Page 2 of Healing the Heart

“I’m sorry, honey. This was my idea, and I keep letting you down.”

“I wasn’t being critical of you, Lex. You’re eight months pregnant. It’s not your fault you can’t fly. And I was the one who whiffed in December.”

“You had a nasty cold. Hardly your fault, Fi.”

“Yeah, but only having one of these events a month makes scheduling with two out-of-towners even more challenging. Besides, you’ll have a newborn baby in a few weeks, and your lives will change. You won’t have time for a trip to LA.”

“But you should have a friendly face on the inside,” she insisted. “Jonas knows a lot of the doms. Some he’s worked with; a few he served with. Let me see if he can arrange an escort.”

“Is that necessary?”

“No, they’ll have club members available for tours and Q&A, but I want to make sure you’re taken care of. Hang on. He just walked in.” She came back on the line a moment later. “You’re in luck. A friend of his is heading up to LA next week. He’s a club member here, which gives him guest membership there while in town.”

“Won’t he be like me? A fish out of water?”

“No. Axyl has been there a bunch. He fills in as a DM in the evening when he’s in town working.”

“Axyl?”

“He’ll be Master Axyl to you.”

She swallowed. Oh my. This was really happening.

But as she peered out the window at Club Decadence LA, her first impression wasn’t promising.

“Are you going in, miss? Or would you like me to take you somewhere else?”

She made eye contact with her Uber driver in the rearview mirror. Uncertain, even more so than before seeing the place, she glanced out her window again.

“I really need to schedule my next ride,” he urged.

“Of course you do. I’m so sorry.”

Having paid in advance on the app, including the tip, Fiona opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. As soon as she slammed the door, the Uber, her only escape route at the moment, sped away from the curb.

She stood with her feet frozen to the sidewalk in the eighty-degree heat, staring at the entrance—double doors, also plain—trying to build up the nerve to go inside. A couple rushed past her, their footsteps echoing on the pavement as they hurried up the steps and vanished inside. The woman’s clothing—a long, belted raincoat—didn’t go unnoticed, an odd choice considering the heat and the fact that California was experiencing a drought. Fiona couldn’t help but wonder what scandalous outfit she had on underneath.

With her heart pounding, she took a deep breath, trying to slow it down, then forced her feet forward. Once inside, she found the lobby to be as dull as the exterior, but her other senses immediately came alive. The heavy scent of leather, wood polish, and a hint of musk filled the air, while the floor beneath her feet vibrated with the discordant strains of metal rock. The pounding bass beat seemed to originate from behind a roughhewn wood and wrought iron door. As if plucked from a medieval castle and somehow transported through time, it exuded an aura of authenticity.

“Next!”

Fiona’s gaze shifted to a tall counter, where a scantily dressed young woman, who couldn’t have been over twenty-five, stood with a clipboard.

With a smile, she extended her hand. “May I see your invitation, please?”

Despite her outfit that left little to the imagination and revealed a toned, athletic build, there was an air of professionalism about her.

“You have an invitation, don’t you?” she prompted when Fiona simply stood there, tongue-tied like an idiot.

“Yes, of course,” she muttered as she moved forward.

After a cursory glance, she handed her the clipboard. “You should have received a copy of these documents in your pre-screening packet. This is an acknowledgement. Read everything carefully and initial in the flagged places. You’re responsible for following the rules even as a guest and will be subject to consequences if you don’t. So, I can’t stress enough how important it is to read each one and understand them. Ask if anything is unclear. Then sign and return it to me.”

Fiona took a seat between two other wide-eyed subs. She figured she looked scared shitless just like them. As she flipped through the pages, reading and initialing, she felt like she was signing her life away for kinky sex.

Once she finished, the receptionist double-checked all five pages for completion.

“You’re all set.” She waved to another nondescript door. “Through there is the lounge. Our master dom will give a quick welcome, then you’ll be paired with a club member who will serve as your personal guide, sharing their knowledge and expertise during a tour. There are a few demonstrations planned you won’t want to miss and plenty of time for questions. Enjoy your night.”

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