by Koko Brown
When Seamus had brought her to this place she didn’t understand why at first, but it had become clear soon enough. Tam’s first instinct was to resist and figure a way out, but as Natalia explained how the entertaining at the Devil’s Den worked, Tam realized she might not get any better options. Besides, she had nothing, and nowhere to go.
The actual club was only a small part of the resplendent building in which it resided. There were twelve levels. The first floor was the lounge and game room and a restaurant with its own world-renowned chef. The basement was the pleasure dungeon for the patrons with more extreme tastes. The club took up the second floor and the third floor held conference rooms where businessmen sometimes needed to conduct secret meetings away from the watchful eye of the SEC or the FBI. It was a judgment free zone. Above that was a private library with another lounge and bar for guests who sought some peace and quiet. The next couple of levels were private rooms where hostesses took their guests and the remaining floors were private apartments for the hostesses.
It was a requirement for the hostesses to live on the property for security reasons. Hostesses were given a monthly stipend for living expenses. The new women were taken on a shopping spree and given a full makeover to show them how they were expected to look when they worked. But it didn’t just include makeup and new clothing. The hostesses were given elocution lessons, taught how to sit and the proper fork to use in a fancy dining setting. They were even quizzed on politics and world topics of interest so that they’d be able to hold intelligent conversations with the members. There were even required to take yoga and be well versed in the Kama Sutra.
Natalia’s reasoning was that she wanted her girls to be as worldly as their clients while being able to give them the time of their lives in bed if the occasion arose. Even though the men paid a monthly membership fee to access the building’s amenities, they had to pay extra to spend time with the hostesses and the longer they spent with them, the more they paid. The more intimate encounters cost more. The money the hostesses earned was split between them and the house 60/40 with the larger portion going to the house. Natalia said that it was only fair since the hostesses were given a monthly allowance along with free room and board.
When Tam found out how much money a hostess could earn in a night, she reckoned that it wouldn’t take long for her to save up enough for her to leave the Devil’s Den and find a place of her own. Besides, this was a controlled environment with bodyguards to make sure the clients didn’t get out of line. It was much safer than being on the streets.
Tam had been set up in a nice apartment that she thankfully didn’t have to share with anyone else like some of the other girls. The first few days she was subjected to drug and STD tests. Natalia had warned her not to get too comfortable because if any tests came back positive then she would be out. Once the results came back clean, Tam’s training had begun. There was so much she had to learn it was like being in school all over again, but here she was.
Tonight would be her club debut.
She took a deep breath and pushed away from the mirror and walked out to the living room.
“Took you long enough. I was about to come in there and get you.” Julie, a petite blonde looked her up and down, inspecting Tam’s appearance.
Julie had been Tam’s mentor since her arrival and basically showed her the ropes and explained how things were done. She was also one of the few hostesses that was friendly toward Tam. Julie had explained that all of the women had gone through extensive screening processes before being hired and were probably just jealous that Tam had gotten in so easily, not to mention who had recommended her.
Tam couldn’t have known at the time, but apparently, Seamus was a big deal at the club and most of the hostesses vied for his favor. It must have been why Natalia had given in to him so easily. She hadn’t seen him since the day he’d dropped her off but for some reason, he was never far from her thoughts. Tam couldn’t help but wonder what his motives were. Not that it mattered anyway. She had a goal in mind and she intended to see it through to get what she wanted.
“I was just making sure I looked okay.”
“You look hot. I wouldn’t be surprised if you catch the eye of a big spender. You and Brooklyn are the only black girls, but she’s not as…”
Tam raised a brow. “Dark?”
Julie turned a deep shade of red beneath her heavy foundation. “I didn’t mean it like that, I meant—”
Tam held up her hand. “I understand. No offense taken.” Brooklyn was so light in skin tone that one could only tell her ethnicity when they were in close proximity. It didn’t help that she wore long blonde weave and blue-colored contacts. She was a beautiful woman but her attitude left a lot to be desired. They stayed out of each other’s way.
“You look nervous, but don’t be. You’ll be great. I remember my first night, I was shaking so bad, I thought I’d throw up, but the first guy I entertained was so nice he put me at ease. It gets easier each time you do it.” Julie gave her a reassuring pat.
“I’ll take your word for it.”
During the elevator ride down, Tam had to clutch the railing to stop her hands from shaking. Could she really go through with this? Once inside the club, she could see that some of the hostesses were already mingling with clients. A few of them were standing around, conversing with some of the clients, while others were cordoned off at private booths. Tam followed Julie over to a couple of gentlemen hanging at the bar.
“Harry, good evening. It’s been a while since your last visit.” Julie greeted the older of the pair with an air kiss on the cheek.
The man who was probably old enough to be Julie’s grandfather wrapped his arm around the blonde’s waist and pulled her in for a deep long kiss. When he pulled away, he smiled down at her. “Now that’s a proper hello.”
Julie giggled, giving the appearance of a nervous schoolgirl even though she was dressed like a full-grown woman. The silver-sequined V-neck dress was short, barely covering Julie’s crotch and displayed a generous amount of side boob. And it completely exposed her back leaving her practically naked. Tam noticed the old man kept his hand planted squarely on Julie’s bottom. “Harry, I’d like to introduce you to one of our newest hostesses. This is Tamryn.”
The old man turned his dark gaze in her direction and looked her up and down before smirking. “Nice to meet you,” he nodded politely because he was clearly into Julie. His friend who he had been speaking with however stared directly at Tam’s breasts.
“Jason, you have a taste for dark meat, don’t you?” Harry snickered.
Tam barely stopped herself from clenching her fists at her side. She’d been warned ahead of time that some clients were very loose with their tongues and took comfort in the fact that they could be as politically incorrect at Devil’s Den as they wanted. Tam focused on the potential money she could make tonight.
“How ya doing?” The one called Jason held his hand out to her. He was an average-looking middle-aged man with graying hair, but at least he was younger than his friend. There wasn’t anything offensive about his appearance.
Tam gave him her hand to shake but Jason had other ideas as he placed a kiss on her knuckles. “Pleased to meet you, darling,” he spoke with a slight southern accent.
“How do you do?” The greeting was unnatural on her tongue but it was the way Natalia wished for all the girls to speak.
He gave her a lascivious grin that made Tam’s skin crawl but she silently congratulated herself for remaining passive. “Better since you’re here, sweetie. What are you drinking tonight?”
“How about you suggest something for me.”
“You look like a Long Island Ice Tea kind of gal.”
“Sounds yummy.”
“Okay, I’ll get you a drink. You wait right here for me, darling.” He patted her on the ass. “Mmm. Nice and soft.” Jason chuckled as if he’d told the funniest joke.
Tam barely managed not to roll her eyes when he turned around to order her drink. S
he had a feeling this was going to be an extremely long night.
Seamus had avoided this place for the past several weeks even though this was his sanctuary. He had his own private apartment and office that no one else had access to, even Natalia. This was his home away from home where he could unwind, conduct some of his more questionable deals in private, and get his dick wet. But he’d avoided it for one reason.
Tamryn Smith.
Somehow she’d managed to get under his skin like no one had in a long time which was a complete mind fuck since they’d had so few encounters. He couldn’t figure out what it was about this woman that constantly made him think of how she tasted, and how she felt beneath him. Not since the one time when he’d foolishly believed himself to be in love when he was younger did he feel this way about a woman. From his experience, women were treacherous and only out for themselves. And when they’d gotten what they wanted out of you, they left you devastated. Seamus had seen how women had been his father’s downfall over and over again despite having built a reputation of being one of the most dangerous gangsters in the country. Patrick Haggerty had had an FBI file at least a foot thick, but they were never able to pin anything on him. So the irony of a little scrap of a woman being the one to do him in wasn’t lost on Seamus.
Seamus was damned if he’d ever let someone do that to him. Seeing his hardcore father basically die from a broken heart was a lesson he’d never soon forget. Hell, he should have learned his lesson after Tamryn stole his money and took off, but he told himself that even she didn’t deserve what Big D probably had in store for her. That should have been the end of that, but the last time he’d been here and selected Jacqueline, his favorite hostess at the time, to spend a few hours with him, he could only picture his Tamryn’s face. He ended up not fucking Jacqueline that night and had left in frustration and he hadn’t returned since. He was thankful that Tamryn was still in training which is why he figured it would be safe to visit that last time. She wouldn’t be working the floor.
But now, he figured Tamryn was ready and it was time for him to get her out of his system once and for all. God, he needed a cigarette, but Tamryn had ruined even that for him. That last few times he’d smoked he could remember her telling him how bad it was for him and he’d lost all pleasure in it. She wasn’t the first person to warn him on the dangers of smoking but somehow she was the one who he couldn’t stop thinking about.
Seamus was certain if he fucked her a few times she’d be forgotten, just like the other ones. As he stepped inside the club, he didn’t get a chance to survey the room before Natalia sidled up to him. She must have gotten word from security at the front door that he’d arrived because she always made it a point to greet him whenever he arrived even though he’d told her that it wasn’t necessary.
“Seamus.” She smiled, seeming to show ever every single one of her teeth. “I didn’t expect you here tonight. You haven’t been by in ages. I was beginning to think that you’d forgotten all about us.”
“I trust that you’re running this place just fine so my visits aren’t really necessary, are they?” He looked around the club to see if he could catch a glimpse of Tamryn, but couldn’t locate her.
Natalia placed her hand on his chest. “Of course not, but you know the girls look forward to your visits.”
He snorted. “You mean they miss my money when I’m not here. There’s no need to sugarcoat it.”
“You’ve always been so straight to the point. You weren’t this blunt when we were together.”
“When we were together I had more patience but that was years ago. I won’t hold you up. I’m going to get a drink.”
Natalia patted his chest. “Sure. Just let me know if you need anything.”
“I always do.” Seamus didn’t wait for a reply before heading to the bar. Natalia was probably the closest thing he had to a female friend. The daughter of one of his father’s former associates, the two of them had practically grown up together as children until Seamus had been shipped off to Ireland to stay with family when his father had been under a lot of heat. Upon Seamus’s arrival back into the States, he had reconnected with Natalia. They’d been lovers briefly but they’d both decided they were better off as friends.
It was Natalia who had come to him with the idea for the Devil’s Den but she needed the financial backing. Seamus had provided the funding, making him her silent partner. While most people knew him to only be a client, he actually owned sixty percent of the business. He pretty much let Natalia handle the operations as long as Seamus had a say in things if he saw something he wanted to change. Truthfully, he’d only ever overruled Natalia’s decision when it came to Tamryn. Seamus got his usual whiskey and leaned against the bar, surveying the place. He could see several of the hostesses looking his way but he was thankful none of them would approach him. He’d made it explicit to Natalia that he wanted to do his own choosing so the women knew not to come to him first unless he signaled them to.
As he was about to take a sip from his glass, he froze. Sitting at one of the tables were four people. He recognized one of the men, Harry Jefferson, an investment banker he’d done business with. Harry liked to present himself as a loving grandfather type his wife, adult children and a handful of grandchildren. He was a huge conservative who made no secrets of his political views. Yet here he was cozying up to a woman who was roughly the age of his grandchildren.
But Jefferson wasn’t who had caught his eye. Also at the table was another couple, a man whose name he didn’t remember but Seamus had seen him around at a fundraiser or some other society shindig. He sat very close to a woman with rich mahogany skin. Her back was turned to him but he didn’t need to see her face to know who it was. Tamryn. If Seamus hadn’t been specifically on the lookout for her, he would have missed her because it was quite clear she’d been given an extensive makeover.
Seamus didn’t realize he’d started moving until he was halfway to her table. It was as if his feet had a mind of their own. As he got closer, he got a better look at Tamryn. He’d found her attractive before even with clothing that had covered her entire body and no make-up. He remembered that she’d worn her long hair pulled back but now her locks were short chin-length curls. The way her makeup had been done made her eyes look even bigger and lips fuller, giving her the appearance of sexy innocence. But there was nothing innocent about her body.
Though she was sitting down, there was no hiding those curves. Something fierce surged through him as he noticed her unnamed companion place his hands on her thigh, making Seamus want to crack that motherfucker’s skull.
What the fuck was the matter with him? She was just another piece of ass, just like the rest of the women here. Now more than ever he was determined to work her out of his system so that she could stop haunting his thoughts.
“How are you doing this evening?” He asked the table once he halted although he kept his gaze focused on Tamryn.
When she turned those large brown eyes in his direction, his heart felt like it was being squeezed inside of his chest. She took his breath away.
“Haggerty. Haven’t seen you around here in a while. Any dark dealings lately?” Jefferson cackled as if he’d told a big joke.
Most of the circles Seamus moved in, people were aware of his family’s past and some were even familiar with some of his more questionable business enterprises, but no one dared say it to his face unless they wanted to see a side of them that usually stayed hidden in polite society.
Seamus tilted his smirk, which belied the glare he sent the other man’s way. It was clear Jefferson was inebriated but he wasn’t that drunk.
Jefferson must have realized his faux pas when he caught Seamus’s narrowed-eye stare because he coughed with obvious embarrassment. “Uh, yeah, well you know I meant nothing by that. It’s good to see you is all I’m getting at. Why don’t you join us?”
Seamus decided to let the old man off the hook tonight. Besides, he had a more pressing matter to attend to and
she was currently only a foot away from him. “Not tonight. I actually come over to borrow this young lady over here.” He placed his hand on Tamryn’s shoulder. He could feel her stiffen beneath his touch, but that didn’t matter because by the end of the night he vowed that she would be screaming his name.
The man next to her scowled at him. “Hey bud, I was here first. Go find another girl.”
Harry shook his head vehemently. “It’s okay, Jason. There are other girls here.” Jefferson interjected trying to save his friend.
Jefferson’s friend, however, didn’t seem to take the hint. “That’s right, there are other women here. He can go find another one.”
The blonde spoke up. “Jason, I see Brooklyn standing over there, she’s not entertaining anyone at the moment if you like a certain type.”
Seamus had no plans to stand here and continue arguing. He grasped Tamryn by the wrist and yanked her to her feet. “Come on.”
Unfortunately, Jason refused to back down and he stood up as well. “Hey man, fuck you. Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t know who you are, but I know what you’re going to be if you don’t sit your ass back down.”
Jason turned beet red. It was clear he wasn’t used to confrontation because his name had always been enough. “Are you threatening me?”
“I don’t make threats, just guarantees.”
“I didn’t realize they allowed thugs in this club. Oh yeah, I know who you are and you think just because your father narrowly missed getting locked up by the feds and you somehow bought your way into polite society it doesn’t mean you’re still not some two-bit hood. If you think—”
Seamus slammed his fist square into the other man’s mouth. The blonde at the table let out a little scream of surprise. Tamryn gasped. His victim dropped faster than a blink of an eye.
He could see Natalia running over to see what the commotion was but Seamus didn’t have time to deal with the fallout. He was certain Natalia would take care of everything. In the meantime, he was finally going to do what he’d come here for.