He leans down to press his lips against mine. No matter how many times we have each other, we're always left wanting more. It's a hunger that I feel inside every cell of my body.
Dante breaks the kiss reluctantly.
My head fills with white noise as he leads me down the corridor. I'm tipsy from the alcohol, but I'm drunk on this man. But I sober up quickly when we stop in front of a black door.
It has a red-and-white sign that reads Staff Only.
Dante scans a barcode on his phone that unlocks the door. A hostess greets us inside and guides us toward an elevator. She accompanies us as we descend to the basement.
When the door opens, my eyes widen.
Dancers are twirling on poles in barely a stitch of clothing. Girls dance in cages that extend all the way to the ceiling. The music is loud, pulsing with a sensual beat.
It's money, power, and beauty.
And like the main portion of the club, everything looks normal on the surface, but a sickly scent lingers in the air. I get the sense that there's more to the basement than what meets the eye.
Dante has already briefed us about everything. The club is divided into sections catering to specific kinks, from orgies to exhibitionism to BDSM. But that’s not what’s problematic about this club.
The illegal activity happens behind closed doors.
There are fetishes that aren’t even advertised.
He leans down to whisper in my ear. "Are you okay?"
My heart is lodged in my throat as I nod. I should be the one asking him that question.
I see my sisters in the crowd, but we pretend not to know one another. Dante and I tour the various segments of the club. Minutes bleed into hours. So many women work here that it's nearly impossible to look at every single one of them. Theyalso seem to be changing shifts every few hours, especially the dancers.
A few hours in, the adrenaline fades, leaving me feeling tired to the bone.
"I need to go to the ladies’ room," I say.
"I'll come with you," Dante says.
“Please don’t,” I say. “I’ll be back in a minute. I just want to splash some water on my face.”
He still accompanies me to the restroom and stands outside. Just as I step inside, I see someone leaving through a door at the other end of the bathroom. She turns around to look at me. She's wearing a full face of makeup, but she's not fooling me. This girl barely looks to be twelve. She quickly shuts the door behind her.
My heart is racing inside my chest as I walk toward that door. I hesitate before placing my hand over the handle. When I try to open it, a red light flashes.
It's locked.
I try again, harder this time. Red flickers over the handle once again.
I finally caught a glimpse of what actually happens at this club. It caters to devious tastes. I feel numb as I continue trying to open the door. It triggers one of the memories I try to keep buried inside my head.
It dislodges from my memory, painting me in shame.
I didn't do anything before.
When I saw those kids being kept in my mother's dungeon, I didn't do a thing. All I ever do is run. I don't even have the backbone to stand up for myself, let alone anyone else.
I drop to my knees and sob as helplessness washes over me.
I've never felt more pathetic.
The door opens behind me. And the next thing I know, I'm lifted and held against a strong chest. He's asking me something, but I can't hear him over my sobbing.
