“No, it’s okay. Thank you.” She closed her eyes. “Thank you for saving me.”
“No thanks necessary. Doms like that shouldn’t be here.”
She clasped her hands beneath her chin. Her bare feet stuck from the blanket. They were spotted with blood.
“Come on,” Jonathan said to me. “We need to get her some help.”
I held the curtain back then followed him through the main arena and back towards the reception.
Just before we got there he stopped at a door and used the flat of his foot to push it open.
It hit the wall with a bang and he strode in.
I followed.
“Madam Gutard,” he said, standing feet hip-width apart and seeming to fill the small, purple-walled room.
A woman, slim, grey-haired and with huge gold hooped earrings stood from a chair. She had a cigarette in a holder between her fingers. “Master Jonathan. What have you here?”
“This,” he said. “Is unacceptable. I just found this woman being abused and filmed. Where the hell are your security?”
Her expression changed from one of surprise to horror. “What? Where?”
“Out there, in a private booth.” Jonathan carefully set the woman on her feet.
She held onto him as though her legs weren’t working.
“Look,” he said, lifting the blanket to expose her bloody ass.
“Oh my.” Madam Gutard looked at me and touched her temple. She drew on her cigarette. “That’s against the rules.” Smoke filtered out with her words.
“Of course it fucking is.” Jonathan pointed at Madam Gutard. “I know that. Every other fucker here knows that.”
“Please calm down.”
“No, I will not. And you shouldn’t be calm either. The Dungeon has a good reputation. The fact this woman came here alone proves that. But look what’s happened. She was accosted and caned until her blood flowed with no chance of giving a safeword or gesture.”
“You poor dear. I’m so sorry this happened to you here.” Madam Gutard stroked the woman’s hair, then wrapped her arm around her. “I will see to her. See that she gets what she needs.” Her face darkened. “And I can assure you, no, Ipromiseyou, my security staff are going to have a stern speaking to.”
The woman allowed Madam Gutard to pull her into an embrace.
“Shh, there we go dear, all better now.” Madam Gutard looked at Jonathan and a flash of anger went through her eyes. “Find whoever did this.”
“He’ll be on your security camera when he arrived in Reception.”
“Perhaps he wore a mask, the way you like to… Officer.”
Jonathan paused. “Can I look at your register?”
“I’m afraid that’s all I have for you, the camera went down yesterday, it’s getting fixed tomorrow.’
“Damn.”
“I’m sorry, but do look at the book and please.” She led the woman to a low sofa. “Catch him and cane his ass like this.”
“I’ll do more than that.” Jonathan reached for my hand. “I’ll put him behind bars. Goodbye.”
He tugged me from the room. His strides were long and determined and his wide shoulders tensed upward around his ears.