Independence: #4 Hayley

by Karen Nichols

  Dane set the pair of heels near the door before sinking into one of the chairs. He lifted one foot to rest on the knee of the other leg and stared at her.

  “What happened, Hayley?”

  Jack knew Dane was having as difficult a time keeping anger out of his voice. It was as if they could both see what was going to unfold and it wasn’t something that would make them happy.

  “I told her I’d find my own way there,” Hayley began, lifting her head enough to stare at their boots. Both sets were black; both formidable looking and fitting the men she had watching her. But like the men themselves, each wore slightly different styles; each had slightly different buckles, design and height. “And I didn’t wear the little skirt and top she wanted me to. It was still really warm for here, but…it felt off. It felt…”

  “Like a set-up,” Dane offered carefully.

  “Yes!” Her gaze immediately flew to his and then to Jack, her head nodding. “Yes, exactly. And I couldn’t get that nagging sensation to stop. So I just wore a scoop-neck t-shirt and jeans…and plain sandals. She’d left my name at the door, so I got in after showing them my ID.” Her voice dropped. “It’s not like this…not like the club here…it’s…grungy…and creepy…”

  “It’s not quite what people pretend it is,” Jack chose his words slowly, cautiously. The idea of her wandering into the pit of a club heated an anger in him he had long ago put to rest.

  “It’s a play den for people into pretending…and a lot of pain,” Dane watched the color leave her face. “And abuse.”

  “I know. I saw…I looked around…it wasn’t like anything I’d ever read about the reality of the lifestyle choice,” Hayley shook her head, a shiver of disgust sweeping through her at the memory and images playing back in her mind.

  “You read about BDSM?”

  “I have the internet…it’s like an encyclopedia at my fingertips,” she answered with a casual shrug. “I wanted to know opinions and…thoughts…of others.”

  “Very smart of you,” Jack complimented. “What happened when you went there, Hayley?”

  “People…there was blood and…and I was going to leave. I started to turn away for the door when someone grabbed my arm and pulled. I started to panic, but then I saw Tessa there. Wearing little scraps of underwear and she had a look in her eyes…partly pleading, partly sad…partly haunted and almost empty. He was with her…”

  “Who was it?” Jack pressed, more than a hint of the Dom in his voice.

  “Derrick…she never told me his last name…”

  “Describe him,” Dane ordered tonelessly.

  “About your height…but very lean…not muscled…dead eyes…blue with short blond hair…barely touched his ears…almost like a business cut…and he wore glasses,” she recalled slowly. “He had hold of my wrist…I tried to introduce myself…and he slapped me. Said I was late and no…no bitch of his was going to fuck up his playtime,” she repeated the words lodged in her memory.

  “He grabbed Tessa and pulled us down a corridor to a room…guess it’s like here, you reserve them,” she sighed. “I kept telling him that I’d just come to see Tessa. That she had told me about the club…he kept telling me to shut up. He locked the door and put the key into a pocket on the pants he wore. Then he…he put Tessa on one of the crosses. He ordered me to kneel on the floor and wait…I’d get my turn. I told him I wasn’t interested and to open the door immediately. He…he pushed me against the wall and said…said he’d told Tessa he wanted to fuck me and to bring me to the club or he’d hurt her so bad…then…” Her hand rose, shaking despite the effort she was exerting to control the emotions. She touched the side of her head. “He hit me and I struck the door frame…when I woke up, Tessa was crying…so hard crying…he had a whip in his hand and she was bleeding…”

  They watched a soft glaze take over her eyes. She shook her head slightly.

  “I can see what happened next…I can feel the center of the whip in my hand…I got up from the floor…my head was throbbing…but I was…there was anger and fear inside me…but I think anger won,” she whispered. “He didn’t see me…until I had grabbed the whip on a back swing. I gripped it hard and pulled. It caught him off guard. I wrapped it around his throat a couple times and pushed his head into the doorframe…twice…he went down like a rock. I don’t remember what I did…but I can see it,” she repeated softly. “I got the key from his pocket. I was shaking so hard…then I got Tessa wrapped up and got us out of there. I took her to the ER and we…we told them we were attacked outside the club…she wouldn’t…she refused…but I made her promise she wouldn’t see him again.”

  “Where is she, Hayley?”

  “I put her on a plane a couple days later to her parents in Florida,” she answered, relief in her words. “I warned her partner in the practice and he’s keeping an eye out for the guy.” She sighed tiredly. “I haven’t heard from him.”

  “Why did you volunteer to help Bailey with the charity auction?” Dane asked gently.

  “Bailey and Angel…and Claire…didn’t change…like Tessa…I had to see. I had to know what was the difference…”

  “It isn’t about the club or even necessarily about the lifestyle, Hayley,” Jack held her bottle of water out to her, urging her to drink. “It’s about the people behind the control, behind the power exchange.”

  “No matter what you call it, there’s always an exchange of some kind in relationships,” Dane explained his thoughts. “You’ve met Dianna and Evan. Evan prefers to give his control to Dianna in their sexual relationship and it just happens to include role-playing, if you will. We prefer to be in control. We like ropes and floggers and the really sweet glow your ass gets when it’s been tanned by a palm or a leather flogger. We like clamps and battery operated toys. The arousal and heights of orgasm are from all those as much as it is from the eroticism of the play and the time involved and the language and words used in the pairing.”

  “What your friend had…was abuse, Hayley. Not BDSM. If you’ve done reading, you know it’s always safe, sane and consensual for people serious about the lifestyle,” Jack reinforced the words that were key to the play. “Have you gone back to Neptune’s?”

  Her head snapped back, shaking adamantly. “Oh, god, no! It…I…it was horrid,” she whispered raggedly.

  “There are things you’re not going to agree with or even understand that go on in the club here, Hayley,” Dane said carefully. “Hell, there are some things we don’t get or understand…but for others, it works.”

  “She was so bruised…and cut up…from her knees to her neck. She had scars from…from burning on her wrists and thighs.” Hayley shuddered at the memory of the quick snaps of the whip when she woke on the floor. “Her eyes were empty…hollow…like all her life had been taken away.”

  “Finish your water, Hayley,” Jack ordered, his voice held level and strong enough to break into the fear he could see in her eyes. “We’re going to take a walk around the club and then you’re getting dressed and going home. Tomorrow, be here at six. Sharp. I’ll leave your name at the door and I want you to go to the bar and have something to drink until we come for you.”

  “Is that clear, Hayley?” Dane waited while the rest of the water vanished and she capped the bottle.

  “Yes, Sirs,” the plastic crinkled in her hand. “I…should I wear this?”

  Dane pulled a wallet from the side pocket of his pants and a pen from another. He opened it and took out two crème colored business cards. He flipped one over and wrote two numbers before tucking it into the front of her corset.

  “Those are our private cell numbers. I want your name and home address, please,” he requested, pen poised to write. She looked down at the edge of the card and gave him the information. “Something will be left for you at the front desk when you get here. Change into it and wait for us at the bar.”

  “Now I think we need a joint tour of the place.” Jack bent and retrieved her heels, buckled them together and car
ried them. “We like the heels. They’re damn sexy,” he repeated. “But we do prefer pretty, plain feet. Maybe painted a dark red.”

  Hayley looked at her bare toes and then back at their expectant faces.

  “Yes, Sirs. Red,” she sighed and nodded, stepping through the door Jack held open for her.

  “Did you have a chance to view anything in the club, Hayley?” Jack moved to her left, while Dane hung back just slightly on her right. Every now and then, he saw his friend run his palm over her ass cheeks. When he did, not a muscle moved on her face and she didn’t falter in her steps. Her control was fascinating them both.

  “No…no, I was supposed to…but I had a foal start to drop a few days early and couldn’t make it…” her voice hitched slightly. “I was late then, too…to the place in Olympia…he said there would be severe punishment because…”

  “Hayley,” Dane’s voice hardened and immediately grabbed her focus. “You will not be punished for something out of your control. Angel told us you were a vet…something you should have told us in our talk upstairs. We understand that you might be delayed and hope you won’t abuse the excuses. We don’t like being late and try and schedule play accordingly, but sometimes…shit happens. We have people who are firemen, doctors and nurses. Especially living around the reclamation, getting someplace in a hurry, isn’t always feasible.”

  “Thank you,” her relief flowed out in a whisper.

  Jack placed a hand at her waist and guided her to the large, solid railing overlooking the expansive open space filled with stations and equipment. The chamber held very large and small stations and people filled most of them. They knew by the end of the night, all of them would have been in use at least once.

  There was an extensive suspension wall done with large stones; several St. Andrew’s crosses and numerous types of spanking benches. There were cages, leather covered tall benches with every manner of device at the edges to secure people and three rope swings.

  Dane directed her attention to the wax station, an experienced Domme slowly dribbling gold candle wax along the stretched out back of her male sub.

  “It isn’t…”

  “It isn’t what, Hayley?” Jack prompted.

  “There isn’t blood,” she whispered.

  “There is an edgier chamber, off to the left. It’s kept separate and kept cleaned and sterile. We don’t go there,” Dane assured her. “Neither of us is into piercing, or hooks or beating to the extent that blood is drawn. For others, it’s a part of what they need in their lives.”

  They both felt her relief as it filled her, the breath she had been holding slowly released.

  “I don’t know how to assure you that nothing will happen to you here that you don’t want.” Jack leaned close to her, inhaling the scents surrounding her very slowly. Heavy perfumes were discouraged, but there was nothing heavy about the scents on her skin and in her hair. “You’ll have a safe word. You see the people with the dark blue bands on their arms? Those are the DM’s…dungeon monitors. They watch out and listen. They’re trained to stop scenes the instant a safe word is uttered, if the Dom doesn’t stop on their own. Most of the people who frequent here, are very mindful of the rules governing play in the club.”

  “That’s not to say that the occasional asshole doesn’t make it through the vetting process,” Dane said quietly, his body pressed close to her other side as she peered out over the railing at the huge chamber filled with activity. “Questions, little sub?”

  “I might not be, you know,” Hayley said very softly. “This might be a big mistake on my part, and I’m going to apologize in advance.”

  “We’re willing to take that chance,” Jack told her. “Where did you leave your street clothes?”

  “In the entryway with my backpack. I…I was in a hurry so I just left everything in the cloak room.”

  “We’ll escort you to your car after you dress,” Dane told her, taking her hand and leading her to the wide, curved staircase.

  Chapter Five

  Hayley chanced a look from one side to the other. The staircase was wide enough that they could descend as a trio and neither of the men were leaving her side. It was more than a little disconcerting. It wasn’t what she’d expected from herself. But then having them both attentive and aware was also something her brain was working to figure out.

  She hadn’t expected to get warm. She definitely hadn’t expected to get wet and tingly. From two of them. A little groan rumbled inside her. Her relatives would definitely not understand that one. She’d hoped she could find a Dom who was intuitive and appealing to the girl in her. She was tired of fumbling men who didn’t know how to read her, let alone listen to the words she spoke. You’d think if you put a need into words, they would listen.

  “We’ve lost the focus of our sub, Jack,” Dane commented as they moved around the large club.

  “So maybe a lesson on focus is needed,” Jack responded with a nod.

  Hayley jerked herself back and gulped the spit in her mouth that seemed to suddenly dry up into a lump in her throat.

  “Oh…I was…” her gaze whipped from one to the other and then she realized where they were. How’d they get in the middle of the play stations?

  “Where were you, Hayley?” Dane stopped moving forward and turned her to face the St. Andrew’s cross against one corner of the very large, very busy room.

  “Trying to understand me,” she answered after a few quiet seconds watching the tall blond swinging a heavy red flogger through the air. It landed with various sounds depending on which part of the body she struck and how she flicked her wrist or arm. It wasn’t until someone beside the woman looked at her that her hands flew to her face. “My mask!” She whispered frantically.

  She spun from the exhibition, her head shaking.

  “Hayley…” Jack gripped her shoulders when she tried turning just enough to squeeze between them.

  “No! No, you don’t understand! You don’t know them! I had to fight all my life for what I wanted to do because I’m a girl! I’m tired of fighting them and I’m tired of doing everything their way!” She struggled but realized how useless it was. The hands on her shoulders weren’t bruising, but they weren’t budging, either. “Please…”

  Dane held up the mask he’d carried with him from the room upstairs, carefully attaching it in place. His palm brushed gently down her cheek.

  “Isn’t hiding just another form of doing things their way, Hayley?”

  She looked down at the floor, her head shaking. Too much, too fast, she thought angrily.

  “I think you’re old enough to be rebellious,” Jack commented, his fingers beneath her chin. “Look at the cross. You have it marked on your choices. Why?”

  “It would force you to focus,” she said instantly. “It would force you to only think of one thing. Just one thing in your mind for once…and no one else mattered.”

  Jack looked across her at Dane. “Mattered to what, Hayley?”

  “Do you know why you matter? Why your cousins or brother care about you? Because it’s been beat into their heads that you’re a helpless little girl and need taken care of,” she answered flatly. “Not because you matter. Not because you excelled or did something…doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad…but you really don’t matter…you’re not really important…” She shook her head, choking and swiping two hands over her face. “Ignore me, please. I’m fine. I think I’d like to go home now.”

  “But what you want isn’t important,” Dane said simply, waiting until Penny finished cleaning up the station. “I think you need to learn a little focus. And a lesson that there’s a difference between what you believe you want and what you might need.”

  “I…there…oh, no…I don’t think I’m ready yet for that…”

  “That’s why you have us, sweetheart,” Jack murmured against her throat. He nudged her forward with one knee, lifting her to the braces and quickly attaching the cuffs she wore to the rings over her head. “It’s our tas
k to think for you…to uncover what you need instead of what you believe you want,” he told her, the words arranged a little differently, but meaning the same thing.

  She jerked her hands and twisted, about to let loose with a string of curses when a palm gently covered her mouth. Her eyes widened behind the mask and then the mask was gone. She opened her mouth and was ready to scream when another mask replaced hers, blocking out everything. Twisting around to see wouldn’t matter now, everything was dark.

  “No…please…I’m not…”

  “We think you are, Hayley,” Dane stepped up on the edge and checked the cuffs. “Not tight…are you hurt? In pain?”

  Her head shook rapidly and her mouth opened, only to find she couldn’t speak because he’d moved in front of her and took her mouth with his.

  Hard and demanding, Dane left her breathless, pushing his tongue between her lips and stroking over and around her own. A soft moan broke free when he lifted his head.

  “Always verbal, Hayley,” Dane said firmly. “Are you hurt? In pain?”

  “No, Sirs,” she answered raggedly in between panting breaths.

  “Trust us, Hayley,” Dane urged.

  She didn’t know if he was still there or not. She couldn’t feel him close. She felt air. Lots of air and tried moving her feet; pulled hard on her wrists until a set of strong fingers had shoved into the mass of long hair, pulling her head to the side and holding her captive. Not enough to hurt, but more than enough to immobilize.

  “You’re going to hurt yourself. Stop, Hayley, right now.” Jack spoke low and sternly, his mouth close to her ear from behind her. Now she felt his body pressed against her side. His palm moved to her head, gently stroking down, pulling her hair to her back and continuing the strokes. Just like she would do to a scared animal in her office.

  His body was hard against her side and she could feel his cock against her hip. Hard and thick. Tying her up made him hard? She felt the stickiness between her thighs and knew that even if she was a little spooked, she was definitely aroused. Her heart was hammering, though it was slowly returning to almost normal. Until he slid his palm against her stomach.