Dancing In Darkness (11 page)

He knew that he wouldn’t get caught unless he screwed up his plans. Now, things had changed a little bit and it required more thinking. She would get what was coming to her if it was the last thing he did. There were things to do and other acts that needed to be put into motion. No one was on to him yet so he had the element of surprise on his side. “Oh this was going to be a surprise of grand proportions.” He thought to himself. The others before her had been so easy. They were flighty and didn’t pay attention, it wasn’t hard to lure them away. Fact was, he had no choice but to kill them after he talked to them. None of this had to be this way, but he was pushed to the point of eliminating that which was in his way. There wasn’t any remorse, he had simply removed more scum from the face of the earth.

As he drove the little black Honda he had bought and not registered, he thought about his perfect plans and how she had screwed it all up. Now she was a part of his grand plan, not only a part, but she was going to be the star. It was all a matter of timing. Moving along the main highway between the city and the hardware store, he passed by the Linston Estate. “Yes, I know you are there and I can wait as long as it takes.”

Priscilla and Adam walked along the stone path through the grounds, talking about anything and everything. The only sounds in the night were the animals and the trees, interrupted momentarily by the little car on the highway with the music blaring. “Kids.” Adam said as he took her hand.

“Yeah, we’ve all done it. Some of us still do.” She smiled up at him.

After an uneventful and quiet week, Adam approached Priscilla. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. Next Saturday is our club party. If you do not want to dance, please don’t feel like you have to. I’m just thankful to have you here, it’s obvious that we are more than employer/employee now.”

“I was thinking about that. With everything going on I had lost track of which Saturday it was going to be. I really don’t mind dancing, if you don’t mind me doing it. It’s sort of therapeutic, takes my mind off of a lot.” She said.

“That’s fine with me, I love watching you dance. It’s therapeutic alright. Okay, maybe not so much therapeutic as it is fucking hot as hell.” He laughed with her.

“At least you’re honest.” She giggled. Her eyes were alight with a new found fire.

They walked on, hand in hand in through the gentle breeze of the night. The sounds had changed from the birds and trees to the chirp of the crickets and the frogs near the ponds. Priscilla wasn’t accustomed to it, but found it to be very relaxing in comparison to the cars, horns and sirens of the city. Even the move from the so called bad neighborhood into the good one hadn’t changed that. So for now she would live out a dream as long as it lasted. Once they captured the murderer who was now stalking her, she would be able to return home to her apartment. The thought caused her to sigh.

“Everything okay?” He asked her.

“Yes, I was just thinking. It’s sort of bittersweet you know.” She replied.

“What is?” He questioned her.

“All of this. I have someone that wants me dead, three friends already dead, fleeing my home, meeting you, coming here, and after all of that, tonight, I am truly happy.” She said wistfully.

“You know, after a while if you still feel the same, you could always choose to remain happy.” He said oddly soft spoken.

“That’s not something to think about right now. We have to see how all of this plays out. The police need something solid to go on, maybe then they would find the solution.” She said.

“What do you want to think about?” He asked her.

“These gardens, the scent of the outdoors, the sounds, making love to you.” She shyly told him.

He smiled at her and tightened his grip on her hand. If he spent too much time with this woman he would be caught in her trap and fall completely in love. Who was he trying to fool? He already had. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, didn’t want to even admit it to himself.

They journeyed through the rose garden and headed back to the house. It was cooling off quickly and Priscilla didn’t have a jacket. “I’m getting kind of hungry. Didn’t notice it before.” She said.

“We can always find something in the kitchen. There’s staff on all the time.” He smiled.

“I don’t need kitchen staff, I can cook for myself. I’m not used to all of that.” She looked away, slightly embarrassed. This was completely out of her realm and she had no concept of how to reply.

“There’s no need to be ashamed. I don’t care where you come from or what you do or do not have.” He said plainly. “They are paid quite handsomely for their time. It’s what they do.”

“Thank you, perhaps we should go see them. A growling tummy isn’t very ladylike.” She pointed out.

Stumbling on a new found happiness himself, he laughed heartily, picked her up amid protests, and started toward the house. Someone had to get this woman something to eat.

The two of them made an amazing pair. As if they were suited to be together. Of course there was the subject of his lifestyle that had not come up in conversation yet, but she was going to change that tonight. She wanted to know what was in those rooms and what they were used for. Half of it scared her to death because the pictures and websites she found on the internet were just violent. She hoped that wasn’t what he was in to. He had shown her nothing but tenderness and the occasional firm tone, she could live with that. He sat her down just outside of the kitchen back door. Kissing her quickly as he did so. These were the little moments that people lived for. His job was to keep her alive to enjoy those moments. With him.

Priscilla started a conversation with the woman that would be cooking her dinner. She really had to get used to this. It was strange for her not to be the one waiting on someone. “Please, don’t go to any strenuous lengths, Gabi.” She told the older woman.

“Dear there is nothing too strenuous. Okay, maybe Beef Wellington or something at this hour, but normal food, nothing is a problem. I’m going to make you my homemade enchiladas.” Gabi told her.

“Oh no, please something small and light tonight. I couldn’t eat anything heavy right now.” She pleaded with her.

“Well then, we shall have enchiladas tomorrow night for dinner then.” Gabi smiled. “Tonight, how about cucumbers, avocado, alfalfa sprouts and tomato on a brioche roll?”

“That, sounds heavenly.” Priscilla replied.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

With the quiet peacefulness of the last several days, Saturday made its presence known. There was a bustle of activity around the house. Extra staff came in to make sure everything was taken care of down to the most miniscule detail. The excitement that buzzed through the entire home was in stark contrast to the previous days that she had been here. Tonight was the night that she was going to ask Adam to show her around the other areas. If she did it on her way to get dressed, it wouldn’t take him out of his way. This set her nerves on edge, she had never encountered anything like this. However, if it was a part of him, then she was pretty sure it was a good thing for her to learn. She had already picked up on some of the terminology and was ready to move forward.

Catching up to him about an hour before any guests were scheduled to arrive, she pulled him aside. “I have to go get dressed soon, I want to make sure I look perfect for you.” She cooed.

He liked seeing this side of her. It wasn’t quite the exotic dancer mentality but it wasn’t the shy and reserved Priscilla he had come to know either. “Let me open the door for you, unless you remember where it is?” He said.

“Please, show me.” Came her reply. She was determined to get him to walk with her.

He smiled and led the way toward the hidden hall. Once they had reached the bookshelf, he showed her where the button was. “Any time you want or need to come down here, you do not have to ask me.”

“Yes sir.” She answered.

“Do you have any clue that I find you to be absolutely intoxicating?” He said, a fire was beginning to burn in his eyes. She could see it and he could feel it.

“No sir, I didn’t.” She was honest.

“Well I do and I can’t wait to watch you dance tonight. While everyone else can only watch and dream, I can watch and take you to bed after.” He beamed at her.

“Yes sir, you can.” She agreed. “I do have a question for you. Would you show me these rooms on our way down the hall?”

It was his turn to be stunned into momentary silence. “I will. They are all pretty much the same, different sizes, a few different things here and there, but yes, I will show you.”

She started to get nervous when he opened the door to the first room. His term dungeon was not exactly what she had pictured in her head. The internet had terrified her of some of this stuff. This room upon first glance was beautiful. The only dungeon feel to it was the gothic style furniture. The dark purple and black color scheme enhanced that feel. When she took a second look at the few pieces of furniture that were in the room, she noticed the loops secured to the arms and legs of the chair that sat in the center of the room, the seat was open and the front was wider than a normal chair would be. The sides of that seat would be under your thighs. On the wall to the left of that chair were various sizes and lengths of cuffs and collars, all with locks attached to them. It didn’t take rocket science to figure out what those were for. Across the room there were wedged shaped pieces of furniture that would allow a body to reach many different angles.

“Are you okay with this?” He asked her genuinely.

“I’m fine with this. It isn’t bad at all. I’m guessing it gets worse, though?” She said.

“Not too much. Pretty much anything that can happen in one room can happen in any room. People just have different preferences. The rooms are all decorated differently though, that’s for shock value and appeal to different tastes.” He told her. “Different themes, you could say.”

Going to the next door which was across the hall from the first one, he turned the handle and let her in.

“Okay, this one is a little different, but I understand the concept, obviously.” She told him.

There were various pieces of furniture, if you could call it that, she didn’t know what else to call it actually, that were designed to hold one in place. Ones that were meant to be knelt on, ones that were to be laid on, and one that was made to be restrained bent over while standing. As in the previous room, there were cuffs of many sizes and lengths. This room also added many different spanking implements. There were paddles, belts, flogs, whips, and what looked like an old wooden hairbrush. All of this she understood. When she came to the next set of items that were on the wall, she had to ask, “What are the bars?”

“Those are called spreader bars. They are used on the ankles to keep them a set distance apart and unmovable. They can be used with the furniture or on their own and chained to arm restraints.” He explained to her. She liked that he didn’t make her feel stupid. This was all so new to her.

“While I wouldn’t want to participate in all of this, again, it’s not as bad as they made it appear on the internet.” She told him.

“What? You went and searched it?” He looked at her incredulously. She never failed to amaze him.

“Well, I didn’t know anything about it. I had to have some idea so that I didn’t appear to be brilliantly stupid.” She looked at him slightly annoyed that he almost laughed at her.

“I wouldn’t have thought you were stupid,” he reassured her. “I only found it amusing that you took the time to do that instead of simply asking.”

“Ugh, I should have, because this isn’t anything like that. Thankfully, because honestly, I was ready to run.” She said.

“Sweetheart, there are people out there that are into what you found on the internet. I am not one of them, but do enjoy some of the perks.” He told her.

“Can we see the last room before I change?” She asked, noticing that the time was starting to wean down to guests showing up soon.

Walking a short distance down the hall to the third and final door, he put his hand on the doorknob and told her, “This room is the most intense. I just wanted you to be aware of that before you went in.”

“It’s fine. I think I can handle seeing it, as long as there is no one in there. I mean, it’s just inanimate objects, right?” She asked.

“Indeed.” He was proud of her attitude and how she was dealing with all of this. He knew that it could be very intimidating to those not well versed in any of the lifestyle. He was also glad she was open to some of it, even if it were only a small portion.

When the door opened and she had stepped inside, it was as if she had been taken into another realm. It was indeed designed like a dungeon. There were shackles hanging on the wall that were attached to large metal loops. There was a huge wooden X in the middle of the room that seemed to swallow everything else. Perhaps because of the nature of the piece? There were loops on all four arms and on the bottom two were feet rest, on which to stand. There were several types and colors of ropes hanging across the walls, there were hooks hanging from the ceiling where restraints could be locked while someone was standing. There was a large dresser type piece sitting along the far wall. She crossed the room and ran her hand along the length of it. Before opening one of the drawers, she turned and looked at him, “May I?”

“Of course.” He replied.

Sliding the drawer easily and silently, she looked inside. There was a selection of vibrators and other sex toys. Next to the chest of toys, she noticed another piece of equipment. She wasn’t sure what it was for, and he noticed her questioning eyes. “It’s an autoclave, after everything is washed with cleanser and water, it is sterilized in there.”

“Okay, that makes sense and it’s very smart.” She agreed. Taking one last look around the dungeon room, she walked out. “Those aren’t too horribly bad, I’m sure it might be different if there were actually people in there.”

“Keep in mind that the only people in there are those that choose to be. This is all by choice and it’s never forced. Everyone has a safe word with their partner or whomever the person they are with at the moment. This keeps everyone safe, if they can’t take something, it’s too extreme or they don’t want to continue even if already actively participating, it stops immediately.” He explained to her with great patience. “This is why I said that the sub of the relationship holds all of the power. It is not something to take part of with someone you do not trust implicitly. That is something to always remember.”

“Interesting to say the least. I better go get ready, we spent quite a bit of time going through here. Thank you for showing me, Adam.” She said. Leaning up she kissed him quickly before crossing the room to the other side of the stage.

He knew before that he was falling in love with this woman, but not that it was set in stone. He loved her. It was his first relationship that would not be in a Dom/sub context. He had never felt the desire to share his life completely with one person. Priscilla Barnes was different. The question would be, does she feel the same way? He couldn’t tell her all of this without knowing she felt the same way first. He refused to put his heart on the line only to be shot down.

In a room down the hall, Priscilla had decided on the same type of costume as the last party, only in a different color. Fire red. It was eye catching and sexy. For the first time in a long time she felt sexy herself. The other men cheering and paying her was different. She didn’t have to feel anything, it was all about the money. While she was getting paid for her performance tonight, it was different. She was technically living with this man, she was definitely sleeping in his bed and that’s how she wanted it to remain, for the time being. Pushing all of that aside, she picked up her phone and dialed Adam’s number. She knew that the guests would be arriving and some probably already had, but she wanted him to walk her out. That last little streak of shyness never went away for her.

“I’ll be right there, love.” He told her when he answered the ringing phone.

“Did he just call me love?” She asked herself out loud. “Oh, I couod get used to that. Shut up Priscilla, you’re getting in over your head.”

When he opened the door and saw her for the first time that night, he lost his breath. For the first time in forever, Adam Linston was speechless. The red outfit, the platform shoes to match, the exquisitely French braided hair, and she was the epitome of perfection. Finally finding his voice, he told her, “I am a lucky, lucky man.”

She felt the familiar blush creep into her cheeks. Fight it as she may, she had no control over it and she didn’t think it would ever go away. He found it rather sweet. It showed that she still retained her modesty.

“Are we ready?” He asked her.

“I am, is everyone here?” She replied.

“Mostly. I think.” He shrugged. “I don’t care, I want to see you dance.” He had waited long enough.

She smiled at him as they walked down the hall arm in arm. Entering the large, darkened room, she took a deep breath as he helped her to the stairs. He whispered in her ear before she went up. Her smile brightened her entire face. “You are all mine tonight when we are through.” He told her.

Taking her place on the stage by leaning against the pole, she waited for the music to start. When she began to move to the rhythm she could see all heads turn to watch her. This was the part that she enjoyed. The one thing that she could do right. She could dance. What she didn’t notice was that the shadowy figure in the corner from the last party, was there again. Still sitting in his chair, still watching her every move. Plotting. Yes, he was watching her slow, torturous death play out like a screenplay that only his mind could view.

The man in the dark thought to himself that only by following her every move and her reactions to different scenarios would he be able to have his just rewards. His patience was strong, but beginning to wear thin. He had been watching her for a while, waiting for precisely the right time. Now, he had to start moving his plan into action. It wouldn’t be tonight, but it would be soon. Let her think that she was safe here, in this castle that Linston called a home.

There wasn’t any safety here for her, he was an invited guest, a member in good standing. No one would ever suspect him. It was the perfect plan and had worked perfectly the last three times. Some things had to change though or it would be extremely difficult to pull off. This had not been in his plan at all, she would have had no reason to be here. What were the odds of that happening? He stood to leave just before the music stopped for the night, wanting to make his exit before the lights were brought up.

She hadn’t seen him all night until this very moment. In fact she had forgotten about him. Now that he was leaving she could sense something that to an extent seemed familiar. That couldn’t be though, she didn’t know anyone here other than Adam. She brushed it off as it being someone that could be a public figure and that’s how she thought she knew. Then again, with the lighting as such, it was too tricky to say with any confidence that she recognized him at all.

“Priscilla, I think you should go answer your phone, Nina has been calling for the last few minutes, repeatedly.” Adam said seriously.

“Oh no, please no.” She looked as if she were going to cry. Grabbing her phone from the table in the break area under the stage, she quickly hit the numbers for Nina.

“Pris, I think that they might have the guy they are looking for!” Nina practically screamed into the phone.

“What? How?” She couldn’t think. All she could do was throw some clothes over her costume and ask Adam for a ride to Nina’s.

“What’s going on?” He questioned.

“Nina said they think they have the guy responsible for the murders. I don’t know. Please, we have to go.” She begged him.