Chapter 37
After warning the boys to be good while we were at the house with Aro, I removed Edward's blindfold so we could leave. Joe met us at the elevator and handed me the keys, but I gave them to Jasper. Edward held the door for me to sit in the back and joined me while Jazzy slipped into the driver's seat. I smiled at Joe through the pane of glass as Jasper pressed the gas pedal and drove us to our newly built home. We are now waiting for Aro to arrive with the alarm codes and the keys so we can tour the house.
Suddenly, a limo pulls into our circular driveway. The driver stops the car and opens the door for Aro and a woman to get out. Aro smiles at us and introduces her as his assistant, Renata. "Miss Swan, how wonderful it is to see you again. Are you and your young men ready to inspect Mr. Cullen's masterpiece?" He asks.
"We can't wait any longer!" I grin and take Edward's arm while Jasper walks a few steps behind us. We wait for Aro to open the door and lead us in. Looking around, the foyer is gorgeous, with a walk-in closet on the left and a blank wall on the right. A glance at the ceiling shows a crystal chandelier hanging above us. "Mr. Volturious, is there anything special about this room?" I ask.
"Aro, please, my dear," Aro replies. "This room holds two special points of interest, Miss Swan, one of the two alarm accesses is here and a secret passage entrance, as well."
An air of expectancy surrounds us. I'm sure that Aro expects me to ask Edward where my passages are, but that isn't how I do things. "Now, Edward, I don't want you to show me my secret passages. Do you hear me? I want to find them myself." I smirk.
"Yes, Ma'am…I promise not to ruin it." He smiles and looks down demurely.
With a nod to Edward, I walk around the room, inspecting the doors, the walls and the light switch. "Oh, and Aro, please don't stand on ceremony with me either. I'm 'Isabella' to most of my acquaintances."
"As you wish, Isabella…" Aro replies quietly.
"This switch does more then turn on the lights…Am I correct?" I inquire, seeing a tiny green LED in the switch-plate.
"Indeed…That is the alarm access. Turn on the chandelier, Isabella." Aro answers.
With a feeling of giddy anticipation, I do and the boys join me in watching the tiers of the chandelier as they lower toward us and elongate until one flat crystal teardrop remains steady at eye-level. I look curiously at Aro.
He's on the phone. "That is a scanner of sorts. Please place your thumb and forefinger on either side of the flat crystal, Isabella."
I do as directed.
"Next, you'll need to speak your full name out loud." Aro instructs.
"Isabella Marie Swan…" I say proudly.
I'm rewarded with a female voice from a speaker above me. "This is your representative at High Noon Security, Miss Swan; welcome to your new home. Mr. Volturious has a manual for when you've finished registering the others who will reside with you."
I giggle. "Thank you…"
Aro smiles blandly and repeats the process with Edward and then Jasper.
While they do that, I notice a seam along the edge of the right hand wall but wait for them to finish before mentioning it. "Aro, is this my secret passage?"
He nods and hands me the manual. "Yes, Isabella…it certainly is."
"Good show, my love…" Edward whispers with a grin as he kisses my hand. "There is a tile just a quarter inch higher then the others. If you step on it, it triggers the door."
The living room and dining areas are next and I find the secrets in those rooms just as easily. The kitchen's secret is not so easily discovered until I realize that I hadn't asked for a garbage disposal unit when designing that room. The library and office are connected to each other and wood paneling hides a large wall-safe as well as a secret passage. The delight I feel at not only discovering the secrets in my new residence, but also in Edward's talent as an architect is quite evident and shown in the big smile on my face…but this is only the first floor. The library and office have a third secret. The spiral staircase leads to the upstairs hallway.
Once upstairs, we see the doors to the 'Mistress' Suite as Edward calls it.
"Edward, where's my room?" Jasper asks cautiously upon entry. "I see this large room and the attached master-bathroom. I also see the large walkin closet…but I didn't see another bedroom door from the hallway and you promised…"
"Aro, may we have a moment?" I ask.
He nods and steps out of the room.
"Jasper, stand at the door." I direct.
He does so, quickly.
"Look around the room in a clockwise direction. You will see the closet…the master bathroom…the windows and another closet on the other side. What is required of our slave every day, Jazzy?" I ask.
"Daily cleansing and inspection, Mistress…" Jasper answers without hesitation.
I nod. "We thought to make it easy for you. Your room is on the other side of the bathroom and can be accessed through the secret passages or the Mistress' Suite."
Edward calls Aro and leads us all there. Next he shows Jasper his passage entry.
Jasper is delighted and it shows as he asks me, "May I choose the color of my room?"
"Did you want a different color then the sage Edward and I picked for you?" I ask, knowing what he'll say.
He gasps. "No! Sage is just what I was going to ask for!"
"The carpet will be a deep forest green and the ceiling will be painted a pale blue with white clouds…" I tell him. "Is that acceptable, Jazzy?"
"Alice hated green…" He muses. "I love it because it calms me, but she wouldn't even allow me to have my private office painted a soft sage green…I asked her for it; did you know that? You're really giving me a green room? Thank you, Bella."
I take his hand and squeeze it lightly. "It's our pleasure, Jazzy. You can decorate any way you like in here; curtains or drapes and so on. There's only room enough for one dresser and you also have a small closet."
He nods in understanding.
"The guest house is next on the tour…isn't it?" I ask Aro.
"Yes, Isabella…Let's take the secret passage downstairs and then out the French doors of the living area." He suggests. "The passages are lined in stone while the doors are heat resistant metal; in case of fire. The Master Suite…or 'Mistress' Suite, in this case…is fully soundproof as is the guest suite and the playroom."
I grin. "Show me."
"The passages from the main house all combine so you can access any part of the house. We'll use the one in the walk-in closet by the chandelier." Aro says as he leads us. I see him push a small button which opens the back wall into the dark closet. "A motion detector in the light fixture will sense that someone is in need of light and provide it." He waves his hand and a low light flickers on.
A turn of the knob sets us free into the foyer again and I smile at the ingenuity of my Edward as Aro leads us through the living and dining rooms. Opening the French doors onto the patio, we see the tower-like structure of the guest house.
"The first floor can be used as a pool house, a guest house, or a game-room…anything you'd like…" Aro suggests calmly. "The second floor is easily explained away as a storage area to your vanilla acquaintances…but it's actually your Playroom."
We step inside and I marvel at the blend of rooms. The bedroom and bathroom are off to the left while, on our right, the eat-in kitchenette leads into the living area where a TV hookup is sticking out of the wall. There's a large square-footage to just this one building and I can't wait to see the playroom upstairs.
Aro holds up a key. "This is how you will access the passages in this building. Without the key, the passage will lead you to the garage." He triggers the passage without the key to demonstrate and looking into the passage, I see only one direction to go. He closes it and waits a moment before inserting the key into a hidden lock. He turns it and then triggers the passage again. This time, it's a lift. We all step inside and ride it up one floor. It opens into a vast, already decorated and arranged room of sexual pleasures and delights. The walls are painted black with burgundy accents. The windows have the illusion of bars and burgundy drapes adorn them.
I see my BDSM equipment precisely placed around the room with a large suspension rig in the middle. I'm surprised to see that my bondage bed has been fitted with new fabrics and the padded tables and benches have been re-upholstered. Even the dressers have been resurfaced. I walk over to my St. Andrew's cross and run a hand along the newly stained wood. "Thank you, Aro…You didn't have to do all of this…" I say softly, picturing play parties and long sessions of fucking with my angels.
He steps close to me and lays a hand on my arm. "It was nothing, Isabella…I figured a new look for the old furniture would be a comfort after the horrifying incident they were last used for."
I shudder, recalling the rape and abuse by James and Vicky.
"One last thing…the whole guest house can be used as a panic room." He leads us to a screen in the wall and shows us how to operate the system. "I'll now demonstrate the security on it." He enters a pass-code of letters and numbers. Seconds later, metal shutters slide down over the windows and red lights overtake us. "When you enter this pass-code, the security company is notified as well as the local police and fire departments. The code also switches this house over to solar energy so you won't run out of power. In the main house, all the main doors are now locked so if there were more then one attacker and they split up; they'd be locked in separate rooms. Only the secret passages are operable."
"So if anything happens like it did with James, we're covered?" I ask holding Edward's hand tightly.
"Yes, Bella-love… that's why it was so important to have the passage entries hidden so carefully. When J-James had me in the foyer of your house in Forks, I could've twisted away from him but I had nowhere to go…of course I had no confidence that I could've overpowered him…but I have that now." Edward confesses. "If anything happens here, an attacker could take any one of us to any room and we still have an out. And if Jasper, myself, or you are home alone, and something happens all we have to do is activate the panic room feature here in the guesthouse. The security company will alert the occupant or occupants who aren't home that we have done so and not the attacker asking for a ransom."
"You have no idea how happy we will be when you finish your schooling, Edward. You have quite the talented boy, here, Isabella, and we can't wait to see what his future holds." Aro speaks with pride as he deactivates the panic feature. "Renata is waiting for me, so we'd better get back to the main house. The painters will be here tomorrow morning and the carpets will be put in as soon as they're done, so just fax the detailed maps to the moving company at the number I gave you and you should be moving into your home soon."
Renata meets us the French doors just inside the living area. "Mr. Volturious, your brothers have each called once. Also, the painters for the Swan/Cullen home called; they wish to begin ASAP."
"Thank you, Renata. I'll see to my brothers in a bit." He says. "Get the Midnight Sun Painters on the line and when you've done that, Miss Swan would like a word with you." He turns to me. "You said you wanted to speak to a submissive that works for the company, Renata is one of my cousin Demitri's subs. He owns the Moonlight Movers. Renata has worked for the company for years." He eyes me shrewdly. "She'll tell you what you want to know, Isabella, but then, so would I…"
Knowing that I'm caught, I say, "These men are in my care, Aro…I'm sorry if you're upset with me but I have to be sure that Edward is safe with you. Adding to that, if I'm going to invest in your company the way I want to, I have to be sure that I'm not putting my money into a place where submissives are intimidated or abused."
Edward's face turns pink and he looks down.
"I know, Isabella, and I respect that…I'm glad you are considering this thoroughly." Aro says sincerely. Renata hands him his Blackberry. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" He turns away.
"You wished to speak to me, Ma'am?" Renata asks.
"Yes, Renata; how do you like working at Volturious International?" I ask.
"Can I ask what you mean, Ma'am?" She responds. "I've worked for them for years. What exactly are you looking for?"
"Renata, I'm very protective of Edward for a reason…You see, he was in an abusive relationship before he found me… Since then, Edward and I have survived a traumatic home and personal invasion …" I see the beginning of understanding in her eyes as she looks at Edward and back at me. "I want to be sure he'll be safe there. How do the Dominants treat the submissives in the company?"
"Ok, I get your meaning… It isn't openly declared as to who is a sub and who is a Dom, but you can tell by the personality of the person you're dealing with. During work hours, we are usually very professional and business-like." She replies. "Fridays are D/s days so, if an employee of the company has a D/s partner, they can join them in the office for a session in the private playroom on the 16th floor. I've been surprised by my own Dom in my workplace. Aro came back from lunch just last week to find me on my knees giving my Master a blowjob. He just nodded at me and asked me to hold his calls. He didn't join in or ogle me as I obeyed my Master. He just went about his own business. Does that answer your question, Ma'am?"
I smirk. "It does…but your Master is also a member of his family…" I notice Edward blushing even further.
"What I think Bella…" He glances at me and corrects himself. "What I think my Mistress means is…Do the owners get special treatment or is it the same everywhere in the company?"
"I see; and no; it's the same everywhere in the company, Ma'am, but if you want to talk to some of the other subs in the company, I can arrange it." Renata offers.
I start to agree but Edward politely interrupts. "Uhmmm, I'd also like to ask if the Doms that work there… Do they flirt…? Would it get uncomfortable if I had to say 'no' to anyone?" Edward asks.
Renata looks horrified. "No! Oh, there are lots of flirts but if you say 'no' and mean it, it's totally respected, Edward. You'll have no trouble there. You especially will have no trouble. You're not just anybody, Edward! You're collared and declared by your Mistress. They will take one look at that lock on your necklace and know just who you belong to."
Aro clears his throat. "I didn't think that had to be stated, Isabella. Edward is collared and yours. It will filter through the company that the new intern is collared and off limits. He is also a favored member of my personal staff, so he's doubly protected. I'm so sorry that wasn't made clear."
Comforted, I relax.
"The painters will be here in a few hours to sort out the supplies among the rooms. They have already been advised of the colors for each room and they will begin tomorrow morning." Aro informs us as he and Renata leave. "You have three hours before they arrive."
"Thank you, Aro; I apologize if my inquiries offended you in some way." I smile and send Jasper to the car for the paper and pen.
He shakes his head. "I understand the reason behind the questions, Isabella; so I can forgive you, but please consider me an ally in keeping all three of you safe."
As soon as Jasper returns he starts to take notes while we walk through the house again. Looking at each room in detail, I see some spaces where we'll need a new lamp or something to fill the space. I'll get Rose or Angela to show me the best places to shop for such things. When we reach the foyer again, the painters are unloading their trucks and bringing in their things.
One of them comes over to us. "Hi, are you the owners of the house or just fellow workers?"
"We're the owners…Is there something we can do for you?" I ask.
"Well…uhmmm…I'm I bit embarrassed to admit this, but I spilled coffee on the diagram of the house, Miss, and now we can't read the smudged ink. We've got the right colors but can't read which room gets which color and I was just wondering if you or one of your brothers could help us out with that." The man gives me a funny look saying. "My name is Robert and I'm the owner of Midnight Sun Painters."
"These men are many things to me, Robert, but they're not my brothers…" I smirk. "And we would love to help you decipher the smudges."
"Well, thanks, because otherwise we would've been calling you early tomorrow morning." He grins.
So we sit with them for 20 minutes and Jasper takes great pride in pointing out his room to the whole group of Robert's men including his son Jack.
"Hey, why does your room have no access to the rest of the house?" I hear Jack ask.
Edward, Jasper and I freeze and look at each other. The boy looks to be at least 20 but I'm not volunteering any info he might not be able to process.
Robert sees our tension and comments that some people need to be less nosy. Jack blushes with his apology.
When the smudges and confusion has all been cleared up, Robert's men divvy up the paint to the correct rooms. Then they start to load into the vans but Robert nervously asks to speak with me. "Ma'am, I'll understand if you don't want to answer this but did I see you and these young men at a club two days after Thanksgiving?"
I reply carefully. "I have many acquaintances, Robert. It's possible…"
"The Webber/Chaney's arefriends of mine, Ma'am." He declares. "Ben is my wife's mentor in the lifestyle."
"I see." I grin. "Yes, Robert, we were there that afternoon."
"Then I know how to explain the room to my son. You have a good night and I'll see you around." With that he gets into his truck and drives off.
"Jasper take us back to the hotel, please, I have something to show you both." I say as Edward opens the door for me. "It's chilly tonight, Edward; will you cuddle with me until we get there?"
"Yes, my love." He wraps his arms around me and we stay that way for the whole ride.
Back in the room, we all get into bed and I use the remote to play the security tape. "The other night, I'd paid the valets to shut off the cameras for a few hours. The man in charge of doing that got curious and we were caught on film. I've taken care of that but I wanted to show you the footage. You are both still under punishment, but don't worry…I'll show it to you again once your terms of penalty are over."
They watch and moan, whimper and whine through the show. When it's over, I cuddle into the bed with them both to keep me warm.
Thanks to my wonderful Beta, hnwhitlock2000! You always do such great work.
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