Secret 8

After their supervised session of lovemaking, they both rolled on their sides, facing each other. The bed sheets were messy and slightly damp with their sweat. Gambit pulled out a single sheet and made sure he covered his ex-girlfriend's stunning bare body. No need to let those perverts see any more than they already had. Rogue noticed his fingers carrying the soft fabric over her body, his featherlike touch sent a shiver down her spine and instantly she knew his intention. He wanted to keep her modesty. After all that, it was funny even!

'Oh, Remy! Always a prince!' She thought. She let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding and smiled at him briefly. He smiled back at her, mirroring her action.

At that moment, their eyes locked and each of them was lost in their thoughts that the other would never guess.

Remy was wishing they weren't being monitored and he was sure that no one could hear them, so he could open up his aching heart and tell her everything. She was his best friend before anything else, he could confide in her, and let her know why he was so passionate about helping Maria and her cause. Why was he so afraid of baring his past and his traumas with her? Why did he have to keep so many secrets? It was no way to live, someone had to know all about him, to be able to fully understand him. Until he got to do it, he would always feel alone in a crowd.

Rogue, on the other hand, was overanalyzing what had just happened between them. Surely this had been part of the con they were trying to pull to be able to frame those men. They had talked about it while planning, and they had agreed on it should it need to happen. However, she knew that she wouldn't hop in bed with just about anyone for a mission, no matter how noble a cause it was. He knew it too. She agreed to it because it was him. And sex was never just sex with him.

'This, us, it never seems to be the right time, but the truth, whether I like to admit it or not, is that I love this man,' she thought.

"I keep all my secrets and shame from her because I want her to see the edited best version of me. I hide it all because I want her to love me. And that is because I love this woman," he thought.

And just like that, two different trains of thought found the same destination. Wish as they may, taking that notion any further by opening up to each other was not meant to be. At least not at that moment, as they heard a loud banging on the door that startled them both.

Without a word, Remy slid out of bed and into his clothes to get to the door. Before he did it, he used a split second to bend down and whisper a warning in her ear.

"Get ready, mon amour," he said, finally sounding like his sweet self, the man she had fallen in love with countless times.

His hot breath on her neck, his words and what they meant, got her paralyzed for a moment.

The persistent knocking did not subside, prompting the beautiful woman to finally snap into action. When Remy reached the door, he looked over his shoulder to check on her while holding the doorknob. She had indeed snapped back to reality. Hurriedly, she put on her underwear and dress. When he was sure she was decent, he opened the door, wearing a fake smile as he greeted no one other than his host for that night.

"Hello again, champion," said Brian, trying to sound as nonchalant and friendly as before, as if he had not nearly broken into the room.

"Hello, Brian. What's the matter? I had the impression that whatever it was the person who was knocking wanted had to be extremely urgent," Remy responded in the same casual tone, with a smile that a trained eye could see that did not meet his eyes. There was simply no letting the aggressive door-knocking slide.

"Well, I've seen that your private party has finished and thought I would pop in to invite you to a wilder one if you know what I mean," he said, his eyes were malicious, and his lips curved into an insinuating smile.

Remy did not move an inch and held on to the doorknob even tighter, not allowing his undeclared enemy any view from inside the room. Seeing that the handsome tall man did not get thrilled like any of the others would upon hearing such an offer, he pressed the matter further.

"See it as a reward for the incredible performance you and your wife kindly offered us tonight. You will be able to get a glimpse of the full pleasures our club can provide to you both."

Remy needed no further explanations. He knew what he was being invited to and could well predict why.

'These fuckers want to test me, probably caught a whiff of something that didn't seem quite right with us,' he presumed, rightly so.

"Well, I don't wish to be breaking the club rules, it wouldn't be a good way to start, right? I know I still have a long way to go, steps to climb, and that. And as you could see, I'm still working on it," he commented, referring to the fact that he should be getting his wife pregnant, to begin with.

The red-eyed mutant knew the rule of the game and made sure to remind the very person who invented it. No babies meant no woman sharing. And if you still can't share your woman, you couldn't join the orgies.

"It's all right if I say so," Brian affirmed cockily. "Please, be a good reasonable man and just follow your host."

There was no longer the pretense of cheerful conversation, it was a direct command.

"What about my wife?" He was quick to ask, fearing for his best friend slash lover slash ex-girlfriend slash love of his life.

"My wife will come and talk to her. She can give her something to calm her down and put her to sleep. You will be able to join her back before the break of dawn. Don't worry, your prince charming charade will be intact, for now," he offered matter-of-factly.

Resigned to his fate, he followed the older man with fluid confident steps, even if inside, each step he took away from his chére made him more restless than the previous one. She was powerless and didn't know about it. He wished he would have found a way of telling her. Instead, he had just fucked her senselessly and left her alone to fend for herself just like those wicked men wanted him to do.

He knew he shouldn't worry that much; she was a resourceful fighter. She could kick his ass like no other, that was a fact. She never relied on her powers alone to fight off any harm that crossed her path. But there was that ill-fated time in Genosha, and how the matter of this unexpected mission was closely related to what had happened to her over there all those years ago.

Much to his dismay, he wouldn't be allowed much longer to dwell on those thoughts. He was swiftly guided into a larger room down the hall. The room had an eerie atmosphere, it smelled of pot, beer, and tobacco. That could well be an accurate description of any of the Thieves Guild's parties he ever attended, he pondered, only Bourbon was missing. There was also whisky, close enough.

The lights were dim, and smoke swirled freely in the air. Some parts of the walls were decorated with led strip lights which were the main source of illumination, apart from the TV screens. Those were the first thing that he noticed as he walked in. There was this wall to his left that was covered in screens. Each of them broadcasted live the actions taking place in rooms that looked identical to the one where he and Rogue were making love to each other just a few moments earlier. Right opposite the brightly illuminated wall, there were some designer chairs placed for a better viewing angle, and near them a few coffee tables that held the basics for that kind of entertainment: lubes, wipes, and paper tissues. A teenage boy wonderland!

His eyes roamed briefly around, trying to identify any men that would fit the description Carla had given him of her husband. What a waste of time, those guys all looked pretty much the same, the typical white heterosexual family guy you would meet on a 4th of July barbecue. She failed to mention any distinguishing features that would make it easier for him to be told apart from the others.

Just when his eyes finally rested on a screen that showed his beautiful Rogue alone, pacing the room impatiently as it was typical of her, Brian spoke directly at him, diverting his attention away from the woman that lived in all his dreams ever since he met her.

"So, you must be wondering why I brought you here since you are a newbie," Brian showed him some courtesy by going straight to the point.

Remy chose not to look at the man's eyes when he nodded, seeming uninterested. He was intently watching all the screens instead.

"You see, I told you he's got this odd behavior," one of the men who were enjoying the live show in front of them said.

Remy glanced sideways for a moment, finally examining Brian for his reactions carefully. He simply did what he did best, and meticulously assessed the situation. The young man's features looked calm and serene contradicting what he was feeling inside. He was not happy at all that Rogue was in another room alone and without her powers.

"Just say what you have to say, man. I'm not one to beat around the bush myself," he offered.

"You see, all of us here think you act and sound like you're deep in love with your woman."

"That is because I am," he stated the actual truth assertively and unashamedly.

"Well, you've been getting our support with the scheme since before you brought her to this country. You seemed to know better than that. How will you ever dominate her like you should, like you planned, if you fell for her spell?"

"I don't think it should be a concern. Besides, have you seen my wife? No offense to you, guys, but I've hit the jackpot and you all know it," he said, showing them a crooked smile that got some of the other guys nodding in agreement.

"Brian is not being completely forthcoming. Let me tell you what the matter is, we never had a rat inside the club, and we think you might be it. You are giving off strong undercover cop vibes," one of the men said.

Hysterical laughter escaped him, he just couldn't stop it. All the men looked surprised at his unexpected reaction. Now that was a first! It was not like he was Scott Summers, quite the opposite. His whole life he had people saying that he was a criminal and a dirty thief. The guild's PA would be getting a thank-you goodie basket, her choice of attire for Rogue and him went above and beyond what he had asked for.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, wiping away tears that rolled down his face with all that laughing. "That was funny. I'm definitely not a cop."

"Excuse our friend here," one man offered. "He shouldn't even be here. He managed to be the first one of us whose wife has escaped him. Not even the children were enough to make her stay. That's how big of an asshole he is!"

That certainly caught Remy's full attention, still, he managed to maintain his unperturbed posture and only threw a glance his way. That could only be Carla's husband. He made sure that his minuscule hidden camera got a good shot of that despicable man.

The odds had just turned in his favor. They had proof of his involvement now; they could leave sooner than he expected. Just then, he was hit by a bucket of cold water. There was some commotion, and he noticed the men were all eating up some of the action on the screen.

"Newbie, your woman is indeed so fine, so much so that even the boss's wife is hitting on her. And she seems to be digging it. You guys are so lucky!"

When he looked up, he saw Rogue and Brian's wife in what was supposed to be their room for the night. His observant eyes which had been well-trained over the years were quick to read the room and get all the information he needed to understand what was transpiring.

On the bedside table, there were two fancy champagne glasses. Spiked drink, he assumed. When Rogue realized and started to feel the effects, she went for the use of seduction as he had seen her do before, kissing the enemy in the mouth, an effective and quick way to absorb someone. No need to remove her gloves or find bare skin to touch. Lips were always right there, available, reachable, willing, and exposed.

He saw the exact moment when her lips met the other woman's and the look of terror that crossed her gorgeous green eyes when she realized her powers weren't kicking in. She didn't absorb the other woman's vital life force, not even the tiny bit she must have intended to obtain, just so the woman would leave her alone. He could see it and he could imagine what was going through her mind. She knew she was in a dungeon. She was in a remote location, in a big house with no one around to shield her from the evil men that met to do evil things to helpless underprivileged women. And at that moment, that's what she must have been feeling like, like the helpless young woman that was abused in Genosha.

"Let the girls have their fun, boy. You'll get to do something much more interesting than that," Brian declared, throwing an arm around his shoulder and leading him away from the surveillance area.

He led the handsome young mutant to a far corner of the room where stood what would have otherwise been a bookcase. It had been painted white, though. And instead of holding books, it displayed some pieces of decoration, mainly modern pottery, and vases. Brian moved a greenish pot, and the bookcase made a clicking sound as if it was unlocked.

'A secret passage,' he thought and had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the older man. 'How predictable!'

Unaware of Remy passing judgment on him, Brian slid the bookcase to reveal a plain white door that matched the wall in color, and it made it even more discreet.

Throughout history, all sorts of homes have been built with secret passageways, hidden rooms, and storage spaces out of plain sight. For some people, the reasons for these types of places are merely practical. Perhaps they feared they would one day need a place to hide from invaders. Or maybe they had valuables that need to be well secured. In that particular situation, Remy was sure it was neither of those. Most probably he was about to see their sex dungeon, the very place where Carla was gang raped and spanked.

The man looked over his shoulder and flashed a wicked smile.

"Are you ready?"

'Fuck, no!' He said in his head, while he maintained a serious façade. He waited for the man to lead the way, not showing much of a reaction. Anyone else would be jumping for joy, Brian thought. But not that guy, something was up, he just knew it. Soon the time would come when it was going to be a bend-or-break situation. Would he do anything to keep his cover, if that was really what he was doing? One thing was to fuck a woman that could or not be his wife, a woman he most definitely knew and made no attempt at hiding his feelings for his foxy lady. Another entirely different would be fucking a woman he knew was being submitted against her will and blackmailed to take part in the infamous sex party.

Through the secret passage, they would find narrow stairs which they climbed down in silence. Two stories down, there was finally a small door. Remy assumed they were underground, in the basement. He had to bend his head to be able to pass the door that led them into a room.

The room was spacious and surprisingly well-lit. He was kind of expecting these people to go tacky, with red walls, dark surroundings, and chains for decorations. Quite contrary to his preconceptions, the walls were painted a soft, neutral shade of beige, and there was a plush carpet on the floor that felt cozy underfoot. In the center of the room, there was a comfortable couch with soft cushions and two matching armchairs. On the sofa, there were two women tied up. They were both on their knees with their asses in the air and chest flat on the couch. Their arms had been pulled back and their wrists tied together behind their thighs to their ankles. They were completely naked and exposed, near them were four men lined up, as if on a queue, waiting for their turn.

"Come on, pretty boy. Time to undress and get dirty," Brian challenged him.

The air was thick with tension as the two men stared blankly at each other, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. Remy knew that Brian knew he was not there for the fun and games. He was just giving him the benefit of the doubt, a last resort to prove he was legit, truly one of them. The atmosphere was charged with a palpable sense of unease, the wrong movement or sound could shatter the delicate balance between the two. Even so, Remy decided to try his luck one last time and went for his card in his pocket again. Again, no charge at all.

Finally, he made a move to undress, and while doing so, he felt his jacket pocket. His retractable bo staff was still there. Carefully, he folded the jacket and positioned it in such a way that the hidden camera would still capture the action.

For a few heart-stopping moments, he wondered about Rogue's whereabouts. Maybe the two of them together could take that party down, with or without powers. He knew he needed her, alone, he would fail. That meant, he would have to play the game, until he just couldn't anymore. With a heavy chest, he took off his shirt and joined the older men.

Moments earlier, Rogue was furious at the way her partner in crime was taken away from her. That changed everything, changed their game plans. At that point, she didn't even know what was their go-to plan. Plan B? C, D, E, F? Surely, Remy had laid out fail-proof plans that ranged from A to Z, as far as she could tell. She was fidgety hours ago, and after he was led away from her for a second time, she was just mad.

'I might as well leave this room, absorb anyone that crosses my path, take Remy, and go. Fuck the finesse. We most probably have all the materials we need. What are we waiting for anyway?' she thought. Rogue notoriously had a low tolerance for delays and obstacles. She had already cursed all the names under the sun and decided to throw all care to the wind and do justice with her bare hands if she had to.

When she was about to go, rogue, pun intended, she heard a gentle knock on the door. Intrigued, Rogue crouched down and tried one of Remy's techniques to look through the keyhole and got a glimpse of her host Joana at the door, carrying a bottle of champagne and two flutes.

"What in the fuckity fuck!' she whispered to herself before she opened the door.

The woman tried to make polite conversation, claiming to be rescuing her from the boredom of having to wait for her husband.

"You know, men and their important meetings..."

She was quite good at it. She smiled a lot, made eye contact, and used positive body language to lower Rogue's not-so-subtle defense walls, and by doing so, she create a welcoming atmosphere. One thing to led to another, the older woman offered her some of the drink. The bottle was closed, and she poured from the same bottle to them both, so Rogue saw no reason to refuse the offer and risk breaking the trust and rapport she was forming with the enemy's wife. It could come in handy, after all, she was a victim too and could be swayed to work on their side and volunteer information.

After one or two sips of the sparkling wine, Rogue started feeling dizzy and disoriented. Joana laughed at "Ana Maria's" state and was quick to spit some of the champagne on the floor.

"You! You fucking spiked that drink!" Rogue said, not in Spanish, but in very good English. It was safe to say that her disguise was completely ruined.

With a shaky hand, she pulled the woman on top of her, and a scuffle took place. She was not her prime self, but she could still take a non-experienced fighter down. As the woman managed to avoid her blows, Rogue puckered her lips and tried to kiss the other woman on the mouth, a desperate attempt to neutralize her.

As she pressed her lips to Joana's, she finally realized her powers were not in place. Her eyes were wild with fear. No, it couldn't be happening. She was powerless in the last place she could be powerless, in a remote house, with several perverted men whose life project was to abuse women sexually and mentally. Her mouth opened in a silent scream; a single tear rolled down one eye as her symptoms intensified. She felt nauseated, breathing became labored.

"Oh, Ana Maria, if that is even your name, the guys downstairs will love to use that perky body of yours," Joana said, and those were the last words she heard before blacking out.