by Ivy Nelson
Bradley’s eyes lit up, and she knew it was pride that she saw. “Adara that’s amazing. I’m so excited for you. How do I help?”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to ask you. I want you to run my campaign.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I do come with a lot of baggage after everything that’s happened with Atleigh and Darci.”
“I’m sure. That’s all blown over and you’ve come out clean. You’re the best and I want the best. I know it’s not a high-profile campaign, but it’s a short run-up to the election and I think we can win. I don’t know what our budget is for a salary yet but Leslie is already lining up donors.”
“Don’t worry about salary right now. We’ll check all the boxes on the paperwork but as far as you’re concerned I’ll do it for free. Err. I guess I should clear it with Darci first.”
“Clear what with me?”
Bradley turned to find her standing over his shoulder. “Hey gorgeous. Adara has some awesome news.”
He let her tell Darci what she was doing. “I want your husband to run my campaign.”
Darci clapped her hands together. “Oh my god. Husband. I love that word. Of course, my husbandcan run your campaign. Don’t be silly. Why would you need to ask me about that?”
“You know first hand how hard campaigns can be with the work you’re doing for my dad, Baby. I just didn’t want you feeling ambushed or feel like I’m being taken away from you.”
The bride grinned and kissed him. “I love you. Go run a campaign. I know you miss it.”
Bradley returned her grin. “It’s true, I do.”
“It would be an honor to run your campaign Miss Kent. I hope all the details can wait until I get back from Italy though.” He winked at his new wife who giggled.
“Of course, boss.”
“Hey. Don’t expect me to call you boss.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The reception went by in a blur of handshakes, whiskey sours, and even a dance or two. Before she knew it, the last song was being played and the people that were in the know, were planning to head to Exposure, the elite private BDSM club on the outskirts of town. Michael had brought his SUV and had stopped drinking hours ago so he drove them to the club. Adara had no idea what to expect when she stepped inside but her stomach was in knots.
Michael was gentle and reassuring, telling her that they didn’t have to stay if she found herself uncomfortable.
“Thank you for coming with me, but I‘m serious, Angel. You can leave anytime you want. I’ll drive you home or we’ll go sit and talk somewhere. Whatever you need.”
“I appreciate it but I’m a big girl. I’m sure I’ll be fine. It can’t be any worse than what I’ve seen on the Internet.”
“That’s true. The Internet is scary,” he said with a wink.
At the door, a man in a dark suit checked her ID against the name on Michael’s plus one list. According to club rules at least two people in good standing had to vouch for her before they would let her in. Lucky for her, she knew three.
After a few visits, she would need to apply for membership if she wanted to continue attending parties at Exposure. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that but it seemed to be Michael’s second home so she was sure that if it didn’t turn her off, she would consider applying.
“Last chance to run away,” Michael whispered in her ear before pushing the double doors open.
She shivered at the feel of his hot breath dancing across her ear and neck.
What she saw inside surprised her. It looked tame. She had been expecting to see and hear all kinds of nudity and screams of pain and pleasure. So far, everyone remained dressed and there was a small bar off the main dungeon where people were congregating.
Michael squeezed her hand. “Doing OK? Can I get you a drink?”
She shook her head. She’d had too much at the reception. It was best to stop for the night. “I’m doing good. Not quite what I expected.”
“I got us here early. Things will get going soon. I figured it was best to ease you into things. Plus, if we get hereearly, it’s easier to get one of the comfy couches.” He winked as he pulled her to a corner that had several leather couches in it. Sitting, he patted the spot next to him. “Here, we can see all kinds of things, you can ask all the questions you want and nobody is likely to hear us talking.”
“That sounds good,” she agreed as she settled next to him.
Michael hadn’t been kidding. An hour later, things were much closer to what she was expecting to see. The bride and groom arrived, and Darci had changed from her conservative wedding gown into a white leather corset with lace trim and a matching white mini skirt and pumps. Bradley was sporting a pair of black jeans and a dark button-up shirt. After greeting a few people, she watched as her old friend led his bride to an odd looking frame. He cupped her face and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before she lowered herself to the ground. Michael wrapped his arm around her as they watched. Leaning close he whispered, “He’s going to suspend her. It’s pretty awesome to watch.”
Michael was right. Watching Bradley work with the rope to bind Darci and hoist her into the air so she was completely off the ground was mesmerizing. It was a side of her former boss she never expected to see. Maybe it was a little awkward but the chemistry oozing off of them was fun to witness.
Closer to them, a man was attaching a young blonde to what could only be described as a whipping post. Adara gasped when the man pulled out a terrifying whip. It was braided leather and long. It was perhaps the most intimidating thing she had seen. The woman seemed serene though. And when the dom fisted his hand into her long hair and pulled her head back to meet him for a rough kiss, the girl moaned. Adara squirmed next to Michael who pulled her closer.
“This will get kind of loud but just keep in mind she loves it and it sounds a lot scarier than it is. That’s Gary, the clubs owner by the way,” he said in her ear.
Loud was an understatement. She watched Gary unfurl the scary looking whip and step back several feet. He lifted the whip above his head and flicked his wrist. The whip made a deafening CRACK, but it didn’t touch the girl attached to the post. The man grinned wickedly when the blonde jumped. He flicked the whip again and this time it made contact with the girl who yelped loudly. Soon, Gary was whipping the girl in a pattern and red stripes were forming on her back. Adara was holding her breath with every flick of the whip. It was all a little more overwhelming than she could handle so she excused herself to the restroom.
Michael stood, looking concerned, but she assured him she was fine. “I just need a minute. I promise, I’ll be right back.” He looked as if he wanted to stop her, but to his credit, he chose not to.
She pushed open the bathroom door and stood at the counter for a moment taking a deep breath. A man walked in after her and she jumped, forgetting this was a gender neutral restroom.
He smiled at her, something about him though gave her the creeps.
“Hey,” he said with a wave. “I’ve never seen you here before. I’m Damion.”
She just nodded and smiled before slipping into a stall where she locked the door and sat down. She pulled her phone out of her purse. A text was waiting for her.
You look good in red.
She gasped as she stared at the screen. This wasn’t a wrong number after all. Someone was watching her.
She typed back,
What do you want?
The response came seconds later.
I’m glad we have your attention Adara. Your phone is about to ring. Answer it.
She felt the blood rush out of her face as she watched the screen. Sure enough, it rang. They had blocked the number.
“Hello,” she whispered.
“Don’t say a word. Just listen,” the voice on the other end said.
“We know you weren’t born in the U.S. You have forty-eight hours to make your way to the Israeli Embassy in Los Angeles unless you want us to hand your secret over to Home
land Security. I’m sure once they know your father is a terrorist, they’ll deport you. Maybe even arrest you.”
The phone slipped from her hand, into her lap. A terrorist? That wasn’t right. Her parents were adamant that she keep a low profile but terrorism had never come up in all of their warnings. Her breathing had grown labored, She didn’t know what to do. With shaky fingers, she picked her phone back up.
“Still there Miss Kent?” the voice asked.
“I’m here,” she whispered, trying to hold back a sob.
“Good. Tell no one. Especially not that cop you’re seeing. You need to leave town without attracting attention. When you get home, there will be flight information waiting for you in your email. We recommend you use that to get your ticket. Don’t try anything stupid. We are watching. We’re watching your friends too. Bradley and Darci Givens are heading to Italy aren’t they? We can make sure they don’t come home if you don’t cooperate. And Detective Silas? It would be so easy for someone to kill him in the line of duty. You don’t want that do you?”
Her hand flew to her mouth. Who was this? How did they know about her birth secret? It seemed they knew more than she did too. Talking to her parents would clear this up. But they were both in poor health and suffering from dementia. They were living in a nursing home.
The caller disconnected, and she sat in the bathroom stall frozen. How was she going to get out of the club unnoticed? Michael would be watching for her to come back from the bathroom. Making a run for it would be her only option. She just had to hope she was fast enough to get away without him catching her. There was no way she could face him with this burden and not tell him anything. Michael was a cop, and he was very persistent when he wanted information. She would spill her guts in seconds if she talked to him now.
Pulling up the ride share app on her phone, she ordered a car. There was one just a few minutes away. Now to make her escape. When she opened the bathroom door a crack, Michael was engrossed in a conversation with Peter Mercer and his wife—Carrie was it? There hadn’t been an official introduction. Now was her chance. She dashed for the main entrance and didn’t look back.
Chapter 2
“Hey, isn’t that Adara?” Michael turned his head in the direction Peter was motioning. Sure enough, Adara was running out the door in a flurry of red.
“What the fuck? Excuse me,” he said as he jumped up from his place on the couch to run after her.
A couple ending their play scene stepped into his path. He had to wait for them to cross the narrow walkway between play spaces before he could continue. Damn it.
He stepped outside just in time to see her stepping into a car. He jerked his phone out and dialed her number. She didn’t answer, so he fired off a text.
Adara what’s wrong?
Thankfully, she didn’t make him wait for a response.
Nothing. I just needed to get out of there. I’m sorry. We’ll talk soon.
Fuck. He had scared her away. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He leaned against the side of the building. Unsure of whether he should go back in or go after her.
Let’s talk now. I’ll meet you at the diner up the road. He hoped his plea was evident in the text message.
Not tonight. I need some space. Her response was almost instant.
That certainly wasn’t a good sign. He had to respect her boundaries though, didn’t he?
OK. I’m sorry if I scared you away. I’m going to give you space. But just know we never have to come back if that’s what you want. I enjoy spending time with you. Don’t let this place ruin that please.
He waited several minutes for a response but got nothing. “Damn it,” he yelled aloud before going back into the club.
He told Peter what happened. “She seemed like she was having a good time. She was asking questions, even pointing out some things she might be interested in. She got a little overwhelmed when Gary pulled out the bull whip but I didn’t think that would scare her off.”
“We can’t pretend to understand what’s too far for some people. Sara was screaming pretty loud when Gary got going. Might have been too much. Just give her a little time. She’ll come around.”
Michael nodded and slumped into the couch. This was not how he had pictured his night going.
He watched as Bradley concluded his scene with Darci. Bradley had sent her flying in ropes, something he was known for being an expert at. The tall dom scooped up his submissive bride and carried her to the couch opposite of him where they snuggled for a few minutes. Bradley fished his phone out of his pocket and frowned. Darci was perking up from her scene and it was clear that after care was over.
“Go bundle the rope and put it back in my bag please pet,” he said a bit absentmindedly
“Yes, Sir,” she said cheerfully before planting a kiss on his cheek and turning to do as he asked.
Bradley then turned his attention to Michael.
“I just got a strange text from Adara. Is she OK?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure.” Michael recounted what happened. Bradley listened intently, concern marring his features as he spoke.
“She just told me she changed her mind about running for office and wouldn’t need me anymore. It’s not like her to handle something like that over text.”
Michael leaned forward in hisseat. “You don’t think we scared her that badly did we?”
“I sure hope not. Maybe one of us should check on her,” Bradley said slipping his arm around Darci who had returned.
“She asked for space.”
“Fair enough. But I think checking in would still be a good idea. Something isn’t sitting right with me.”
“Me either,” Michael agreed. “I think I’ll head to her place after I leave here and see if she’ll talk to me. If she sends me away, I’ll respect that. But this feels off. I’m going to push her a little to talk.”
Darci spoke up, “When Bradley was untying me, I saw Damion go into the bathroom. He came out before Adara. You don’t think he cornered her do you? You know how he is.”
Michael watched Bradley’s face cloud at the mention of Damion.
“That’s a fair point. I’ll ask. I didn’t even see him,” he said.
“I don’t know why Gary keeps letting that bastard come back.”
Michael had to agree, but the man had broken no club rules yet. He just liked to zero in on the new girls and he was known for being a hard ass as a dom. Preferred to punish rather than praise his submissives. Darci knew that first hand, she wore his collar for almost a year.
Darci tactfully shifted the subject back to Adara. “Go check on her Michael. I’m worried.”
A half hour later, Michael left the club. On the drive to Adara’s place he called her three times. On the third try she finally answered.
“What do you want Michael?” She did not sound happy to hear from him.
“Care to tell me why you told Bradley you don’t want to run for office anymore? Less than eight hours ago you were ecstatic.”
“I just changed my mind. It’s not a good time. Women do that.”
“That’s bullshit Adara, and you know it. Tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“Please, Michael. Don’t do this right now. I have to go.” Her voice was trembling, but he didn’t have time to ask her about it because she disconnected the call.
Fuck
Her voice told him she was about to cry, she wasn’t being honest with him about something. Twenty minutes later, he pulled into her driveway and hopped out of his SUV. There was no answer when he first knocked.
“Come on Adara, I know you’re in there. Just tell me what’s wrong.”
Still no answer. He pounded on the door again.
“Come on Angel. I know something is wrong. Let me help you. Did Damion corner you?”
Finally there was movement.
“Michael please, I’m begging you. Don’t make a scene. You’re making this so much harder than it has to be. Go home. Give me my space. I
can’t talk about this right now. I have some things I need to handle. I probably won’t be seeing you for a while.”
“Damn it, Adara just let me see you, please.”
“I can’t. Go. Now.” Her voice was commanding and bitter. This was not the Adara he had come to know over the past few months. That Adara was playful, rarely emotional, and a hell of a lot of fun. This Adara talking to him through a door was cold and ruthless—determined to see him leave.
One more push, he decided. “Damn it Adara. Open this door right now.” He used the voice he sometimes broke out when ordering a particularly bratty sub around.
It didn’t work.
“Leave. Now. I’m done talking Michael.”
He dropped the hand that had been resting on her door and made his way down the driveway. It was time to go home for the night. He’d pushed, but he couldn’t keep harassing someone who had told him no. If she wanted space, he would give it to her even if it was hard to do.
The next day, work was hectic. They completed the finalization of his appointment as Chief of Special Investigations, so he spent most of the day with HR taking new photos for the website and press release. Midway through the day, he found some time to have lunch in his office. It was hard not to pick up his cell and text Adara. The phone on his desk startled him out of his thoughts. For a brief moment, he felt a twinge of hope that it was Adara.
“Detective Silas, I just saw the press release. Congratulations.”
It was Leslie Hanover. Disappointment flooded him despite the fact that he knew Adara would never call his office.
“Thank you Mrs. Hanover.” What did she want?
“I’m so sorry to bother you at work, but I was hoping you could help me out by shedding some light on something.”
“I’ll do my best,” he said, tapping his pen on the desk.
“I got the strangest call from Adara this morning. First, she tells me she isn’t going to run which is obviously upsetting to me. But what’s stranger than that, is that she asked me if I could take her dog for a while. Said she had a family emergency and had to go out of town. I don’t understand. I didn’t think Adara had any family that she was close to.”