Page 13 of A Secret and a Lie
I wanted to create a safe environment for people to pay to play. I wanted to develop a place where the workers would be safe and secure, and so would the clients. A place where you’d be free to explore kinks and fetishes that the rest of polite society might balk at or shame you for.
Everyone thinks that I started this business for the secrets.Thesecret keeperwas what they called me, and while it’s true, I do keep secrets, that’s not what motivated me to start this business. It’s simply what keeps me from being arrested.
Perhaps I should’ve opted to go the sex club route, and I suppose I still could, but where would my people go to find jobs? Besides, this is my family, and this building is essentially my home. I won’t abandon them.
“Allison.” Doctor Lukas drags me from my thoughts, and I push off the wall, moving to face him. “Carissa is still resting peacefully, and I’ll be back to check on her tomorrow. It doesn’t appear that there was any internal damage done, but I’d like to keep an eye on her. Liam’s eye will be swollen and sore for several days but should heal with no lasting effects.”
“Thank you so much, Doctor. I appreciate you coming on such short notice.”
The handsome doctor nods, though there are heavy bags under his eyes that I don’t recall noticing when I saw him in my playroom last.
“It’s my recommendation that she take some time off.”
“Of course,” I agree.As much as she needs.
That night, as I pull the sheets up over my body, I find my mind circling back to Milton. I killed a man tonight.
Another one.
And I felt nothing but cold indifference.
I wish I could claim that the blood on my hands has seeped through my skin and into my soul, but it hasn’t.
I regret nothing. I feel nothing. I remembereverything.
Closing my eyes, I block out the sight of Carissa’s terror-stricken face and the smattering of wounds covering her skin. I force myself to go somewhere lighter, happier, somewhere like the gala…speaking with Ford. That’s where I beg my mind to hover. And it works, for a while anyway, until Milton’s last words slip into my mind. Something tells me that his statement carried some weight, that he wasn’t just using his dying breath to attempt to scare me.
They’re going to take you out.
Not if I get them first.
Genevieve
Early morning sunlight streams through the glass windows as I address the group before me. “Thank you all for coming.”
Scanning the conference room, I meet the eyes of all forty of my employees, as well as my security team.
Carissa is nestled in the corner, huddled in on herself, the sleeves of her hoodie pulled down past her hands. Her face and neck are a canvas of purple and blue, but I know that if she were to remove her clothes, I’d find far moresadistic artwork.
Gritting my teeth, I look away.
“As you all know, one of our own was assaulted by a client last night. While Milton Torres has been taken care of, I’d like to reiterate the importance of being extra cautious.”
When I get a few nods, I go on, “I was hoping we could take a moment to divide up Carissa’s and Liam’s clients. I’ll take Donna Hensley since she used to be mine.”
Donna is a newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, and it might be a good time to remind her of who holds her secrets.
Our group spends the next few minutes dividing up the rest of the clients. I’m about to dismiss the meeting when Liam pipes up, “What aboutSamuel Choi?”
My brow furrows. “Is he still seeing you?”
For some reason, I assumed he’d take some time away from this establishment after his wife passed. Evidently not.
“He never stopped. He was here the day after Vera died.”
Interesting.I choose not to comment on that, though, gnawing on my lip absently as I think. “I’ll take him.”
“He prefers men, Allie.”
