Bound by Consent by Dalia Craig

just that Bryana has been having trouble with her ex…” Sasha bit her lip. “Ummm, I don’t want to break any confidences. How much do you know about Bryana and her life?”
    “Enough to know that she’s been frightened out of her wits by some stupid bitch masquerading as a Domme.”
    Sasha shrugged. “That’s the way of the world. It happens everywhere, even here, despite the checks we carry out on prospective club members. However, this is serious, the woman is evil and vengeful, too. Since they broke up, the two of them – Esmée and that poisonous little cat she runs with – have made Bryana’s life a total misery. She needs somebody like you, a strong arm, to guide and protect her.”
    “Really?” I raised a questioning brow.
    Oh!” Sasha clapped a hand over her mouth. “Am I reading this wrong?
    “It’s very early days, but no…I wouldn’t say you’re mistaken in making that assumption.”
    “Whew!” Sasha wiped her brow. “In that case you’d better start looking for her. You’ll need my help to search, this place is a damned rabbit warren on all levels.”
    Sasha called to a colleague to watch her place. We started with the basement. The dungeon itself, being open plan, it didn’t offer many places to hide. We also drew a blank with the basement restroom, plus the one upstairs by the bar, and the locker room.
    “Where to next?”
    Sasha indicated the wide staircase.
    “What’s up there?” The sumptuous red, black and gilt décor made it look like the set from a nineteen forties movie. I almost expected to see Ginger Rogers descending on the arm of Fred Astaire prior to one of their famous dance routines.
    “The upper floors house all the individual cells. Members rent them, as one would a hotel room, for private play. Wait here, I’ll need to grab a pass key.” She darted away then returned a few moments later, patting her skimpy shorts. We ascended the stairs side by side and checked the first corridor. Just as I’d expected, the individual rooms on the first level were well appointed with lavish en suite facilities and kitted out for different types of play. A nice setup for those who could afford to pay for the luxury.
    We moved on to the next area. “Is there any CCTV in this place?” I asked, now increasingly worried by the negative results.
    “Yes, there is, but I’m reluctant to involve the management at this stage.” Sasha glanced up at the ceiling then took my arm and pulled me into an alcove. “We’ve got new owners now and things are not… let’s just say I’m not confident the cameras are being used solely for safety and security.”
    “You mean…” I dropped my voice to match Sasha’s whisper .
    “I’ve heard a few rumors that some of our more prominent members have received blackmail threats. I’m not in a position to confirm those rumors or the source of the threats but...”
    “Holy cow!” I wanted to get out of here smartish but not without Bryana. My business and the famous guests who flocked to Auchtercairn relied on my ability to offer total confidentiality. Any sniff of sexual indiscretion would have a hoard of paparazzi camping on my doorstep in hours. I couldn’t afford to have my good name besmirched and my life raked over by some grubby ratbag journalist, or worse still be forced to pay a premium for the privilege of keeping my name out of the gossip columns.
    “Come on.” Sasha took my arm and we started on the next group of cells. All but one of them were unoccupied. We moved on swiftly from that one, leaving a startled couple to no doubt wonder who we were and how we had managed to interrupt their private scene. Up another flight of stairs, the cells were smaller, and more basic, yet still functional and all vacant.
    “Where to now?”
    Sasha shrugged. “That’s it, there isn’t anywhere else except…” She frowned and shook her head. “No.”
    “Except where?” I grabbed her by the arms and shook her. “You’re wasting