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Freezing, I waited until the voices retreated, moving away from the door. Always the inquisitor, I poked my head into the room, watching as two men in suits walked towards the wall on the far side of the room. As they approached, they pushed a panel, which slid open effortlessly and allowed them entrance into a room beyond. The slow music that came from inside had a hypnotic inviting beat, drawing me nearer.
My shoes were light on the dancefloor as I skipped across it and approached the door. My mind flashed back to Finley’s accusations about Joe's men’s night. Was this what he'd been talking about?
Creeping up to the door as it started to close, I slunk inside, hiding in the shadows beside the entrance. The room was dimly lit with flashes of bright lights coming from the stage. A red glow hovered in the wall above every booth, lit discreetly by unusual vintage metal lamps.
“Have you seen the girl on stage?” a man asked another as they stumbled out of a booth, one of them doing up the zipper on his trousers.
Before the curtain fell back down, I caught a glimpse of a woman wiping her mouth as she climbed off the table. A gasp echoed around me, shocking me enough to step further into the corner, away from the men who milled around the huge room. It was my own voice that had scared me so I tried to breathe quieter, just in case anyone saw me.
“The society feels that Finley deserved to be removed.” A deep voice reached me from a nearby booth. “I understand that you were introduced to me by the young man, but our ethos is clear. We never hurt women or men in our care... or outside it, actually.”
Another male tone hummed before replying. “Very well. As you know, I'm extremely keen to join the Protector Society. I've had several women rely on me throughout their lives and I've always found it such a pleasure to help them.”
“No children,” the original man spoke, “that's not our kink or our motto, in any way shape or form.”
An uncomfortable feeling blossomed in my chest as I bit my bottom lip. I was thrown by the secret sex-club, but there was something else, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. My hands shook as I stepped a little closer. If I could just get a better look, my curiosity might be satisfied.
A deep chuckle came from the other man and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “Of course not,” he said, “I understand.”
Shit, what was it about him that freaked me out? Maybe it was just the concept of the strange society that had me on edge, it couldn’t be anything else. I didn't know these people and they didn't know me. Did they?
I stood, frozen by the door, unable to decide whether to return to Joe – who clearly knew all about the secret room and its extra-curricular activities – or to stay and find out more about who these people – and ultimately Joe – were.
“As you're aware, we're first and foremost a charity,” the first man said, “so we expect our members to be very well...”
“Endowed with cash?” the other man said, “Don't worry, I made my billions in the last five years.”
“Five years?” the man spat, “I admire you. Can I be nosy and ask how?”
I stepped forward, fascinated by their conversation, even though it had nothing to do with me. They were billionaires and had to be to be invited into the society. That meant that Joe...
An uncomfortable grunt preceded the man's reply. “As we know, the sex business makes a hell of a lot of money. That's all I'm prepared to say.”
My stomach rolled for no particular reason; it was just something about the second man that made me nervous. It was obviously my trauma talking because the poor bloke was completely oblivious to being spied on in the first place.
I had to get back to Joe or he could come looking for me and that would cause a scene. Except... I wanted to know more.
“Well, my friend,” the first guy said, “this is a sex club and an intimacy society. I'll speak to the others and propose a meeting to get you an official invite to the Protector Society.”
The shuffling of feet made me back up and slip out of the door. My heart thumped as I rushed across the empty club and out into the main hall, stopping just a few feet from Joe's office. My huff was loud as I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself. I'd known that Joe was into some kinky shit, but a sex club and a fucking secret society. Maybe he’d struggled to get into the freemasons because of his debauchery.
A giggle escaped me, despite the thoughts that whirled through my mind. I jumped when Joe called out to me, clearly hearing me hovering in the hallway. Breathing out, I stood straight, ready to confront the man who'd captured my feelings.
“You were quite a while,” he said from where he sat behind his desk, “I was getting worried.”
He clasped his grazed knuckles with his other hand as he watched me, his eyebrows pulled low. He was suspicious of me already, which wasn't a surprise. He’d probably caught me on camera or something. Shit, the guy was a little more stalkerish than I had cared to admit, and yet, the forbidden pull was strong. So fucking strong.
Did I tell him what I'd just seen or wait to see if he pulled out his spy card? Bloody hell, my head was spinning with everything that was happening and I had no idea where one thought ended and the other began. It would be better to try and get home to clear my head.
“I'm shaken up,” I announced, which wasn't a lie.
Nodding, he inhaled and sat back, undoing his smart suit jacket and folding his hands across his toned stomach. “I figured you might be. I've just had word that Finley has been picked up by an ambulance. He was still alive, so that’s something.”
Swallowing, I dropped onto the sofa opposite his desk and hugged my arms around my chest. Joe stood and came over, brushing the wounds on his knuckles with his other fingers.
“I'm sorry I lost control,” he muttered.
Getting back up, I placed a hand over his heart, firmly on his chest. “You did it to protect me. The fact that he's alive is good, really good. I just hope he leaves us the fuck alone now.”
