“V?”
“Shit don’t tell him I called him that. It’s his nickname around here, but he’s not fond of it.”
“Is he fond of anything?”
Selena laughed. "No, not really."
I hadn’t planned on liking anyone here. Attachments were distractions that would only make things harder. I had no future here. The moment I had put this plan in motion I had no future at all. Still, I found myself gravitating towards Selena. I sensed a kinship to the brunette I couldn't understand. She was making it far too easy to like her.
“Do you want to open them?” Selena gestured to the bags on the bed.
I walked over, picking one up and dropping the contents out on the bed. Shampoos, lotions, soap and every other type of beauty product I would ever need tumbling from the bag. Everything top of the line, she had spared no expense. Suddenly I couldn't wait to see what the other bags held. The next one had makeup and all the rest held clothes. Beautiful dresses, designer jeans and cashmere sweaters landed on the bed. Shoes, boots, bras, and panties were inside as well. I couldn't help but blush. Wisps of red and black lace, delicate bows with matching garters and thigh highs all feminine and sexy. Some, so see through I doubted they would cover anything. I no longer liked Selena; I fell in love with the woman. Everything so completely perfect it's like she knew what I would like before I did.
The high didn't last, the cost of everything slamming home turning my joy into sadness. My head lowered as a sigh escaped my lips. I couldn't keep any of it. I had no money, nothing to give to Selena for all the beautiful things she had brought me.
Selena noticed the change. Her face registered concern. “You didn’t like anything?” Her eyebrows drew together as she examined my face for an answer.
I wished a hole would open up and swallow me.
“Everything is perfect, but I can’t keep it. I have no way to pay you back for anything. It would be wrong to keep anything.” The words tumbled out as my cheeks burned. I couldn’t meet her eyes as my shoulders slumped.
“You can and you will. Those are your things. No payment needed.”
“There is always a price.” I wasn’t sure how I managed to say anything. My throat had tightened to the point words weren’t coming easy.
"Not this time." Selena reached out her hand and grabbed mine. Strong, gentle fingers caught my chin as she tilted my head so she could see me. Her eyes had softened as she brushed a stray lock of blonde hair from my face.
"A beautiful woman deserves beautiful things. You aren't meant to hide Miranda, you are intended to shine so brightly, you turn heads and break hearts.”
I had never turned anyone's head or broke any hearts. I wasn't sure I could, but standing in front of such beautiful things with Selena by my side made me want to try. I started to think maybe Selena held some magic I couldn't understand, but I wanted to learn. Val's face flashed across my mind. I knew whose head I wanted to turn.
Chapter Six
Standing in front of the mirror I barely recognized myself, the girl I saw staring back at me nothing like the one I knew. My hands brushed over the cream cashmere sweater and black skinny jeans. They hugged every curve as the high black riding boots created a straight path up to my thighs. My fingers lingered over my cheek; every bruise replaced by flawless skin. Selena had done my make-up so well she had covered everyone. The marks of my past had faded beneath concealer and blush. My green eyes sparkled brightly. Dull Evergreen had transformed into brilliant emerald. Selena had been right I was meant to shine. After today I might tarnish, fade out until every drop of radiance darkened and dulled. I gathered every cracked illusion, every worn out drop of hope and joy and wore them like luminous armor.
“Ready to turn heads and break hearts?” Selena grinned, thoroughly pleased with her handiwork.
I returned the smile. “Thanks to you.”
“You did the hard work Miranda. New clothes, make-up they don’t change who you are. They merely bring to life what was already there. I can see why Val wanted you.”
Selena’s voice had changed, more distant and I knew. My chest constricted, dizziness struck making me light headed and unsteady. I realized I had been a fool. Val didn’t have a new girl every week he had the same girl. Selena.
"Are you okay?" A hand touched my shoulder, keeping me upright and sealing my fate. I would never be anything more than the flavor of the week. I wanted to hate her, but she wasn't the one to blame. Val had been the master of this game. He moved us like pieces on a chess board, cold, calculating and making sure he always won. Selena was queen, and I was nothing more than a pawn.
"Wait. You don't think that Val and I are. We're not Miranda." Selena's hands settled on her hips, and her eyes made direct contact with mine. "Never have been, never will." She owned every word, and I believed her. I took a deep breath, playing catch up in this game of chess.
“You are the first girl I’ve seen him take an interest in Miranda. You’ve got his attention. Own it. Use it.”
Selena stood so close I could see every jagged cut of her scar, wearing it like a badge of honor. A mark that told the world she had survived. I envied her. I wanted to believe; maybe I would make it through this. The end game of my life had been somehow altered by the man I now belonged to.
I nodded, still unsure of how exactly to do what Selena told me too, but I planned to learn. Any advantage I had in my arsenal got me one step closer to my goal. I had grown tired of being a pawn in a game rigged so I would always lose. I had spent my whole life fighting, believing deep in my soul I could be more than what my father had turned me into. The stain of my past mingled with my present, seeping through my pores as my soul wept the truth like tears. No more. I learned fast. This time, I would play to win.
Once dressed and with a healthy dose of confidence I took up Selena's offer to check out Bound and Bared. In the daylight the club seemed much more docile, a sleeping lion waiting to roar to life at nightfall. Rows of crystal clear glass in perfect lines against a black marble bar top, red couches were angled around the bar. They offered the ideal location to get to know someone. For someone who avoided touch Val had designed Bound and Bared to find ways for people to have contact. His choice of music, the way the club had been set up all encouraged bodies to mingle, begged people to get up close and personal with each other. I ran my fingers over the marble, fresh and clean I didn't find one sticky spot, picking up a drink list I read the cocktail names. The Slip Knot, Rug Burn, Leather and Lace, Ten Lashes, Tied, and True stood out in graceful letters. I grinned, somewhere inside Val existed a sense of humor.
"In case you are wondering, he named them." Selena joined me at the bar, rolling her eyes at the drink list.
“I love the names. They are perfect.”
*
Selena and Miranda stood together by the bar. Their laughter drifted across the room, the sound turning everyone's heads their direction. I watched all eyes lock on Miranda, and I could guess what they were thinking. Miranda's clothes molded to every curve, and they openly stared at her, lust filling their eyes. My fists were clenched by my sides desperately seeking something to plow into. My stomach burned, as spots flashed across my vision. She belonged to me. I would make sure everyone knew it.
My hands landed on either side of her body. I caged her in; so close, we were almost touching. Leaning down I found her ear. “What do you think?”
"About what?" Her voice flowed breathlessly, fine wine spilling out with delicate notes. I wanted another taste, the delicious sweetness of her lips meeting mine in a violent embrace. We danced in lies and desire, the truth a fine line, sharp and dangerous.
“My club. What do you think?” I took another step. She followed my lead, her body turning towards mine cutting the space between us into nothing more than a whisper.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
"Give it some time. I'm sure you will find it's much more than it seems." I withdrew my hands letting her free. I walked away leaving some p
iece of myself behind. I had offered a clue, a tiny slice of my soul. I hadn't meant to, but I couldn't seem to resist the pull. I needed her more than I should, I wanted her more than was sane. My descent into madness came with a halo of blonde hair. Crazy never looked so good.
*
My heartbeat fluttered. I couldn't catch my breath, Val's voice still rested in my ear, the sound reminding me of the way he kissed me. A sweet burn lingered despite what had happened between us. His body being so close rekindled the lust roaming through my veins. An imprint remained, a trace of something new and terrifying. Even if I could wipe it away, I didn't think I wanted too.
Selena’s voice cut through the haze Val had left behind.
“You okay?” Amusement met my ears. I wished for that hole again. This time deeper than before. Maybe if I sank further down I wouldn’t be able to find my way back out.
"Don't worry Miranda; Val just lets everyone here know you were taken. Now you won't have to worry about the men here thinking with their dicks and trying to get you into bed. Most of them are harmless, but it saves you the trouble of unwanted attention."
Unwanted attention. Since I had turned 18, my whole life had been a never-ending parade of unwanted attention. I could almost be thankful to Val, but I was still dealing with the conflicting feelings he stirred in me. I needed to change the subject. I had heard the stories about the club, but I wanted to know more. The man owning it was an enigma, but maybe I could decipher his personal kingdom.
"Care to share the details of what goes on around here?" I turned to Selena. I wanted to know. Bound and Bared seemed like a different world, a place beyond the hell I had known. Selena seemed happy and Val, well if anything made him happy it would be this. The devil existed in the details all 6’2” of him. He took care of his club like it was his pride and joy, curiosity got the better of me, and I wanted to know what made this place tick.
"For most the night Bound and Bared is like any other nightclub, but it only caters to a particular clientele. Val has made sure it's very exclusive. People with money and class, who want to keep what they do here private. They all know the rules and V makes sure they follow them. Break one and he will make sure you never do it again.” Selena’s face broke into a devious smile.
“How? If these people have money and influence, wouldn’t they try to retaliate?”
"Blackmail is a genuinely excellent motivator. Val knows their secrets. Things they don't want the world to learn, and they will play nice to keep it that way."
“And the downstairs? What do you do with a client?” I had gotten a breadcrumb, and wanted more. I had only existed in violence, where the pain had twisted around me like an ever tightening noose. I had long since stopped trying to grasp the rope, desperately seeking freedom. I merely swung back and forth nothing but a remnant of all the things that could have been.
"Well, those wishing to engage in the activity downstairs all go through an extensive background check. They must sign a contract and even then the girl has the right to refuse service. We say no, the answer is no. There are lots of things we do, but sex is not one of them. The outside world thinks our world is all about sex, but that's not the truth. The relationship is give and take. A true submissive has to give their power over by choice, and it's the dominant's job to take care of them and honor that gift. If you don't, things can go wrong. People get hurt Miranda. Physically, mentally, emotionally. It gets twisted from how beautiful it can be. Sex can seem simple compared to what we do with our clients. If someone has you restrained and what they are holding can seriously hurt you, you need to be able to trust them with your life and the one that's holding it had better understand what your faith in them truly means, and respect it. Now if a girl chooses to see a client outside of the club, wishing to take their relationship beyond what is allowed here, she is free to do so, but she is on her own. The contract becomes void, and the client is not welcome to return. What goes on behind closed doors is their business, but Val makes sure he protects the club and its reputation.”
I took in every single word, fascinated. My world seemed to be expanding with every piece of information. I hung on her words with a tiny thread of hope, a thin strand of something new, so different from what I had known. I had cast my lot and chose Val. I threw myself into his path, dropped myself into his world and prayed he could help me. I started to think that maybe it hadn't been such a foolish choice.
Chapter Seven
I opened my mouth to tell Val everything, but he moved faster than I could speak. This was my mess, and I would not let Val face it alone. I ran after Val, my feet chasing him down the hallway and into the club. My worse fear materialized in that exact moment as my father stood in the middle of Bound and Bared. He had come to get me himself. The very man that had created my nightmares now had come to drag me back into them.
The moment he saw me a smile twisted his features, all the color drained from my face as my heart drummed a violent beat inside my chest.
"You don't look happy to see me, Miranda, you didn't miss me? I have missed you." His voice slithered out like oil, tar black, and suffocating. I shrunk back trying to make myself smaller.
Val turned around and spat out a curse. "I told you to wait. Do you ever listen?"
My father smirked as he rocked back on his heels. "I could answer that for you, Mr. Knight. She has never been able to follow commands and unfortunately she has been that way since the day I got her. I tried to teach her over the years, but I failed. I even tried some tough love, but to no avail." He couldn't hide his joy as he saw my pulse pick up speed and my breath burned like acid through my lungs as I remembered every sick minute of his tough love. I longed for flight, to turn and run and never come back, but my feet remained frozen. My father held the advantage, something that he knew would make me do whatever he wished. I might save myself, but I would damn the ones I loved.
"Go back to your room Miranda." The sound of Val's voice broke the tension. I found his eyes as the hold my father had over me lessened. The cold blue as deadly as my father's green, caught in the middle I stood waiting, my fate unclear.
"I'm afraid she can't do that" My father moved closer, his voice dripping venom. "You see she belongs to me, and I don't take kindly to others playing with my toys."
*
The words hit me, rolling through me, leaving me with the taste of disgust in my mouth. I knew who had come calling. It wasn't the first time he had brought poison to my doorstep. He had approached me twice before both times offering me a piece of his side business. I declined, wanting no part of the sickness he indulged in. Connor Price was a viper with a taste for blood. He hid behind a lot of cash and power, the wealthy, charismatic CEO of an empire that dominated everything it touched. Even though I declined, I had done nothing to stop what he was up to. To start a war with him would have been foolish now I wondered if I had done the right thing. Miranda’s eyes burned with fear, her body covered in battle scars from the war I had refused to fight. Beneath that expensive suit existed a monster. Fate had brought the war to my doorstep and this time, I couldn't walk away. Miranda was mine; I wasn't going to give her up, especially to the sick fuck standing in my club.
“Come here Miranda.” Connor's voice was growing dark as he waited for Miranda to follow his order.
She shook her head as her eyes locked on mine. I don’t think he believed it. His eyes narrowed as pure rage exploded upon his face.
“Did you just refuse me? Have you developed a foolish notion you get a choice, my dear? Let me remind you who will pay for your refusal, don’t worry my dear I will make your sisters know it was you that sealed their fate.”
"No, wait! I'm sorry. Please, I'll do what you want.” Miranda’s head fell forward as she walked towards him, her movements were robotic and lifeless.
As she passed, I grabbed her arm stopping her from going any farther.
“Don’t Miranda.”
She lifted her head to look at me, and vacant eyes met mine
. "I don't have a choice." Her voice cracked, and I saw her vanish before my eyes, sinking inside herself until she became just a body taking up space. Tugging her arm free she kept walking.
“That’s my good girl.” Connor raised his hand, running his fingers down the side of Miranda’s face. She shuddered at the touch, so slight I wasn’t sure he noticed. A well-practiced move to try to hide her fear and disgust.
I couldn’t let her go, every bit of soul screamed at me to do something. To find a way keep her.
“How much?” I offered money, the only thing I knew Connor Price would take. “She promised me a month. How much would you want to make that happen?”
"I should refuse you, but I'm in a giving mood this evening. Besides you asked so nicely so, I will entertain the idea but know she won't come cheap."
My fists clenched at my sides desperate to smash the smile off of his face. I wouldn't have stopped there. I would keep hitting until he became unrecognizable until nothing remained but a final breath and his last vile heartbeat.
“Name your price.” My temperature rose as my jaw tightened. A vein in my neck throbbed, a constant beat keeping time in my head.
"A whole month? Are you sure you want to keep her that long?" Connor let out a laugh, and I almost lunged. The sight of Miranda stopped me, and I let her become my sole focus.
“A price if you will.” My patience had started to run thin, too much longer and nothing would stop me from tearing him apart.
“One hundred thousand. Twenty-five thousand for each week." His voice became deadly serious, and I knew he thought I wouldn't pay it, but he was wrong.
“You have a deal Mr. Price. Let’s step into my office so we can take care of the paperwork.”
A look of shock had graced his face before his mask slipped back in place. He turned to Miranda and patted her cheek.
"Well, well. You are going to make me some money after all my dear." Dropping his hand from her face, he inclined his head to me. "Shall we?"
Unbound (Bound and Bared Book 1) Page 3