Chapter 24


    I still feel shaken, even hours aftering down here and weing the first flow of Alexi’s clientele


    and I cannot shift the feeling of foreboding and anxiety gnawing at my bones. He has yet to appear, he


    never followed me out of the apartment when I fled, and he hasn’t summoned me back upstairs either. I


    would be happy if he stayed upstairs for the rest of the night and sobered up, but I know he needs to be


    down here for his club’s very first night.


    I don’t like the side to him I met, and I have no desire to see it again so soon. The confidence in the


    opinion I formed of him over thesest weeks has been shattered, and I am back to feeling like I don’t


    know him at all. That sinister man from my hospital room and how in awe I was. I should have realised


    then that he had moreyers than an onion and I have barely taken the top one off.


    Alexi aside, everything is going smoothly. We have drunk men molesting half dressed women as they


    all sit and smoke, getting high in the lounge. The strip act has turned lesbian show on our new stage


    and drinks are fast flowing as they are served to both the lounge and the bedrooms where some have


    already taken their spoils. Alexi has two important suits in the VIP lounge upstairs and our trio of


    experienced Domdies are up there giving them a private party. Everything is ticking along like a well-


    oiled machine, even if I am aplete nervous wreck.


    I am the hostess with the mostest. Smiles with charm and tending to everyone’s needs, making sure


    security are watching every room discreetly, keeping an eye on all that is going on while appearing to


    be sipping champagne and schmoozing enjoyably. I have double checked that all weapons were


    checked at the door and put under lock and key. Alexi has this club set up for maximum control,


    thought of every detail, and yet he’s nowhere to be seen on his first night. I can’t stop watching the door


    in angsty anticipation, dreading the moment he does appear.


    I expected him down hours ago. He is too anal about being in charge to not show at all, so I am under


    no illusion that he will stay away.


    I wander around checking drinks, checking the supply of precious white powder and that other


    preferred narcotics are being dished out in low doses. We want fun not death, and we have the men


    keeping limits on all they hand out. We must take care of our members when they be too


    intoxicated for their own good. Theye to kick back and rx and it’s our job to make sure it stays


    that way.


    One of the men nods my way and I take it as a gesture to go over, moving across to where he’s stood,


    and he nods towards one of the boudoir doors that is sitting open. I frown, pissed that we gave every


    member a personal key card for these rooms and told them to keep them closed when in use. Our


    security has ess that overrides all locks should we need to rescue one of our escorts and yet here


    we are with one sitting open while in use during busy time. Anyone could wander in and start


    unnecessary drama or embarrassment.


    Some of these men prefer their kinks to be hidden—discreet is the whole point of the boudoirs. I walk


    over and push my head in before closing it, in case there is a reason it’s sitting that way and get a


    complete eyeful of a naked old man pleasuring himself in the middle of the room, while Candy our


    school girl fetish jumps on the bed singing nursery rhymes to him. It’s more than enough for me and I


    yank the door shut so ittches with a loud click over the top of the loud house music. I could see the


    pleasure he got from being seen and I guess he is a bit of an exhibitionist who likes to be watched


    while getting off. He hoped someone would walk in and check the door, it was just my luck it was me. I


    may have to bleach my brainter to remove that ugly eyeful.


    ‘‘Make sure his door is always closed. Don’t bother checking inside first, just pull it shut and he will


    soon get the hint.’’ I tell my burly man and figure I should learn the new security by name if I am going


    to be dealing with this kind of weird shit. Our members have no idea the rooms are filmed for safety,


    and I am not about to tell our kink prick in there he can be watched with his door closed.


    I leave him to watch the doors in the narrow hallway and move to head out to the quiet part of the bar


    on the far end, nearer the main entrance where it’s quieter. There’s no one over here as the lounge


    seems to be the favourite spot so far, and we still have guests to arrive tonight.


    ‘‘London?’’ Alexi’s voice startles me from behind and I turn in fright, losing my calm demeanour in a


    sh and I try to reel it back in without being too obvious. Blood pressure immediately back up to


    dangerous levels and loss of all calm.


    ‘‘Carrero?’’ I reply warily, avoiding looking him directly in the eye. Heart resumes previous unearthly


    pounding as my body runs cold and hits high alert. I feel awkward around him, like the first night I ever


    met him. Out of my depth and unsure how to act.


    ‘’Can we talk … Upstairs?’’ He seems normal once more, maybe a little too normal for my liking.


    It’s almost like he’s trying to be reasonable and show me he has sobered uppletely, but I am more


    than wary of him right now. Even if he hase down from his artificial high, I saw that other side and


    now I can’t undo it. ‘‘I can’t leave your first night unsupervised. It’d be very irresponsible of me, Boss.’’ I


    smile softly hoping I sound genuine, look rxed and unaffected, when really, my sweaty palms and


    trembling body tell me that is not entirely true. Truth being I don’t want to be alone with him.


    He sighs heavily and clicks his fingers at the bartender, motioning two at him and points at the wall of


    expensive whiskies we had imported for his members. He serves only the best in here and his drink of


    choice is anything that puts hairs on your chest with one sip. I don’t refuse the drink choice, knowing


    better than to find fault with amand right now.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    The tender goes straight to it as Alexi motions for me to sit on one of the high leather stools instead of


    leaving here and I sit obediently. Relieved he haspromised for a ringside seat and I can at least


    rx that he would not publicly flog me. There is enough security around here to deter any Alexi


    psycho moments. I hope.


    ‘‘I want to apologise for what happened. I normally avoid sampling my own shit on top of drinking all


    day, but Gino has a way of getting inside my head.’’ He sits next to me and rests his arms on the bar


    and I just sit stiffly, regarding him quietly. Not sure if this is another charm offensive to smooth over,


    seeing glimpses of the real him, or a genuine apology. I know I don’t know him. In fact, I have not even


    nearly begun to graze the surface of this man in thest few months.


    ‘’He’s your brother; I believe that’s what siblings excel at. I’m sure being twins must be worse.’’ I jest


    with an empty smile stered in ce and a smooth tone to mask how uneasy I feel. The bubbling


    tension tying my stomach in knots is unsettling.


    ‘‘I didn’t mean to scare you. Gino didn’t mean half the shit he said either, so disregard it. It’s about


    getting back at me and nothing to do with you. He’s still sore about me hitting him when we were teens


    and when he’s on something he turns into a shithead, a bit like I do.’’ He gives me a one-shoulder


    shrug and dips his head as he works out a knot in his other. Avoiding my eye for a second and I think I


    am seeing the very first hints of genuine emotion from the man. A sincere apology and a touch of


    remorse for Gino.


    ‘‘So he said … Did you really put your twin in intensive care? How mad must you have been to almost


    kill your own brother?’’ The shiver which runs down my spine makes me visibly flinch, and he sits back


    when the bartender slides our drinks to us and walks away. The club staff know not to hang around the


    people whoe here, to listen in. That shit will get you bumped off.


    I focus on my ss and not on him.


    ‘‘I hit him once. I didn’t beat him or even try to seriously hurt him. I was just pissed andshed out … I


    just caught him the wrong way and it almost killed him. He had a bleed on the brain and he will never


    let me forget it either. For some crazy reason he tries to make me snap like that again whenever he’s


    on a high.’’ Alexi looks odd, sort of guilty I guess although it’s hard to judge a facial expression that I


    am not used to seeing on him. I can tell underneath all that shit earlier he really does care about his


    brother even if the two of them are fucked up in the head with how they are together.


    Who knew the beast actually has a heart?


    ‘‘Your brother''s got mental issues.’’ I mean why else would you poke the bear that is Alexi, that takes all


    kinds of stupid and ack of caring about your health. I’m sitting here sweating buckets over his change


    in persona and Gino is over there intentionally aiming for one. Guy''s crazy.


    ‘‘I think it runs in my family.’’ He nudges me with his shoulder and it’s a weirdly friendly manoeuvre, not


    him at all and catches me a little off guard. A moment of that guy who sporadically shows his face and


    for a second seems a million miles away from the guy I know.