Never Without Consent

“There’s someone I want you to meet.” Riven eyed me from head to toe. Those were his first words to me in nearly eight months. I last saw him at his mansion by the lake, in Italy where we celebrated his birthday and partied for three weeks straight. That’s Riven for you. He lived his life moving from one distraction to the next. If you were to ask him what day, month, or year it was, he wouldn’t know the answer. He relied upon the rest of us for that.

“Really? Who is it this time and how madly in love with you is she already?” I snorted, ordering myself a drink at the bar. The problem with Riven was that he fell in and out of love the same way he fell in and out of bed—frequently and with a different woman each time. I couldn’t recall ever seeing him with the same woman twice and none of them remained platonic. He had the ability to take a woman and destroy her.

“Oh my friend, this one…” He shook his head and a ghost of a smile crept across his lips. “This one doesn’t want me.” The smile became a fully-fledged grin. His white teeth sparkled almost sinisterly under the overhead lights. A small chuckle erupted from deep within his chest and the sound of it stunned me to the core. There wasn’t a woman alive who didn’t want Riven in some way or another. They craved his companionship.

This woman was something special to resist Riven’s many charms but the fact that he wasn’t pissed off and pursuing her with the full force of his unrelenting charisma was what really intrigued me.

“Now that has to be a first,” I murmured with a shake of my head. Riven’s eccentricity forever kept me on my toes but this news had to be the most unexpected thing he had ever said.

I took a deep gulp of my cold beer and offered a satisfied sigh to the bar gods. I’d been aching for a drink since arriving on the island. Receiving an invitation to perform at one of Riven’s coming-in parties was always an honor, and one that I didn’t often get the chance to accept due to work or family commitments. Luckily, when the call came, I was between commissions and the idea of spending a little time on a warm sandy beach was appealing enough to get me on the next plane out. I arrived at the resort with just over an hour to spare before the party kicked off and immediately rushed to the club to change and get ready for my stint on stage.

From what I’d seen of it so far, the Tienimi Resort was high end. Luxurious prices bought luxurious accommodation and services. The staff was welcoming, the villas sprawling and the rules rigid. Beyond that though, it was as obliging as you could imagine. The resort catered for single people looking for either companionship or unrestrained fun. There were rules of interaction that hinged heavily upon jeweled bracelets that everyone wore. They acted as an invitation or deterrent to other members as long as everyone knew the rules of play. It was a simple concept but quite a clever setup.

For the party, I sported a deep blue sapphire and platinum cuff. The wide metal manacle gripped my wrist and told anyone looking at it that I was resort staff for the evening. After the event I would have a choice of emerald, topaz or rubies, depending on whether I wished to be left alone, meet new people or indulge in some debauched play. It made a neat kind of sense. Members could identify those who shared a comfort level and prevent embarrassing or wasteful flirtations with people who weren’t interested.

Riven grinned at me over his colorful glass. If I knew my friend, he probably constructed the cocktail himself. Riven controlled every element of his life and trusted nothing to others. It was probably what made him one of the most creative and highly celebrated Doms on the BDSM scene. There were very few people who hadn’t heard of him and his exclusive parties. Even I had been intimidated and slightly awestruck when he first took me under his wing. Thankfully, that was a long time ago and over time our relationship shifted from mentor and student to friends.

“She is a first in more ways than one, Ayron. This girl is going to totally blow you away.”

“Will she be performing?”

“Yes. She is on last.”

“It’s her coming-in? She’s your newest apprentice?” To say I was surprised was a gross understatement. My mouth dried and my jaw hung open at his revelation. Riven tapped the underside of my chin twice with his index finger and I shut my mouth sharply. He managed to train a Domme? I took a large gulp of my drink and swallowed over the thump that formed in my throat.

Riven took his role as a mentor seriously. He trained both Dominatrices and submissives but he only threw coming-in parties for his Doms. I’d never heard of him successfully training a female Domme before. He usually screwed them up and dumped them before they finished their apprenticeships. I never heard of one making it past the submission training before. Until now it seemed.

Riven never intended to hurt the women he was with. He treated them like queens until he fell out of love with them and then it all inevitably turned to shit. Knowing this woman was not only immune to my lothario friend but a well-trained Mistress in her own right, was intriguing to me. I couldn’t wait to see who she was and what made her so unique.

“Yes, she was a delight to teach and made me think of you. She has many ways about her that would complement your own work. You will like her I am sure.”

“Is she here now? I have a few minutes before my set,” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Riven turned towards the stage and reclined back onto the bar, leaning on his elbows. He didn’t look at me directly but I knew from experience that he was still taking in my every miniscule reaction. “No, she is in the back preparing her sub. I have gifted her Annemarie for this evening.”

“She must be special for you to loan her your pet.”

“Yes, my oldest and dearest pet.” I heard Riven’s fondness for Annemarie in the soft way he spoke about her. Even his expression became softer, more indulgent, but it only lasted a second. “You will see how well they work together. I’m telling you, Ayron, this girl has taught me a thing or two, which is why I have named her Maestra.”

If my interests weren’t already piqued they would be at this discovery. Annemarie was Riven’s most obedient sub. She followed his every command and happily gave herself over to his rule. The pleasure she derived from pleasing her master was evident in her unerring obedience and the twenty-four-hour smile she wore. She had been a mother figure to me during my own education, her caring nature extending beyond the confines of the training rooms. I was pretty sure she was the happiest woman on the planet for the way she always smiled and laughed.

She was also the only person Riven trusted to assist him during training and the one woman who stuck around even after Riven broke her heart. They kept things strictly professional after their relationship ended, but I knew Annemarie hoped that one day Riven would change his mind and settle down. She had a long wait ahead of her.

I drank my beer in silence and Riven turned his attentions to his entourage. The faces at the bar were mostly familiar to me. They were Riven’s friends and members of the social scenes we traveled in. The dancer, who hadn’t once caught my eye, finished her set and sauntered off the stage to the sound of applause.

Lydia mounted next. My set would begin halfway through hers.

Lydia was a stunning little thing with candy pink hair and piercings. She danced and performed aerobatics with two heavy-duty satin-look ribbons that fell from the lighting rig above. The girl could spin herself up and down those ribbons with one arm, while her audience enjoyed the patterns and shapes she made with the rest of her body on the ascent. She was masterful, but for me she was at her most incredible when we worked together.

I was her rigger, a shibari master and an artist with ropes. Lydia might get herself tied up in those ribbons but it was my skill with ropes and decorative knots that really made her a masterpiece. Our set was almost an art installation piece, with her fluid dance motions becoming more constrained and fevered with each limb I commanded. She began her double rope spin and it was time for me to go. I drained the glass, placed it on the counter and then took to the stage.

***

The set went well, Lydia was stunning and the crowd watched appreciatively as I tied and presented her to them. As always, Lydia responded like a kitten to the soft touches and tight ropes. By the end she almost sang out her arousal. She was always fun to work with and I was grateful Riven acquired her for the evening.

Right after my set the main entertainment began. The stage darkened to a deep blackness that permeated the whole venue. I made my way, in blackout, to Riven’s side at the bar where he hovered looking uncharacteristically nervous.

“This her?” The room was almost silent in anticipation of her arrival and my whisper traveled around the space. I wasn’t sure what I expected but, when the lights came up, the girl on stage wasn’t it.

Up there, looking every bit the goddess, was a tall, slim girl. She couldn’t be much older than twenty-one. Her eyes were a dazzling aqua blue and her golden hair framed her face like a halo. She was remarkable and looked completely out of place in a room full of leather, latex, and studs. She was far too innocent to be up there and in my heart I felt a tremor of unease.

She shouldn’t be here. She was too sweet.

Her hair was tied in a decorative, twisting knot at the base of her neck—something I appreciated on both a personal and professional level—she wore, not the traditional leather, PVC or rubber, but a smart pair of black flared trousers and a high-collared, white blouse. Dressed ready to go to the office, not flog, bind or whip another human being. The contradictions of the scene confused me. Looking to Riven, I caught his beam of pride and, somewhat shockingly, not one ounce of lust.

The woman on stage moved like liquid, gliding elegantly around her play space. From backstage, a tall and muscular man walked out to meet her. He knelt facing the crowd. His movements were jerky and unpracticed. Perplexed by the change in itinerary, I glanced once again at Riven.

Who is he and where is Annemarie?

My unspoken question passed between us, Riven’s eyebrows furrowed in response to my cocked ones. To my displeasure, Riven was just as confounded. For the first time ever his features twisted wretchedly upon his face. He had no idea of what was going on and his strained posture told me he was considering doing something about it.

The woman performed confidently. She didn’t even flinch at the change in itinerary. She offered no indication that she was anything but in control. She moved, caressed and petted the man who confidently stared her in the eye. His militant behavior was unheard of in a public scene and smacked of disobedience. The crowd noticed, too. They fed off his malign and fervent energy. We all knew something was about to happen, something wrong, yet the girl continued regardless. She lifted her sub’s hands to secure them within the leather binds attached to a spreader bar.

And then the shit hit the fan.

As she moved so did the man. He shifted, lightning fast, and whipped around behind her. He grabbed for her before she had time to notice anything was wrong and latched the Domme’s wrists to the metal pole. He stood behind her, grinning, as she struggled to release herself from the binds. From the slow widening of her eyes, I could see that her brain hadn't quite caught up and yet her body acted instinctively. She pulled and fought the binds all the while looking curiously dumbfounded. Her pale face and empty stare said it all.

Riven moved only a split second after I did.

I launched myself towards the stage, cursing my choice to stand so far back. I didn’t make it to her in time to stop him from tearing her blouse and baring her naked breasts to the crowd. My eyes kept track of her face and although I knew I was moving, I felt as though I was stood still, gawping at her just like every other guest in the bar.

Her face crumpled in humiliation. I watched as something inside her twisted and broke then I witnessed her head jerk sharply to the right as his fist impacted her left cheek.

I roared.

It was a battle cry, an instinctive expression of my fury. I kicked the man clean across the stage and pursued him with the intention of beating him senseless, except Riven mounted the stage right behind me and pointed to the barely conscious beauty.

"Get Milly down before she scars her wrists!" he instructed with a yell. Despite my fury, the urge to obey Riven was an ingrained behavior. I turned and reached for her, pulling her crumpled body upward and securing her against me as I fumbled with the clips on the leather cuffs.

As soon as she was free she collapsed. Shock, pain and humiliation crushed her like a physical weight upon her shoulders. I lifted her as gently as I could, covering her with my own body and shielding her from the eyes in the crowd. The hush of the gathering was both surreal and unnerving as I walked with her to the exit. She weighed so little and reminded me of a broken doll. I carried her through to the showers and seated her upon a bench.

"Are you okay? Your face…he hit you." I stumbled over my words, unsure of what to say or how best to comfort her. She sobbed silently for a moment. She didn’t speak and her skin took on the pallor of a woman in shock. I didn’t want to leave her alone but I knew she needed comfort—the kind that could only be offered by someone she knew. She needed Riven. We both did.

"Wait here. I will fetch Riven for you. It will be okay, Milly." The words seemed insignificant and inept upon my tongue. She looked up at me, barely registering my existence and shook her head.

"Why would Riven do that to me?" Her chest heaved. Her voice broke on a thick sob. That she thought Riven had anything to do with what unfolded out there on that stage seemed ludicrous but I had no idea how or why she changed her sub. I needed answers, cold facts, but until I could get them I needed to do whatever I could to reassure her that Riven was still trustworthy.

"Oh sweetheart, I can promise you one thing, Riven had nothing to do with this. He was on stage beating the shit out of that fucking asshole." I grimaced at my language. I hadn’t meant to swear but the fight was still running high in my blood.

She shook her head again. She didn’t believe me and the sadness etched into the downward curl of her lips damn near broke my heart. I knelt before her and lifted her head so that I could look into her eyes. Their blue depths were dazzlingly bright through her tears but it was her lips and the sorrow forming there that I wanted to halt. My lips touched down upon hers.

As soon as I did it, I regretted my action. How was this any different from what that asshole did to her out there on the stage? As well-meaning as I was, she didn’t know me. I wanted her to know me but I was a stranger and I was taking advantage. I pulled away just as I felt her lips part beneath mine. I removed myself to the other side of the room before I was tempted to see what it felt like when she kissed back. She gazed at me. Her expression remained soft but registered just as much surprise from my assault as she did onstage from his.

“I am sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. ”

Her bright eyes dulled again as her tears fell and she dropped her head low.

“Milly I…I really am sorry.” When she didn’t lift her head to respond, I leaned down and pressed my lips to her forehead. I’m not sure why I did it, but it felt like the right thing to do.

I whispered lightly against her ear. “I’m going to get Riven for you. Stay here.” Then in a moment of madness I added, “I will come back to you, Milly. I promise.”

I slipped out of the room and went in search of Riven and, hopefully, some kind of explanation. I found him a few doors down. The asshole was with him, bound and prostrate on the floor.

"What the fuck was that?" I demanded as I stormed into the room.

"This stronzo tells me he was paid to give her a taste of her own medicine," Riven snarled viciously.

"You have got to be kidding me? Is he even a part of the scene?"

Riven kicked him. "Well? Answer the question!" he commanded.

"No. I was hired two nights ago in a bar. The guy gave me two hundred bucks to show her a real woman’s place." From the way he pronounced his words, if I had to guess, I’d say the man had a newly broken tooth and a mouth full of blood.

"Who? What kind of sick fuck would do that?" I shouted. He received another kick and once again Riven helped loosen his tongue.

"Shit man! I don’t know. He didn't give me his name, just hers. He spoke like your boy there, British or Australian or something, but the little bitch he was with called him Cliff." Riven lifted his boot and pressed it into the man's back. He grunted in pain.

"Shit! Enough already! That’s all I know."

Riven pulled me from the room and closed the door.

"Cliff?" I asked, "Does that name mean something to you?"

“He is her eldest brother,” Riven growled. He ran his hand through his hair and then spun and punched the wall behind him. The plaster cracked and small flakes fell, dusting the white tiled floor. I felt his anger. I couldn’t believe her own family would set her up for such abuse and humiliation. There was clearly more to this than Riven was willing to tell me.

“Do you want me to go and find him?”

“No. Someone needs to stay with her. My poor Milly shouldn’t be alone.”

“You need to go to her, Riven. I’m still a stranger to her and she needs to hear from you about what just happened. She is confused and thinks you were involved,” I explained this part carefully not wanting to tell him that she thought he was the one to set her up, hearing that would hurt him immeasurably.

“I will take care of this sick fuck.” I nodded toward the room where the man was incarcerated.

“Okay. Yes. You take him and teach him what happens when he hits a woman. No police,” Riven warned. I understood that the law didn’t always comprehend the line between abuse and kink-play. As far as the cops were concerned, both parties stepped out on that stage as consenting adults. Proving that he had crossed the line into abuse would possibly only get Milly into trouble too.

Riven marched off to console Milly, while I returned to the shit-for-brains hired thug. He was still curled upon the floor, secure in his restraints, when I walked back in. He looked as though he’d tried putting up a struggle then thought better of it. Wrestling against Riven’s bindings would have been futile anyway. The man taught me everything I know about restraint, whether for pleasure or punishment. I was betting the stupid asshole regretted fighting the ropes. Riven would have arranged them to tighten with any struggling.

“You ready to get up?” I asked, fighting a grin.

“Are you going to let me go?”

“Well, not exactly, but I am going to get you out of here.”

“Well that’s a start. Tell me that freak isn’t coming with us.”

“Freak? You mean Riven?”

“Yeah. He fucking freaks me out, man. So what are you going to do? Call the cops?”

“Nope. I was thinking me and you would go and catch a show,” I responded, the idea gleaming in my mind. With my plan he would certainly find out what happened when you hit a woman without her permission. He looked uncomfortable and concerned, telling me he wasn’t as stupid as I thought, not if he understood that he shouldn’t trust me.

“What’re you talking about, Mister?”

“You’ll see.” I grinned as I hefted him off the floor and marched him out to a waiting car. Texting Riven, I asked him to make some flight arrangements for us with the resort’s private fleet. I looked forward to seeing how the nasty bastard handled the cage wrestling ladies in Mexico and if by some happenstance he made it out alive, then I couldn’t wait to find out how he planned on getting home without money or papers.

As for Milly, well, there was no way I could meet her now. Not if every time she looked at me she was reminded of tonight.

No. It was best I waited a while.

I vowed to let her heal and later I would introduce myself under better circumstances. But without a doubt, I would be back. Something about that girl caught my eye. Something in the way she gripped my shirt in her small fists captured my heart. Amazing and unbelievable as it was, I actually cared about her already and it was only a matter of time before I’d be able to show her.