28
Hadrian
The music of the club was rhythmic and smooth, louder than the club we’d gone to in Italy but it only added to the sensual, erotic atmosphere. I scanned the space as Scarlett and Wolf wandered down a hallway on the other end of the floor. We kept our distance, knowing I couldn’t be associated with them if this was going to work.
And itwillfucking work, I thought venomously.I’ll make sure of it.All I needed now was to accomplish my first task before I could go looking for my target. Taking a random chair that was stacked on one wall, I weaved through the club. As I walked, I mapped out the interior. It was a complex layout of hallways, private areas, and viewing rooms and we’d decided on one specific room that was rarely used for our tasks tonight, the schematics having listed it as a spare storage room that had been converted to a private room for bookings only. Thankfully though, according to the club’s records Ian, Jensen, and Archer had been able to acquire for us, the last time it had been used was over three months ago. It was dark, save for the one light softly illuminating a single spot on the floor. Smirking, I set the chair there along with the rope I’d had coiled over my arm.
One benefit to conducting business in a sex club is that no one finds it even remotely odd when someone carries duct tape, rope, and a chair into a soundproofed room.
Once I had everything set up, I retraced my steps in search of the bastard whose name was practically etched on the side of my syringe. Jaxson Norrison, an all-around piece of fucking shit, and I had plenty in mind to take care of him. I just had tofindhim first. The syringe clutched in my hand was hard and slim, my fingers brushing over the smooth side and ridged cap. The pants I wore helped keep the item concealed with enough space for me to keep a good grip on it for whenever I needed to use it. I had some time before I had to have him in our designated location, but the sooner I got him there, the sooner I could have my fun.
After counting to a hundred, I reached the main floor once again and walked through the same hallway Wolf and Scarlett had disappeared into earlier. I had expected Jaxson to be harder to locate, sitting in a darkened booth or alcove until he found what he was looking for, but at the end of another hall, stood my target.
Tall, lean, wearing a pair of tight pants and a black silk shirt, his eyes were trained on something I couldn’t see. Taking a steadying breath, I uncapped the syringe hidden in my pocket and started to stumble down the hall, taking a cue from Scarlett’s previous play at the hotel.
“Oh fuck, dude! So-o sorry,” I hiccupped when I rammed into him mid-trip.
“It’s fine,” he tried to say, cringing as I clutched tightly to his bicep as if I really was drunk and going to fall, but before he could shove me off or say anything more, I stabbed the syringe into the side of his neck. He got one good hit in, a pained groan leaving me at the sharp sting from his fist as it hit me in the gut, but the tranquilizer worked too fast for him to do anything else.
“Nighty-night, asshole,” I muttered under my breath, holding him up when he slumped. Glancing over, I found a woman strung up on a St. Andrews cross, her face covered in a leather mask.At least it wasn’t Scarlett and Wolf, I thought, shuddering at the thought of how Scarlett would have felt being watched by her psychotic ex. Heaving him down the hall, I left the Dom and his sub to their fun and headed to our predetermined room—one I’d requested under Jaxson’s name with one of the monitors beforehand. If anything came back on us for this room—it would all be recorded under him.
It took a bit of work to get him into the room and I was out of breath by the time I had him bound and gagged on the chair. I searched, finding only a single knife cleverly hidden in the waistband of his pants, so I tucked it away in my pocket next to the used syringe. Now all I had to do was wait for the light sedative to wear off. Gauging his weight and height and muscle mass, I expected it would be within the next thirty minutes or so. Just enough time for me to get in my own brand of vengeance. I scowled, a burning rage building within me the longer I stared at the man.
There was nothing particularly special about him. Nothing that screamed “monster.” He looked just like any other man. Except I knew that not all things were as they appeared. Most people assumed that because I preferred to work behind the scenes—pulling the strings so to speak—that I wasn’t capable of true wickedness.They were wrong, of course,I thought as I rolled up my sleeves. I was capable of things and I certainly didn’t wear my sins pasted on my skin.
This man, however, I wanted him to. I wanted him to bear scars on his body, like the scars that he had put inside of my girl. There was nothing I’d learned in my searches when they finally finished earlier in the day that I hadn’t already expected. Jaxson Norrison. Rapist, abuser, murderer. With each thought of the things I’d read, the more the fury in my veins grew.
Until finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer.
Pulling back my arm, I punched him square in the junk before kneeing him in the face. The small dosage of tranquilizer was still coursing through his system but he groaned, the pain too much for him to fight off even in his drugged state. I thought about stopping there, but the desire to pulverize him was far stronger than my knowledge that I had to hurry. Just staring at the bastard’s face, and knowing that Scarlett had been so fucking terrified of him that she’d straight up walked away from our mark just to get away from him, pissed me off. I punched him again, letting the anger flow through me. I was under no illusions about Jaxson Norrison. There was a reason for her fear and he deserved every hit, each crunch of bone, and all the blood flowing down his now battered face.
By the time I stopped, my knuckles were bruised and my fists were shaking. So much for level headedness—switching roles really had me acting like Wolf. I shook my head at the man at my feet as his pained moans grew louder. The sedative was finally wearing off and with it, he would be feeling a swell of pain.
Good.
When Jaxson finally appeared to fully awaken from the drugged slumber, it was with another low groan of agony. My lips twisted into a cold smile. He lifted his bleeding face and looked up; the second his eyes fell on me, a fiery rage flared within his gaze, promising equal retaliation. His bonds jerked as he attempted to stand and when he realized he was restrained, a dark glare was shot my way. I considered punching him into unconsciousness again, but I’d already wasted enough time on this trash.
I arched a brow as he tried to speak—the sound of his curses muffled by the ball gag I’d shoved in his mouth.Fuck, I love sex clubs. I kept my face even as I stared at the struggling man before me, examining him. One eye was already swelling, blood trickling from a cut above his eyebrow. His nose was crooked—likely broken. Still, no matter the slurred and incomprehensible words that tried to come out of his mouth, I didn’t respond. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared him down. Waiting. We only had one chance to make this work and while this wasn’t my usual skill set, I had to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere before we were ready. I glanced at my watch. It would be any moment now.
All I needed to do was sit back and wait. Wait and watch.