Shelter You (26 page)

To Monica Martinez, once again I can’t thank you enough for all that you do for me, from great advice to amazing covers and teasers and your ability to always make me laugh.

To Whitney Williams, from the first email I sent you I knew that we were going to be great friends. Well I hoped at least… Your friendship has not disappointed me. I’m in awe of your amazing talent and grateful for your support. I’m your biggest STAN EVER!

To Stephanie Locke for the best brainstorming sessions EVER. For our continued KA addiction, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you she comes back as a wolf. For our brand new Reaper’s obsession, you’re welcome for that by the way. I’ve had my share of ups and downs in the last year and your friendship has meant the most to me. Thank you for always being there for me, I only hope you get the same from me.

Turn the page for a sneak peek of

Three of Diamonds

By

W. Ferraro

Excerpt from Three of Diamonds by W. Ferraro

Lola Nash looked at the enormous warehouse in front of her, thinking Rebecca must have given her the wrong address. The building in question looked deserted, but massive. Lola pulled her old green Wrangler into a spot in front of the only door she could see. She hopped out, adjusting her sunflower yellow dress to fall loosely around her. She wore her brown suede heels, praying that she would not have to remain on her feet too long, because in all honesty, they were the most uncomfortable shoes to wear. Getting an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, Lola double-checked the paper that had the address and time of her interview. Lola looked at her reflection in the large unlabeled glass door, deeming her appearance suitable for her interview, she reached for the door. However, there was no door handle, only a large red button to the left of the door. Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, Lola pressed the button. She was just about to give up, when the door opened. A small petite woman opened the door and said in a thick German accent, “Ms. Nash, I presume?”

“Please, come in.” Backing away and gesturing with one of her stiff arms. “My name is Gitta,” she said finishing with a tight smile; an unfriendly aura surrounded her.

Lola slowly walked toward the woman who was holding the door open and led the way into the building. The hallway was dark, limiting Lola’s quick and erratic gaze trying to see anything through the darkness.

“Just this way Ms. Nash.” Gitta said, as the distinct clicking of Gitta’s heels was the only clue to which direction she was being led through the darkness. Suddenly, Lola was in a naturally lit area with huge windows at the top of two story walls. She finally was able to get a good look at Gitta as they continued walking with a purpose. For such a small woman, she looked anything but delicate. Her drab brown hair was pulled back in a severe bun. Her gray tweed suit looked dated and stiff. She wore a thick black scarf around her neck with its ends tucked into the top of her suit coat. Her simple black pumps were just as boring as her outdated suit. The only part of her attire that was surprising was her stockings; a thick black seam ran down the back of her calves. Generally, not something you would see in the woman’s fashion department, but rather, only seen in the fetish section of lingerie catalogs.

Finally, they reached a set of doors that looked to be at least fifteen feet high. They looked impenetrable. Lola watched as this small woman turned the handle and eased the huge door open.

“Whoa,” escaped Lola as she walked into a club looking area; the size of a football field. Even though the room was stripped bare, it was easy to see the balconies adorning the far left walls and the large central staircase leading up to what looked like a stage. The cold industrial looking décor sent a chill through her system. Off to each side of the central staircase where large tunnels leading to more darkness.

Lola was lost in thought as she took in the enormous room, she didn’t see when Gitta came to an abrupt stop and turned around, almost causing Lola to crash right into her. “Ms. Nash, the position I am offering you is to serve refreshments. Does that sound like something you could handle?” Gitta asked in a curt, heavy accented, clipped voice.

Yeah, I think I can handle that. If not, I wouldn’t be here, now would I? But Lola thought better of it and decided to hold her tongue. Remembering that Rebecca said this job paid more in one night than she made all month at the restaurant she worked at, the thought had peaked Lola’s interest.

“Yes, I’m a bartender.” Lola answered.

“Your experiences tending bar is not what you will be using.” Without a change to her facial expression, “You will be delivering refreshments to the members. Do you understand?” Gitta asked.

Now Lola’s annoyance was creeping up. She was not one to be intimidated by anyone, let alone be spoken to as if she was four years old. She was just about to say as much when Gitta spoke.

“You will be paid $800 cash for a six hour shift. That does not include whatever tips you receive, which of course, are yours to keep as well. You will be supplied a uniform. There will be no employment paperwork. This is strictly cash only employment. You were recommended for this position by Ms. Thatcher, because of your ability to use discretion. Upon your arrival, I see you will be acceptable. This position is not something you can discuss with anyone. Am I making myself clear?”

Discretion? Acceptable? What the hell did Rebecca sign me up for? But, that kind of money is enough for her rent for one month. As long as it isn’t anything illegal, it cannot be that bad, right?

“Before we proceed any further, are you accepting of my terms?”

“Is it illegal?” Lola asked.

For the first time, Gitta gave a genuine smile; unfortunately, it did not improve her overall look. “No, nothing illegal. Though, perhaps considered, prohibited.”

What the hell did that mean?

Turning quickly on her heels, “Come. Follow me. I will get you your uniform and you will need to sign some forms.” With that said, Lola was once again following behind Gitta, watching her walk intently back the way they came. As they stepped out of the room, Gitta closed the large doors and stepped toward a small hallway on the left, which Lola did not notice before. Lola followed Gitta into an office that was just as cold and utilitarian as the room they had just come from. Gitta opened a drawer and withdrew a piece of paper, then placed it in front of Lola, along with a pen.

“This is a Non-Disclosure Agreement. It states that you are restricted in divulging any information regarding our existence, including, but not limited to, your position, our location, or information about our members. It is very straight forward and quite common,” Gitta explained.

Lola looked over the form. Her internal warning system began to chime at a blaring volume. She asked if it was illegal, and was told it isn’t. Something just didn’t feel right about this. “What IS my legal obligation regarding a time period? IF I decide this isn’t for me after working my shift, am I held to any length of employment?”

Gitta was surprised. No one ever asked her that. This one might not be as squeamish as she had originally thought. The possibilities! Gitta wanted to lick her lips in anticipation.

“Ms. Nash, please see the last clause of the document. It states and I quote, ‘The signing party may choose to cease participation at any time without any legal or monetary ramifications. However, confidentiality regarding the actions and its participants of occurrences held at this address, remain legally binding.’ Does that answer your question?”

“So I sign this, I deliver drinks, I get paid. If I choose to tell you to go shove it, I’m free to walk out that door, with money in my hand, as long as I don’t say what you potentially sick fuck,” holding her fingers up in quotation marks, “so called ‘professionals’ do behind these walls? Is that correct?” God it felt good to say what she was feeling in blunt terms, Lola thought.

Again, Gitta smiled, fanaticizing about Ms. Nash, and that feisty tongue of hers, at her mercy. Gitta felt her arousal skyrocket and knew that her panties were now wet.

“That is correct, Ms. Nash. Nevertheless, let me assure you, our members are all of legal age, and consensual to the activities that occur at our club. No one is here against his or her will and believe it or not, we do have some limits.”

So, it’s a sex club. Figures. Reading through the document one more time, Lola signed her name on the designated line and pushed it toward Gitta’s awaiting hands.

“Very good,” Gitta purred. “Now, if you will excuse me, I will just go grab your uniform. Size 14 correct?” Gitta asked as she lazily perused Lola’s figure from head to toe and back again.

Chills ran down her spine, Lola didn’t even want to know how she knew her size. The way Gitta was leering at her, made Lola definitely not want to know. “Yeah, 14.”

Gitta left the room and returned faster than Lola thought possible. In her hand, she held a red satin hanger that held what Lola assumed to be a joke.

“Exactly what am I supposed to do with that?” She said as she eyed the gauze like material that hung from the satin. The size of the white material could not be larger than a placemat.

“Ms. Nash, you wear it. I promise it has plenty of give to cover your voluptuous physique.” Gitta purred once again, roaming her dark gaze over Lola’s body.

You have got to be kidding! “Looks more like thick floss.” That thing wouldn’t cover her boobs let alone her entire body. Lola fingered the material noticing it had a spandex consistency.

Gitta asked for her shoe size, telling her that her uniform and accessories would be awaiting her arrival in eight days. Nodding, Lola was happy to get up and finally get out of the place, needing time to process the past hour. Gitta walked Lola back out to the entrance and gave her a curt goodbye. She watched as Lola climbed into her jeep and pulled out of the parking lot. Gitta walked back to her office and pulled up the security surveillance footage she was looking for and paused the image. Lola looked beautiful and alluring. Her bottom lip was plump as if she had been aggressively kissed. With that image on the screen, Gitta leaned back in her chair, slid her hand down under her skirt and relieved herself of her need to climax, all the while looking at Lola Nash’s face on the screen.

The night had arrived for Lola to go back to Gitta. As she drove, she thought about Boyd and their argument. She felt horrible as these arguments were becoming more frequent and heated. He really didn’t understand why she had to work so much.

“Why do you have to leave?” Bawling up his fists and jetting out his chin.

“I have to go to work, I told you. But I’ll be here when you wake up in the morning.”

“All you do is work. You promised we would go to the movies. You promised! I hate you!”

“Boyd, you don’t mean that. You know how it upsets me when you say such things. I work so you and I can have the things we do.”

She watched as he crumbled to the floor and cried. The sight was quite common when Boyd got upset, but did not lessen the angst it made Lola feel. She observed as Boyd fixated on his shoelaces as he always did when he was having a crying fit. He would pull and pull on the loops until either his hands hurt from the exertion or he ripped the laces. Lola lost count of how many pairs of shoelaces he would go through in a year’s time. Lola walked over, squatted in front of Boyd and gently gripped his hands to stop them in the act. He yanked his hands away, folded his arms across his chest and let out a loud sigh.

“You know I would rather be here with you than out working, but the bills will not pay themselves, so I have to go to work.” Lola said quietly, wanting him to understand.

Boyd wiped under his large brown eyes with his thumbs. No matter how upset he got, Lola never lost her temper with him. He was anxious when she had to leave him, but it especially increased when she left at night.

As Boyd remained quiet, changing positions, Lola sat down next to Boyd. She entwined their hands together like she always did and Boyd squeezed her fingers twice, symbolizing their private sign.

“I’m sorry I got mad at you and said those bad things Lola.”

“I know kiddo. I promise we will go to the movies tomorrow. We can even see that movie with the guy that gets sucked into a video game and has to play his way out.” Lola said smiling knowing that was the movie he had wanted to see since he first saw the preview, weeks ago.

“Really? And can I get my own popcorn? With extra butter?”

Focusing her attention back on the road, Lola laughed as she thought how Boyd could bounce from emotion and topic so quickly. Lola knew he was more upset about where he wasn’t going tonight rather than where Lola went. She was firm in her decision regarding that subject and she refused to second-guess herself now. As she pulled into the parking lot, she gave herself the same pep talk she had been working on all week.

Six hours, piece of cake. You got this Lola. You don’t need to agree with or watch whatever these kinky fuckers do. All you have to do is serve drinks. No harm, no foul, six hours and you can take your money and walk away.

Lola could not put her finger on it, but the building looked different at night. There were dozens of cars in the lot now. She parked as close to the door as she could, gave herself a final reminder of the money she would have in hand in just a few hours, got out and walked toward the door. She was just about to reach out to press the red button, when the door swung open and a massive man stepped out. His menacing look and overwhelming size seemed out of place in the black suit he wore.

“Name?” He barked in a deep raspy voice.

“Lola. Gitta hired me.” Lola said with more clarity than she felt, willing herself to look the man in the eye.

Suddenly, his face changed from menacing to cordial. “May I see your ID?” She fumbled around in her bag, pulled it out and showed him. When he confirmed her identity, he smiled and said, “Sorry about the intimidation, but Gitta pays me for it. I’m Jaxon, but everyone calls me Jax.” His chocolate colored skin and matching eyes were finally accentuated with a white toothy genuine smile.