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She wanted Candace out of her head but knew it was impossible until that woman was either behind bars – or exonerated. Until then, Mitch had resigned herself to the kind of purgatory that tore an obedient plaything like her apart. No matter how much Vanessa punished her, or how hard they made love, it wouldn’t be enough. A new scene had begun, and a new adventure offered to take this relationship to a new, profound level.
Mitch hoped they had the wherewithal to survive it.
Chapter 8
Learningwhentoaskquestions and when to let things go was one of the finer points Vanessa had taught herself throughout this relationship. She guessed that Mitch had done something to attract Candace’s attention once again, but what? Vanessa was not without her resources. If she really wanted to know and Mitch wasn’t talking, Vanessa would find out through a few phone calls and some greased palms.
Trust was tantamount to romance. If Mitch wasn’t talking, then it was something she had done for the good of the relationship but thought Vanessa should be protected from – for now. Vanessa trusted her partner enough to know that Mitch hadn’t slept with Candace, nor would she promise to in exchange for admission. Vanessa only saw a “betrayal” like that if her life was on the line, and as much danger might be promised in this investigation, it was nowhere near that level yet.
Agent James was relieved that they had already secured the address to Club Night, located in the basement of a nondescript converted warehouse on Chestnut Street in the Marina District. Vanessa was only mildly surprised that Club Night would be located in northern San Francisco, let alone onChestnutStreet. The boutique restaurants and shops appealed to the wealthy residents of the neighborhood and were a veritable weekend getaway for the tourists pawing through vinyl records and sniffing bags of tea, but it was far from the first place Vanessa imagined when she thought of an invite-only club where sex traffickingmightoccur.
Then again, as Agent James reminded her, it might have been the perfect place because nobody expected that. It was also conveniently near the bay and I-5, two major points of entry for the human trafficking criminal underworld.
She explained to both Vanessa and Mitch that it was much too soon to risk wiring them up for evidence, but that the two other undercover plants had already been installed in the club. They would not immediately make themselves known to Vanessa and Mitch, although they certainly knew who the couple were on sight in case something happened prematurely.
“Remember everything,” Agent James had said toward the end of the meeting at Vanessa’s house, where the FBI agent arrived in jeans and a hoodie not too unlike Mitch’s. “As soon as you return, write down what you remember before calling in to check with me. Then destroy what you’ve written. Both of you.”
Mitch had nodded, but Vanessa still had a question. “While I doubt Candace is luring us into a trap already, what do we do if things go ‘south’ and our undercover backup aren’t any help? Surely, there must be some way for us to directly reach someone on your team.”
Agent Mitch did not miss a beat. “No.”
Vanessa’s blood froze in her veins.
“If something happens that you cannot handle yourself, and our other undercover agents are not able to respond as is their prerogative, then no… there is no way for you to contact us without a wire, which is much too premature right now. We can’t risk Candace or one of her lackeys noticing that either one or both of you are wired. Not unless we’resureit’s time to collect evidence we know is there. This initial visit is for you to get a feel for the place and what the intentions are.”
Mitch placed her hand on her partner’s knee. “We’ll be fine. Candace suspects nothing.”
When Agent James left, Mitch finally confessed her plan.
“Candace will have tunnel vision through our investigation, so she can’t see what’s right in front of her.” Mitch quietly served her Mistress a cup of coffee before sitting with her at the small table by her office window. “She’ll be obsessed with me. There’s something about her, Vanessa…” Mitch gazed out the window, elbow on the table and finger tapping against her chin. “I’ve given her more than one chance to have a taste, and she’s never taken it, although I can tell better than anyone how badly she wants to take me to bed. It’s either some kind of self-flagellation or she’s got someone else she’s heroically loyal to. I somehow doubt it’s the latter. She would have said something. The partnered and guilty types always do.”
Vanessa nodded. “Far be it from me to rationalize why nobody wants to takeyouto bed, Mitch, let alone a Domme who sees you for what you really are.”
That drew a smile out of Mitch. “What am I?”
“A walking blessing.”
Vanessa was not enamored with the plan, but what woman would be? She may be walking into the fire with Mitch, but her partner was the one putting herself at the most risk around a woman like Candace. It didn’t matter that Mitch was more than capable of taking care of herself, including when it came to self-defense.She’s much more qualified than me in that department.
No, what worried Vanessa was that the peace they had finally attained as a couple was about to be stripped from them – all because they had too much fun over the past few years. When this was over, they’d have a long talk about what kind of trouble they potentially put themselves in.
On the night they were to first meet Candace in her club, they ate an early dinner and got ready separately. The last thing Mitch asked Vanessa before they both went upstairs was how far she should go with her look.
To that, Vanessa simply said, “Go all out.”
She didn’t see her partner again until it was time to leave. At that time, Vanessa donned a dark sweater dress and thin leggings that slipped into ankle boots that clicked on hard floors. She pulled her large volume of curly hair into a low ponytail that kept all but the unruliest of hairs out of her face. Her makeup was subtle and deliciously subdued. That was her Domme style.Don’t look at me. Look at my pet.Outside of performances and hanging out with close friends, Vanessa preferred to disappear into the scenery and allow Mitch to soak up all of the attention in a rowdy room. An audience’s positive reaction to her was music to this Domme’s ears.
Mitch matched her in color, but her makeup was brighter and bolder. So was the asymmetrical blond wig that cupped one side of her face and showed off a faux-buzzcut on the other side. In her sleek black jacket and knee-high boots, she looked like a club-going terror about to ruin someone’s night. In reality, Michelle promised to be someone’s dream come true.
Hopefully, Candace’s. Vanessa reluctantly agreed that was the best angle with what they had to go with.It’s a good thing I’m not a jealous person.She followed Mitch outside, checked in with Luke that they were heading out, and waited for her girlfriend to open the passenger side door of their flashy Porsche Mission X, one of the most impractical vehicles Vanessa ever dared to purchase. She didn’t like sports cars. She liked cars with giantlook at meneon signs even less. But Mitch had pointed out long ago that they needed a “wealthy person’s” car if they were to participate in the high-end performance circuit.“Image is everything. That’s what I’ve learned from these people.”So Vanessa did her research and settled on an electric sports car they would only drive locally. Most days, especially on days when Luke was their chauffeur, they stuck with the Towne Car or SUV. This thing felt like they were keen to take over the road – especially with Mitch behind the wheel.
No professional valet was waiting for them in the Marina District. Instead, Candace instructed them to park two blocks away, in the bottom level of a garage that was rented specially for her occasions. An underground tunnel connected the guarded level with the basement of one of the boutiques neighboring the club. Standing outside the door was a woman in a two-piece suit, hair slicked back and sunglasses concealing any defining features of her face.
“She’s military,” Mitch whispered into Vanessa’s ear as they approached. “Nobody else stands like that when on the job.”
Vanessa supposed her partner would know.
“Hello.” She was already in networking maven mode when she approached the intimidating woman as tall as her. “Ms. Lister invited us. Vanessa Richards and Michelle Cruise. She’s expecting us.”
