Dark Alley: Game Read online

  Belladonna needed to eat something, and choosing a meal was maybe the distraction she needed. At least it would tear her glare away from the back of his head and the mask of the woman that was accompanying him.

  Hell, she was jealous, but she knew that she didn’t have any right to be, because this was what the Dark Alley was about. No strings attached, just satisfaction. No love, just lust. Maybe she wanted him that much because she knew that she couldn’t have him. Maybe she shouldn’t allow her life to center around this place.

  “Good evening, Miss, can I take your order?”

  The waitress pulled her away from the vertigo of her thoughts, making her flinch a little.

  “Yes, of course,” Belladonna mumbled.

  She had no idea at what dish her finger was pointing, and she didn’t really care. Her appetite was gone and her glass was empty. Had she ordered another drink? She couldn’t recall. Belladonna felt nauseous, but it had to be her empty stomach and the alcohol, otherwise her mind was going overboard with this. She had read the contract, and the brochure. She had known what she was getting herself into. She had no right to be upset or hurt. Maybe, so it dawned on her, she should go out on a date with Aquarius, with Tristan.

  “Are you alright?”

  For a moment, there, Belladonna wasn’t sure if she was hallucinating, or capable of magic, or if fate had wanted this to happen. She looked up, to see Aquarius standing right in front of her and although he was wearing a mask that hid the upper half of his face, his expression was telling her he was concerned, maybe even worried. What the hell was he doing here? She was pissed and relieved at the same time.

  “Yes,” she managed to utter after eternal seconds. “Please, sit down.”

  Had she really just invited him to accompany her? Shouldn’t she still be angry at him for his blackmail? Even though he had backed out of it?

  No matter her intention, he did what she told him, and took the chair opposite to her.

  Although he didn’t say anything, Belladonna knew that Aquarius didn’t quite believe her statement that she was alright. Somehow, it made her feel at ease and she almost smiled at him.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, and sounded harsher than she intended to be; but her tone matched how she felt about this situation.

  “I just saw you sitting here and you seemed,” Aquarius searched for the right word, “shaken.”

  “I am,” she admitted, trying to not look across the room and towards King and his apparent Queen.

  “He’s with someone,” Aquarius stated the obvious.

  “D’uh,” was everything Belladonna was willing to say.

  “You don’t know anything about him, do you?” This question surely brought back her attention to Aquarius. “But you know who I am.”

  “All I know is your profession, your first name, and your little brother,” Belladonna gave back sharply.

  “That’s more than you know about that guy,” Aquarius simply nodded towards the man that was sitting behind his back. “And I am willing to tell you everything you want to know. Nothing has changed, at least for me.”

  “So, you want to go on a date with me?” Belladonna inquired, skeptically. “Like a normal date?”

  “Yes,” Aquarius answer was instant and sincere.

  “Let me think about that,” she gave back and was slightly surprised by her own words.

  This wasn’t allowed, this was against the rules, and it was the last thing she had bargained for when deciding to visit the Dark Alley.

  However, she had to be honest with herself and that if she had met Tristan anywhere else, she would have instantly said yes if he had asked her out.

  Should she really allow the Alley to influence her? She didn’t think so, but Belladonna wasn’t willing to ignore completely that he had attempted to blackmail her.

  “Okay,” Tristan said after a moment, surely having to allow her answer to sink in; he didn’t look like he had expected that kind of response and maybe he was getting his hopes up, right now. “How do we exchange numbers? I mean, you still have to decide…”

  “That’s a good question,” Belladonna thought and stated aloud.

  She allowed her glance to roam through the room, but skipped the last table closest to the bar.

  “I will give my number to your brother, and he can give it to you,” she decided, and watched how Aquarius stopped himself from turning around.

  “That’s a great idea,” he agreed and hesitated before he continued. “Do you want me to leave?”

  Belladonna first didn’t know where his question was coming from, but it did only take her a moment to catch up. Although she hadn’t said ‘yes’ yet, he seemed to want to start things the usual way, dating, and without meeting up in the Alley. And she was fine with that.

  “It might be the best idea,” Belladonna answered softly and earned a smile in return, as Aquarius got up and left.

  Tristan appeared to be confident that Alice would give it a try, but she wasn’t so sure. Right then, as she watched him walk away, she remembered Greg from the night club, and how she basically had blown him off involuntarily. Maybe, she should text him tomorrow. After all, he was nice and quiet, and had no idea where and how she had spent the last few weekends, when she had been unavailable.

  Whether it was impulse, instinct or just coincidence, as soon as she let Aquarius out of her sight, her gaze moved towards the booth she had been trying to avoid looking at. And it made her freeze in her tracks. They were looking at her, both of them. King of Diamonds and the blonde… Much to her relief just then the waitress arrived, serving her a Cesar’s salad with chicken and bread.

  “Would you like another drink, Miss?” the waitress asked and Belladonna didn’t have to think too long and she ordered a light white wine, as she was hoping to not become too sober.

  Doing her best to ignore King, Belladonna gave her entire attention to her meal, which was once again more than delicious. She had to restrain herself from devouring it, as her hunger reemerged, grumbling loudly, which was probably the only reason why she managed to keep her thoughts from wandering off.

  With her meal finished and her wine emptied, she didn’t have to wait long for the waitress to come over and take her empty plate and glass, and Belladonna prepared for the question if she wanted something to drink.

  “King of Diamonds would like to invite you to eat your dessert at his table,” the woman kindly stated.

  Now, Belladonna didn’t have any choice but to look across the room towards King, who was glancing at her, sitting next to the woman, whose mask was so unsettling.

  What now?

  The last thing Belladonna wanted was to appear scared or childish. She had no claim over him and he had never told her that he might be with someone, or was married. That thought alone made her want to shudder. How naïve had she been? Of course, this was the perfect place for adultery. How could she be so naïve?

  “Very well,” Belladonna stood up slowly, brushing down her A-line skirt that had its zipper on the left side, because she was a bit drunk and because she wanted to stall for time. “Please bring me the menu to his table.”

  “Of course, Miss,” the waitress spoke, nodding, and walked away.

  With her glare dancing between King and his female guest, Belladonna slowly walked across the room, ignoring everything else, as she stalked onwards. Her thoughts were racing, trying to find explanations for why this woman could wear diamonds and not be intimately connected to Kind of Diamonds, but there were none that were realistic.

  Belladonna would have to face whatever truth she would learn in a few moments; she just didn’t know if she was ready, but she probably would never be ready.

  Arriving at the table, King of Diamonds got onto his feet and made a step to the side, offering his side of the bench where he sat, which also put Belladonna between him and the lady with the diamond mask. Not wanting to be rude, she gave him a timid smile and sat down where he had been just moments before, f
eeling the warmth he had abandoned.

  “This is Belladonna,” King of Diamond spoke, before he sat down on a chair, addressing the other woman. “Belladonna, this is the Queen of Diamonds, my wife.”

  Of everything she had expected this had been the last and most dreaded possibility.

  His. Wife. His. Fucking. Wife.

  Belladonna had no idea how to react or what to say. All she did was move her head and eyes and look at her, the one that ruined everything. Or so she thought.

  “The lady and I have an arrangement,” King continued as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb of major proportions. “We can do as we please as long as it stays within the sanctuary of the Dark Alley.”

  When Belladonna’s and King’s eyes locked, she had the feeling that he wanted to add more, explain more, that the two of them weren’t just in an open relationship, but that there was more to the arrangement than he insinuated.

  “I would like to watch you.” The Queen of Diamonds disrupted the silence that spread out between them.

  “Excuse me?” Belladonna inquired.

  Was all of this just a big game to them?

  “I would like to watch you, Belladonna, being fucked by my husband.” Queen of Diamonds explained without hesitation or shame.

  Belladonna knew that she should be appalled, or at least upset about that statement, but it did something else to her, something else, entirely. She remembered quite vividly how Aquarius was forced to watch her being fucked by King of Diamonds and now his wife wanted to do the very same, voluntarily?

  The thought of it made the heartache she felt concerning King a little less painful, at least right now.

  “Okay,” Belladonna listened to herself answer to the Queen of Diamonds. “But first” – she couldn’t help but smirk. “What’s for dessert?”

  Much to her surprise it was the Queen who laughed. Belladonna wasn’t even hungry, and for whatever reason, she couldn’t wait to start, but she didn’t want to appear as if she was completely into their proposal.

  Was this silly? Because after all, this was a sex club.

  Distracting Belladonna from her thoughts, the waitress arrived ready to hand over the dessert menus, but Queen of Diamonds declined, naming her order; and Belladonna just jumped in and ordered the same, even though she hadn’t listened. King of Diamonds did the same.

  Belladonna was starting to become nervous, although she knew what she was getting herself into. Maybe it was because she was sitting between the two of them and her mind started to wander off again, imagining how their hands would touch her beneath the table. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed that nothing happened. Then again, she didn’t want to have sex in a public room with so many watching.

  Twenty-One

  Belladonna couldn’t recall the number the waitress had given to them, but as she stepped into the room they had been given, she felt instantly reminded of the last time she and King of Diamonds had come together. It was the same interior design, the same first floor, she recalled from that special night that changed everything for her.

  The open stairwell was at the exact same spot she remembered, so was the bar. Everything was black, white, and purple, with shiny and smooth surfaces, and no round corners anywhere. Belladonna could feel her nerves getting the better of her, so she left the stairwell leading up where it was and headed straight for the bar. She needed a drink.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Bella,” she heard King say with this voice that seemed to become more and more alluring with every word he spoke. “I don’t want you to get light-headed.”

  Her body stopped, obeying his silent demand and she let out a sigh. Of course, he was right. She wouldn’t be able to enjoy anything he did to her, when she was drunk. As she turned around, King of Diamonds held out his hand to her and she after briefly glancing at his wife, returned to take it. King of Diamonds led her up the stairs, and this time, as she placed her foot onto the first step, she didn’t brace herself for a shaking stairwell; she knew these steps were solid as stone. But, Belladonna wasn’t really able to focus on anything but the warmth and gentleness of his hand around hers. She didn’t know him, apart from the brief meeting in the club, when she first decided that he wasn’t as handsome as she now was certain of. Her Mr. Scotch had done things to her that no man before had. She knew it was wrong to judge a man by his sexual prowess, but she couldn’t help but want him. She wanted to know him, she wanted to learn more about him… but he was married. It was obviously an open marriage, but Belladonna couldn’t see herself as the other woman. It was out of the question. And so, it dawned on her that this might be her last night with King of Diamonds, and maybe her last night at the Dark Alley.

  Reaching the top of the stairs Belladonna first looked at the bathroom with the glass walls, giving her a perfect view on the large shower that offered enough space for three or even four people. She didn’t really want to look at the big canopy bed, but curiosity got the better of her as she remembered what had waited for her the last time she was in this room. Turning around to look at the sheets she saw something that made her tremble. There was nothing. No leather underwear, no see-through lingerie, no collar, no shackles. Nothing. Not even a silken blindfold. That was when it dawned on Belladonna that she wouldn’t be able to hide from the fact that his wife would be watching them. She would be forced to see the entire time.

  Belladonna didn’t want to be the one to chicken out, but she wasn’t sure if she could really enjoy it. Not when she wasn’t able to hide herself, close her eyes and let her imagination do the rest.

  “Take off your clothes.” This time it was the Queen, who was talking; but as soon as her words had reached Belladonna’s ears she couldn’t recall if her tone had been demanding or suggesting.

  She couldn’t stop herself but turn around towards her, both her hands already lifting to slowly unbutton her favorite, purple blouse. Queen of Diamond’s eyes locked with hers, and Belladonna was incapable of tearing herself free. Instead, she slowly allowed her blouse to slide down her shoulders, while she kept watching the woman in front of her.

  Belladonna couldn’t recall that there had been an easy chair the last time, but it did match the colors of the room and Queen of Diamonds was sitting in it as if it was the most common thing in the world.

  There was something in her stare, a strange glint to her eyes that Belladonna couldn’t quite put a finger on. Was this woman a lesbian? Was this the reason she and her husband had an arrangement? She fought against the ember of hope threatening to ignite a fire that was bound to burn her. No. Maybe this woman was bisexual? Or maybe she simply enjoyed holding the reigns.

  Her sexuality didn’t matter

  If there was anything safe to say about this situation it was Belladonna doubting that she would ever understand either of these two people who were with her right now. What seemed apparent was that these two enjoyed themselves without worrying their heads. To them, this had to be nothing more than a game, with Belladonna being nothing more than a toy. She knew that she should stop thinking that this club was anything else than catering to sex partners, and stop mistaking awesome sex with falling in love or caring.

  Belladonna despised that she felt hurt right now, and silently scolded herself for getting her hopes up. Why did it have to be King she wanted, when there were three men and maybe more, who wanted her?

  The answer was simple: he was the one she knew least about. Yes, she had seen his face, but that was it. The rest was mystery and what her imagination filled in, which was, of course, only the best things for her. She didn’t want Core, because he wanted to be her slave. She didn’t want Greg, because he seemed nice, and wasn’t really her type. She didn’t want Aquarius, because he had disappointed her already. And King of Diamonds was none of that. There was a chance that he was everything she ever wanted in a man. A leader, not a soldier, not a slave, not a traitor. The way he treated her already told her that. He seemed to know exactly what she needed and
wanted, even before she was aware of it. In her mind, he was the perfect man for her, but she knew nothing about him.

  It was that very moment when she climbed onto the canopy bed, just as Queen of Diamonds ordered her to, that she finally caught on to the rules of the game everyone played at the Dark Alley. You played your very own act in your own fantasy. And it was nothing more than that.

  Just a fantasy.

  Tonight, King of Diamonds would be just that to her. He was playing the role of her seducer and his wife would watch him fucking someone else. There would be nothing more to it, and when Belladonna left, it all was just another far too real dream.

  Belladonna’s eyes locked with Queen’s again, but this time she felt completely relaxed, almost as if she was in charge and not the other way around. King of Diamonds would be hers tonight, and she would do her best to make his wife jealous. The thought of it made her bite her lower lip, while a grin grew at the corners of her mouth and to her surprise, Queen of Diamonds was smiling back.

  “I want you to do just that, Bella,” she addressed her for the first time with her name and the sound of it shot a searing hot jolt through her nervous system, just increasing the already growing arousal in her.

  “Yes, Mistress,” Belladonna breathed out after a brief moment of deliberation.

  “Good girl,” she nodded in approval.

  Belladonna hadn’t cared about what King of Diamonds had been doing and now it was too late to turn around and check what he had done, because an order was an order. Out of the corners of her eyes she believed that there now was hanging from the canopy bed’s columns to the left and right of her, but it could all be just in her head.

  When she suddenly felt warm hands on her butt cheeks, she flinched, realizing that King of Diamonds was knelling behind her, while she was on all fours. He had a perfect view on her behind and her openings.