Chapter 52

I leave with Stephens for the forty-five minute trip into Houston and Club El Diablo. Monroe keeps a suite at the exclusive El Diablo Hotel, and I stop there briefly before entering the club, which is located on the premises of the hotel.
The lights, smells, and music bring me fully into my kink headspace. I've visited private clubs around the country, but no matter the attractions each has, El Diablo is my favorite. The sight of the beautiful carousel makes me smile and brings back the memory of the last punishment I gave Sara before she met her husband. It was a spanking with the flat of my hand but it was more than satisfying.
At the beginning of my BDSM exploration, Sara held my hand. She was a switch in the early days of her own journey, and she had good understanding of what I needed to learn. Monroe taught me about bondage techniques and how to create the perfect scene. It was Sara who showed me the delicate exchange of power I needed in order to understand how it all comes together.
"Zachery, I was hoping Nathanial would entice you into attending!" Damian, the owner of Club El Diablo, shakes my hand and slaps me on the back.
"It's good to see you," I reply. "The BDSM grapevine has been whispering about you being a new daddy. Congratulations."
Pride literally drips off him. "Thank you. Abigail and her mother are doing fantastic now that we have a nanny, but sweet Abby has a cold and Lydia won't be attending the show. I promised I would invite you to dinner if you plan to be in town for long."
"I would love to have dinner and meet the new addition to the family." Damian's friendship is something else that draws me to his club. When he married a Domme he hired, I was shocked. Damian is one of the best Doms I know, and I've learned so much from him. His wife is also a dominant and somehow they make it work. When I saw them together the first time after their marriage, any reservations I had about their relationship were put at ease. They love each other and no one who sees them can deny it.
He slaps me on the back again. "Great. Do you have any intention of playing before the festivities begin? I would be happy to introduce you to an unattached sub or two before the crowd thickens."
I would love to, but I shake my head. I'm tied in knots about the Angel situation and it's likely not the best time for me to play. "No. Actually, I'd rather watch and maybe have a drink before Monroe arrives."
"I'll join you for a quick toast. Then I need to check on the baby before work consumes the rest of the evening."
Fatherhood looks good on Damian. I can't help the twinge that thought brings to my gut. I've never been opposed to marriage and children. It's just never been something I saw fitting in my life with my kinks. And Monroe is in love. Maybe that's why the thought of marriage and children is causing a reaction inside me. I shake it off and gaze around.
The club fills fast. Monroe always draws a large crowd. An area is roped off for the exhibition and I can feel the excitement in the air. Monroe passes up most invites to perform his art, and I enjoy teasing him about hiding behind his photographs. On rare occasions like tonight, when he shows his true artistic genius to a large crowd, it's hard not to feel the power he exudes over people. Sub and dominant alike, Monroe controls a room like no other.
Damian waves toward the bar and we walk over and order drinks. "To marriage, children, and happily ever after," I say with sincerity.
We clink glasses and down the shots of tequila. One shot won't get me drunk or make it impossible to perform. It does help settle nerves that have no business showing up. Damian takes his leave and I spin my barstool to see what attractions are on display.
A minute later, the hair stands on the back of my neck and I know Monroe's in the club. Every eye in the place watches him. There's a reverence about Monroe. I swear the air ripples when he moves. I've known him for years and I still haven't figured out what makes him tick. The club members have no idea he's a killer, but I'm sure they recognize on some level that they are his prey. The lethal grace he exudes is impossible to miss on a fight or flight level.
I stay put and observe while he sets his bag down. He walks to the corner wall and inspects the equipment, making adjustments as needed. Monroe's body flows like water with each movement an erotic choreography. No one approaches him. He puts off an extremely dominant "Do not invade my space" vibe without saying a word. I would say he has no idea of the attention he stirs but that would be wrong. Monroe sees everything going on around him without seeming to. If someone whipped out a gun I'm sure Monroe would bring forth hidden knives or take out the assailant with his bare hands.
Caught up in my analogies, I'm startled when a gentle kiss lands on my cheek. "It's hard to take our eyes away when he's like this. It doesn't matter how many times we worked with him," Sara whispers into my ear.
She's as stunning as I remember. "You're lovely as always. Motherhood suits you," I say with a smile. I turn to the man standing beside her. "It's wonderful to see you again, Philip. I hear you'll be part of the exhibition tonight."
He gives a small nervous laugh. "Sara's dragging me along, but I have some reservations."
Sara places her hand on Philip's arm and snuggles her head into his shoulder. "He's intense, but you'll be amazed where he takes you when you're part of his scene."
I envy their intimacy. My time with Sara was amazing, but she was way ahead of me on the lifestyle learning curve. She was eager to explore other kinds of play with other partners, and when it became apparent I was developing an attachment, she cooled things off. Only later, when my poorly concealed hurt feelings healed, did I clearly understand the limits of our relationship. After I accepted that Sara and I would never be an item, she consented to the occasional bondage scene with me.
Then she met Philip and fell hard and fast. I spent many long phone conversations listening to her cry over her future husband before Philip came around. Life is a bitch like that sometimes and helping her through those trying times made me realize that I never had a chance with her. She told me once that her heart knew her mate instantly. If it's true, I've not yet met mine and I might even prefer it that way. I went years without making the same mistakes I originally made with Sara. No, I'm not lying to myself, and I squelch the yearning I have for a lasting commitment.
What the fuck has gotten into me?
My gaze travels back to Monroe. He's my beacon in this dark world and has been for years.
An audience starts forming. Subs with collars, subs on their knees at their Masters' feet, and their dominants watch while forming a circle around the rope god. I excuse myself with a kiss to Sara's cheek. "I won't see your demo, but I know you'll have fun. Enjoy yourselves."
Sara stops me with a hand on my arm. "Where will you be?"
"I'll be with Angel in a quiet room."
Shock registers on Sara's face. "Monroe is letting you attend Angel after her scene?"
"Yes," I answer almost defensively.
"You know he loves her, right? I'm surprised he's sharing. He rarely brings her to the club and he doesn't come nearly as often as he did. She's special or at least he thinks so."
I detect the slightest bit of jealousy in her voice. For the millionth time, I wonder if it's how everyone reacts with Monroe. "That's what I keep hearing," I answer. "Now, please excuse me. I need to see what the master needs from me." I wink and give her a genuine smile before walking away.
I stand off to the side while Monroe concentrates on his rope skeins. I wait for him to acknowledge me so I don't take him out of his zone. The rope master is using red, black, and white tonight. A few minutes later, Monroe's head comes up and he nods in my direction. I step over the long yellow rope dividing the exhibition area from the common area.
"Begin with a classic corner web using the red rope. It will be for your scene with Angel. I will begin by hog-tying Cheri. Her Dom wants to do a little impact play once she is suspended. When we are ready, two male slaves will escort Angel in. She knows her part-she is the helpless creature caught in the spider's web. I will suspend you first with a chest harness. Raul has control of the winch. He will keep his eye on your movements, which as you know is his favorite pastime."
I ignore Monroe's subtle taunt. The first time I met Raul, over a year before, he made his interest clear by offering me a blow job. I was uncomfortable around him at first but now we've become friends.
"I will bind Angel and then raise her." Monroe looks around the area again before turning back to me. "You will complete the top, binding her to the upper web. Talk to her and make sure she is okay throughout. I would like to add a bit of fire play if she enters subspace early enough. She will handle it easily once she is there."
"Are you sure about this?" Monroe's worry over Angel is making me nervous. I wish I had met her first.
"When you see her in the zone, you will understand why I am doing this scene with her. Trust me."
"Always," I answer honestly.