A Night of Indulgence and Sloth by Victoria Pauley
Content Warning
This book is classified under the dark romance category and includes themes which some may find triggering. The FMC in this story deals with trauma from her childhood which we see internally through monologue or flashback. It's intended for adults who enjoy dark romance with sexual scenes between 2-3 consenting adults (both inside and outside of the sex club), secrets, office romance, and other scenarios that could be harmful. Should the above make you uncomfortable, you may want to consider skipping this book.
If you need further clarification on any of the above listings, email me at [email protected].
Liliana
The strong scent of horse dung and wood shavings overpowers everything else around me in the crowded cabin. It doesn’t seem to matter that my younger sister, Calantha, is no longer mucking out the stalls and instead preps for bed after a long day.
I desperately wish for the chance to help her get clean, but she isn’t afforded such luxury. Only those of us who serve the guests get to bathe properly, while the rest of my aunt and uncle’s foster children have to wash up in the creek beyond the house.
“I’ve got to go, Calla. Uncle insists I not be late for their special visitor again, but I promise you, we’re going to get out soon. Here. They don’t feed you enough.” I hand over the extra bread roll I stole from the kitchens earlier that day.
“You’re the best big sister anyone could ask for,” she says before taking a massive bite from the crusty bread. Luckily, the others in the cabin are preoccupied and don’t notice the extra food, or else I’m sure they’d get us in trouble. Living here beneath the heel of my uncle doesn’t allow for false beliefs about the way people are. It doesn’t take long to realize just how far someone will go to earn favor. But they’ll find out soon enough that Aunt and Uncle don’t appreciate tattletales.
After one last hug, I head toward the door with every intention of doing my duty, when heavy footfalls sound on the steps outside. I freeze as the large wooden door bangs wide and my uncle steps into the cabin. He’s rarely found out here this late at night, and my insides curl with worry.
“I thought I told you not to be late, Liliana, yet here you are, wasting time.”
Despite every atom in my body begging me to cower under the weight of his stare, I stand tall. “Sorry, Uncle. I wanted to see my sister before she went to sleep. I was just about to leave.”
He tsks, roaming his eyes along the row of bunk beds until he finds Calantha. To my surprise, she’s hidden the hunk of bread and pasted a tired, weary look on her face.
“It’s true, Uncle. She was just leaving, and I’m all ready for bed,” Calla insists. Just like always, she backs up my stories, even though I’d rather she didn’t. I’m supposed to be the one protecting her, not the other way around.
“If I couldn’t tell from your looks that you were related, it’s clear from the lies that spew from your foolish mouth.” Uncle strides forward, gripping Calantha’s arm so tightly that she winces.
“No!” I shout, racing forward to pull him off her, but it has the opposite effect. He holds her more firmly until a whimper escapes her, and I stop dead in my tracks.
“You thought you could steal from me? Give away my offerings of food to someone else? That food is only available for those who earn it, but she hasn’t, has she, Liliana?” He pulls her toward the door, shoving past me until I’m knocked to the ground.
“It was my fault! She had nothing to do with this. Leave her alone!” I shout, desperate for him to turn his attention on me instead of my younger sister.
He stops on the porch, still holding on tight to Calantha as he turns to me. “She will earn back what you stole, and you will take her place in this cabin until I feel she’s paid it off.” His saggy old face shakes with his anger, but the gleam in his eyes tells me just how much he’s enjoying this. “I was more than willing to hold off on inviting her to work at the main house, but you’ve forced my hand. She’s doing this because of you. Remember that next time you try to pull one over on me.” Then he shuts the door and locks it from the outside.
“No, no, no,” I scream, pounding on the door with all my strength. The other kids watch, completely uncaring that my little sister is on her way to service one of their guests. And it’s all. My. Fault.
“Lily!” Calantha screams as I continue to thrash against the door.
“Lily! Lily! Lily!” On and on she shouts, begging for my help, for my protection, but it’s no use.
I’ve finally done it.
I’ve ruined her.
“Lily, wake up.”
I lurch awake, scrambling back as my eyes focus on the person in front of me. Calantha sits on the edge of the bed, looking at me with a worried expression on her usually joyful face.
“Oh, thank God,” I whisper before wrapping my arms tightly around my sister.
“The same nightmare?” she asks softly, and all I can do is nod, not ready to let her go. Her hands run gently over my dark hair and I focus on it. I’ve never been able to afford therapy, but from what I read online, it’s best to pinpoint something tangible.
I take deep breaths to calm my racing heart, reminding myself repeatedly that the events of my nightmare never happened. My sister was never forced to submit to any of my uncle’s deplorable friends. We weren’t trapped with those vile people anymore. We escaped.
When the fear drains from my bones, I separate from my sister, and she hands me a hot mug of coffee. Despite everything we’ve gone through since our parents died, she’s still the sweet, thoughtful girl I remember growing up with. Luckily, we’d gotten out before they’d forced her to bend to the whims of others, and even now she doesn’t know all the things I’d had to do for their “guests”.
She was in her last year of college to become a veterinary technician. Our aunt and uncle might have forced us to be their unpaid farmhands, but at least one good thing had come from being in their care. My sister’s love of animals has grown into something remarkable. Our dark past never diminished that, and I was only too happy to help her claim her dream job.
I would never tell her just how much debt we’d collected over the years though. As the older sister, it was my job to protect her from the bullshit things in life and, just like I’d done at the farm, I would shield her from whatever I could in the real world.
“The good news is that you’ll soon have health benefits, and maybe a therapist will help you get past the trauma so you’ll no longer have those nightmares. Plus, once I’m finished with school in a few weeks, I’ll be able to get a job and help pay for things so you aren’t so stressed out all the time.” She gives me a genuine smile, full of hope. It’s one of the things I love so much about her. Optimistic to her core.
A knock sounds at the door of our tiny apartment, and I jump at the sound. Calantha only pats my hand before striding with confidence toward the door.
“Make sure you—” I start, but she interrupts me.
“I know, Lily. I’ll check the peephole before opening the door. I promise.”
Standing from my bed—which is also our living room couch—I stretch, hoping to relieve some of the stiffness from my muscles. My body is always coiled tight after a nightmare, and it usually requires at least an hour of calming yoga to loosen up again.
“Who is it?” I ask, curiosity and a little fear slamming through my insides.
“Breakfast!” she singsongs, bringing a bag of food to the coffee table along with a beautiful black envelope. “I almost forgot. This was in the mailbox when I checked it last night.” Her eyes shimmer with excitement as she hands it to me. Embossed in silver letters, my name stands out like a beacon against the black of the envelope. We usually only receive bills, so I’m equal parts excited and nervous to find out what’s inside.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Open it!” My sister’s enthusiasm spurs me into shoving down my fear and carefully breaking open the seal.
Inside is a thick piece of black cardstock with an elegant design on the top and words etched in pale blue. Tilting it slightly, the areas in blue turn almost white as they reflect light back at me. Flipping it over, I find only a single website on the other side.
“Oh my God,” Calantha squeals, taking the card from my hands. “They accepted your application for the lock-in! You lucky bitch.”
“Am I supposed to know what that is?” I’d never heard of Club Rapture before, and I sure as hell didn’t apply for anything, so why would I be getting an invitation to any club? I was a certified homebody, only ever going out for work unless my sister was with me. Hell, I even made our grocery orders from the comfort of our tiny apartment.
“It’s only the hottest, most exclusive club in NYC, Lily. Seriously, how have you never heard of it?” She hands the invitation back to me, and I read it over once again.
You're invited to the exclusive Club Rapture for a night of decadent sin and slothful debauchery. Leave your inhibitions at the door, and come explore the darker side of pleasure.
A shudder runs down my spine as I realize what this is. A sex club. And this isn’t just any event, but one that requires me to be locked inside. Memories of all those nights trapped with my uncle’s special guests threaten to break through until my sister places her hand on my shoulder.
“I can’t do this, Calla. Not after everything.”
She pulls me into her arms, once again seeming to hold all my broken pieces together. “Do you remember the time we went to the zoo with mom and dad? I was terrified to go inside the feeding enclosure because of that kid who claimed he lost a toe to one of those creepy looking goats. And you know what you said to me? You told me that just because something is scary doesn’t mean we should run from it, and that sometimes, it’s the things we fear the most that bring us the greatest joy. I fed those animals with all the confidence I could muster, even though I was terrified, and that’s when I realized I wanted to work with animals someday.I think this would be good for you, Lily. When was the last time you put yourself first? You know I won’t force you, but I really think you should go.”
Her words hit me hard, and my eyes prick with tears because she’s right. Before our parents died, I’d been fearless. Well, maybe not fearless, exactly, but I never once let it stop me from doing something. After what happened at the farm, I’d become someone else. Someone who feared everything and would rather stay tucked away from the world than actually experience something.
“But I didn’t even apply. They probably meant to send this to someone else, and it wouldn’t be fair for me to take their spot.” Jeez, could I have come up with a lamer excuse?
“So… don’t hate me, okay? But I signed you up…” Her gaze darts around the room, never fully resting on me. “It wasn’t guaranteed that you’d get in, but you did, and I really think you should go. It’s alright to be a little selfish sometimes, Lily. Take care of yourself by going to this club and letting someone else take care of you.”
Her words settle inside me like rocks at the bottom of the ocean, weighing me down and allowing me to really consider what she’s saying. I can’t go back to the person I was before, but maybe I can move beyond my fear. If Calantha is right, then this might just be the first step toward overcoming my past, a way to take back my sexuality and fearlessness until I recognize the person looking back at me in the mirror.
We might have been safe from the farm, but I was still trapped there. Club Rapture could be just what I need to break free of the hold my past has on me.