Page 19 of Dark Seduction

Chapter 12

Cole

The limo came to astop in front of a stately mansion when I glanced over at Daniel, and his face appeared gripped with fear or apprehension. I was hoping he didn’t get cold feet, and tell the driver to turn around. “What is this place?” My body twisted in Daniel’s direction where he appeared to be deep in thought, because he didn’t answer he stared, then blinked and took a deep breath, the kind where he expected to jump off a diving board into a deep pool.

By his serious expression, he knew the answer to my question, but there was something going on in his head that only he was aware of, and he wasn’t sharing, at least not now. I asked again, but in a different voice and different phrase. “Do you know this place, Daniel?”

“Yes,” he said, dragging out the word. “But it was years before you.” He patted my hand then squeezed it. I didn’t question him any further, because I knew if he wanted to tell me about his previous life, he would have said something earlier.

“When I was here, I didn’t have any direction or anyone to teach me better. I was much younger than you and Charlie when I first stepped through those doors.” As we neared the entrance to the stately mansion, the limo slowed.

When it came into full view, it was reminiscent of mansions built in the early twentieth century during the times of what they called the robber barons. As we neared the doors and I could get a better look, because there were lights where I could see the façade, clearly there were private entrances, and gargoyles sitting atop the building.

The beautiful, manicured shrubs, and flowers were lit up with lights adorning the entrance, other than the quiet of the surroundings, and limos parked in the large driveway circling a fountain, no one could imagine what was going on inside. Even I didn’t think anything about all the limos that were carrying men and perhaps women who had too much money and way too much time.

“I thought it would be in a sleezy club in someone’s basement,” I said, turning to Daniel, who clutched my hand tighter than I expected. However, when I spotted well-dressed men entering their limos with young and older men where they were leading them by collars, I knew something else was taking place in there besides a late-night poker game, and Charlie might be somewhere in there. I knew few people in Manhattan, but when Daniel answered my question, I was sure we would find him.

“Did you think that the only places you’d find men who engage in bondage and other kinks were in smelly clubs and dirty basements? You find the same men and their habits at the top as well as the bottom. The only difference is one has money and the other doesn’t, but that has nothing to do with one’s sexual desires and whatever kink you enjoy.”

When I first met Daniel, he’d told me about his foray into the bondage scene and that I’d be surprised at who visited these types of clubs, and what they were looking for with a young man such as myself. I had seen a few things, not much since I’d first met Daniel, and no I wouldn’t be surprised at who would spend their time there, and what they would be doing if they had the money and time. I was just happy I’d met Daniel, and he was able to satisfy my craving for this life of bondage.

“Drop us off in front and park on the street,” Daniel instructed my driver. When we exited the car, Daniel pulled something out of his coat pocket. He’d suggested earlier that we both wear suits, and so I did without question. He reached and pressed the buzzer, and a tall man in a black suit opened the door, and Daniel flashed a card in his direction.

“What’s that,” I whispered.

“I’m a member of this club.” I looked up at him waiting for an explanation, but there was none coming at least not now. Maybe it was too soon to inquire into his past.Maybe I should remain quiet and let him tell me at his own pace,were my thoughts, and the right thing to do.

“Please, show me to Julian’s office. I need to speak to him.” Although Daniel might have known the guy at the door, he didn’t let on then. He was very formal.

“I’m sure you know where it is. Besides, I’m needed in another area of the club. It seems few people know how to play according to the rules,” The tall dude in the black suit admitted, never changing his all-business expression that didn’t let on that he knew Daniel.

“What is he talking about? And how are you a member of this place? You never mentioned it to me.” As Daniel and I strode together, and this time not holding hands, although I could have used the reassurance and the closeness, it was his call.

Daniel’s expression changed and he narrowed his gaze. Maybe I’d asked too many questions he refused to answer, or he didn’t want to answer them because they were too annoying and too juvenile, and he couldn’t be bothered, in which case I’d never seen him this uptight before since I’d been with him.

“Cole, if you want to get your friend out of here, and we don’t know if he’s here yet, but I can bet according to the action in this club, he’s looking for something, and if he hasn’t gone home, then he’s in here.” Daniel stopped in the long dim-lit hall. I heard the muffled sound of whips being applied to flesh, cries for more of the same, and other sounds I couldn’t recognize, but Daniel did when I turned to see his face, his jaw tight, his brow furrowed.

“I’ll have to go into his room once we find out which one it is, and carry him out, baby. He’s been here all night from what you’ve told me. You said he doesn’t weigh much, and maybe I can get him out without anyone noticing. There’s a back door hidden that goes into the courtyard, and there you can get the driver to meet me, and we can take his young ass home and deal with the fallout later.

What fallout?I didn’t know there would be retribution if Daniel took him.

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