Page 4 of Power of Shadow

My eyebrows rise, and my focus sharpens. I can’t take my eyes off her. She’s unique, unlike any of the other women who visit Feather.

Because she’s not facing me, I can’t see her face well. But at one point her friend looks into my window, as if sensing my presence. And she also directs her attention here.

My learned and ever-present indifference turns into a slight smile. The corners of my mouth rise, and I touch my face to check if it’s really happening.

Holy shit! This isn’t a dream!

With surprise, I take a closer look at the girl. She’s not wearing any makeup; only her plump lips are coated with lip gloss. Only a natural beauty.

I can’t make out her eyes, and their color is unclear. That’s my biggest regret.

Though hidden from her sight, her gaze feels like a tangible weight upon me. She slightly parts her tempting lips. Too soon, she turns to my employee, her long hair falling like a dark curtain around her face.

As my hand rests on the glass, a strange sensation washes under my skin, making me want to reach for her hair, move it away, and see her face again. Something strange awakens inside me. I can’t quite put my finger on it yet, but it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my whole fucked-up life.

She’s freaking beautiful. And my opinion means something. I’m surrounded by beautiful women every day. But there’s something about her that keeps my eyes glued to her.

Something triggers the most primitive side in me. Desire, the urge to possess, to control.

Suddenly, those scantily clad women no longer interest me. I don’t see the ones in skimpy dresses or the ones dressed in rags with ten-thousand-dollar price tags.

My mind registers only her. Her every move, her every breath.

Behind me, the office door opens and closes with a quiet click. Only two people can enter here without knocking. One of them is pulling me out of this unnatural for me trance.

“Did I miss anything interesting?” Eli asks, standing by my side.

I take a quick look at him. With his hands in pants pockets, he seems deeply bored with his life. Before I return my gaze to the girl, I notice smudges of pink lipstick on his neck. I can’t help but comment.

“Bad hookup?”

“I’d rather forget about it, and I’d appreciate it if you’d kindly never bring it up again.”

“Kindness and I don’t live on the same planet.” His quiet laughter reaches me. “Where’s Theo?”

“Who knows? Theo is Theo. He walks his own path,” he answers.

Meanwhile, the girl downstairs nods once and, dodging my dancer, starts heading for the exit.

My hands turn into fists. I want to go downstairs and block her escape. But I do nothing.

I make a mental note to talk to the employee about her. It’s already clear to me that I want to know more about her. No, I need to find out more.

Who is she? Where can I find her?

With a silent exhale, I try to get back on track.

In a few steps, I return to my oak desk. The chair sags as I sit down. Ignoring my laptop and the urgent matters at hand, I turn my attention to the surveillance monitors.

We’re on the second floor. Besides my office, there’s also my private apartment here, in case I don’t feel like going home. This part has cameras installed only in the hallway.

I glance at the second monitor.

Customers who come to Feather don’t just come to watch girls undress. They find themselves perfectly at home on the first basement floor. Here, they can fulfill their darkest and dirtiest fantasies.

In the rooms designed for erotic auctions, two girls are now licking a third girl between her thighs. Around the room, behind glass, there are private boxes for bidders and admirers, who enjoy seeing how much power their money gives them.

In creating all this, I didn’t forget about themed rooms. We have a masochistic room and rooms designed for orgies, cages, torture cells, crosses, swings. Even a fucking Barbie doll room. If a client has unconventional perversions, we can prepare just about anything for them. Nothing is out of reach at Feather.