Bondage Celebration (Desired Discipline) Read online

  Laura was suddenly surrounded by men as she walked toward the club entrance. She remembered James telling her entering and exiting a building were dangerous because she was out in the open and there were too many variables. She hoped once they got inside security would loosen up.

  The lobby surprised her. It looked like a typical reception area for any professional office. A granite counter area, with a computer station stood in the forefront. Two small doorways, one on each side of the receptionist’s desk were closed off. From what Nick had told her, Laura suspected these led to the locker rooms. Tonight, two, large double doors in the center of the wall, behind the desk, were open.

  James handed Nick two wrist bands. “André texted me a while ago. Apparently, he needs to speak with me ASAP. Once you get settled, I’m going to check in with him. Sound all right?”

  “We’ll be fine. I’ll text you when we’re ready to go,” Nick assured James.

  Laura was relieved to know it would just be the two of them watching the demonstrations. Nick handed her a white wrist band with a blue stripe, while he slid on a black one with a blue stripe.

  “At DiscipliNation, black signifies a Master and the blue stripe shows I’m not looking for a play-partner. White with a blue stripe signifies a collared sub. Remember to keep your gaze downcast.”

  Laura nodded, appreciating he took the time to explain what each one meant. The great hall, as Nick had called it, was larger than she’d expected with individual stage areas around the outer walls. There were flat screens every so often with a scrolling schedule of events. Even though she’d spent an inordinate amount of time studying the subject, there were still things on the schedule she’d never heard of. She sometimes wondered if she’d ever feel knowledgeable about BDSM.

  Nick pulled her under his shoulder and whispered in her ear. “Let’s go watch Master Aiden. He’s demonstrating suspension techniques.”

  Laura followed him across the hall and joined the crowd as Master Aiden began explaining the safety precautions needed before attempting suspension. He took care to make sure everyone watching understood exactly how dangerous that type of play was and the injuries that could be incurred. By the time he was through, Laura wanted nothing to do with it.

  Master Aiden’s partner was a switch named Mistress Acesis. She was wearing a latex rubber cat suit. Laura envied her perfectly thin, youthful body. Looking around, as best she could, at the others milling about, she noted the people ran the gamut from young to old, thin to plump.

  Nick was watching the demonstration very carefully, clueing Laura he was truly interested in learning this technique.

  Laura watched Acesis. Since it looked like sometime in the not too far off future she’d be suspended, she wanted to know just how much stress the sub’s body was subjected too. Honestly, the pitfalls Aiden had gone over seemed to outweigh any possible enjoyment factor. Laura took a few steadying breaths, Nick would never allow harm to befall her. She was safe with him.

  To Laura’s surprise, Acesis had a serene expression as Aiden used a pulley system to draw her into the air. Master Aiden stopped her at waist height demonstrating several ways suspension could be used in a play session. He also brought out several impact implements and showed how the ropes, if used correctly, would allow the sub to rock or rotate giving the Dom easy access to various parts of the sub’s body. By the end of the demonstration, and having witnessed Acesis come multiple times, Laura was ready to add a pulley system to their play area.

  As the crowd moved on to other performances, Nick steered Laura to a quiet corner. “What did you think of suspension?”

  “I’d like to try it.” She paused thinking it all the way through. “Someday.”

  Nick laughed. “Me too. Someday. I’ll speak with Aiden and arrange to take the classes required for certification.” He looked at one of the flat screens. “Master Ted is giving a presentation on whips. Have any interest in watching him?”

  “Whatever you want.” She was feeling a little like she’d fallen down the rabbit hole. Of course, most people were dressed over the top in true Mardi Gras fashion, so she was getting a skewed idea of what it was like to participate in a club event. But some things she just hadn’t expected like the Dom with three subs on leashes crawling behind him or the Domme with her sub kneeling in front of her while she used his back as a foot rest. Intellectually, she accepted it was part of the lifestyle, but actually seeing it in person surprised her.

  Nick leaned down and whispered in her ear again. “There isn’t a right or wrong way, subbie. We do what pleases us. Nothing more and nothing less.” He took a moment and wrapped his arms around her. “Our relationship is exactly what we make it.”

  “I know.” She was so grateful he always knew what to say to make her feel better.

  They headed toward the stage where Master Ted had a sub restrained to a St. Andrew’s cross. Before beginning the demonstration, Master Ted explained the different styles of whips, lengths and what they were used for. Laura observed each time Master Ted looked toward Nick his speech patterns would falter. She remembered André telling her Nick and Ted were very competitive during whipping contests. Laura was beginning to suspect Nick was watching Master Ted’s presentation just to mess with his head.

  Laura was a little bored by the repetitious safety warnings. She recognized it was important, especially for a Dom, but Nick was experienced with whips and he was such a safety fanatic, she didn’t have any concerns. During a lull, she turned toward the flat screen and was excited to see a workshop especially for subs. She squeezed Nick’s hand and waited. As soon as Ted finished, Nick guided Laura to another quiet area.

  “Thank you for remembering our signal. Do you have a question about whips?” He sounded a little leery as if he didn’t want her to be interested in whipping.

  “No, I saw there’s a presentation about submissive etiquette coming up. I was hoping I could listen to it.”

  “Sure.”

  The workshop was set up on the far stage nearest the privacy rooms. Laura spotted a heavy, velvet rope cordoning off the hallway and remembered they were closed for this event. When they came back later this week to work through the details of the collaring ceremony, she hoped Nick would give her a tour. Laura saw Nick was the only Dom present. To avoid drawing too much attention, she made sure they stood on the outside. Nick leaned against the wall looking way-too-appealing for her comfort. The man had no idea how distracting he was. Laura made a concerted effort to focus on the presentation and ignore her husband’s luscious body.

  Soon slave missy had her attention. Who knew there were so many different positions a sub could be asked to assume? She was surprised to learn there were certain positions used for discipline, presenting and others for showing subservience. Laura was so involved in the presentation she jumped slightly when Nick leaned in and whispered in her ear.

  “André has a situation he needs to discuss with me.”

  Laura looked up to see James standing beside him. “Do you mind if I stay? I’d really like to listen to this.”

  Nick looked at his watch, then at the crowd of submissives, then up at the video surveillance camera Laura hadn’t seen before.

  “Stay. Right. Here. I should be back before the presentation is over. Don’t go anywhere else.”

  “Yes, Master,” she whispered it in his ear with just a hint of sarcasm for good measure.

  Nick gave her ass a wallop as he followed James to André’s office.

  * * * *

  James and Nick walked in silence to the video surveillance room. Nick knocked twice and André opened the door. A woman with mascara stains down her cheeks sat at the counter facing a wall of mostly black video screens.

  André shook Nick’s hand. “I’m so glad you came this evening, man. We have a mess on our hands.”

  Nick removed his mask and surveyed the video screens until he spotted Laura right where he’d left her. He breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the chair André pulled u
p to the counter for him.

  André put his hands on the woman’s shoulders, “Nick, do you know Amanda Barrett? She’s the granddaughter of my favorite aunt.”

  “No, I’ve never had the pleasure.” While Nick shook her hand, he felt her trembling.

  “She’s working as our receptionist while she finishes her studies at Arizona State University.”

  As soon as Nick sat down, André used the eraser head of a pencil to push a photo in front of him.

  “This arrived in the mail today.” André pushed a standard manila envelope toward him as well.

  Nick looked at the photo. He could understand why Amanda was in tears. Someone had scrawled in red marker Roast Bitch across the top of a picture showing her engaged in fire-play.

  “Is this one of Mike’s?” Mike Howard was a nice kid and the resident photographer. Nick had stumbled upon his art gallery a few years back and introduced him to André. They’d had a partnership ever since. The picture wasn’t up to Mike’s normal standards, it was grainy and slightly out of focus. Amanda’s face looked photo-shopped in.

  “No, look at the angle of the shot. The camera had to be positioned near the roof of this building.”

  “You think it came from the closed circuit system?” Nick was beginning to see why he’d been brought into this. If the video surveillance system had been compromised the club had a huge liability issue.

  “No, I know it did. This isn’t the only photo she’s received.” André spun the computer screen around so Nick could get a good look at it. “Amanda received this email about two weeks ago. She didn’t show it to me until tonight. Look at the angle of the screen shot, I’ve stared at the video feed in this club enough to know it was taken from one of our fixed cameras.”

  Nick noticed the same grainy quality in the picture on the screen as in the printed photo. Amanda’s face didn’t quite line up correctly with the rest of the body. This time the woman was restrained to a horizontal wooden beam. Her back and thighs had pinkish, red welts. Printed along the bottom of the photo in red text were the words, Let’s Party Bitch!

  “Are there others?” Nick’s mind kept going back to Mike. He didn’t want it to. He liked the kid. Maybe he just associated kinky pictures with Mike and that was as far as the connection went. He hoped that was it.

  “There’s one more. Tell him, Amanda.” André continued to stand behind her, one hand on her shoulder in moral support.

  Nick had been watching Amanda carefully. In his line of business, he’d become fairly adept at reading body language. She seemed genuinely upset. He saw she kept glancing at James and wondered why. Were they in a relationship? James was staying in the background leaning near the door. His arms were crossed over his chest, a position James used often. Except for the scowl on his face, he wasn’t giving anything away.

  “Late last week, I found a photo on the driver’s seat of my car. I always lock the door. I mean, it’s possible I forgot, but I don’t think so. I’d rather get locked out than have my car stolen. I can’t afford a new one.” She looked down at her hands then moved them to her lap.

  “What was the photo of?” Nick understood why she was rambling, but he needed to keep her focused. As upsetting as all this was, he needed to get back to Laura. He kept glancing at the video screen to make sure Laura was still where he’d left her.

  Amanda shivered, “This poor girl was naked on a table. Some asshole was pouring something white onto her body, maybe acid, I don’t know. There were blood splatters all over the place.” Tears started rolling down her face and she reached for a tissue.

  “Did it have any writing on it?” Nick asked.

  She nodded slowly then looked up at James, “Die slowly, bitch.”

  “Do you still have it?” Nick continued to draw the pertinent information out of her.

  “Yes. I didn’t know what to do with it. So, I stuffed it in a box and put it in the closet at my apartment.”

  “André, I suggest you contact Captain Bradley to work with Amanda. He has experience with stalkers and won’t get side tracked at the mention of the club. You also need to immediately bring in AJ. I saw him mulling about in the great hall. Since it’s his system, he should be able to tell you if it was compromised. Once we know for sure, we can figure out how to limit the club’s liability.” Nick felt an urgent need to return to Laura. He’d been gone significantly longer than he’d intended and the workshop would be over soon.

  “It’s not AJ’s system,” André admitted a bit sheepishly.

  “What?” Nick spun his attention directly to André. He seriously hoped he’d misunderstood. “What do you mean it isn’t his system?” He didn’t even try to disguise his surprise and anger. The video system was integral to the club’s security.

  “Do you know what he charges? I found a guy who did it for almost half the price.” André sounded defensive.

  “You realize, if the system has been compromised, every member who ever stepped through those doors will have grounds to sue, don’t you?” Nick watched all the color drain from André’s face. In disgust, Nick turned away from him.

  His eyes immediately went back to the video screen picturing Laura…except she wasn’t there. Nick’s stomach turned, his heart thudded in his chest. He tried not to panic. He told himself she’d just moved on to another presentation. Scrutinizing the video feed, he saw the workshop was still in process. Everything appeared in order, except Laura wasn’t watching it.

  “Where’s Laura?” Nick pointed to the screen, “She was right there.”

  To avoid distraction this evening, André had only turned on screens showing public areas. James pushed away from the wall and began turning on all the screens. The camera in one of the closed off privacy rooms showed Laura slumped over a man’s shoulder.

  Nick ran out the door milliseconds before James and André. The three men bolted through the great hall at a dead run. James tried to stop Nick with a hand to his shoulder. Nick refused to be delayed. He shrugged it off and kept running.

  “He could be armed, Nick. Let me go first.” James pleaded.

  Nick didn’t bother to respond. His brain couldn’t function beyond the vision of Laura, unconscious or worse, slung over Simson’s shoulder. And he was convinced it was Simson. He hadn’t seen his face—it had been covered by a Mardi Gras mask and the video camera was focused on the St. Andrew’s cross. But in his gut, he knew. Simson, a serial rapist, had his hands on his beloved Laura.

  As they neared the hall leading to the privacy rooms, the three men charged through a group of subs leaving the workshop Laura had been watching. Nick saw the thick velvet rope André’s staff had used to cordon off the hallway lying along one wall. In a panic, Nick tried the door closest to where Laura had been standing.

  Finding it unlocked, Nick shoved it open. His eyes immediately went to the left side of the room. Nick spotted Laura with manacles pinning her wrists to the St. Andrew’s cross. Her head was slumped forward, her body limp and unmoving.

  Simson, startled by the intrusion, reached down near his ankle. Nick crossed the distance in one leap, grabbed him by his shirt and threw him against the opposite wall. As much as he wanted to kill the bastard, his only concern was for Laura. As he went to her, Nick was only peripherally aware of the scuffle behind him. He trusted James and André to take down the scumbag.

  She hung so still, not uttering a sound, he couldn’t breathe. “Laura, are you all right? Talk to me,” he demanded.

  Her corset lay in tatters on the floor. His hand pressed against her bared chest. Oh God, he couldn’t feel her heartbeat. “Laura, baby, you’ve got to talk to me. Are you okay?” He couldn’t call her Angel when he was so afraid she may be taken from him. Her beautiful face, so pale and deathlike, scared the hell out of him.

  The awkward position she hung from wouldn’t allow him a good look at her. He used his weight to press her body back against the cross. Gently, he wiped her hair from her face. “You’re going to be fine, baby.” He praye
d he was telling the truth. “Don’t leave me, Laura. I need you.”

  Laura’s beautiful blue eyes stared at him in abject horror. Her mouth was open, but not a sound came out.

  “Get me the damned keys for these manacles!” Nick shouted over the struggle going on behind him.

  At the deafening sound of gunfire, Nick pressed his body as tightly as possible over Laura’s to shield her the only way he could. He knew, until she was released from the cross, she was in terrible danger.

  Nick heard James mutter an expletive then the sickening sound of a bone snapping and something heavy clattering onto the floor. Chancing a glance over his shoulder, Nick saw James straddling Simson’s prostrate body. André stepped over Simson and kicked the handgun out of reach under a cabinet. A few seconds later, André stood beside Nick with the key to the manacles.

  While Nick supported Laura, André worked quickly to free her. “You’re going be fine, baby. I’ve got you now.” When her weight collapsed into his arms, he held her tightly. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought she was breathing. Nick cradled her head to his shoulder as he moved to a cot inside the room. In some part of his brain he recognized they were in the club’s spy theme room. The irony wasn’t lost on him.

  Taking care to keep from jostling her, Nick sat on the cot and cradled her in his arms. His fingers sought a pulse. He sagged with relief when he felt her heartbeat. It was faint, like her breathing, but he definitely felt it.

  André found a syringe lying in the corner near the cross. He bent over and picked it up, “I think he gave her something.”

  “Call nine-one-one, André. We need to get her to the hospital.” Nick wiped her hair away from her face. The glazed look in her eyes scared him. He had no idea if Simson had injected her with poison or an overdose of drugs. He felt helpless and desperate. Damn it. Nick turned to face Simson, “What the fuck did you give her?”

  Simson’s arm lay in an unnatural position, his wrist obviously broken. His jaw was swollen, his lip bleeding, but still he managed to smirk at Nick.