Page 30 of Mortal Heart

“I’m delighted to hear it.” She stared pointedly at the entrance. “Well?”

Ivan opened the door for them. Muffled music drifted out into the lobby from the club’s main floor. “Come,” she commanded over her shoulder. “We areexpected.”

As they’d rehearsed, Ronan hesitated on the threshold. “Mistress…must I?”

She lashed him with her flogger across the patch of bare chest above his vest. He made a show of flinching and cowering, though she hadn’t hit him all that hard. “Was that disobedience?”

“No, Mistress.” Eyes downcast and trepidation in his expression and body language, he followed her into the club’s main lobby. Ivan closed the oversized front door behind them with a heavythunk.

A beautiful dark-haired female vampire in a velvet bodysuit and matching stiletto heels met them inside. The bodysuit was the same dark purple as blood appeared to be at night. Not subtle, the vamps—not if you knew what to notice.

Arkady expected the female vampire to escort them to the host desk to sign the club’s numerous waivers. Instead, their hostess smiled and flashed her fangs. “Welcome to Nyx, Mistress. My name is Daniela. I’m honored to be your host tonight.”

“Hello, Daniela.” Arkady made a show of looking around the lobby with disdain. “What are your duties as our host?”

“It is my privilege to provide you with new and unimaginable pleasures.” Daniela studied Ronan with undisguised avarice, then turned her attention back to Arkady. “May I escort you to a suite where you may discover the many ways a woman with your particular preferences can indulge herself?”

“You may indeed.” Arkady wrapped Ronan’s leash one more time around her wrist to shorten the length of his tether. “We’re both anxious to explore these new pleasures.”

At her words, Ronan cowered. Arkady had to hand it to him; he was a very good actor.

“Then please follow me.” With enough sway in her hips and surprisingly ample rear end to make Arkady feel a bit seasick, Daniela led them to an ornate elevator on the far side of the lobby opposite the double doors that led to the main stage area. “You’re clearly a woman who knows what she likes,” Daniela added as they entered the elevator. “I’m certain we can find ways to make your night memorable.”

“I’m sure you can.” Arkady gave Ronan’s leash a yank, causing him to stumble. “Sit. Stay.”

He went to his knees again and stared at her boots.

Daniela pressed and held the button labeled B2. The doors of the elevator slid closed. They sounded much heavier than normal. Probably reinforced.

Getting into Nyx had proven easier than she’d anticipated. Getting out, however, might be a very tall order. Good thing both she and Ronan were very tall.

As the car descended, the lights dimmed and then went out except for a single purple flame that flickered in a glass fixture above their heads. “I approve of the ambiance,” Arkady said. “Very sensual.”

“Our goal is to immerse our most adventurous clients in their most personal fantasies from the moment they cross our threshold.” Daniela’s smile again revealed a hint of fang. “We find the lighting facilitates a certain level of anticipation and arousal. Few are as comfortable exploring their pleasures as openly as you and your submissive.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Arkady stroked her hand over Ronan’s hair several times, as if petting him, then rested her palm on top of his head.

Daniela licked her lips. “What is his name?”

“He doesn’t have one. He doesn’t deserve one.” She caressed Ronan’s cheek and then gave him another light slap. “How lucky he is to have found someone like me. Who knows what might have happened to him otherwise. Such a helpless thing, isn’t he?”

Ronan rested his head against her leg, his expression contented.

Daniela chuckled low in her throat as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. “Indeed,” she murmured. “If you tire of him, Mistress, do please let me know. I have a particular affinity for helpless things.”

Arkady smiled as if the vampire’s tone hadn’t made the little hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “I’ll certainly keep that in mind.”

Daniela turned left out of the elevator and led them down a dimly lit corridor lined with doors and gilt mirrors that glowed with soft purple light. The plush carpet made their steps silent.

The doors had no numbers on them, but Daniela seemed to know which was their group’s destination. She stopped in front of the fourth door on the right. “I believe you will find this suite more than suitable. You may contact me via the courtesy phone to request any additional amenities. A menu of our offerings is located near the phone. Page three in particular may interest you.” She opened the door and gestured at the rooms beyond. “Indulge yourself, Mistress.”

The suite was an erotic dungeon containing more than a dozen “sets” where a master could inflict great pleasure and pain—and a few that seemed potentially lethal. The walls and floor were likely soundproof and designed to be easy to clean. Though she had no special magic or psychic ability, Arkady got the distinct feeling the suite had seen a lot of spilled blood.

She strode into the suite with Ronan following on his leash. “This will do,” she said over her shoulder to Daniela. “We’ll let you know if we need anything.”

“Enjoy.” Daniela shut the door.

Out of curiosity, Arkady picked up and perused the menu Daniela had referenced. Pages one and two contained a wide selection of very personal services offered by the club and its employees. Most weren’t all that different from a menu at any bordello—albeit with a lot more emphasis on bloodletting.

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