Back at home in Seattle, I collapsed onto the couch as Kate bought me in tea and a sandwich. Her hair was in a bun and she was wearing one of my many robes. Laptop in hand, she sat next to me as she pulled up a tab on Red Room Redemption, the club Christian had told me about here in Seattle.

"Found anything?" I asked, taking a bite. Turkey salad. My favourite.

"Just this sleazy club," she said, scrolling through in the about section and tapping. Her nails were long and pink, like claws. "I think we should pay a visit. Just scope out the place and see if anyone has any dirt they're willing to shed on Elena."

I nodded, taking a sip of my tea.

"That was my original plan," I agreed. "I'll tell Elliot and Mia. Is it open tonight?"

"Yes. It opens at nine."

"Do we have to book an appointment or anything?"

"Hmm," she scrolled through a little more and shook her head. A long lock of hair came loose. "Nope. It just says open to all, must be over eighteen and somebody will be there to greet you and have a chat on what it's all about."

I nodded. There was no time to waste.

Red room redemption it was.

Tonight.

At eight o clock, Kate and I began getting ready to visit Red Room Redemption. To look the part, we'd both dressed on the sleazier side of classy. I was in a short black dress with high heels and red lipstick. Kate's dress was in red, showing off her chest spectacularly.

"Reckon we look like we're all about that handcuff and choking life?" Kate asked, winking over at me as she applied lip-gloss to her already rosy lips.

I grimaced, brushing my hair one last time.

"Definitely not," I said, the idea completely unappealing.

Kate laughed.

"You and Masey moo never got down and kinky with lube and some ropes?" She asked.

I blushed, shooting daggers at her whilst internally cringing as many mental images started to fill my head.

"Absolutely not."

She shrugged, still laughing.

"I don't know," she countered, grinning. "Sometimes it's the shy ones you've got to watch out for."

I rolled my eyes, almost snorting. Mason Cameron. My first and only proper relationship, still complicated and still lingering. I met him in freshman year four years ago. He was a junior and I met him at a frat party Kate and I attended with some other friends. I was drunk and he was hot. He was older and flattering and I was eighteen years old with my first real crush. He asked for my number and it just spiralled from there. Three months later, he told me he loved me, and we've been on and off together ever since. Right now, he's currently working for his rich uncle at his engineering company. The hours are long but he messages often. Sometimes, we meet up, but right now we're kind of off. When I started law school, I made a decision to invest myself fully and Mason wanted to do the same with his work. It's not that I don't love him, it's more the fact that it feels stagnant and has done for a very long time.

I shook my head. "Mason's not that kind of guy."

That statement was very true.

Mason was a gentleman. A traditionalist. He was a giving and generous lover, but nothing that would particularly cross the boundaries of gentleness or propriety. If he even knew much about BDSM, I would wager the very idea would seem utterly abhorrent to him.

"Anyway," Kate said, standing and flicking her hair back over her shoulders. "You ready?"

I stood too, taking a deep breath.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied.

She grimaced, linking her arm in mine.

"Let's go."

We drove to the club, parking a few blocks away and walking the rest. The night was cold but we'd forgone any jackets or coats. When we reached the club doors, a tall security guard asked for ID before allowing us to pass.

Inside, I was hit with an immediate warmth that melted the chill right out of me. Looking around, I swallowed in all the details along with a fresh gulp of heady incense. The scent was cloying and cloudy, clinging to me like a second skin. Burnt amber and leather and rich oils perfumed the air.

Just like its namesake, the club was all red with spots of rich brown. The lights were soft and low, and the music playing was faint but still loud enough to make the place come alive. From the rich oak floors to the rich red tapestry, I could see that Christian was right. This was a very expensive place.

Strategically placed around the room were small booths and tables, a few people drifting between them sipping cocktails and chatting. On the right behind the bar was a winding staircase which I assumed led to several rooms. Before I had time to show Kate, a young woman walked toward us with a bright smile.

"Hello," she said, her voice fluttery and airy. "My name is Erica. I assume this is your first time?"

I got a good look at her, taking in every little piece. Her hair was long and blonde, swept away elegantly into a top knot. The black dress she wore was sheer and silk and there were a small string of pearls around her neck. She was tall and around thirty something. Kate accepted her handshake without skipping a beat.

"I'm Louise," Kate said. "This is my friend Holly and yes, this is our first time."

Erica smiled at me warmly, shaking my hand.

"Lovely to meet you girls," she said. "If you'd like to follow me, I can talk you through everything."

She walked past us, heading for a booth at the very back of the club. It was discrete and cosy. As we sat down, she signalled over a waitress who took our order for drinks. Both Kate and I opted for lemon water. There was no way any of us were touching alcohol tonight.

"So what brings you here?" Erica asked, once our water arrived. "Two young girls like yourself? Not the usual customer."

"What would be the usual customer?" I asked, leaning forward slightly.

Erica looked at little surprised at my intensity and Kate nudged me underneath the table. I took a breather, leaning back. Sometimes, I could go into lawyer mode way too early. It was something I needed to work on.

I took a sip of my drink and finally, Erica answered.

"Men, usually," she admitted. "Single men with very specific needs. Very specific interests."

An image of Christian Grey came into my mind unwillingly. I shook my head as though I could clear it.

"What about the girls who work here?" Kate asked. "They must have come from somewhere."

Erica raised her eyebrow. "Is that what you're looking for?" She asked, glancing us over. "A job?"

Neither Kate nor I answered, and Erica sighed.

"There's no vacancies available right now," she said, letting us down gently. "We went through casting last month and the next isn't until the new year. I'm surprised you came here unannounced. Usually the girls apply via the site and we call them in for an interview."

"We're not decided on anything yet," I said smoothly. "We just came to look around. See what everything's about."

Erica nodded.

"Well," she started. "You'll know that we're an exclusive club. Anyone is free to come in and chat, but to engage in our parties, there's a vetting process and a few routine tests. Also, if you're a customer, there are different tiered memberships you'll have a choice of selecting. If you're a working girl, your salary and schedules will be discussed with the managers."

I nodded, pretending to be interested.

"So, you said that girls would usually apply on the site?" I confirmed.

"Yes," she replied. "Unless they're recommended by one of our agents."

"Recommended?" I asked, the word stirring up previous memories.

Elena recommended the girls for me. That's what Christian had said.

Her eyes flashed quickly, an instant sign of regret.

"No," she said, slightly flustered. "Forgive me, I got it wrong. I meant that the girls that serve at the bar are recommended. Not our working girls. They all apply through the website. That's the only way."

I nodded, pretending to believe her.

"All girls apply directly through the website," she clarified again, repeating herself unnecessarily.

Still nodding, internally, I was smiling.

A classic tell-tale lie.

In sophomore year, I'd taken a criminology module on interview techniques. One of the first things we were taught was how to tell when a person is lying. Little to no eye contact, rapid blinking, stiff posture... it was all there right in every move Erica made.

At that moment, the puzzle pieces started to fit together in my head like a jigsaw. Undoing and joining back together. Rearranging slowly.

I thought back over my conversation with Christian. Elena had always been a member of Red Room Redemption. This was where he thought she had selected the girls from him, until she started finding her own. That's what Christian had said. That's what he knew to be true.

But what if he'd gotten it wrong. What if this was the place Elena selected the girls from? What if she wasn't just a member of the club? What if she was in a higher position? What if she owned it?

If that were the case, everything she did would be classed as legal. Laundering dirty services through a shiny clean business was a tale as old as time. Usually however, the laundering was done with money. What if instead, Elena had replaced it with girls?

I thought about how easy it would be to hire a bunch of unsuspecting girls under the guise independent and paid for sex work. I also thought about how easy it would be to sell a few of them off now and again to the highest bidder. Some of the lesser cared for girls. The younger girls. The girls with no family and nobody to care for them or ask questions. Nobody would ever know. It would all be done under the table.

I swallowed my water, feeling like I was choking on it a little.

Elena didn't have seedy houses where she was keeping girls. This wasn't some small-time operation done behind alleyways in the middle of the night. There was no secret hidden brothel.

This was the brothel.

These were the girls. The victims.

She was hiding right here, in plain sight.