Raven

This is the second book in the ‘Michelle’ Series.

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The screaming in Michelle’s head was not going away. “So that’s it? Sorry, someone got carried away, our bad? My baby was in the fucking car, Mehzin, my baby!” Despite her rage, Michelle’s tone was cold

“They are paying compensation,” said Mehzin calmly.

“I want someone bleeding on the fucking ground. That’s my compensation!”

Mehzin sat back in the booth. “We’ve been through this. That isn’t happening. No one wants trouble over a misunderstanding that has now been resolved. It’s bad for business. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.” Michelle knew Mehzin didn’t care who had been in the car. Neither was blind to the other’s character. Their relationship only thrived when their aims and goals were in accord.

“Good. Will you be moving back into the townhouse?” The question was a polite formality. Mehzin already knew the answer.

“No.”

“Suit yourself. Your share of the compensation was wired to your Channel Island account this morning. It’s a fair price, Michelle. Don’t do anything stupid. Same goes for Kax.”

“Mr Kax will do what he feels is right.”

“Kax will swallow this if you do. We both know that. I have to go.” Mehzin vacated the booth and walked off without a backward glance.

Michelle watched her go. Mehzin was right, but it didn’t sit well. It was a week since the shooting. It had been a warning. Mehzin had listened, new agreements had been made, and further conflict avoided. For Mehzin, it had been business. For Michelle, it had been personal. Their aims and goals were no longer in accord.

One of the waitresses came over. “Sorry, but there is someone here to see you.”

“Not interested.”

“She says to tell you her name is Carol Leason, Megan’s mother?”

Michelle stared into the distance. The waitress shuffled uneasily as time stretched out.

“Shall I send her away?”

“No, send her over. Ask if she wants anything.” She didn’t want to talk, but Megan had accepted the four-day lockdown without complaint or question. Michelle appreciated that.

“Miss Raven? I’m Carol Leason, Megan’s mother.” The slightly bowed, pudgy woman slid into the booth at Michelle’s invitation. “I’ve ordered a pot of tea if that is okay.” Anxiety lurked behind her smile.

“What can I do for you, Mrs Leason. Megan didn’t tell me you were coming.”

“She doesn’t know. I just thought, well, wanted actually to see what this job is and who you are, oh, thank you.” Carol stirred the pot of tea.

“Check us out, you mean.”

“She’s my daughter,” replied Carol. “Megan tells me you’re a mother, so you understand how we worry.” Her tone was firmer.

“I guess. What do you want to know?”

“What she does, what this place is. I went to your office address where Megan said she works, but no one was there, and I was directed down here. Is this a club?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” Carol took in the waitresses in tuxedos and the sprinkling of women clientele but said nothing.

Smiling, Michelle answered the unspoken question. “Yes, it’s a Lesbian Club.”

“I thought so,” Carol seemed unperturbed. “The waitress outfits are very ‘Cabaret’.”

“This months theme. Next month is ‘Mistress and Tarts’.”

Carol laughed. “I’ll have to come back.”

“What as?”

“I’ll let you know.”

Michelle sat back, reappraising the woman in front of her. “You aren’t what I expected.”

“I may be a middle-aged housewife with bits that sag, but I wasn’t always this way. Is my daughter safe?”

The question was direct. Michelle looked at the woman. “Yes.”

“I ask because a large gentleman is sitting just down from your office. I got the impression he was some sort of security.”

“He is. The club does get some unwanted attention on occasion.”

“I see. So my daughter isn’t entirely safe. Who is Benjamin?”

Michelle liked the way Carol jumped topics. She’s wasn’t the dummy she had imagined.

“A man, Megan is seeing.”

“I understand he works for you. What is he like?”

“Very nice. He’s the large gentleman you met upstairs.”

Michelle won the round on points.

It took Megan just over twenty minutes to arrive, having received Michelle’s message.

“Mum!” She said breathlessly. ” I’m sorry, Raven! Mum, how could you!”

“I’ll leave you to it,” said Michelle.

Megan stopped her. ” No, stay. Might as well come clean.”

“Come clean about what?” Carol asked, still processing the Benjamin news.

Megan hesitated. “I should have said from the beginning. Raven is Michelle. My sister, Michelle.” Megan said it with pride, and Michelle won round two without saying a word.

Claire leaned on the bar as Michelle pulled up a stool.

“Family trouble?” Claire nodded to where Megan and Carol were having a heated discussion.

“Yeah, just wait until our dad joins in.”

“You’ve lost me,” frowned Claire.

“Megan is my half-sister, and dear old dad has just received the news that his eldest daughter, who he hasn’t seen or talked to in a decade, is back.”

“You kept that quiet. Not going to be trouble, is there?” Claire caught the bitterness.

“No, I have more pressing issues, and I like Megan, so I’ll play nice. Also, I won’t be around much longer.”

“Off somewhere?” Claire poured Michelle a soda water.

“Back home. If I stay, I’m going to end up clashing with Mehzin. We both know it. Today we said our goodbyes.”

“I’ll miss you,” smiled Claire. She poured herself a drink and toasted Michelle. “Here’s to you and your family.”

“Thanks.”

****

It wasn’t home, but it contained a lot of good memories. Michelle ran her finger over the kitchen top, recalling Karen’s mother Kate being sniffy with her the first time she came to the flat. Then the excitement at finding out what Karen was doing.

That Michelle seemed a lifetime ago. Happy to explore this new life and its new rules. Not innocent exactly, but she missed that feeling of wide-eyed wonder at the beginning. She went down the hall to the main bedroom, where she had seen her first paying client. Derek? Something like that.

Then Faris showed up, which led to her betraying her best friend. She would have betrayed anyone, such was her eagerness, except Linda. That would have been a line Michelle would never cross, no matter the temptation.

Kax put down the last of the cases. This would be home until they sought out a permanent place. Michelle’s apartment was on a long term let.

“Someone is looking all wistful,” said Kax, putting his arm around her.

“Yeah, simpler times. Saw my first punters here.”

“Happy memories.”

“It’s true, though. Me and Karen had happy times here. Life was simple. Oh, don’t give me that look. I know what I mean.”

“Hey, I’m not passing judgement. You want to wander down memory lane getting misty-eyed as the happy hooker knock yourself out.”

Annoyed, Michelle walked away rather than argue. She knew she was over sensitive. She had backed off as Mehzin ordered, despite her head screaming the opposite. Amanda came first. She and Kax agreed on that. Crossing Mehzin put Amanda at risk. Getting out was the only play.

“Mary Tolliver is here,” said Kax tracking her to the bedroom.

“I’ll be through. Oh, and, Mr Kax? Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Putting us first. I know it wasn’t easy.”

“Easier than you think. You girls always come first.” His tone was matter of fact.

Michelle cocked her head to one side and looked at him.

“Don’t ask,” he warned.

“I must be getting slow,” she smiled.

“No. Just preoccupied. We settle in here, let things cool down. Okay?”

She went to him, her hand on his arm. “Okay. And I promise not to be a moody bitch.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Fuck you.”

“You do. Often,” he grinned.

Mary was in the kitchen and embraced Michelle. “Good to have you back, missed you.” She kissed Michelle with lingering intent. Michelle welcomed it.

Watching, Kax figured returning may have compensations. He reckoned he was owed some. “I’ll leave you, ladies, to it. I’m going for a drink with Ro.”

“So, any immediate plans.” Mary asked once Kax had left.

“Find a house to live in for my family. Beyond that, I have no idea. How are things at the Firm?”

Mary shrugged. “They are what they are. I could do with someone in my corner.”

“You need partners to replace Banks and Selwyn. You don’t need me.”

“Maybe. I’ll crush Banks as for Mead gallivanting off with his new wife on endless cruises around the world. I mean, for fucks sake. Makes you sick.”

“What’s she like, Selwyn’s wife?”

“Plain, wealthy and a doormat. Dull beyond belief. I did warn you about Mehzin. You think I’m bad? Mehzin is a different level.”

“You did, and you are changing the subject.”

“Yes, I am. What about Shan?”

“Staying with Mehzin. Family first.” Michelle paused. “I miss her. She’s not returning my messages.”

“Mehzin has delisted you. She will have forgotten you exist the moment you refused to go back. Shan will have to do the same, no matter what she feels for you.”

“Bitch!” Michelle spat out, her head starting to scream.

Frowning, Mary went to her, seeing the pain in the young woman’s face. “You need to get that sorted.”

“Happens when I get stressed. Need to get it out of my system.” Her headaches had been a feature of her pregnancy and still plagued her.

“I could think of a few things to help,” smiled Mary.

“I’m sure you could.” They kissed, Michelle could feel her interest rising. She also knew it wouldn’t be enough. Mary read her reticence.

“Do you want me to arrange some special entertainment for you? Something that will ease that head of yours,” Mary kissed Michelle’s forehead.

Michelle was silent.

“Kax is out, Amanda is with your mother, just us two girls and some special fun?”

“What do you have in mind?” Michelle breathed in Mary’s seductive sadism, it felt tangible, meshing and entwining with her own darkness.

Mary eased down the zip on Michelle’s jeans, her fingers probing, touching. “You want to smell their fear, feed on their pain, hear then beg, fuck them so bad they can’t think, walk or talk straight?”

“Yes.” Michelle’s eyes were closed, the screaming was receding.

“I’ve got a little pet I’ve been working on. She thinks I’m this wonderful big shot, she’s twenty, cute little thing, dark, brunette, I know you prefer your girls dark.”

“You fucking her?” Michelle’s hand was up Mary’s skirt, feeling the older woman’s heat and wetness.

“Oh, yes. She’s totally besotted. Will do anything. She knows I want more. She’s scared by it, attracted by it. Time to test how far we can go. See if she breaks.”

“We could play hangman.”

They were masturbating each other, their breathing, their hand movements, in sync.

“Sounds fun,” whispered Mary.

“It is something Mehzin liked to play. The three of us liked to play. Sometimes if one of the girls she brought in started acting up, she would ‘hangman’ them.

“Uhh, tell me more, but about the game, I don’t want to hear about the girls you brought in.”

“You sure?” Michelle flicked Mary’s lips with her tongue.

“Positive. I’m a lawyer. There are things I prefer to officially not know about.”

Michelle hooked her arms around Mary’s neck. She was already feeling better. “Shame, you might enjoy the tales I have to tell.”

Ignoring the temptation, Mary kissed the young woman she had come to rely on and adore. “I see you haven’t changed.” As she said it, Mary knew that wasn’t true. There was something harder, colder about Michelle. “Tell me about the game.”

Michelle told her.

****

Carrie was a smart twenty-year-old university student. Just over five foot, long dark hair, and a figure that she liked to describe as ‘busty with real curves’. She carried a hint of the Mediterranean and was as straight as you could get when it came to sex.

Then she met Mary. A powerful businesswoman who exuded confidence and something else. It took Carrie a while to realise what it was. Menace. A whiff of cordite. The woman fascinated Carrie. She wanted to know everything about her, wanted to be liked by her and trading sex for likability was an inevitable step.

Carrie had never known sex like it. It wasn’t just the physical nature, the exploration, the intimacy; no, it was the head fucking. Mary would make her feel as if she was the only thing that mattered, then treat her with sheer indifference, as if she was no more than an amusing pet. It drove Carrie mad and made her strive even more to win Mary’s attention and, more importantly, her approval.

Carrie bought gifts for Mary that she couldn’t afford; she stole gifts for Mary she couldn’t afford and had prostituted herself twice to get money for gifts she couldn’t afford.

One late afternoon, she was invited around for tea and cake only to find the guests were two of Mary’s friends. Carrie was simply there to serve the tea and cake. Humiliated, she had done so. Mary seemed to think Carrie should have expected this, and rather than lose face, Carrie had said, of course. Even wearing the ridiculous little outfit, Mary had instructed her to wear.

The women largely ignored her until one trapped her in the kitchen and groped her. Carrie had endured it rather than causing a scene, then realised she had enjoyed the woman groping her.

Now, Mary had messaged her to wait on the corner of Duke and Castle Street. Eight pm and ‘look your best, boobs and legs on show’. Carrie felt a shade self-conscious but dutifully did as she was told. There were a few people about, one man propositioned her. Carrie ignored him.

A woman approached just after eight, young, mid, maybe late, twenties, with long black hair, short black dress, high heels and light tan coat. She stopped directly next to Carrie.

“Hi,” the woman said. “You Carrie?”

Startled, Carrie nodded. “Yes, who are you?”

“Raven. Mary told me to wait for her. Assume her driver will pick us up. You on the game?”

“No! Why? Are you?”

“On and off. Mary pays me well for certain services. Ah, here is Max.”

“What services?”

Raven stroked the side of Carrie’s face, her grey-green eyes expressionless and divorced from the wide smile. “I beat the shit out of girls, one on one fights. Mary enjoys the spectacle of two naked girls fighting it out for her affection. Well, okay, I do it for the money.”

Carrie stared. “What?”

“Get in the car. It’s showtime.” Raven held the car door open.

Confused, Carrie looked into the car interior. “What?” She felt a jolt in her back and blacked out.

****

“You had to taser her?” Mary asked.

They were both standing over Carrie, who was lying on the couch in the medical fetish room of Domination Inc.

“No, I wanted to taser her. It felt good,” replied Raven.

The question of location for the game had been readily answered. Two doors down from Raven’s temporary flat was a fully equipped dungeon, and Mary as the landlord had access to the spare keys.

“I forgot about Ms Beechum’s little enterprise,” said Mary as she and Raven looked around. “Do you think she and her partner will mind us borrowing it for a few hours?”

“Do you care?”

“God, no. I suspect a generous donation will cover any umbrage. So what’s next?”

Arranging the meet with Carrie was next, then they needed one final component who arrived, eager, excited and expectant at just gone seven pm. She flung herself at Raven, who held her tightly.

“You never called, never rang, nothing,” Rosie scolded once she had disengaged from the hug. “I’m a frail old lady, and this is how you treat me?”

Raven ignored her. “Strip.”

“Yes, of course…” Rosie wondered if Miss M was still in vogue.

“Raven.”

“Come to peck out my eyes,” giggled Rosie as she stepped out of her dress. She was naked underneath. “Well, what do you think?” Rosie flaunted and paraded herself like an obscene porn parody.

Again, Raven ignored her. Rosie still had an excellent figure, but she was perhaps thinner, frailer than Raven remembered. That hint of madness was still there, a madness which had always appealed to Raven. Allowing herself a smile, she took Rosie into her arms, who resisted in a mock pout.

“I missed you terribly, Raven,” she said. “Not once did you think of me, did you?”

“No.” Raven backhanded Rosie, sending her spinning to the floor. Mary watched with a little shiver of delight.

Shaking her ringing head, Rosie glanced up and smiled. “You see, that’s all I wanted.” She crawled over and kissed Raven’s heels. “Thank you.”

Raven squatted down next to Rosie. “We are here to play a game with a young girl, to fuck with her for a bit.”

“I like games. Is it a nasty game? Will I be hurt? Will the girl be hurt?”

“Yes, you will be hurt. That’s where the game starts.”

“Ooh, I like this game, I always liked our games, Raven. I miss our games, why didn’t you come back to play our games?”

“I’m back now, aren’t I?” Raven smiled.

“Yes, you’re back now. What do I have to do?”

“Do what you do best. Pretend you are a harmless little old lady.”

“I can do that. I’m good at that. Will I get to have sex with the young girl? I’d like that.”

“Perhaps, it depends on how the game goes. Shall we play?”

“Yes. I’ve been so bored recently. Rosie wants to play.”

****

Rachel was curled up to Bianca on the sofa when Sammie came in.

“More tea, I think, babe,” murmured Rachel. Bianca was dozing. It was all very cosy and domestic thought, Rachel, happily.

Sammie shook her head and went to wake up Bianca.

“Hey, let her sleep, we’ve had a busy day,” yawned Rachel.

Again Sammie shook her head and pointed to her collar. She looked frustrated. Frowning, Rachel beckoned to her and reached for the collar. “You know I’m going to get my arse beaten for this, Sammie.”

“There are people in the flat,” burst out Sammie.

“What!” Rachel shook Bianca.

“They are on webcam. Medical room and Playroom.”

“Should we call the police?” Rachel asked worriedly.

“One of them is Mary Tolliver,” said Sammie.

“Let’s have a look, first shall we? Try and assess the situation before we do anything,” said Bianca, leading the way into the study. All three crowded around the laptop to watch streaming images from the webcams installed in the flat. Archie padded in to see what the commotion was all about.

“That’s Rosie!” Rachel exclaimed.

“Mary Tolliver and Rosie, think we can definitely say there is some kinky shit going down. But breaking in? Why not just ask?” Bianca said thoughtfully.

“No idea who the dark-haired woman is or the young girl,” said Sammie.

“Never seen the girl, but the other woman looks familiar. Just can’t place her,” replied Bianca.

“What should we do?” Rachel asked.

“Pay them a visit and find out what the fuck is going on.” Bianca was still staring at the dark-haired woman who was now dragging the young girl into the play area where Rosie was shackled. “Fuck!” She knew who the woman was. “Everyone, get ready. We’re all going.”

“I can’t leave Archie,” said Sammie in alarm.

“Archie is coming to, aren’t you, boy!”

Ten minutes later, they were all piled into the SUV.

“I know who the dark-haired woman is. Michelle, Miss M.”

Sammie and Rachel knew Bianca was right the instant she said her name.

“She moved to London–about two years ago?” Rachel said.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“So why have we brought Archie?” Sammie asked from the back.

“Remember at the fair, when Rosie said Miss M didn’t like dogs? Always stuck in my mind as weird. How can you not like dogs?”

“But she won’t be any trouble, will she?” Sammie was worried. Her simple life meant she was ill-equipped to cope with drama.

“Don’t know, I just know she is a mad cunt. Always thought that. Never liked or trusted her. Archie could be useful.”

Rachel looked back at Sammie and smiled. “We’re going to be okay, babe. Promise.”

Sammie gave a wan smile and clung to Archie.