Part 16 (1/2)
”Wow,” she said.
”It has a lot of history around it.” He placed a hand at her back taking her to the front entrance.
A man waited inside the door. Stephen greeted him then took her coat from her. She smiled at the man, who gave her a nod of the head. So far everything seemed normal. Stephen opened the door to the main hallway. He led her down the hall to another room. She took a deep breath. Her nerves were driving her crazy. They walked through a room that held a bar. There was a sultry dark-haired singer on stage.
They stopped at the bar while Stephen ordered a coffee for himself. ”I'll have a beer,” she said.
”The lady will have a beer.” She needed to do something to calm herself.
Violet sat next to Cadeon at a large table. She saw a couple more men with their women curled up against them. They were touching each other. Small touches on the hand, back, or face, but she saw the need she felt. Acting on instinct, Ursula took Stephen's hand as they walked the small distance to the sitting area where his friends sat. The men stood when she approached.
”Hi, everyone. Tate, Kevin, Sean, and Lucas you know. Also, Cadeon and Violet. This man, though, is James. He was at the party, but I don't recall you two being introduced.” Stephen made the introductions. James kissed her hand and let her go immediately. She liked there was no lingering in touches with each other.
They sat for several moments. She saw all the men exchange glances. ”I'm going to have to leave you here while I go and talk with the others. Violet will stay with you.” Ursula nodded her head watching them all leave.
Stephen kissed her deeply before leaving. Cadeon did the same to Violet.
Seconds later, she sat with Violet sipping her beer.
”Are you all right?” Violet asked.
”I'm fine. This is just ... erm ... for me it is just a little too much at the moment.” She tried to explain without sounding judgmental.
”I understand. When Cadeon told me about this place I was concerned. Then I was charmed, and I found it funny.” Violet sipped from a soda can.
”I'm surprised you don't drink hard. Do you want me to order you some wine?”
Violet shook her head. ”I don't drink. I'm more of a tea or coffee girl.”
”When did you and Cadeon become an item?”
”Over four months ago. I used to work for him in one of his businesses.”
Ursula spat beer out of her mouth, the action so sudden Violet jumped. ”s.h.i.+t, I'm so sorry.” She grabbed napkins to try and clean up the mess.
”What did I say?” Violet asked.
”You worked for him?”
The other woman nodded her head. Ursula finished cleaning away the mess she'd created. ”I work for, no, I used to work for Stephen. I cleaned his house and cooked his dinner.”
”I don't know a lot about Stephen. Living with Cadeon is more than enough for me. He likes me to himself, and to be honest, I like being with him.”
”Was he honest about this place?” She finished wiping up the beer. The woman minding the bar came over to gather the towels. Ursula sat down with the half finished bottle of beer.
”Yes, Cadeon has always been honest with me. I wasn't with him in the beginning. I know this life is not for every woman, but it is for me. I love him, and it's nice knowing I'll always be safe.” Violet smiled sipping her tea.
Ursula recalled what Stephen had told her about the other woman. Violet looked really happy.
Several men sat in the opposite booth. Neither of them looked over at them or sent side-long glances. ”They won't approach the table,” Violet said.
”What?” Ursula turned back to the other woman.
”One of the rules of the club is not to approach other women. The staff are not to be dated, and the women who frequent the club are considered taken. You're wearing a pendant known by many to be Stephen Knox's possession. To the men, you're owned by him.”
Ursula listened to Violet. Her words should p.i.s.s her off. Being owned by men was a barbaric way of looking at situations.
”You're totally fine with all of this?” Ursula asked. She was p.i.s.sed at her own lack of being p.i.s.sed.
”Why wouldn't I be? Cadeon loves me. I spent a great deal of my life being afraid. He takes care of me. I like knowing when I fall asleep in his arms everything will be okay. I don't expect you to understand. There have been women that he's told me about who hated this whole thing. But for once wouldn't you like someone to hold you, love you, and protect you?” Violet put her cup down. ”Before Cadeon there was nothing in my life but fear. I was scared to live. Now, I have him. There is nothing else in the world I want.”
Her pa.s.sionate speech made Ursula listen. She put her empty bottle down and stared at the pendant. Since meeting Stephen she'd been happy. He made her happy by being with her.
”I hope I didn't upset you,” Ursula said.
”Cadeon warned me. He said you'd ask questions. I don't mind. You're the first woman who has talked to me since coming here. It's nice. I hope you stay with Stephen. I don't know him that well, but he seems different with you. He seems happy.”
Her ring turned on her finger. Ursula stared down at the small diamond band. She'd agreed to marry him. She would have to tell her sister, her parents, everyone she loved that she was marrying Stephen. The panic rose inside her. She didn't like being the centre of attention. She didn't know how she would get through a wedding. Ursula lifted her hand up to show Violet the ring.
”Is that what I think it is?”
”Yes. He proposed before we came over.” Violet cooed over the ring. Ursula smiled at her response. The ring felt heavy on her finger. After some time Violet offered to take her around the club. Ursula followed the other woman as they moved from room to room.
”From what Cadeon tells me this whole place is Stephen's.”
Just another thing to make me nervous.
Stephen pa.s.sed the file to James who began looking through it. He knew the instant he got to the photographs as he began cursing under his breath. The moment James finished he pa.s.sed it to the other men. He waited until all of them had seen the file before commenting.
Lucas closed the file then put it down on the desk. Stephen had cleaned away the mess in his office during the week. This was the only place he knew to be safe and secure.
”I don't like the look of those pictures,” James said first. ”Everything else can be put down to hearsay, but those pictures can damage our reputation. What do we know on Ursula's ex?”
”Paul Mellor hates working. He finds a woman, settles down, then lets her work until she kicks him out. From my sources he's been doing it since he turned eighteen,” Sean said. ”According to what Stephen has said, he spent most of his time watching p.o.r.n while Ursula was at work or college.”
”So we can rule out him running the show?” James asked. He clearly looked concerned. Stephen understood the concern. That single picture of him punis.h.i.+ng his submissive did not paint James in a very good light.
Stephen sat back and thought about everything that had happened in the last few months. ”I think it's Eugene Black.”
”It's Eugene,” Tate and Kevin said in unison.
”How do you know for sure?” James asked. ”That little f.u.c.ker has been off the scene for awhile.”
”He's the sole trustee of the Black fortune. There have been large amounts of funds being transferred into his bank from a British investor. That selfsame investor was putting money into Dominic's account,” Tate said.
”How come we're only learning about it now?” Stephen asked.