Up All Night (Brewed Moon 1.5) Read online

  Juliana smirked. “I am also an adult at work,” she told him pointedly. “It doesn’t mean I can’t have a little bit of fun.” She tilted her head at him.

  “Hey, I have fun,” he responded defensively. He heard Peter as he snorted into his coffee cup. His brother, skeptical of his ability to enjoy himself. However, Mitch was, in fact, caught up imagining some fun he could be having with her.

  Juliana raised an eyebrow and turned her head to see a customer waiting at the counter. She turned around and started walking back to the counter, but she looked at him over her shoulder. “I’m not sure you even know how to have fun.” The sway of her hips in the tight outfit transfixed him for a moment, as did the motion of the tail she’d pinned to her ass, and he found it hard to look away.

  When she was gone, Peter finally spoke, pulling Mitch’s gaze away from Juliana, as she stood behind the counter, serving her customers. “You’re going to the Leather & Lace Halloween party?” Peter asked him. “How exactly did that come about? That place is exclusive. And they certainly don’t welcome cops. How did you manage that?”

  Mitch shrugged, not willing to go into too much detail. “I called in a favour from a certain member of city council who owed me one.” Mitch rarely hid things from his brother, especially when it came to the job, but it was something that he didn’t want to get into in public. “An opportunity to go tonight presented itself. I found an in.”

  “You just happened to find an invitation to an exclusive sex club?”

  “I guess so.”

  “And what are you going to do while you’re there?”

  Mitch smiled before responding. “What do you think I’m going to do? I’m going to look around. See if I can see who’s pulling the strings. Find this Russian guy, and find out if he’s distributing the drugs.”

  “We don’t have a warrant to go in there,” Peter reminded him.

  “I know that. I also know that without a warrant, there’s no way they’ll hand over their employment records. This is our only option to see who’s working there. This way, I’m not officially a cop, I’m just an interested patron, going to the party.”

  Peter shook his head. “I don’t like this,” he said. “You going in on your own. It doesn’t feel right.”

  “I’ll be fine.” He leaned in again, and dropped his voice to an almost imperceptible whisper. “As far as dangerous undercover ops go, a Halloween party at a sex club will be a walk in the park. Nobody will know I’m there investigating. It’s just a party.”

  Chapter 4

  The cab drove up the long driveway leading to the innocuous heritage estate. Mitch was amped up, ready to go, just as he always was before going undercover. He took a deep breath as the car stopped in front of the door, and he paid the fare and got out.

  Mitch looked down at his black suit that he’d paired with a white shirt and black tie. He would have preferred to wear his street clothes, but his city hall source had given him the run down on the place earlier that day, and had made it known that the Halloween party at Leather & Lace was strictly a formal event, and jeans would not have gotten him past the front gate.

  He got to the door and pushed the button for the doorbell. A loud chime sounded from inside and the door opened before him. A man wearing a gold bear mask that concealed the upper half of his face, answered the door. He was wearing a dark red shirt, open at the collar, and a pair of charcoal grey pants. He was tall, about Mitch’s height, broad shoulders and chest, and arms huge like tree trunks. The whole image of this brute of a man wearing a mask was ridiculous to him, and he almost chuckled, but there was nothing amusing about the canines of the mask’s snout, nor the stern, tight-lipped mouth of the man below it. Mitch restrained himself as the man, probably a security guard, looked him over. Without saying a word to him, the bear ushered him inside, gesturing for Mitch to follow him down a narrow hallway. The walkway was dark, but for the soft orange glow from scattered sconces attached high on the wall. It was quiet and Mitch strained his ears to hear anything but his own footsteps and that those of the man he was following. He wondered if he was perhaps too early or too late for the party.

  They stopped at a long, high desk at the end of a hallway, and the bear walked away. The female attendant behind the dark marble desk was tiny by comparison, and mostly obscured by the desk. She was also wearing a gold mask, hers a rabbit. “Your name?”

  “Mitch Swanson.”

  The rabbit consulted her list, of which he managed to sneak a peek before she looked up and smiled. She produced a gold mask, a fox. Mitch looked at it and raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. “Do I have to wear this?”

  She nodded slowly. “Discretion is everything here at Leather & Lace. And plus, it’s Halloween. It’s our masquerade night.” She then took out a plastic bag and laid it on the top of the desk.

  “What’s that for?”

  “Your cell phone or any other electronics might have on your person.”

  “Fine,” Mitch dug out his phone. He didn’t like leaving it behind, but he thought of the job. He knew that there would be no way of getting in there if he didn’t cooperate fully with the rules. He held up his cell phone, smiled and dropped it in the bag.

  “Nothing else?” she asked.

  “No. But are you going to take my word for it, or is there a body scanner you want me to step through?” he asked, challenging her, thinking about the Glock strapped to his ankle.

  “No that won’t be necessary,” she assure him, ripping a tag from the bag and handing it to him. It showed a number that corresponded to one on the bag so he would be able to claim his belongings later.

  “And why is that?”

  “Because when you step through those doors,” she pointed over his shoulder to the double doors behind him. “And you start taking part, you won’t be able to hide much.”

  As if on cue, the bear returned, and opened one of the heavy, wooden doors, and ushered Mitch inside. He crossed the threshold of the double doors and even though nothing overtly erotic was taking around him, he was immediately immersed into a carnival of sensuality. The lights were dim, while muted gold up-lights illuminated the walls. Dozens of people, all wearing gold masks mingled and the notes of laughter and polite conversation blended with the light music. Mitch looked around. With the exception of the heavy blanket of sexuality that hung thick in the air, it didn’t look different than any other formal party he’d attended.

  He made his way through the crowd, winding his way around small clusters of people, overhearing snippets of regular, mundane conversation, recognizing some of the voices of local celebrities and politicians.

  A woman walked by, wearing a mask and a skin tight, white dress and handed him a glass of champagne. He smiled in thanks and sipped. He took another keen look around the room from his new vantage point. Nothing seemed to stand out. He watched a man and woman walk through a set of heavy black curtains, thinking that anything of interest would be going down back there. Still holding his champagne flute, Mitch walked a straight line to the curtains, and without hesitation he entered the next room.

  Mitch found himself in a smaller area, but it was just as crowded as the last room. However, the vibe was completely different. It was darkened, more like a nightclub. The music was different as well. It was louder and the thumping, driving bass beat filled the air, taking over, drowning out individual conversations. People were drinking, some were dancing, others were in clusters along the walls and draped over the various furniture. There was a bar, manned by two women, who like the woman with the champagne, were wearing tight, white dresses and gold masks. There were only a couple of other single people in the area, not yet coupled-off, and Mitch realized that this must be a staging area of some sort. Where people meet before continuing their evening in the private rooms, he imagined.

  “Is this your first time?” said a voice in his ear and he turned around to see a woman standing behind him. She wore a floor-length, sleeveless red dress that was cut low, expos
ing the cleavage of incredible breasts, and a high slit that rose to the middle of her thigh. Her gold cat mask obscured the top half of her face, but Mitch’s attention was drawn to her luscious red lipstick. It called out to him and he knew it would leave a scarlet trail if she kissed her way down his body. He was on the job, but dammit, that didn’t dismiss the stirring of interest he felt for her low in his core.

  He leaned in, speaking loudly over the music, “is it that obvious?”

  She shrugged. “You just had a lost, clueless, over-your-head air about you,” she said in his ear, her lips skimming the outer shell and her breath warm on him.

  “I might be a little lost here,” he told her, taking the opportunity to stand even more closely to her. He leaned over her, and continued. “But there’s nothing about what happens here that makes me feel clueless or in over-my-head.”

  She laughed again, and he loved the sound of it. “That sounds promising.”

  He took another look around and saw that more people had joined them in the darker room. It seemed like the party was getting under way. Time to see what this place was really all about. “Seeing as how I’ve been outed as a newbie, how about you show me around?” He offered his arm to her, and she took it, putting her hand in the crook of his elbow.

  They walked through the bar area, Mitch and the mystery woman both sipping their champagne. He took a looked at the people around them. Men and women with their hands on each other. People kissing, all body language signalling sex. “So, I guess this is where people find partners for the evening?” he asked her. Even though he was speaking loudly to be heard, he tried to keep his tone neutral, as if people weren’t in various stages of undress all around them.

  “See? Maybe you aren’t so lost,” she said with a bright smile.

  He looked at her, her eyes were a vibrant emerald colour than sparkled with a playful energy from behind her feline mask. She sipped her drink. They stood closer together with every step they took through the room. Eventually they were flush together and her hip bumped his thigh as she walked beside him. Mitch fought the distraction to keep his mind on the task at hand. Finding out who was behind the murders.

  But to find that out, he would have to get deeper into the club, and the cat on his arm would get him there. “And what happens next?”

  “They can either stay here, or they can move on to one of the other rooms.” She pointed to another set of lush curtains. “There are some scenes set up in public areas behind those. One can watch or take part. But there are also rooms you can use, where you and any number of people can be together.” They stopped walking and she leaned in closer. “Or if you have more… exhibitionist… tendencies you can avail yourself of a room that has a two-way mirror. If you’re willing to explore you’ll find the club will provide almost any type of toys, implements, or scenarios you desire.”

  Mitch wondered if that included drugs or trafficked women. He had to find out. He figured that if either were available, it would be in the further rooms. He needed to get deeper inside. He stood and faced her.

  The woman nodded and she drained her champagne. Putting the empty flute down on a nearby ledge, she took his wrist. “Alright let’s go,” she said, pulling him toward the interior rooms.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Behind the curtain. If you want to get a feel for this place, see where you belong, that’s probably where you should start. There a re a few public displays set up for you to peruse on the perimeter of the room, but there’s also a dance floor and a great DJ. It’s the most fun you can have here with your clothes on.”

  Mitch let her drag him past the curtains. There was no way he would be able to gather evidence if he didn’t ditch the brunette, but he couldn’t make himself do it. On the other hand, he reasoned, having a woman on his arm – especially one as knowledgeable about the club – was beneficial, and would help him blend in. He liked her company, and even though he couldn’t see her face, she turned him on immensely. There was something about the way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she touched him – that hit him square in the chest, and in his dick, as his interest stirred. He hadn’t had such a reaction to a woman in a long time, and it was refreshing. “You don’t have to do that,” he told her. “I don’t want to cramp your style if you have plans.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “I don’t have any plans,” she assured him, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper in his ear, “at least, none that don’t include you.”

  Chapter 5

  The next room was even darker, and the music just as loud though. The only light, however, came from many tall pillar candles scattered throughout the room. Mitch and the woman did a lap around the room, he tried to keep his eyes peeled for anything that might seem unusual. But he had to be honest, there were a lot of unusual things going on. He wasn’t sexually inexperienced by any measure, he’d been with his share of women, but he hadn’t yet been introduced to the world he was travelling in that night.

  A group gathered around a man as he bound a woman in rope using a series of intricate knots around her arms, shoulders and chest. Mitch and the woman stopped to admire the work; the masterful skill behind it appealed to him.

  “See something you like?” she asked him in a playful tone.

  “It’s definitely interesting,” he admitted. He’d tried some light bondage with some past partners. It jived with his control-freak tendencies.

  They moved on to various other scenes some tame, some extreme. Mitch’s eyebrows rose behind his mask as he watched a hairy, overweight man with a leash attached to the leather collar around his neck, being led by a woman wearing a leather bustier and dangerously spiked high heels; and then again in another corner, as a woman was flogged with a leather strap. Mitch bristled at each of her cries and almost intervened.

  His guide must have felt his tension, and gripped his forearm, holding him back. “Hey, it’s okay. Everything here is consensual. None of this would be happening if she didn’t want it to. In many ways, she’s more in control than the guy with the strap. He’s there for her.”

  Mitch nodded. This surely wasn’t his world. “Sorry. It’s just jarring.”

  “I know. I remember my first time here. It took some getting used to seeing other people’s kink on display. Until I found my own place, I mean.”

  Mitch’s tongue felt thick in his mouth and he tried to speak around it. “And what’s your kink?”

  “On the kink spectrum, I guess I’m pretty vanilla,” she giggled. “I’m not that big into pain or extreme bondage, but I often find myself in exhibition rooms.”

  “Oh really?” His interest. “So, you get off on people watching you?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” she shrugged. “But I also love the masquerade nights. I like blindfolds, darkness. That way, everyone’s anonymous. You know, it’s just one night, and there’s no tangly commitment issues the next morning.”

  He looked around at everyone in their gold masks. There was no way to tell who was who. “But how do you know who you’re with? Isn’t it risky? Why not meet people through regular channels?”

  “What regular channels?” she asked. “Meet online creeps for coffee? Swipe left or right on someone who’s a kilometer away? Or perhaps go to a nightclub and drag off with strangers?” She shook her head. “Those activities are more dangerous for a woman than anything that happens here. At least here, I know people are tested, vetted, and the premises are secure. It’s completely safe here,” she told him.

  Mitch nodded. He couldn’t argue with that. Although, he realized with a frown, he’d gotten in without a test or being vetted. It wasn’t completely safe, there was still the issue with the trafficked women who were served a lethal dose of illegal drugs.

  “I actually started off serving drinks here,” she explained, gesturing to the women who walked through the room, holding aloft trays of drinks. Of course, I didn’t participate then, employees are forbidden to, but I was always intrigued by it. So, when I
stopped working here, I joined.”

  Mitch plucked two champagne flutes from a nearby server and he handed one to the woman. “They like to make sure everyone is hydrated,” he commented.

  “Frees the inhibitions,” she told him. “But they’re careful not to overserve.”

  “That’s good,” he said, sipping.

  A crush of people entered the room at once, the noise volume more than tripled, as the dozens of revellers swarmed around them. The room was suddenly crowded, definitely over-capacity, a call to the fire chief might be in order. It was time for everyone to get on with the festivities, it seemed.

  Mitch turned around, and saw that his escort and her gold cat mask was gone. They’d been separated, but the crowd was so dense and the room so dark that he couldn’t see a trace of her, not even her bright red dress.

  He turned and crashed someone else. The bear in the red shirt. The one who worked there and ushered him into the party. Mitch’s champagne sloshed in his glass, but none spilled. Mitch’s instincts twitched, as the two men stood chest-to-chest, eying each other through gold masks. Each of them waiting for the other to move aside. Soon, the bear twitched his head, and stepped aside, walking past Mitch, knocking his shoulder in a sure sign of aggression. Mitch thought it curious, and turned to watch the man move throughout the crowd. He took another quick look around the room. There was no sign of the woman.

  “Oh well,” he muttered to himself into his glass, before draining it. She had been a nice distraction, but it was time to get down to business. He put the empty glass on a nearby table and headed off in the direction the bear had gone. Thankfully, that brute of a man was not as hard to track. His masked visage loomed over the crowd, weaving curiously through the throngs, making loops, nudging into people as he passed through. Mitch found it puzzling. Something did not feel right about him, or the way the man was gliding through the crowd.