The Red Door (The Door Series Book 1) (17 page)

“Enough Jackson! You don’t have to be an ass. I get it. I’m pathetic enough to fall for a kind word.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be an ass, but to open your eyes. You have a lot of people here who love you for you. Don’t sell yourself short, baby.”

“I understand what you’re trying to say, but I still feel as if I was used, then tossed away, like garbage.”

“Okay, enough lessons for today. Pick yourself up and clean yourself off. You are not garbage. Let’s go shopping and find you something super sexy to wear on Friday and let them choke on it. That is if you still want to go.”

“Yes, but no more lessons on humiliation, please.”

“I wasn’t trying to humiliate you.”

“I know I needed that reality check, and I get it. I do.”

We made it back to Jackson’s house by five p.m. I took my suitcase up to Jackson’s room while he unloaded the rest of my things into their garage.

I went in and put away some of my things. Others could be left in my bag. I didn’t know how to deal with the elephant in the room, but Michele did. There was a blowup air mattress in the room, still in the box. I laughed to myself. She left the decision up to me. This, for some reason, made me feel cherished and loved. Accepted. I knew both David and Michele were relaxed and treated their kids with respect as long as they deserved it. Jasper and his girlfriend were serious, but she had never stayed the night, although everyone knew they were having sex. Becca even said that Michele had handed out condoms to Jasper and told him to be safe. I thought it was weird for Michele to hand condoms to one son telling him to be safe and let the other join a sex club.

I aired up the mattress and put on the clean sheets that were under the box. It took up most of the floor, but there was a small walking path around it. Besides, it was only for three nights.

We spent the remainder of the week talking. I told him about my time away at college, and my decision to come home. I also told him about Mason and everything that happened last Friday night at the club. He was calm and supported me through it all. When I received a call from Adam about meeting this Friday at the club, he said I should go, that even though there were some misunderstandings, they still offered their support until I found a Dom. Now that I had found one, I should go and see what the meeting was about. He said he would be with me through it all. Since I wanted to explore my submissive side, it was a good door to keep opened. I was happy to have someone to talk to and be open with, besides Becca. She was my best friend, but it was nice to have a little variety. I realized that Jackson had taken the spot Mark used to fill.

Alex

I worked steady all week, looking through missing persons in the area to see if there were any matches to the memberships of the clubs. I started before the sun rose and only went to sleep when I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. While there were hundreds of memberships, if they were not maintained and didn’t keep in contact every three months, they had to be renewed, which made the job of searching through them that much more daunting. Because if it was renewed, the new paperwork was filed, but it did not replace the old paperwork. Some members had over eight copies on file, making a tedious job even more monotonous. The current memberships totaled close to two hundred active members. The club would only allow forty-five in each night, unless Mitch or one of the Masters permitted otherwise. That number was reached nearly every Friday and Saturday night. If someone wanted to guarantee entrance, they had to reserve their name on the list, but this too was only allowed a couple of times a year. Though that was nowhere near breaking code, it was the amount comfortable to the members. By Thursday I found six young women who had disappeared soon after visiting the club. This brought the number up to eight. I sent my findings back to my team so they could coordinate with Diana’s team and send the information back to headquarters. Their job was to keep going through the video footage they had to see if any of it matched these girls. It was disturbing to see each of these girls and know what they had been going through. Unreported or unnoticed?

I had come around to the idea that it was better that Ari be informed about what was going on and to know that she was a target. It would keep her on her toes. I was the first one at the club and waited in my car for Mitch to show up. Adam, Holly, and Diana were there by the time the lights were flipped on, the club searched uselessly for bugs again, and the music playing. I looked over each of them and stated what I had done and found throughout the week.

“Alex, if you can get me pictures I can look through our photo and video collections. It’s extensive from parties we had before I became pregnant and though they have names on them there are people in the background. We could gather some information. Though if these girls are from the last four years I doubt there are any in them since we quit having parties once I became pregnant, but we can look,” Holly said while biting her lip.

“That would be a great help, Holly. There could be girls from before then who we have missed. I know those are private so I will not ask to see any unless you find something, but you need to let Diana review them with you. We only have the illegal videos to go by since the club doesn’t keep theirs for over twenty-four hours.”

“Alex, it’s no problem,” Adam cut in. “You can go through them all you want. It’s just that some have Brenda and Mason in them and well, they are all we have left of them. We would like to keep a copy of them.”

“What do you have of my parents?”

I looked up to see Ari standing in the doorway with some young guy’s arm wrapped around her shoulders. Shit, did Adam not tell her to come alone? And who the hell was he to be touching Ari?

“Who the fuck are you?” Mitch yelled, and I looked over to see him stand up and block the entrance to the office.

Aurora

I could not believe Mitch would roar like that. I was thinking poor Jackson the same time I felt everything clench and desire pool over me from the tone of Mitch’s voice.

“This is Jackson. He’s going to act as my Dom until I find out if this is where I want to be and who I would be comfortable with.”

“The fuck you say? You belong to me. We agreed, you come here, you come as my sub.” Mitch reached out and jerked my arm, successfully pulling me away from Jackson and into his chest. “Get out. She doesn’t belong to you, and she never will. She belongs to us, and we’re not sharing.”

“From what Ari has told me and from what I saw last Friday, you play fine with others. She’s not a toy to be fought over.”

“What do you mean, what you saw last Friday?” Mitch asked carefully, glancing to Adam then Alex.

“Friday night, I was here.”

“Then you know she has two Doms already. She doesn’t need a third,” Alex replied calmly while laying a hand on Mitch’s shoulder.

“Enough!” I pushed away from Mitch. “God. You asked me to come to this meeting, Adam, so I’m here. If it is to discuss who I am dating or…or subbing for, then let me state it’s Jackson. To both of you.” I turned to Alex and Mitch. “Thank you. You gave me a superb tour, made losing my virginity enjoyable, and taught me some of the rules. You were asked to fill in until I found myself a Dom. I did. You’re released from your duties. I thought I made myself clear when I safeworded at the motel. Is that all this meeting was about, because I can think of some other things I would rather be doing.”

“Virginity?” Adam shot up from the chair and rounded on Mitch and Alex. “You took her virginity! Then what, left her high and dry? You were supposed to show her around, not take advantage. God, are you sure neither of you are in league with this monster we’re after?”

“I said she was mine. You should know what that means,” Mitch said while pulling me back into his body. This time, my back to his chest.

“We didn’t take advantage. She’s too young and stubborn to understand the situation. After today, she’ll know and understand everything.” Alex looked over at me. “Then she’ll accept her punishment for this entire headache she’s causing.”

“What monster?”

It was all yelled at once, and I looked through each of their faces as they became quiet, though they did not look in my direction.

“What monster?”

“Damn girl, that must be one powerful pussy you have there. You have four hotheaded Doms fighting to control it, please it, or protect it. Not to mention, that monster wanting his piece. You better watch your back and I would keep one of these boys on you at all times,” Diana said while filing her black nails into sharp points.

“Why would you care? Aren’t you mad that Alex and I were together?”

“Hell no. You would be good for him.” She laughed. “Oh, but you don’t know the details yet. Come here and sit at Mistress Diana’s feet, and I’ll tell you all about it.” She leaned forward and patted her knee like she wanted me to crawl.

I took a step only to get pulled back into Mitch’s chest and to have Alex step in front of me.

“She doesn’t need to see ‘Mistress Diana’ for anything, ever. Understand?”

I looked around Alex to see Diana throw her head back and laugh. She certainly was pretty.

“Yes indeed. You, sweetheart, have one powerful pussy.” I felt my face heat.

“Please, will someone tell me what’s going on?” I heard Mitch make a growling noise and Alex pinched his nose while looking down at his shoes.

Diana stood and looked at the guys. “Since all the men are letting their dicks guide their actions tonight, let me give you the short version. Alex is FBI. I’m Homeland Security. We both are working together to find the people kidnapping young girls from this club and selling them for filthy pleasures.” She looked at the guys. “See, that wasn’t so bad. Pretty easy.”

“That’s not all of it,” Alex gritted out.

“Oh, right. We also believe they killed your parents and you’re now a target. Pretty exciting, huh.” Diana smiled.

“Fuck Diana, it’s not a fucking Band-Aid,” Alex whispered.

“What? No. That’s not funny. Why…” I felt my eyes water as I leaned into Mitch.

“Goddammit, Diana, throw it all in her face,” Adam said.

Mitch took my shoulders and turned me into him, rocking me back and forth. I couldn’t breathe. My chest wouldn’t expand without catching and making me cry harder. It hurt to do either, so I was holding my breath and wishing that time would rewind. I was praying to a God I didn’t know if I even believed in anymore. I never had any doubt until he took my parents. I wondered why a God, who was all-powerful, would sit back and let our world fall apart. Still, I found myself praying and wishing. Hoping it was all a bad dream. “Shh, Ari, it’s alright. I got you.” He led me over to the couch and sat down pulling me onto his lap.

Adam came and sat beside me, taking my hand, as Alex went through everything. I couldn’t believe that they thought my parents were murdered because they were trying to protect a girl I never knew of or had even heard of. That I would be a target because I was their daughter. This was all wrong and twisted. It couldn’t be true.

“They mentioned my eyes? You’re sure?”

“Yes, the messaged said they do so love your purple eyes.” Purple eyes. Purple eyes.

“Mason,” I whispered looking toward Adam.

“She’s only three. They’ll not take one that young. Right? This has been focused on older girls.”

“We have not seen any girls taken under sixteen on the videos, but we need to take all precautions. Mason’s eyes are unusual enough that they might have a watch on her,” Alex replied, lost in thought while studying me.

“Why are you worried about your daughter all of a sudden?” Mitch asked.

“She has the same purple eyes,” Holly said as her breath hitched.

“Yes, Holly, but she is three. I’m sure she is safe, for now,” Mitch answered.

“No! She has purple eyes like her father and her sister. She could be a target,” Holly said out loud as she broke down. I walked over to her chair and knelt down in front of her. Adam followed and stood behind her.

“She’ll be fine. No way will they come after her. You heard them. She’ll be kept safe.”

“No. No, fucking way.” Alex shook his head staring at me. “Mason. Mason is Mason Hammond’s daughter. How could you not tell me? How did I not know? Of all the crap, how could I not. Jesus Christ, she looks just fucking like you.” He looked over at me. “You knew? You knew all this time? Why were you told and not me?”