Chapter 1

Mikhail: Chapter 1

My six-week hiatus was at an end. I wished I could say I'd figured out my problem and corrected it, but I hadn't, at least not entirely. What I did figure out, I was hesitant to say aloud even to myself, let alone tell anyone else. I didn't want to believe it, so I was ignoring it a while longer. Not the best course of action, but I'd run with it until I couldn't suppress it any longer.

A few good things I did walk away with from my vacation were I had a great tan, I'd read a ton of books on my to-be-read list, I ate a bunch of great seafood, and I now had an appreciation for the beach and the ocean that I never had before.

Reuben had picked me up from the airport on Saturday. He told me I looked like a beach bum with my tan, in my casual clothes, and that my hair had grown out a bit. I hadn't bothered to keep it trimmed while I was gone. I told him to kiss my ass. The bastard just laughed at me and said he didn't swing that way, so stop propositioning him. Asshole. I wondered how we were even friends. Well, not really. We were both assholes, so that was probably why.

We hung out for a good chunk of the day and had dinner together before he went to work. While we did, he asked me if I'd discovered what was wrong with me. I avoided giving him a clear answer. I waved it off and told him it had been exhaustion and a slight case of burnout, but I was over it now. I hadn't taken a real vacation in years. I wasn't sure if he believed me. He'd given me a probing look but didn't outright call me a liar. I didn't delude myself into thinking this meant he was satisfied. He'd hit me with it again.

On Sunday, I got ready to go back to work, which meant I got my hair trimmed first. My barber usually didn't work on Sundays, but he made an exception for certain customers, and I was one of them. I always made sure to tip him well for doing it. After he had me back to looking like myself, I had groceries delivered, and I made sure my suits for the week were ready to go. Sandra had picked up the ones I had at the dry cleaners and delivered them to my place while I was gone. Thank God I had her to clean and run errands for me. I could keep the surfaces clean and picked up, but I hated to do the more in-depth cleaning, so I hired her to do it. If I'd told her what I wanted, she would've had the groceries ordered, too, but I hadn't known what I was in the mood for.

As I made my way to work Monday evening, I didn't have far to go. Open to the public were the first two floors of the House of Lustz. The third floor was my private domain. Not only was my private office up there, but so was my home. I had a kick-ass apartment. Some might think it would be too noisy, but I'd made sure it was well soundproofed. I didn't hear anything from below, and they couldn't hear me from above. There was way more square footage than one guy needed, but I loved it. The extra bedrooms and bathrooms were there if they were needed. There was only one area I was disappointed with because it didn't get used. It was my personal playroom.

I had many of my favorite things in it, but I'd never felt right about bringing a woman up here to play. It sounded ridiculous, but it was the truth. What I was waiting for, I didn't know. Every time I thought about doing it, my gut told me no, so I didn't. Maybe I should ignore my gut next time and go for it.

When I played, it was always down in the club. We either did scenes in front of others or occasionally in a private room if we weren't feeling it. My last partner and I had parted ways three months ago. I wasn't meeting her needs, and she wasn't meeting mine. There were no hard feelings, but the thought of finding someone else filled me with dread.

Sure, if all I wanted was sex, there were plenty of women and men who were willing to oblige me. It had become a challenge for some to see if they could get the owner of Lustz to be with them even once. I wasn't interested in that game. The idea of starting over again and trying to find someone to start the process with made me cringe. Not wanting to think about it, I pushed the thought to the back of my mind right before the elevator opened and I walked out. It was only accessible to the third floor via a fingerprint scanner, so there was no worry about anyone accidentally or on purpose wandering into my private space.

It was a Monday night, but that didn't mean the place was quiet or empty. Yes, Thursday through Saturday were our peak nights, but there were always people coming when they could, so the other nights of the week did more than a decent amount of business. I was anxious to see how everything was going. I wanted to see my baby, which was what I called Lustz. I was starting on the first floor, and then I'd work my way to the second. First stop was the front door.

People greeted me as I passed them. I smiled and nodded or called back a word of greeting, but I didn't stop. There would be time for talking later. I stopped at the table in the alcove where our greeter sat. The greeter was there to welcome people who got past the security doorman, to answer any questions, and to issue the color-coded bracelets. Tonight, it was Laura. She'd been with me for a couple of years now. She was my full-time greeter.

She smiled at me. "Hey, you're back. How was your vacation?"

"Yeah, I'm back. It was a much-needed break. It's good to see you, Laura. How's it going tonight? Any problems tonight or while I was gone?"

She kept smiling, but rolled her eyes at me. "Come on, Mikhail, you know, if there had been while you were gone, Reuben would've handled it and told you all about it already. As for tonight, it's been quiet. I'm good."

"Damn, I guess that means I'm not needed. If you all did fine without me and Reuben handled everything great, I'm obsolete," I grumbled, only half-jokingly.

"You know that's not true. Just because Reuben is more than competent doesn't mean you're not needed. If you left, so would others, especially some of the patrons. They come here to see the scary Russian who runs this place. They think you're in the mob, you know," she teased me.

I grinned at her, but I didn't say anything or deny it. What could I say? They weren't off in their assumptions in a way. No, I wasn't part of any mob, especially the Russian mob, the Bratva, the brotherhood, but I had connections to it which only a few people knew. My cousins on my dad's side were all in the brotherhood. My dad had been the oddball who hadn't followed them into that life. I was thankful as hell he hadn't.

That didn't mean I had no contact with the ones who were, just that they knew not to involve me in their business. It didn't change the fact they were family, and I treated them as such as long as they didn't mess with me. They learned a long time ago, my life and work, my club, were off fucking limits. Anyone trying to mess with me or it would find out how bloody I could get. Fortunately, they listened and, so far, other mobsters thinking to muscle in on my thing had stayed away when they found out I had the connection. As long as they did, I was happy.

I made sure to laugh at what she said and shake my head. "I know. Just because I have a Russian name, they assume the worst. You would think people would know better. Oh well, that's their problem. If it brings people into the club who behave, I'm fine with it. Let one of us know if you have any trouble. I hate to run, but I've got a ton to check on. I'll see you later."

"You know where to find me," she said with a wink.

Chuckling, I nodded, then went out the door to the outside. Tonight, Hoss was working as the doorman slash security guy. He lived up to his nickname. The guy was built like a damn Mack truck. I wasn't a small man by anyone's standards, but he put me to shame. He looked me up and down when he saw me. His stern expression didn't budge, but I didn't expect it to, nor did I take it as an affront. He was always a very stoic guy. I raised a brow at him. I was waiting to see what he'd say. I didn't have to wait long.

"Hmm, it looks like you survived in one piece. Great tan. Did you get yourself straightened out?"

I hadn't told him anything about my issues before I left. However, the fact he knew told me how intuitive he was. I knew Reuben wouldn't have said anything to him. Anyone thinking Hoss was just a dumb musclehead was in for a shock. The guy was Mensa-level smart. He did this as a way to de-stress from his job as a freaking owner and CEO of a highly successful company. Yeah, not what you'd expect. I decided not to insult him by lying.

"I did survive, and I relaxed, but I can't say I've solved my dilemma yet. But I might be onto something. I need more time to figure it out. How've you been? Keeping people straight while I was gone? Did you have to get rough with anyone?"

"Hell no, it was boring as hell. I mean, would it kill for at least one dumbass to come along and make my day? I think we've scared them too much, boss. Our reputations precede us."

I grinned at him, which made him crack a slight grin. "Well, sorry to fuck up your enjoyment. I'll see what I can do to make you happy. I can't afford to lose you."

He shook his head. "You're not going to lose me. I just like something every once in a while to break up the monotony. You know. You're the same way, so don't pretend you're not. As for your dilemma, I hope you find your answers soon. It's not good to see you like you have been. Well, I hate to run you off, but people are coming, which means I have to get back to work before the boss fires me," he said with a bigger grin and a wink.

I slapped him on the shoulder and muttered softly to him, "As if you have to worry about that. Have a good one. Call if you need me." He nodded as he turned to give a stern eye to those coming up to the door. He had his tree-trunk arms folded, which made them look even more prominent—the bastard.

I went back inside, and as I passed Laura, I warned her she had incoming. Then, I re-entered the main part of the first floor. The area was dimly lit, but you could still see well enough. The bar was the brightest-lit part, and there were a decent number of people at it, either sitting on stools or standing to place their drink orders.

Scanning the area as I leisurely walked through it, I noted the people sitting at the tables and those already on the dance floor dancing to the music the DJ was pumping out. I wasn't looking for anyone in particular but rather for anything out of place or signs of trouble either happening or brewing. I could usually spot the troublemakers before they got started. If that happened, a friendly word was dropped in their ears. If they ignored it and did something anyway, they'd been warned, and they would be put out. If things got a bit rough, oh well, they should've listened.

I didn't see anything untoward, so I kept going. I checked in with the bartenders, the waitstaff, and the floor manager. Each floor had one, and they reported to Reuben and me if they had issues or concerns. In addition were the tour guides who helped orient newbies to the club along with our attendants. The attendants were there for questions, to help find things, get something fixed, and wipe down the equipment in between people. You know, all the unglamorous parts. We also had roving security.

I wanted people to have fun and to enjoy themselves but it had to be within the rules. This had to be a safe environment for everyone. Anyone breaking those rules, depending on the infraction, might get a second chance, but others could be gone on the first offense. We worked to handle the issues ourselves, but sometimes, we had to get the local police involved. We tried to avoid it so we didn't get a reputation for trouble, although some cops felt just by the fact it was a kink club, we were automatically trouble. Tolerance wasn't universal.

Once I said hello to all the staff on the first floor, I went up to the second. Here was where the real action was. I was proud of the entertainment we provide our patrons. In addition to them being able to do scenes in front of others or to have private sessions, we offered tutorials, or maybe demonstrations was a better word, and shows.

Those who were considered "experts" in different types of kinks were allowed, with permission, to demonstrate for the crowds and answer questions. Payne was one of those experts. Another reason I was sad to see him no longer here. He'd brought in the crowds when he demonstrated. I wasn't bragging when I said I did the same.

At other times, not every night, we had "shows" where we had people who worked for us doing erotic displays or dances. They didn't engage in sex, just in titillation. They were in demand from many of the patrons. The patrons came here not only for those and the freedom but also for the knowledge we would do our absolute best to protect them and their privacy.

I should've known things were going too well, and it was about to go wrong. I groaned softly and had to fight not to turn and go the other way. I wasn't a man who ran from much and I could stand up to the biggest and most badass guy even if I knew I was gonna get my ass whipped, but the person coming toward me made me want to hide. I had to steel myself to stand there and face the train coming at me head-on.

Sylvia came slithering up to me. God, why couldn't she stop? I wasn't now nor ever going to have her as my submissive or anything else in my life. Not happening. When she first approached me about it, I'd been polite and pretended not to pick up on her hints. When she progressed to asking me outright, I told her I had someone and wasn't looking to add anyone else, which at the time was true. Once Tessa and I parted ways a few months ago, Sylvia had become relentless. I hadn't missed her bullshit for the past six weeks.

She was dressed to be seen. She wasn't a bad-looking woman, and she showed off her body in the skintight, sexy outfits she liked to wear. Tonight, she was dressed in a black leather catsuit. It was so tight, I wasn't sure how she could move or breathe. The stilettos she had on were so tall, she pranced like a newborn giraffe. I wondered how soon she'd fall on her ass. She couldn't walk worth a shit in them. I smothered my laugh.

"Master M, darling, I'm so happy you're back. It's been terrible here without you. Please, tell me you're doing a demo tonight. I can be your partner. You know I've been waiting forever for us to do them together," she purred as she came to a stop about a foot in front of me. Her hand came out to rest on my chest. I pushed it away before she made contact. She knew the rules.

"Sylvia, I know I haven't been gone so long that you've forgotten the rules for me and everyone else. No touching unless you've been invited to do so. I don't recall you asking or me saying yes."

She pouted out her bottom lip and looked up at me through her lashes. "Oh, come on, don't be like that. Surely you don't expect friends and lovers to abide by that rule?"

"Friends and lovers, it depends, but you're neither. Was there something you needed? If so, one of the Lustz Disciples can help you." Lustz Disciples was the fancy name we gave the attendants.

"Master, when are you going to give me a chance to show you I can be the submissive you need and deserve? I know you haven't replaced Tessa and there's no reason for you to look anywhere but to me. I'll do anything you want. You can take control of me. I want to please you. Don't make me beg," she whined.

That right there was one of the biggest reasons she and I would never scene, let alone do more together. She didn't understand the whole premise of this lifestyle at all. As a Dom, it wasn't about me exerting my control over her to satisfy me. It was about her trusting me enough to gift me with her control temporarily. When that happened, the submissive was the one in control and it was an exchange of power. When it was done correctly, we both got pleasure and our needs met. In her mind, it was all about conquering, which wasn't the case at all. And as much as people tried to educate some, it never stuck.

"The answer is no, just like all the times you've asked before, and it will remain no. You don't understand at all what this life truly means. I'm not being an asshole, just telling the truth. You and I would never fit. Now, this is my first night back and I need to finish checking with my staff and meet with Reuben. Have fun."

I didn't hang around for more of her blathering. I walked off. Usually I wouldn't be that rude to someone who was a patron but, in her case, I had no patience left for her. If she took exception and didn't return, I wouldn't be upset. I ambled off leisurely, although I wanted to run. I saw one of the Disciples so I headed toward him. He was as good of a person to talk to as anyone as I waited to find Reuben.