A Shadow of Scarlet (Book #3)

Copyright 2017, all rights reserved. No copies, prints, reprints or transmission in any form are permitted without prior written permission from the Author. Any resemblances to persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

Tags: BDSM, bondage, domination, submission, sex club, lesbian, mystery

Authors note: This story is 52,032 words long. It is purely fictional and deals with sex and violence in the BDSM lifestyle. It is not intended to be an informative primer or compendium on BDSM or any alternative lifestyle. Each relationship is different and the situations in this story may or may not be included in any specific individual's relationship.

*****

Forward

It was late when Wolfe made it back to her office after an inspection tour of the lower levels of the GreenWood Inn. As CEO she had to always be on top of whatever was happening at the GreenWood Inn and Country Club. Now, for a change, it was quiet with no new construction or projects going on. The major room remodeling project had finished several months ago and nothing was slated for at least a year.

That still didn't mean she could slack off. It was her job to ensure that the Inn and Country Club, as well as the GreenWood Mall which was connected to it, operated at peak efficiency. She did inspections on a regular basis to head off potential problems whenever she could.

As she opened the door to the inner office, she saw her Co-CEO, Karen, still at her desk in the joint office they shared. Callie, Karen's personal assistant and Wolfe's friend, was tucked sideways in a chair reading a book while waiting for Karen to finish for the day. At the sound of Wolfe entering, Karen looked up and smiled. Wolfe returned the smile. She loved both Karen and Callie and they returned her love equally as strong. The three of them made a combination that was nearly impossible to beat.

Karen ran GreenWood Enterprises. Her fabulous looks, smarts and business savvy made potential clients line up for their management services. Wolfe, at thirty seven, was eight years older and much more experienced. She had the depth of knowledge Karen still lacked, but it was Karen who ran the company.

Officially, Callie was Karen's personal assistant. In reality, she was Karen's bodyguard, assistant, friend, and confidant. Callie was also Wolfe's roommate. When Callie had gotten extremely sick a couple of months ago, she'd needed someone to care for her while she was ill. Wolfe had been one of those who helped her through it. They'd stayed at Wolfe's apartment while Callie recovered. Afterward, Callie had continued to live there with Wolfe. It was an arrangement which suited them both.

"Everything alright downstairs?" Karen asked her while holding out her hand to Wolfe.

"Yes. Though there's a leaky pipe which Maintenance says they're going to get to tomorrow. Other than that, we're in good shape." Wolfe gently placed her hand in Karen's as she spoke. Karen was very tactile. She needed almost constant affection after they'd both almost been raped nearly a year ago. Which was why Karen needed Callie for a bodyguard, to prevent it from happening again.

"Good. It's time we caught a lucky break."

Wolfe nodded in agreement. They'd had a horrible year with one thing after another going wrong. About the only thing which had gone right was finding Callie for Karen. At the thought, Wolfe looked over at the Asian girl fondly. Callie, as if feeling Wolfe's gaze, smiled softly though she continued to read her book. Karen gently squeezed and released Wolfe's hand.

"No problems with Scarlet either." Karen reported, referring to the BDSM club of which Karen was the top dominant. "As I'm sure you know."

Wolfe nodded again. With Karen as her partner CEO, GreenWood was prospering. As Scarlet, the premier dominant in the BDSM club of the same name, Karen preferred to let Wolfe run the day-to-day operations and only stepped in when she had to act in her official capacity. Again, an arrangement which worked well for them. Wolfe had been the previous head of the club, while Karen wasn't actually a member of the alternative lifestyle community. Wolfe knew what was needed, and what wasn't, so she had a better idea of what to do and when to do it. Karen was the authority behind Wolfe's careful decisionmaking.

Though Karen wasn't into BDSM, Scarlet had allowed her to join the club after she'd been hurt by a rogue member of Scarlet. As Wolfe had put it at the time, Scarlet had owed her and Scarlet always paid it's debts. Karen had been allowed to join. It had been her courage in saving Wolfe which had propelled Karen to the top of the club to replace Wolfe. She'd been given the top job by an almost unanimous vote of confidence from the membership, even though Karen had never sought any position in the club.

Wolfe didn't mind being replaced. She knew Karen was stronger and more dominant. With Karen at the helm of Scarlet, the club would prosper while Wolfe would also benefit from Karen's continued presence and companionship. The events which had put them together had created a bond between them. Staying together was a strong component of that bond and Wolfe intended to hold on to it no matter what.

"You ready to go?" Karen shut down her computer before standing and stretching with a groan. It was late and they all needed to go home. Reaching around behind, Karen massaged her lower back with both hands. "Uh, stiff."

"Let me get my things." Wolfe touched the sculpture on Karen's desk named Silent Submission. Touching the figurine, a portrayal of crossed wrists and hands turned up in supplication, engaged the mechanism which operated and lowered the center section of the glass wall dividing their individual offices.

As the drawbridge lowered, the light on Wolfe's side automatically came on. Illuminated in the glow was a desk which matched Karen's. It was set to face Karen's desk as if a mirror image. Centered on the desk was a small box. A box with the logo of Fede Rings, a very high end local jeweler. Wolfe looked at Karen and Callie in surprise.

"Happy birthday." Callie put down her book before standing up to clasp Wolfe in a hug. Karen echoed Callie's birthday greeting and hug.

"I was hoping you'd forget." Wolfe made a face.

Karen laughed and gave Wolfe a kiss before releasing her. "Never!"

Wolfe stepped over to her desk, picking up the box before opening it. Inside were three identical polished silver bands. Each engraved with one of the words Strength, Love, Harmony. Wolfe looked at each one before picking up the ring which bore the word Love. The inner surface was engraved as well.

To Maria from K and C. Always and Forever.

"You RATS! Dirty rotten sneaky rats." Wolfe held out the box to Karen who took the ring engraved Strength. Callie accepted Harmony.

"I was even watching the expense reports to see if you were up to something. Nothing showed up."

Callie laughed. "I thought you were doing that. So we used cash instead of a card. No trace that way."

"Rat." Wolfe gave Callie a kiss. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Callie returned Wolfe's kiss, then held up her ring. "Ready?"

As one they all placed the rings on their right hand.

"Together."

"Always."

"Forever."

One

Wolfe patted her face with her towel to dry the sweat running down her temples. She'd just finished her thirty minutes on the Lifecycle and felt exhausted. Now, sitting on a plastic bench, she watched Karen continue her spin session.

Karen was really working hard. Sweat was pouring off of her face despite the fans circulating air to cool the gym. She'd been complaining about gaining two pounds and had started going to the fitness center downstairs from their office to try to lose the excess weight. Of course that meant that Wolfe, and Callie, had to go too.

Wolfe patted her face with her towel again, catching more drips before they could fall off of her chin. Karen was so transparent. Her 'excess weight' was an excuse to get Callie to the fitness center where she could work out in order to regain her lost strength.

She'd gotten sick with a fever. At the time no one knew why. Not even the doctors who had been hired to take care of her. No one could find a physical cause, but Callie had been seriously ill with a fever and delirium. She'd almost died. So, now they exercised.

Of course, the exercise was good for Karen, and Wolfe, as a bonus. Patting her face again, Wolfe watched Callie performing a Tai Chi exercise routine. Callie had started doing the exercise routines as soon as she could. It had been hard for her. Wolfe knew that Callie was sometimes frustrated at her inability to do things now which she used to do with ease before she got sick. They talked about it sometimes in the evenings. But, only after Callie had taken Karen home.

Callie would never admit to Karen she was concerned she'd never regain her former martial arts abilities. On occasion she was willing to talk to Wolfe about it. Each time, Wolfe told her it didn't matter. But, Callie was nearly obsessed over it. She worked out daily. Either in the apartment, or in the hallway outside Karen's office, or most recently, at the fitness center.

When Callie had first started her Tai Chi routine at the fitness center she'd been alone on the small square of floor mats in the corner. Now, she had a shadow who was following along with the routine behind Callie's back. A gangly skinny girl, maybe eight or nine, who had been hanging around the fitness center watching everyone. Wolfe thought that one of the women who also used the lifecycles was the girl's mother. They were usually there at the same time. The mother, if she was the girl's mother, seemingly ignored the girl the whole time they were there.

When the girl had first started imitating Callie, Wolfe had thought Callie hadn't noticed her attempts. Callie usually kept her eyes closed when she was doing her routine. But, after the first week, Wolfe was positive Callie had known. Callie kept a rolled up towel on another bench near her exercise area for use when she was done with her routine. A week after Callie acquired her shadow, another towel rolled just like Callie's, appeared on the bench. The day it appeared, Callie left a folded set of photocopies behind on the bench when she grabbed her own towel after her workout. The photocopies were pictures of the Tai Chi exercise poses, including the position names.

Callie hadn't said anything. But today, she'd begun chanting the poses as she went through the routine. Giving a running commentary on the movements needed to go from one pose to another.

"From Fan Through The Back, turn, big sweeps of the arms. Trace a rainbow with your hands. Shift. Pigeon toed and drop the hands. Right toes up, heel down. Foot turning outward. Deflect and block. Step forward. Parry. Left toes down, place foot. Step forward. Punch. HAI!"

Callie's sudden shout startled several of the gym goers. Callie suddenly frowned and repositioned herself with her arms above her head.

"Fan Through The Back. Shift back. Trace the rainbow. Turn the left foot pigeon toed. Drop the hands. Right heel down, toes up. Place right foot. Deflect. Step forward and parry. Left toes down, place foot, step forward again. Punch."

Callie froze rather than start to move forward and complete the movement. She remained silent. The young girl behind her followed silently through with her moves.

"Move your energy with your voice. Push the energy outward through your hand. Punch! HAI!" Callie finished her move with a fast punch and another shout.

Wolfe watched as the young girl silently mimicked Callie's punch. Callie opened her eyes and turned around. The girl quickly put her arms behind her back and dropped her eyes.

"Hello, I'm Callie. What's your name?" Callies question did not get an answer and the girl continued to look at the floor. Callie stood for a moment then folded into a lotus position. When the girl looked up, Callie patted the floor in front of her in invitation. The girl hesitated so Callie patted the mat once more.

"Come and sit with me." Callie invited her.

The girl sat down with her legs drawn up and her arms around her knees.

"No, like this." Callie circled her finger to indicate her body position before pointing at the girl and patting the mat in front of her again. "Here. Like me."

As Wolfe watched, the girl scooted over on her butt to a place in front of Callie. She bent her legs underneath herself to match Callie's lotus.

"What's your name?" Callie asked her when she was in position.

"Gloria."

The girls tone was very nasal with very little vocal enunciation. Callie cocked her head to one side.

"Can you hear me?" Callie asked the question slowly.

Gloria dropped her eyes to look at the floor again. Callie waved her hand down near the mat so Gloria would see it and look at her again. When the girl didn't look up, Callie waved her hand again, vigorously. Before the girl could react, Callie's hand went into spasms. Jerking and flapping her wrist she wiggled her hand like it was a dying fish before flopping it down on the mat with her fingers up. She twitched her fingers slightly simulating death twitches. Callie flopped her head back and to one side. She opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out of the corner of her lips.

"Gluh!" Callie held her position, eyes open and staring at nothing. Dead, like her hand. From being ignored.

Gloria looked up and saw the funny face and gave a very nasal giggle at Callie's antics. At the sound, Callie sat up straight again and looked back at her with another smile.

"My name is Callie." Callie spoke slowly. She held up her right hand and made finger gestures to the girl. "C, A, L, L, I, E." Callie spelled her name as she pronounced each letter.

Wolfe was surprised. She hadn't known Callie knew ASL sign language. The girl flashed her fingers in return.

"Wait, I can't . . ." Callie waved her hands in a scissoring motion. "I don't know what you are saying." She spoke to the girl slowly once she had her attention. "I am no good at sign language. I only know how to spell my name."

The girl slowed her gestures and spoke in her nasal voice at each one. "G, L, O, R, I, A. Gloria."

"Hello my little friend." Callie held out her hand.

Gloria tapped her fingers into Callie's palm very quickly before drawing them back.

" 'ello." The girl dropped the H in her greeting.

"To obedience. To honor the scholar." Callie spoke slowly and showed her open left hand to the girl. Callie placed her hands together and mimed a book. Closing the mimed book, she slid her right hand away and pointed at the left. "The open hand symbolizes a book of learning."

"For strength. To honor the warrior." Callie shook her right fist before placing her hands together again, left palm against her right fist. She bowed to the girl while still sitting.

"The scholar controls the warrior. Because knowledge is always better than fighting."

The young girl, suddenly shy, barely imitated the bow and hand position before jumping up and scurrying for the bench for her towel. She looked back at Callie.

"I will be here Wednesday. As usual." Callie enunciated carefully then stood to grab her own towel. She walked casually away without looking back.

Gloria watched her with big eyes.

Callie wandered over to sit next to Wolfe and watch Karen.

"Since when do you know ASL?" Wolfe asked.

"I don't. I just learned the letters to spell my name. I had someone once ask me to tattoo a name in sign language for them. I had to learn the symbols to do it and draw images of them. It turned out very nicely. I was intrigued enough to learn the letters to spell my own name. It's all I know. Really."

"You know her mom's going to get mad if she finds out you're teaching her daughter martial arts without permission, don't you?" Wolfe nodded toward the girl to indicate what she meant. Gloria was standing at the end of the row of lifecycles. She was absently fingering a hand grip as she looked around the fitness center watching everything.

"I am not teaching anyone anything." Callie's voice was muffled as she patted her face with the towel. "I am going through my own training to get back into condition. I cannot help it if someone decides to imitate what I'm doing. Besides, it's not martial arts. It's only Tai Chi. Fitness and stress relief."

Wolfe laughed. "Sure. That's what's happening all right. I believe you. Really, I do. You sneak."

Callie grinned companionably before suddenly frowning as she looked over at Karen. One of the gym cruisers, the guys who frequented gyms and fitness centers to try to pick up the women there, appeared next to Karen on the Lifecycle. Karen ignored him and continued her spinning.

The guy leaned over to touch Karen's hand to try to get her attention. Karen jerked her hand away. Callie stood up and walked causally over to them.

"You know, a guy could get hurt not taking no for an answer." She told the cruiser.

He looked Callie over briefly before transferring his attention back to Karen. "C'mon, don't be like that." He talked to Karen. "I only want to know your name."

"Her name is get lost. I suggest you learn it by heart."

The cruiser snapped at Callie. "I'm not talking to you."

Callie smiled as she turned to face Karen, putting her back toward the cruiser. Callie's young student stood at the end of the Lifecycle row watching. Callie's eyes were on Karen who had stopped pedaling.

"Better me than her. She's not interested in you." Callie caressed Karen's face with the backs of her fingers. "I am here. He won't hurt you. I promise."

The cruiser reached out to try to touch Karen again. "I don't know, I think she likes me. Don't you sweetheart?"

Callie moved. Hands up, she pivoted, tracing an arc with her hands. Shifting her weight she moved and spun. Her arms came down to block the cruisers attempt to touch Karen. Stepping forward she brushed his arms out of the way before stepping forward again.

"HAI!" Callie punched with her right hand. Her open palm hit the cruiser in the center of his chest knocking him backward to trip over a low bench. He landed on his back on the carpeted floor.

"Uhhfff."

"I told you." Callie shooed Karen off the lifecycle, pointing toward their bench while continuing to talk to the cruiser. "I warned you that you could get hurt if you didn't leave her alone. You didn't listen."

"You hit me!"

"Yes I did. I protected my employer from being assaulted. By you. After you'd been warned to leave her alone."

"You hit me! I'm going to call the police and have you arrested."

"Go ahead. I'm sure that the security camera video will show you trying to grab my employer. Twice. I'm positive it will show that she tried to prevent you from grabbing her. No always means no. Even when you only see the body language and don't hear any words, no still means no. So, go ahead. Call the police. It will be interesting to see if they arrest you after they see the video."

Wolfe looked down at the prone gym cruiser on the floor. Her voice was cold and her eyes were angry.

"I think you're smart enough to figure out that you're not welcome here. I suggest you leave. Don't bother coming back ever again. You will not like what happens if I see you here again."

Callie nodded once. "Believe it."

Keeping an eye on the cruiser as he scrambled to his feet, Callie looked over at her young Tai Chi friend. Callie placed her fist in the open palm of her left hand and bowed to the girl. The girl looked around quickly, then placed her own fist in her palm and gave a quick shallow bow in return. Callie smiled and gave another single nod in her direction.