Keep the Faith (Bulletproof #1.5) (10 page)

Chapter 20

Anna

The silent pact we exchange without saying the words is overwhelming. Ronan and Ryder are gorgeous and apparently Leo was too. To think about it brought up too many feelings. These guys were going to royally corrupt us from head to toe and there wasn’t a damn thing we could do about it.

“Do we actually believe that in our heart of hearts we can turn down those gorgeous guys?” I ask skeptically.

“Ugh, I wish. At this rate, we’ll both be knocked up before the next full moon.” At Sarah’s words, I choke on the remainder of my pastry and almost toss it back up.

“Damn, don’t talk like that. I don’t even want to think about kids right now.” I say, wiping my mouth from almost choking. Kids would be such a horrible idea right now. It’s not like I don’t want kids, just not right now. My phone buzzes from my purse and I reach over to retrieve it. “It’s Zac. He stopped by the office and we weren’t there. I’m going to tell him to come by here.” As I begin typing out my reply, Sarah grabs my hand, stopping me mid-sentence then gets a sly smile on her face. “Or we can tell him to meet us at that club he mentioned earlier. The Lair?” Sarah lets go of my wrist, looking at me for approval.

The lust must have seeped into her brain and caused brain damage. “Are you crazy? What happened to keeping our focus on finding Jayde? Not running around looking for whips and chains to keep us company.”

“Well, I do want to find Jayde but she would also want us to have a little bit of fun, I guess. I just really want to check that place out. Jayde would be happy we did. She is always going on about the men in her romance novels. Now is our chance to experience one in real life.”

My feet shift slightly in uncertainty. “I don’t know about this. Don’t you think we should find out some good news before we go out and have fun?”

Sarah contemplates what I am saying before she speaks. Usually she is the one trying to talk some sense into me, but this is all new territory.

“Oh come on. You’re the one always going on and on about not having fun, how life is boring.”

“Life is boring. My best friend, your sister is missing. That hardly calls for celebration.”

Sarah stares at me for a few seconds before speaking. “So you’re not going to go?” she asks with a tilt to her forehead, challenging my stubbornness.

Sighing heavily, I look away before slumping in my seat. “Fine, I’ll him to meet us at the club. What does one night hurt anyway?”

Sarah jumps up and down excitedly. “That’s my girl. Let me text Gwen and tell her where we’re going. Maybe she can tag along too.”

I finish typing in my phone telling Zac where to meet us. His response with a “What the fuck?” was priceless. I bet that place was the last place in town he expected any of us to consider going to. But, I reassured him Jayde would want us to have a little bit of fun. She wants us to find her, but she doesn’t want us burnt out in the process. Zac seemed to agree with me. He’s been busting his ass day in and day out trying to find her. There are a few leads but nothing pointing in the direction he needs to go.

“Great, Gwen can go. She’s just going to finish up the last copy of the evening edition and meet us there.”

“Oh fuck! The newspaper! I completely forgot to get back to it. We are never going to get caught up at this rate.”

Sarah throws a bagel at my head which misses and falls to the floor. “Calm the hell down, missy. Gwen already took care of it. No need to worry.”

Relief floods me instantly. I’ll have to give her a raise when this is all over. Or tell Jayde to give her one. Sarah grabs her purse and the rest of her belongings and turns to me ready to leave.

“Ready to go?” No way, I’m not buying it. “What made you decide to go to The Lair all of a sudden? Something had to flip inside you to make you want to go there.” Sarah shuffles her feet again, looking like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “It’s just something new. What’s wrong with that?” I look her up and down. “A lot is wrong with that. You don’t do new. Hell, I don’t think you’ve bought new shoes in five years. So what gives?” I ask once again, hoping for an answer.

“Nothing! Now let’s go before we’re late meeting Zac,” she says then out the door she goes without me being able to question her more about it. I’m still not buying this whole facade. The Lair isn’t some place you just choose to go at the drop of a hat. There’s rules and regulations to follow. In other words, an invite is needed before going in. Unless it’s Friday and it’s open night. And today is Friday which means open night. Goddamn-it, she is good. Good, but up to something, but what?

Chapter 21

Sarah

Phew, that was a close one. Telling Anna we should go to the club is smart. Plus, when Leo stormed out of there, something fell out of the pocket of his shirt and getting a better look at it made me question my morals. A business card slipped out of his pocket and when I picked it up, a thought crossed my mind then slipped right back out. It was crazy to go to The Lair, especially given its “contents” and what the club contains.

Anna doesn’t say a word as we bolt out the door. Not like I gave her a chance to say anything. Going to The Lair was on my radar now. Gwen says she will meet us there but not before getting a million questions regarding the sudden need and urge to go to this club. The business card is stuffed in my pocket and even though it’s just a piece of paper, I feel it there against my thigh, burning straight through to my skin. Anna skips her car and instead jumps into my yellow bug. “Why aren’t you taking your car?” I ask, fastening my seatbelt.

“Because if we drink, one of us has to drive, so what’s the point in taking two cars?”

I call bullshit. “Liar.”

“Plus, it will give me adequate time to question this behavior,” she says, turning her full attention to me and looking at me questionably.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Pulling out the business card, I hand it to her. “Here is the information to the club, the address, number, everything. It’s legit,” I say, trying to deter the focus from me to the club.

“Oh, I know it’s legit but what I don’t understand is why you want to suddenly go there. This is not your style,” Anna says, pulling out her phone and pretends to scroll through Instagram or some other distraction.

“What? Whips and chains don’t get you all excited?!” I ask defensively.

She chuckles. “Oh, yes they do but what I don’t get is why they get you excited? You’re Miss prim and proper, Miss responsible, Miss missionary,” Anna accusingly says causing me to slam on the breaks as we’re driving down the road. It was more out of shock than anything.

“I am not Miss missionary! I have kinky sex all the time!” Anna raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, really? Then why don’t you tell me what is the safe word you used with your last boyfriend?” she asks, keeping her attention to me.

“Ummm….stop?” I say. Anna shakes her head.

“No, stop is not a safe word. If anything, it will make your man go harder and rougher. Stop is not the word to use. You don’t know anything about the lifestyle, do you? And where did you get this business card anyways? It’s not like they’re on display at the grocery store or church or something.” 

I laugh nervously. “Ha ha right, church. That’s a good one.” Anna raises one eyebrow then crosses her arms in a “you’re in deep trouble” stance.

“Alright, spill. What the fuck is going on?” she asks, as we pull onto the street the club is supposedly at.

I gape at her. “Nothing! Nothing at all! Why do you keep assuming something is going on?”

“Because I wasn’t born yesterday and I’m not stupid. Emotionally challenged maybe but not stupid.” Ignoring her while keeping my eyes on the road, the club comes into view. From the outside, it looks like an average building in the middle of nowhere. Despite its upscale appearance and clean landscaping, you would think this building housed the most exclusive club Charleston has ever seen. Which is not a lie, because it is the most exclusive club Charleston has ever seen it’s just the interior of the club isn’t what most expect.

From the outside, the vast brick building looks welcoming with its pillars, potted plants, dark red shutters and off-white siding. It has a noticeable southern charm about it that you’d typically find in Charleston. I wonder how many people show up here expecting the building to house something entirely different.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on before we get out of this car?” Anna pries once more for information by giving me an accusatory look. The cat is already out of the bag so I might as well tell her. Putting the car in park, I turn in my seat to face her.

“Alright fine. Well, after Leo practically man-handled me back at the café, he ran out of there like a bat out of hell, which confused me so much. I didn’t know why he would come on to me so strongly then just leave me cold. So I was pretty upset about it and that’s when I noticed the business card on the floor where he stood and further inspecting it, for some inexplicable reason, I realized whatever answers I seek, I’ll find them here.”

Anna shakes her head once I’m done talking. The parking lot is slowly starting to fill up with willing participants around us while we continue our chit-chat.

“So that’s what’s going on. You want to know what his deal is with this hot and cold attitude?” Anna questions while she pulls her makeup bag out of her purse and reapplies fresh make-up to her already gorgeous face.

“Yes. I didn’t know how you’d react if you knew before we left the café so I wanted to wait.”

I let out a sigh and Anna nods. “Well, I’m glad you told me but damn it, I wouldn’t have agreed to come if this was the case,” she says.

“I know, that’s why I didn’t tell you until I got here.” I giggle and she flips me the bird. Finishing off her newly painted face with some lip gloss, she slips her bag over her shoulder.

“So, you ready? Gwen is already inside according to her text and she found Zac. They’re waiting for us in the lobby,” Anna says before opening the car door.

“I’m ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s see what answers we’ll find in this wonderful establishment,” I say nervously. Have faith, have faith, have faith. Repeating the mantra, I let out a heavy breath and walk straight into the kingdom of kink.

Chapter 22

Anna

“I still don’t understand why you wanted to meet here but okay, whatever.”
The text from Zac reads as we march on up to the peculiar looking building like we own the place. Looking around, the front entrance doesn’t house a single flaw. Each little detail is perfectly in place.

“Wow, this place is beautiful. You sure we have the right address?” I ask before glancing down at my phone where we typed in the address for directions.

“666 Bondage King Lane. Yeah, this is it,” Sarah says while looking down at the business card in her hand.

“I wonder how they came up with that name for a street,” I ask amusingly with a laugh and Sarah let’s out a slight chuckle.

“Hell, they probably bought the entire road to retain the privacy of the place, so naming it that seemed fitting, ” Sarah says before we make our way inside.

The entrance is plain with no elaborate splashes of color, except on the siding. No security guards, no type of entrance that would set off alarms in your head alerting you of any suspicious activity. Once we’re through the doors, the front lobby resembles that of a doctor’s waiting room. Art deco is plastered on the walls, putting off a calming atmosphere.  Now I’m questioning what exactly this place is.

“Okay, this can’t be the place. The address is the same but this place can’t be the club,” I say while looking around the lobby. Off to the side, sits a blonde haired Barbie doll with a little too much makeup on and a tight red dress. Getting a closer look at her, I notice she has a choker around her neck. It’s black with pink diamonds circling around the whole outside. Standing off to the side is Gwen and Zac.

“Well it’s about fucking time you guys got here. Blondie over there has not even eye-fucked me once. Judging by the looks of her, I wouldn’t even attempt it if I were her. She’s owned.”

Sarah rolls her eyes at Zac’s modesty. Of course he isn’t used to girls not falling all over him.

“Zac, not every girl is going to fall all over you like Jayde did, okay?” I say nudging him playfully.

“Nor would I want them to. Jayde is all the woman I need. And damn she feels good when I…”

Zac mimics a thrusting motion making all three of us gag. “Hold the fuck up! Nobody wants to hear all the dirty details about my sister and her sex life,” Sarah pipes up, stealing the words right out of my mouth. I was just about to say that right before she did.

“Seriously! I don’t need to hear this,” I say before punching Zac in the arm, hard.

“Good god, y’all. A girl does not need to hear this. Maybe you should go in there without me because if I can’t handle Jayde’s man with all his...unique qualities, then I don’t know how I’m going to be able to handle a club full of them. Maybe I should go home.”

As much as Gwen was a party girl, this may be a little too intense for her liking.

“Gwen, if this bothers you then you can leave. Nobody is twisting your arm to stay, babe, ” I say looking at her curiously. Maybe she bit off more than she could chew.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be able to go in there,” Gwen says looking positively nauseous.

Zac looks at her with genuine concern before looking both at me and Sarah.

“Maybe we should regroup before going in. God only knows what we’ll find on the other side of those doors,” he says rubbing Gwen’s back softly. Sarah and I are standing off to the side looking between both of them when Sarah speaks up.

“Well, I’m going in. I want to see what this club is all about,” she says leaving the group and walking up to the counter. The blonde sitting behind there looks up when Sarah approaches her.

“Yes, may I help you?” she asks in the sweetest voice I think I’ve ever heard. Either she was naturally that sweet or she has been trained very well.

“Yes, my friends and I would like to enter this club,” Sarah replies.

“Do you have memberships?” blondie asks in that sweet voice again. I’m convinced she has perfected that voice by rehearsing it.

Sarah looks back to me questionably with a confused look on her face. Blowing out a frustrated sigh, I take a step forward but before I could step up to the counter, Zac steps ahead of me.

“They’re with me,” he suddenly says in a stern voice. The girl looks up with wide doe eyes before clearing her throat.

“Oh umm, sorry. Let me just get you guest passes then you can go inside.” Zac nods and the girl returns to her computer, not making eye contact with him anymore. Well, that was odd. Looking over the counter, I notice the girl’s golden name tag reads “Candy.” She hands us our guest passes and presses a button behind the counter, opening the doors behind her.

“There you go. Enjoy your time at The Lair,” Candy says and Zac is the first one to bolt inside without looking back at us. Gwen smiles then waves goodbye and leaves without saying another word.  It’s only Sarah, me and Zac. Well actually, just Sarah and me. Zac has already disappeared inside.

Walking through the double doors, the area is dark. There are a few lights right at the entrance giving it a haunted house feel that also gives off a creepy feeling. The walls are painted dark red and follow a path which only goes a few feet before the room opens up into a much larger space. Lining the walls are pillars with portraits on the walls in between them. Couches and tables are all around the space and it makes me feel a little uneasy. Couples sit around the large area, at the tables, on the couches talking to each other it appears. The soft hue of the lighting is making it difficult to see anything.

“What kind of place is this? Everyone is just sitting around talking. I don’t see any whips or chains anywhere,” Sarah says, gesturing around the vast space. It’s a beautifully erotic area but confusing.

Suddenly, a stranger walks up in front of us. He’s wearing a black mask that covers half his face with a little bit of fur attached all around, like a mane. The only physical features we can see are his eyes and his full luscious lips. “Who are you?” I ask. The stranger isn’t looking at me but instead is looking at Sarah. No, he’s not just looking at Sarah, he’s devouring Sarah.

He opens his mouth to speak. “Maybe your friend can explain exactly who I am.”