauty.”
Calind left my brain confused. On one hand, his flattery made me want to bat my eyelashes at him. On the other hand, I wanted to fear the calculated way he momentarily stated how he’d murder me.
I searched his eyes to see if he was joking. Those intense brown pools made me think he wasn’t. He would’ve taken me out and lacked remorse in the aftermath. Brutal.
Again, I tried to stand and gave up to sit cross-legged on the floor. “Say I trust you, what happens then?”
He closed the case.
I took a chance and shot my arm up and out as it trembled.
Reopening the case, he retrieved the needle.
“On a scale of ouch to holy hell, how much is this going to hurt? Not that I’m a baby. My threshold for pain is high.”
His sinister smile told me proclaiming I laughed at pain was the worst thing I could’ve said. He kneeled before me and pressed the syringe into the vein inside my elbow. He pressed a sensor, and the needle injected the fluid. A frigid coldness hit me at once. The feeling quickly subsided, making way for a pain that overwhelmed my body.
I tried to be strong, but it was an awful burning and gutting sensation. I screamed and writhed in pain, crying like a baby. Calind wrapped his arms around me, pinning my body to keep it from thrashing. It took an eternity before I felt numb.
I felt a distinct lack of the usual headache then, and I had a surge of energy I hadn’t experienced in three years.
From behind me, Calind pressed his body to mine, holding me. I was swathed in his warmth and his scent, and shit, it was pure heaven. The second I reached up to touch his arm, he moved away from me to sit on the floor against the bed.
“There were twelve vials.” I used my hands behind me to sit upright. “Is that one for every month…or year?”
“Every month.”
“What if I live a full year and don’t want you around?”
A grin cracked through his impassive wall. “After tonight, you won’t be able to get enough of me.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’ve allowed quite a few missteps to slide. Don’t fuck with my calm.”
I sidled over, trying to get closer to him. “Where did you get the drug?”
He glared at me. “Are you sure you want to begin this bullshit again? I don’t believe your threshold for pain is as high as you assume. I am, however, willing to test my theory.”
I chewed on my bottom lip as the silence passed between us. “Are we ever going to have a real conversation?”
He bit his lip in a way that made me stop breathing. He pulled my legs until I laid flat on the floor. Hovering over me, he searched my eyes. “You can’t help yourself, can you?” The softness of his lips teased mine for a moment. It was long enough to make the pleasurable fluttering in my stomach return, but lacked enough contact to satiate my need for a full kiss.
The second I reached up to wrap my hands around his thick neck, he stopped and rolled off me.
He pulled me upright, leading me to the bathroom.
I suddenly had the blue pussy lips from hell.
With my breath haggard, I followed where he directed me. “Did you by any chance get something for me to wear? Makeup? Hair supplies? Anything?”
“Don’t underestimate me, sweetheart,” he stated coolly, staring at me from underneath his thick eyelashes.
I slipped into the bathroom, closing the door. I caught my lusty smile in the mirror and shuddered at the memory of Calind’s everything.
A few treats on the hotel bed greeted me after my shower. One of which was a white Italian-silk suit. I had very little clothing in my closet outside of the power suits I was stuck in for eighteen hours of the day. My wardrobe was a sad monochrome of black shades. The outfit reminded me of how I wished I could’ve dressed regularly.
A tailored fuchsia tuxedo-style jacket with a two-button closure perfectly fit my curvy frame. My shoes were nude stilettos. Calind procured my favorite makeup and hair supplies as well. He spared no expense, providing me with everything I needed.
I forewent the shirt provided to wear underneath the tuxedo jacket. The plunging neckline of the jacket cut across my breasts in a delicious way, showing off the curves. A gold and diamond tassel pendant hung around my neck. I styled my hair to fall around my shoulders, allowing it to stay in its natural curly state. My eyes were smoky, and my lips were glossy and nude.
There was a note on the pillow to meet Calind in the lobby. After an hour and a half of primping, that’s exactly what I did.
Calind was in the lounge of the hotel lobby, dressed in a black tailored suit. The sight of him threatened to break my stride.
He bit his lip when he saw me, appearing as though he wanted to eat me on the spot.
“Not a fan of the band t-shirts and skinny jeans, huh?” I asked.
“I’m a fan of the way you look right now.” He touched the corner of my smile. “Never erase this.”
I sashayed to the lobby exit, pretending to ignore his attempts to lure me into his trap. When I was sure he couldn’t see me, I took in a few much-needed soothing breaths to chill out.
WHAT I ASSUMED was an exclusive gentlemen’s club, named Switch, was my surprise this evening. At the door, the bouncer asked for a member’s card, which Calind provided. The bouncer scanned the card with an RFID reader and allowed us both to enter a place unlike any I had ever seen.
Leather wingback chairs surrounded round beds and had poles implanted in the center. On the back wall, flat-panel televisions displayed random artwork in reflective neon colors underneath the black light. “Your Silhouette” by Joachim Walker and Thomas Guy played from the speakers embedded in the ceilings. The dancers were high caliber with voluptuous bodies, donning French lace lingerie.
A waitress in a red leather corset and short shorts greeted Calind with a smile and a brief kiss on his lips. “Hey, gorgeous. Who’s your beautiful friend here?” She tucked her long brown mane with dark blonde highlights away from the side of her face.
I glanced at her and Calind, wondering how they knew one another. I introduced myself before Calind had a chance.
Her blood red stained lips moved into a warmer smile. “Evani. Follow me.” She gestured over her shoulder and walked toward a curved archway decorated with dark velvet drapes. We followed her to a private room with a large round bed and two overstuffed couches on either side. Four women entered and lined up next to Evani.
Calind and I settled ourselves on the same couch, scanning the women.
“The woman in red,” Calind suggested in my ear.
I didn’t understand the game until that moment. This had to be my choice for a threesome partner.
I leaned back, playing along and shaking my head. I wasn’t impressed. Sure, Evani was pretty, but she was too seasoned. I wanted the nervous one, the woman with the deep-dark skin similar to mine. Her hair was in a deep side part with ’50s-style loose waves that reached her breasts. She was practically pouring out of her purple corset. She was too shy to hold my eye contact. Not because she knew I was looking at her; it was as though she thought she wouldn’t get picked.
I slid off the couch and approached her. “What’s your name, beautiful?” I gave her a seductive smile and lifted her chin with my fingers.
“K-Kay, ma’am,” she stammered.
Ma’am? I glanced back at a displeased Calind.
“You’ll have to excuse her, honey,” Evani apologized. “It’s her first day here, and she’s—” Evani appeared nervous when she glanced at Calind, “not available. I’m sure you’d prefer someone else?”
Perplexed, my gaze darted from Evani to Calind. “Am I missing something here?”
Calind’s steady attention remained on the uneasy hostess. They appeared to have a silent conversation, and I wasn’t invited.
Calind gave the hostess a covert nod that made her relax. Evani shuffled the other women out of the room, leaving the three of us alone.
I joined Calind’s side back on the couch.
He grabbed my chin, turning my head to face him. The gesture was so unexpected, I gasped. There was a deadly serious look in his eyes. “Be sure about this, Regan.”
I rubbed at the onslaught of gooseflesh prickling my skin. “I want her. Shit, you’re acting like I picked the next president.”
Kay slinked over to us, fiddling with her hands. At a delayed and careful pace, she crawled on top of the bed in front of the couch and remained on all fours. “I-I’m nervous. You two are the most gorgeous couple I’ve seen in here today.” She gazed into Calind’s eyes and froze in place. She appeared to be under the influence of a hypnotist.
I waved my hand between their stare to interrupt them. “No airs over here.” I leaned forward and stroked her hair. “You can’t fuck this up. If you don’t want to dance, don’t. If you want to come with us, well, it’s all up to you.”
She snapped out of it, bobbing her head, and turned her brown eyes toward me.
Calind reclined with a skewed grin, watching me work Kay.
“I shouldn’t,” Kay whispered and hugged herself. “It’s my first time.”
“Leave with us?” I asked. “You want to, don’t you?”
She nodded at Calind. “I don’t know if I can. I’m not supposed to go there yet.”
“It won’t be a problem,” Calind assured her, circumventing my need to ask what she meant by “there”.
Kay fiddled with her hands, too timid to say more. I gestured to Calind, asking him to leave Kay and me alone.
He obliged my request and left the room.
“Kay, you’re a beautiful woman.” I tried to belay her fears. “Don’t be nervous. We both want you.”
“I don’t know why.” She stared after Calind’s trail as though intimidated by him; we shared that in common. The only difference was my poker face was killer strong at the moment. “I don’t think I’m the right woman for what you want.”
“I handpicked you.” I was playing the familiar part; the bullshit artist who always got what she wanted in the boardroom and bedroom. “I promise it’ll be a night you’ll never forget.” I took her hand, leading her out of the room. The truth was, I no longer had any idea what was in store for us.
We met up with Calind, who was in a deep conversation with the hostess in a secluded corner near the bar. Evani stroked Calind’s tie and nodded at every word Calind said to her.
There was something going on between the two of them, and I might’ve fucked it up. I wondered if Evani’s disappointment was over the fact that she wasn’t picked. Even someone oblivious could figure out that Calind was well known in the club, and I had to wonder if he took most of his clients here.
Calind touched Evani’s neck, causing her to swoon. He grabbed her chin and gave her a tongue kiss that made her sink against him. As their lips made contact, Calind opened his eyes to stare straight at me.
Whatever reaction he wanted, I made damn sure he didn’t see it. Even if a tinge of jealousy roiled through my veins. He never saw an inch of his effect on me. After the show between them ended, he and Evani approached us.
“Follow me.” Evani grabbed Kay’s hand, leading her away. “She’ll be ready downstairs in ten minutes.”
Though I had a dozen questions swarming my brain, Calind’s glower shut me down.
Calind steered me to an inconspicuous stairwell at the back of the club. Closed off by several doors, a narrow hall with black-on-black decor lined the corridor. He sauntered to the third door on the left.
The large space could’ve doubled as a room in a warehouse. A St. Andrew’s cross, a large heart-shaped patent leather box, and a single chair were the only pieces of furniture in the room.
“Can I offer you a drink before you begin?” Evani appeared in the hallway, wearing a grin that made me think she took pleasure in the wariness pinching my face. She shoved a glass tumbler in my hand before waiting for a response.
I toyed with the glass, scared to drink the liquid contained inside it. Perched on the chair with my legs crossed, I kicked my top leg back and forth. My attention darted around the room, anxious for the events to follow.
Evani disappeared, and the state and identity of the person she returned with made me stand up at once.
Calind pushed off from the wall he was leaning against and approached my back. He clasped my shoulders, pushing me into my chair. His touched fucked with me, subdued me, and made it impossible to fight him as he kept me anchored to the seat.
Before me, Kay was on her hands and knees. A collar was around her neck with a chain leash that Evani held on to, directing Kay which way to go. A blindfold was over Kay’s eyes, and she was naked except her thigh highs and heels. Evani directed her to stand, grabbing the back of her hair, and positioned her back flush with the cross. Evani bound Kay by her wrists and legs until her feet no longer touched the ground.
From behind her back, Evani revealed a long, thin shiny black cane. She presented it across her arm as though it was a dessert wine. Calind removed himself from behind me and slid the cane from Evani’s grip.
“Kay,” Calind began, his tone smooth and quiet as he neared her, “are you ready?”
“Yes, Mr. Glace,” Kay replied, her voice trembling.
Calind touched the top of her breasts, exacerbating her tremors. When he touched her torso, her bindings shuddered. His strong hands wrapped around the stick and wielded it as though it extended his power. Raising it in the air, he tapped it against her skin before slamming it down, striking her breasts with a sick crackling sound.
She collapsed into her restraints, and her head fell to the side as she released a pitiful whimper.
Calind struck her again near the same spot, hitting a different part of her flesh.
This time, her whimper was closer to a scream.
He struck her again and again at measured intervals. Her cheeks dampened and her tremors made me think her body was in extreme pain.
It was a fucked up scene, and I couldn’t turn away. My pussy was tingling, confusing me more. I crossed my legs and leaned forward, riveted, as though it was the long-awaited plot twist in an otherwise boring movie.
When he struck her again, she called out and cried as if she’d lost her best friend.
Calind stopped at once and lifted her chin. His face fell close enough to Kay’s to have kissed her. “You can stop this. You don’t have to continue.”
“Please continue, Mr. Glace,” Kay pleaded, sobbing and sniveling. “I want to go to the space. The space Evani promised I’d go to…with you.”
Space? What the fuck did she mean?
Calind removed the blindfold, revealing Kay’s eyes. Her eye makeup pooled underneath her eyes and spilled out over her cheeks. What came next was unexpected. He moved the cane toward her most sensitive part, tapping with an increasing power repeatedly.
Kay’s every flinch, whimper, and cry made me grip the seat of my chair tighter.
In a sudden act, she burst into tears. Behind her glazed over eyes was a peace in the middle of her pain.
“Shh.” Calind brushed the back of his hand across her face.
Kay sank into his touch as though it was a painkiller and closed her eyes. She smiled, contrary to what she should’ve done in response to the patches of her skin darkened in an angry shade of purple and said, “Thank you, Mr. Glace.”
I ejected myself from the seat. My legs moved, stumbling in my rush to get out of the room.
“Regan.”
The powerful boom in Calind’s voice stopped me in my tracks. His heavy steps made my heartbeat pick up with every step closing in on me. He spun me in his arms and pushed my body against the wall. His form pressed against me oppressively.
Soft lips brushed across my forehead, leaving me breathless. His strong hands slid up from my waist and stopped at my breasts, tucking themselves underneath the material of the jacket. He thumbed my nipples, hard as little stones.
I groaned in pleasure and rested my weight against the wall. My heavy-lidded eyes locked onto Calind’s. “You are so fucking hot. I want you so much.”
He teased me, sliding his hands out of my jacket and into the front of my pants. A hand disappeared beneath the gap and between my panties, teasing the spot right above my clit.
I wanted him to go lower. “Touch my clit. Finger fuck me.”
He jammed his hand in the back of my hair, tugging until my neck curved. “No.”
He slid to his knees instead, his mouth hovering over my pelvis, making my need for him to taste me increase. He peeled down the waistband of my trousers until my pubic bone was exposed.
Taking his sweet-ass time, he unzipped my pants and yanked them to pool around my ankles. Supple lips teased me through the lace material of my panties.
I braced myself against the wall, helpless against the way Calind turned up my internal heat and left me weak. He slid the crotch of my panties to the side and brushed his lips across my pussy.
“Fuck, Calind,” I moaned. “Stick your cock inside me already.”
He placed my panties back over my pussy and pulled up my pants. He taunted me while swiping his thumb across his lips and neared me; I thought to kiss me. Instead, he separated from me, leaving me alone with my neediness.
My mind was full of unrequited want, and things I couldn’t name. When he walked away, I couldn’t move, nor stop him. By the time I brought myself back to Earth, he had left, and I hadn’t a clue where he went.
I SULKED THE entire Uber ride to get back to the hotel since Calind ditched me at the club. He left me soaking wet and extremely pissed off.
Pieces of what I saw with Kay that night replayed in my mind; it was a porno I wish I had never watched. Consolidating what I felt, wanted, and didn’t want became impossible. Guilt flooded over me for feeling jealous of Kay’s pain. It should’ve been my skin under Calind’s cane. Why did I want it so badly? Hadn’t life dealt me enough pain?
I envied what I witnessed in her eyes. Calind had sent Kay to a place of peace I could’ve only dreamed of visiting.
THE SOFT SOUND of the shower woke me the next morning. I looked around the hotel room and found Calind’s clothes spread out on the chaise. I stepped out of bed, fully dressed, and followed the new sound of the water running in the bathroom sink.
The bathroom door was wide open, allowing full access to the show. I watched, hardly able to remain upright as Calind stood nude in front of the mirror. His actions were the usual mundane preparations for the day, but it was far from usual with the reactions he elicited from my body.
I grew tired of him wielding control of things happening inside me that I couldn’t manage. Maybe not tired. No, it was uncomfortable. Giving up my control wouldn’t be as easy as I once thought.
I knew he had to have felt me standing there. He took his sweet time to acknowledge my presence. The look on his face was cocky enough to be considered a boast.
I kept my expression set on indifference and stepped out of the doorway of the bathroom. Gathering only the things I brought with me, I left the room.