Beckham leaned toward her in the limo and tugged the blindfold from her face. She found herself staring into his dark eyes as she adjusted to the new light.
“We’re here,” he said.
“Where is here exactly?”
He shook his head. “It’s best if you leave all the talking to me.”
“Okay,” she said hesitantly.
“And I got you something.”
“What? Something else?”
He removed a black box from the inside of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. She took it in her hands in awe. A jewelry box. Who would have thought she would ever own a piece of jewelry that would warrant a black velvet box?
She pried the top open and stared down at the most beautiful silver bangle bracelet, in-laid with diamonds. The top was engraved with the words ANDERSON, O-. Her mouth was open and she couldn’t seem to recover herself. A diamond bracelet? She knew he was wealthy, but she never would have thought he would splurge on something like this for her.
Beckham slipped it on her wrist, where it sat cold against her skin. “Never take this off once you’re inside.”
“Why?”
“It shows that you’re with me. It will protect you.”
“From what?” Why was he always so worried that she would need protection?
“Everything.”
That was another non-answer, but she at least trusted him to keep her safe. Even though the bracelet had something to do with the Vault, she relished in the feel of it against her wrist. She loved that it meant she was with him…even if it in some way meant she belonged to him.
“Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Beckham opened the door and assisted her out of the car. There was a door that blended in with the surrounding concrete, which opened at their approach. They entered a nearly pitch-black hallway. At the end was a small room with a giant vault door. Beckham passed a white card through a slot next to the door, and then a hand slipped them two similar cards.
“Welcome to the Vault,” a woman purred from the other side.
“What’s that?” Reyna asked, pointing at the cards.
“Participation cards. You won’t need yours.”
Reyna arched her eyebrow. “Why not?”
“Because you won’t be participating,” he growled low.
“Participating in what?”
“You’re about to find out.”
She looked up at him defiantly. “And what if I want to participate in whatever this is?”
Beckham grabbed her arm and tugged her close to him so they were nearly pressed together. “This bracelet says you’re mine, Little One. No one can get near you but me, and they would be a fool to do so. Now stop talking and let’s go inside.”
Reyna nodded despite her trepidation about what was to come. Their conversation made no sense to her—participation cards, bracelets that claimed her—she steeled herself for whatever she was about to witness.
The large handle on the door turned in circles and then pushed inward. When the door opened all the way, she was transported into another world and gasped in surprise.
“It’s a…sex club,” she whispered.
Chapter 26
“A brothel actually,” Beckham said.
Reyna stared around the room in awe. The whole place was decorated in swathes of red, purple, and black. Divans covered with pillows littered the perimeter of the large open room. Tables were set up with dozens of plush chairs around them already occupied by attendees. Everything was centered around a stage with a large white bed on it.
She tore her eyes from the empty stage and to the patrons in the establishment. Many were pulling people into shadowed alcoves where they could do things she could only imagine. Bare-chested men in nothing but short tight black shorts carried around trays with cocktails and a little dropper filled with something as red as blood. She didn’t even want to know what that was for. Stark-naked women lay on buffet-style tables filled with all varieties of food. The irony wasn’t lost on her.
The patrons were all vampires dressed to the nines with lapdog humans on leashes and all forms of debauchery. Even though Reyna matched the general attire of most other women in the place, she felt out of her depth. In fact, most people wore less than she. But it was the feeling of power that reverberated throughout the room. Vampires had all of it, and the humans were subjugated to their desires. She shuddered at the thought.
“You said you wanted to come,” Beckham reminded her.
“And now I’m here.”
He leaned over and whispered into her ear, “Take off your robe.”
She didn’t even question him. She could tell just by the vibe in the room that this was not the place for questions. She swallowed back her discomfort, looked up at him, and let the material slide to the floor. His eyes crawled her body again, and she noticed a slight tremor in his hand.
“I need a drink,” he said.
Reyna smiled at the implied meaning in his words.
She followed him across the room and tried to keep her eyes on him alone rather than the decadence and debauchery around her. They took a seat at the back of the room. She tucked her chair under the table until most of her body was obscured.
Beckham sat next to her and a waiter approached them. She accepted a glass of water, because she wanted to keep a clear head, but Beckham ordered scotch.
“A drop, Mr. Anderson?” the waiter asked.
He shook his head forcefully. “No.”
The man nodded, handed him a drink, and then disappeared.
“What is a drop?” she asked.
Beckham sighed. “One day I will get you to stop asking questions.”
“Unlikely.”
“A drop is a drop of blood.”
“What kind?”
He gave her a sobering look and she understood.
“You mean people here are drinking blood that isn’t a match,” she gasped in horror.
“It’s just a pick-me-up. Nothing that would cause anyone any harm…or any more harm than they already wish on themselves.”
Reyna was still trying to process that when Rowland, Cassandra, Sophie, and Felix showed up at their table. Rowland was in a suit, while Cassandra had opted for a long black lace dress that was entirely see-through and somehow managed to be more revealing than Reyna’s lingerie. Felix was in nothing but black boxer briefs and a gold studded collar. He already had bite marks in his neck, and as usual looked a bit dazed and out of it. Sophie was confident and cool in a white bridal lingerie set that contrasted with the dark tones of the room.
“Good to see you, Beckham,” Rowland said with a tip of his head. Reyna noticed the red hue of his drink and shuddered. Just what she needed, a feral Rowland.
The way he looked at her made it seem like he was slowly undressing her with his eyes. She felt as naked as the girls laid out on the tables in front of him, and she shifted uncomfortably.
“Glad you could make it, Reyna,” Rowland said.
She glanced away from him and kept her mouth shut. The memory of what he’d said at the ball came back to her, making her sick. I will find you later, love. Be sure of it.
The lights flickered twice, signaling for everyone to take their seats. Sophie sat next to Reyna, who breathed a sigh of relief that Rowland wouldn’t be within arm’s reach. He creeped her out and knowing he was drinking a drop didn’t help anything.
A busty woman in black lingerie and a long sheer kimono that trailed behind as she walked stepped onto the stage at the front.
“We’re here,” he said.
“Where is here exactly?”
He shook his head. “It’s best if you leave all the talking to me.”
“Okay,” she said hesitantly.
“And I got you something.”
“What? Something else?”
He removed a black box from the inside of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. She took it in her hands in awe. A jewelry box. Who would have thought she would ever own a piece of jewelry that would warrant a black velvet box?
She pried the top open and stared down at the most beautiful silver bangle bracelet, in-laid with diamonds. The top was engraved with the words ANDERSON, O-. Her mouth was open and she couldn’t seem to recover herself. A diamond bracelet? She knew he was wealthy, but she never would have thought he would splurge on something like this for her.
Beckham slipped it on her wrist, where it sat cold against her skin. “Never take this off once you’re inside.”
“Why?”
“It shows that you’re with me. It will protect you.”
“From what?” Why was he always so worried that she would need protection?
“Everything.”
That was another non-answer, but she at least trusted him to keep her safe. Even though the bracelet had something to do with the Vault, she relished in the feel of it against her wrist. She loved that it meant she was with him…even if it in some way meant she belonged to him.
“Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Beckham opened the door and assisted her out of the car. There was a door that blended in with the surrounding concrete, which opened at their approach. They entered a nearly pitch-black hallway. At the end was a small room with a giant vault door. Beckham passed a white card through a slot next to the door, and then a hand slipped them two similar cards.
“Welcome to the Vault,” a woman purred from the other side.
“What’s that?” Reyna asked, pointing at the cards.
“Participation cards. You won’t need yours.”
Reyna arched her eyebrow. “Why not?”
“Because you won’t be participating,” he growled low.
“Participating in what?”
“You’re about to find out.”
She looked up at him defiantly. “And what if I want to participate in whatever this is?”
Beckham grabbed her arm and tugged her close to him so they were nearly pressed together. “This bracelet says you’re mine, Little One. No one can get near you but me, and they would be a fool to do so. Now stop talking and let’s go inside.”
Reyna nodded despite her trepidation about what was to come. Their conversation made no sense to her—participation cards, bracelets that claimed her—she steeled herself for whatever she was about to witness.
The large handle on the door turned in circles and then pushed inward. When the door opened all the way, she was transported into another world and gasped in surprise.
“It’s a…sex club,” she whispered.
Chapter 26
“A brothel actually,” Beckham said.
Reyna stared around the room in awe. The whole place was decorated in swathes of red, purple, and black. Divans covered with pillows littered the perimeter of the large open room. Tables were set up with dozens of plush chairs around them already occupied by attendees. Everything was centered around a stage with a large white bed on it.
She tore her eyes from the empty stage and to the patrons in the establishment. Many were pulling people into shadowed alcoves where they could do things she could only imagine. Bare-chested men in nothing but short tight black shorts carried around trays with cocktails and a little dropper filled with something as red as blood. She didn’t even want to know what that was for. Stark-naked women lay on buffet-style tables filled with all varieties of food. The irony wasn’t lost on her.
The patrons were all vampires dressed to the nines with lapdog humans on leashes and all forms of debauchery. Even though Reyna matched the general attire of most other women in the place, she felt out of her depth. In fact, most people wore less than she. But it was the feeling of power that reverberated throughout the room. Vampires had all of it, and the humans were subjugated to their desires. She shuddered at the thought.
“You said you wanted to come,” Beckham reminded her.
“And now I’m here.”
He leaned over and whispered into her ear, “Take off your robe.”
She didn’t even question him. She could tell just by the vibe in the room that this was not the place for questions. She swallowed back her discomfort, looked up at him, and let the material slide to the floor. His eyes crawled her body again, and she noticed a slight tremor in his hand.
“I need a drink,” he said.
Reyna smiled at the implied meaning in his words.
She followed him across the room and tried to keep her eyes on him alone rather than the decadence and debauchery around her. They took a seat at the back of the room. She tucked her chair under the table until most of her body was obscured.
Beckham sat next to her and a waiter approached them. She accepted a glass of water, because she wanted to keep a clear head, but Beckham ordered scotch.
“A drop, Mr. Anderson?” the waiter asked.
He shook his head forcefully. “No.”
The man nodded, handed him a drink, and then disappeared.
“What is a drop?” she asked.
Beckham sighed. “One day I will get you to stop asking questions.”
“Unlikely.”
“A drop is a drop of blood.”
“What kind?”
He gave her a sobering look and she understood.
“You mean people here are drinking blood that isn’t a match,” she gasped in horror.
“It’s just a pick-me-up. Nothing that would cause anyone any harm…or any more harm than they already wish on themselves.”
Reyna was still trying to process that when Rowland, Cassandra, Sophie, and Felix showed up at their table. Rowland was in a suit, while Cassandra had opted for a long black lace dress that was entirely see-through and somehow managed to be more revealing than Reyna’s lingerie. Felix was in nothing but black boxer briefs and a gold studded collar. He already had bite marks in his neck, and as usual looked a bit dazed and out of it. Sophie was confident and cool in a white bridal lingerie set that contrasted with the dark tones of the room.
“Good to see you, Beckham,” Rowland said with a tip of his head. Reyna noticed the red hue of his drink and shuddered. Just what she needed, a feral Rowland.
The way he looked at her made it seem like he was slowly undressing her with his eyes. She felt as naked as the girls laid out on the tables in front of him, and she shifted uncomfortably.
“Glad you could make it, Reyna,” Rowland said.
She glanced away from him and kept her mouth shut. The memory of what he’d said at the ball came back to her, making her sick. I will find you later, love. Be sure of it.
The lights flickered twice, signaling for everyone to take their seats. Sophie sat next to Reyna, who breathed a sigh of relief that Rowland wouldn’t be within arm’s reach. He creeped her out and knowing he was drinking a drop didn’t help anything.
A busty woman in black lingerie and a long sheer kimono that trailed behind as she walked stepped onto the stage at the front.
