Oubliette Pt. 01

"Your sarcasm isn't appreciated, Reed," Marc responded, "and Damon already knows Ian and Laura are the only other guests this weekend."

"All the other guests were cancelled. Laura is staying in the one and only room we monitor. Damon has proven himself to be trustworthy and has been forewarned. Don't you think you're being a little overly protective, Marc? Is it possible you regret letting Laura get pushed away?"

Marc picked up a folder and attempted to look involved in a variety of facts and figures. "We have a responsibility to every guest who stays here, Reed, and Laura Ellis is no exception."

Reed didn't bother to dispute Marc's statement.

Laura wasn't sure how she could be shivering in the tiny cage and burning with humiliation and rage at the same time.

Ian had forced her to walk, completely naked, into the elevator and down the long narrow hall leading to the dungeon. He had taken the leather strap with him and any time she attempted to stop he had slapped it against some part of her bare flesh.

When they arrived at the dungeon she wasn't particularly surprised at the variety of discipline apparatus. Wherever she looked there were padded benches and tables along with every shape of chair, sofa and pillow. There were shackles embedded in the walls and cuffs attached to ropes and chains that were hanging from the ceiling. It was hard to miss the straps, paddles, crops, canes and whips hanging on different sections of the walls and her insides shuddered thinking about Ian's threat to use them all. She didn't doubt him for one minute.

Against the far back wall were a row of different sized cages. He selected the smallest, opened the door and virtually shoved her inside, slamming the lock into place. The cage had a cold, black metal floor, thick bars and was hardly big enough for her to sit, although her sore backside and legs made sitting quite painful and uncomfortable. Actually every position was uncomfortable and Ian was clearly enjoying her discomfort.

He was making things worse by using a short, multi-strand whip to torment her even more by constantly lashing at the sides of the cage. Not only was it incredibly annoying but the wide spaces between the bars ensured that she felt the sting on her back and shoulders every time he smacked at her.

The only other people in the room were a couple sitting at the opposite end and obviously enjoying each other's company in a very playful manner. At first Laura was red with embarrassment at being forced into a room with other people while she wasn't wearing anything besides her anger at Ian, but she became more comfortable when she saw that the woman was also naked.

She watched them from the cage. Both were very attractive. The woman had long hair similar in color to the reddish-brown stone of the Oubliette building. She was totally and comfortably nude, wearing only a golden chain around her slim neck. Her knowledge of the BDSM lifestyle made Laura certain the chain served as the woman's symbolic collar although it was obvious the pair didn't need anything to bind them together. They were clearly devoted to each other.

The man had dark brown hair and was definitely handsome but it was his dynamic presence that caught Laura's attention. Even though he was obviously at least five inches taller than Ian, his confidence would have caught the eye of almost any woman. His dark gaze met Laura's several times and something about it made her feel safe. It was also apparent that the looks he was directing at Ian were full of contempt and distaste.

Laura knew making the deal she had with Ian Kent wasn't in her best interest but he hadn't given her much choice. It was something she had to endure. At least for the moment. Luckily he wasn't the only one who kept certain information concealed.

Ian continued to provoke Laura by snapping the whip at the bars of the cage. "I own you, Laura. Get used to it because you're stuck with it until your year is over and you still have more than ten months under my control." He flicked the whip harder making her flinch. "You will serve me and you will respect me or I will make you miserable," he taunted her.

She had been putting up with Ian for just about six weeks. He was never going to be the warm and cuddly type but, at first, his abuse was only verbal. When he realized she wasn't taking him seriously, or responding as he expected, the physical mistreatment had started. Laura felt herself nearing a breaking point but she refused to cry. He would never have the satisfaction of getting even one tear from her. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. Go. To. Hell. I will neither serve nor will I ever respect you. Not after what you did."

Full of rage, Ian drew back the whip and lashed with his full strength, watching with satisfaction as Laura cringed lower, attempting to protect herself. As he pulled his arm back for another strike, the whip was grabbed from his hand. "What the...?"

Damon stood just inches from the cage, the whip firmly in his grip. "You haven't introduced me to this lovely lady." Damon was all charm but the tone of his voice did little to conceal his true feelings for Ian.

"She's no lady and I have no intention of introducing you so fuck off, Damon."

Damon's eyes narrowed as he reached over and unlocked the cage. Opening the door he offered his hand to Laura who took it gratefully. He helped her extricate herself from the small space and gain her balance as the feeling came back into her legs. "Then I shall have to do it myself. Good evening, my dear. I'm Master Damon. Did I hear that cretin masquerading as a human refer to you as Laura?"

Still a little shaky, Laura smiled at him. "Yes sir and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Damon suavely wrapped Laura's hand around his arm. "Come sit with me, my dear. I'll introduce you to Katrina. Tell me, Laura...are you familiar with the relationship between Dominant and submissive?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ian raged. "I own you, Laura. I own you. And how dare you give him more respect than you give me."

"Respect is something that is earned," Damon spoke to Ian with scorn. "Come along, Laura."

"I'm happy to do so, Master Damon and, in answer to your question, I am somewhat familiar with the Dominant and submissive way of life." Laura allowed him to guide her to where Katrina was calmly and quietly waiting as she sat on a large pillow next to the chair Damon had earlier occupied. There was another fluffy pillow on the floor and Damon gestured to it. "Please make yourself comfortable, Laura. Katrina, my precious, say hello to Laura."

She gracefully sank down next to Katrina as the two greeted each other. Grateful for the overstuffed cushion, Laura winced as her still sore ass and legs made contact with the material. Katrina looked at her with concern while Damon gently patted her shoulder with reassurance.

Making his way from the other side of the room, Ian grabbed for Laura. When Damon stood up to stop him, Ian let the full force of his fury blast. "Who the fuck do you think you are, Damon? She belongs to me. What right do you have to interfere with my property? You don't make the rules around here."

"No, he doesn't. We do."

Startled by the new arrivals, Laura looked up and straight into Marc Hale's cool, blue eyes. Suddenly very aware of her nudity, Laura felt herself blushing all over as Marc looked back. Ian had been making so much noise she hadn't heard Marc and Reed enter the dungeon. They stood side by side, both dressed from head to toe in black, neither looking particularly pleased with Ian's behavior.

With his sand-colored hair and green eyes, there was no question that Reed was good looking but Marc was gorgeous, just as gorgeous now as he had been three years ago. From the moment Ian had first mentioned his plan to take her to Oubliette, Laura had been wondering when she would have the opportunity to see Marc. She didn't have to wonder any longer.

He stood silently, staring straight at her with the same piercing blue eyes that made her insides implode even more than they had in the past. She wasn't exactly sure why she suddenly felt rather shy being naked in his presence. Three years ago he had seen every inch of her just as frequently as she had explored every millimeter of him. It hadn't lasted long but those few weeks with Marc had been incredible and it had taken longer than she expected to recover when he suddenly and unexpectedly stopped calling.

Even though she was almost certain she knew why he had broken things off, it hadn't been easy. After a couple of weeks she had called him, leaving a brief message and hoping to give him a reason to call her back but it hadn't happened. Never one to feel overly sorry for herself, Laura had taken a few weeks to nurse her first ever broken heart and then moved on with her life. Now as she looked back at him, she was almost certain Marc had no idea how much they actually had in common.

Marc knew he shouldn't be staring but he couldn't seem to stop. She looked exactly the same. No, she actually looked better. Her hair was longer than he remembered but it was still the color of dark, rich espresso coffee. He had always been mesmerized by the unusual copper color of her eyes. At the moment it was as if two shiny pennies were looking back at him.

He wasn't sure why he felt uncomfortable seeing her without any clothing. Katrina was sitting only inches away from Laura and was just as naked. It wasn't as if he didn't remember how Laura looked, how soft her skin felt. Involuntarily his gazed dropped to the tiny mole on her right hip. It was shaped like the silhouette of a dolphin jumping joyfully from the sea. He had traced that mole with his fingertips and tongue more times than he wanted to remember.

Marc and Reed looked up with annoyance as Ian started shouting violently, his face turning red with anger. "What the hell kind of an operation are you people running? I wanted room five and got stuck in room two. I demanded a cage in the room and that didn't happen. I made it clear that you were supposed to be meeting me when I arrived," he gestured to Marc, "but you had more pressing business. Now this asshole," he gestured to Damon, "is interfering with my property and you're allowing it. What happened to your alleged promise of impeccable service? You make promises that aren't fulfilled yet you have no problem taking my money. This place is a sham and I'm demanding a full refund."

"Perhaps we should all calm down," Damon interceded even though everyone, with the exception of Ian, was already completely calm. "Let's sit down and have a drink before one of us says something he might regret." He glanced pointedly at Ian before turning toward Reed and Marc. "Would you gentlemen mind giving Katrina access to your bar? She can mix up one of her marvelous concoctions for us. I'm in the mood for one of her special libations. It's called 'Pérdida del Conocimiento'. Katrina, 'Pérdida del Conocimientos' for everyone!"

Reed nodded his agreement to Damon and the employee tending the bar stood aside for Katrina as she scurried over to start mixing the drinks.

Damon called out to her. "And Katrina, my precious, make sure Ian is especially satisfied." Damon's voice dripped with sarcasm. "The poor man has had an absolutely dreadful day. Perhaps the lovely Laura would like to assist Katrina."

She was very much aware that the directive wasn't a suggestion and the lovely Laura didn't mind assisting anyone although the thought of serving Ian turned her stomach. The thought of serving Marc also made her stomach feel a little strange but it was mostly nervous flutters.

Even though Reed and Marc owned and managed Oubliette, Damon seemed to have taken charge of the entire situation. He suggested the men get comfortable and engaged them in conversation, all three of them ignoring Ian's surly attitude.

Laura was very much aware that Marc had not said a word but also had not stopped watching her. Every time she glanced at him, his cool blue eyes were observing every move she made. For some reason the longer and more intently he watched her, the more naked she felt. Not for the first time, she silently cursed Ian Kent as she looked forward to making him pay for his actions.

Katrina seemed oblivious to the fact that she was nude as she happily went about mixing up a fairly large amount of whatever it was she was mixing. Laura had no idea what ingredients or liquors comprised 'Pérdida del Conocimiento' but when the preparation was finished it looked like nothing more than very refreshing and large glasses of pink lemonade.

Beautifully decorated with sprigs of mint and cubes of fresh fruit, each glass looked like a miniature work of art. Katrina took two of the glasses and motioned for Laura to take the others. Naturally Katrina headed straight for Damon. She handed him a glass and giggled when he patted her bare bottom. She turned to Ian and handed him her second glass.

Following behind Katrina, Laura was forced to serve Reed and Marc. She handed a glass to Reed because he was closest to where she was standing. He thanked her and she turned to Marc. She couldn't look at him but she could almost feel sparks when his fingers lightly brushed against hers. He didn't say a word and luckily he chose not to pat anything.

While Damon, Marc and Reed sipped from their glasses and discussed whatever they were discussing, Ian guzzled one drink after another and glared menacingly at Laura as though plotting how to make her suffer even more for her insolence and disobedience. She knew he was determined to take every advantage of what she had unwillingly agreed to and was going to do whatever he could to make things as difficult as possible for her. She was also certain the only reason he had settled down and didn't have her bent over one of the spanking benches was because he knew he was completely outnumbered and outweighed by the other three.

In addition, Reed hadn't been joking when he said there would be plenty of staff available to assist if she needed help. There were a number of diligent and quiet employees clad in vests with the Oubliette logo and any one of them could easily knock the diminutive Ian to the ground and sit on him. Together, they'd have no problem tossing him out the door or hanging him from the chains dangling in the center of the large room. The thought of Ian, hanging helplessly was almost enough to make Laura smile.

The always vigilant Katrina dutifully refilled Ian's glass so many times, Laura eventually lost count. She noticed the others talking much more than they drank. She also noticed Marc spending more time noticing her than talking or drinking. Damon and Reed were deep in discussion and Marc had barely said a word the entire time he was in the room, pretty much commenting only when a question was directed at him by one of the other men.

Whatever it was that Katrina was serving them, Marc hardly tasted it. Nudity was hardly out of the ordinary at Oubliette yet he was exceedingly uncomfortable as he watched Laura. She still seemed like the same polite, naïve, slightly spoiled girl remembered. During the past three years he had only occasionally thought about her so why was he suddenly remembering everything he hadn't during all this time? From the first instant they were in the same room, he hadn't been able to stop his thoughts. Surprisingly, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Reed would undoubtedly be quite pleased to know that Marc's latent Dominant tendencies were rapidly roaring to the surface since his primary thought was pulling Laura, face down across his lap and spanking her already bruised ass, as long and as hard as possible, for ever getting herself involved with Ian Kent.

Maybe that was more of a secondary thought. The ever increasing tightness of his black jeans seemed to have more to do with his primary thought. Primary or secondary, he knew before the night was over he was going to have to get her away from Ian.

He didn't give a damn what she owed Ian Kent. Marc's only concern was to see if there was any possible way to salvage their past acquaintance. Considering that he hadn't even bothered to call her to end things, he wasn't sure reconciliation was something she'd agree to but he knew he definitely had to try.

The conversation finally seemed to be winding down. Silently, Laura was dreading the end of the evening. Even though she was still very much aware of her own nakedness she felt safer in the dungeon, surrounded by other people, rather than alone in room number two with a very drunk and increasingly abusive Ian.

Involving herself with Ian Kent wasn't something she ever wanted to do or planned to do but the egotistical and unethical piece of crap thought he was brilliant enough to outsmart her. She had agreed to sleep with him only because she was forced to and, so far, she had managed to avoid the inevitable.

Crude, coarse and verbally abusive, for the first couple of weeks he attempted to coerce her then came the night he had more to drink than he usually did and that was when he changed the rules of the game. That was the night he decided she needed to be disciplined into serving him for the duration of the year she had agreed to. Slime-on-a-stick had neglected to mention his interest in the BDSM lifestyle and she took his threats very seriously, especially the ones that involved paddles, whips and canes.

Up until the strapping he had given her earlier, he had only used his hand, a hairbrush or a ruler to teach her lessons about obedience. She had no doubt he had every intention of making good on his threats and that his methods of teaching those lessons were going to escalate. She just had to avoid him for a few more hours. After that, there were going to be plenty of lessons learned but Ian Kent had no idea he was going to be the student.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw Ian attempting to get to his feet and make his way over to where she was sitting next to Katrina. He had a murderous look in his eyes and Laura wasn't sure how many drinks he had consumed but judging by the way he was stumbling over everything that was in his path, it was obvious he'd had way more than one too many.

She refused to allow him to see any fear she might have and just as he was about to grab for her, he slumped to the floor with a loud thump.

"What a pity," Damon was standing over Ian without the slightest bit of concern. "Poor fool seems to have had a bit too much to drink this evening." He looked over at the women. "Well done, my precious. You can expect a significant reward when we go up to our room."

Katrina was beaming with pride but Reed looked a little confused. "I know he was drinking more than we were but what do you mean by 'well done'?"

Damon smiled placidly. "My Katrina is a mixologist of the highest ranking. That innocent looking drink she served us this evening goes down quite smoothly but I can't say it packs a punch. I'd have to say it packs more of an annihilation. 'Pérdida del Conocimiento' is Spanish for loss of ability or becoming unconscious and I believe that's what the insipid Ian will be for the rest of the night. Don't expect he'll be feeling very well in the morning either."

Reed still looked unsure about what was happening. "We were all drinking the same thing. Why aren't we all falling on our faces?"

Damon shrugged and turned to Katrina. "That's a very good question. My precious? Perhaps you should answer."

Katrina looked at Damon, Reed and Marc with a lovely smile. "It's because the pitcher I used to replenish his drink had nearly three times the amount of alcohol as the pitcher I used to replenish your drink, Master Damon and also the drinks of Masters Hale and Reed. It seemed like the poor man had such a terrible day. Nothing went right for him so I thought he could use a little extra boost," she said innocently.