Conviction

Dedicated to Kelly Such, my sister, who is not only an inspiration but one of my best friends. I love you, Gorgeous and remember,
every journey begins with a single step
. xxoo.

Conviction

by Leah Cook

Chapter 1 – Kelly

Kelly unzipped her jacket and stuffed it into her locker before slamming it shut. She did
not
want to be here tonight. Work was the last thing on her mind but unfortunately, like most people, she had bills to pay.
“Only two more years,” she said to the empty locker room as she steeled herself to walk through the door into the club’s main area.
Walking through the door she left her shitty attitude in the locker room and plastered what she hoped was a sincere smile on her face. Being a bitch to the members, especially
these
members, would be grounds for dismissal or
worse
, punishment. The fact was she needed this job.

Momentum, a member's only club, catered to those with particular tastes. Tastes that had become increasingly popular since E.L James'
50 Shades of Grey
become a global sensation. Although, the world still wasn't ready for Momentum and other clubs like it to be completely mainstream, there was definitely a growing need for specialty clubs.

Members could bring one guest on any given visit and paid a substantial yearly fee for the privilege of their elite membership. For many, secrecy and privacy were of paramount importance and clubs with Momentum's reputation were hard to find. Both members and management expected an extremely high level of service from all staff. From management, bar staff, scene staff, moderators and the clean-up crews.

The waitress uniform she wore during her shifts was at least somewhat modest. In comparison to the club submissives anyway. The tight white short-sleeve shirt dipped low into her cleavage, still leaving a good majority of her breasts covered. The mid-thigh length leather black skirt was a far cry from the jeans and sweats she preferred to wear at home but still modest enough. Skin coloured stockings covered her pale legs, despite them not being part of the regulated uniform. Nobody had asked her to remove them.

Like most people, what kept her coming back each night was the obscene pay she received. Almost triple what she had taken home from her old bartending job, it meant she only had to work four six-hour shifts a week. Instead of her previous six, twelve hour shifts.

Studying fulltime online, Kelly needed her days to keep up with her heavy psychology course load. Occasionally, like tonight, she would take on an extra shift because they were desperate. Not only were they a waitress down on a Friday night, they were also a bartender short. It was going to get crazy.

“Kelly! Thank god you’re here! I’m not meant to carry a damn tray. I’ve already dropped three and had to remake the lot.” Handing her a full service tray laden with a mix of bottled water, soft drink and alcohol Kai, the giant Kiwi bartender, sent her off with a flick of his wrist already focused on his next order.

The private rooms were equipped with an electronic ordering system for
anything
they required that wasn't already available in their rooms. The bar orders went directly to a laptop and printed out for Kai automatically. The system worked and worked well. It was rare that he managed to miss an order.

Kelly smiled at his brusqueness. She knew how much Kai hated serving the members preferring to hide in the dark shadows of his corner bar. There he could keep an eye on who was drinking what and how many drinks they had had. Momentum had a two drink rule. Members and guests were only permitted two alcoholic beverages per visit. Not because the club was stingy but because it impaired people’s judgement. And Momentum was not a place where impaired judgement lead to anything good. The electronic system also included a finger print scanner so members had to log in their arrival as well as any guests. Those in the public areas of the club scanned their finger print to order their drinks, telling the staff where the order needed to go and who it was for. Orders taken at the bar worked the same way, with scanners imbedded into the counter in three different places.

Kelly took in the tall muscle bound Maori. Built like a wrestler Kai had broad shoulders and a thick neck. A tribal tattoo peaked out from the edges of his black vest and his biceps popped and flexed as he poured another drink and slammed it down onto a waiting tray. His black leather pants and vest revealed each line of his muscular torso and allowed her to enjoy the contours his body. She was as arm girl. Just like some women liked to perve on a man’s ass, Kelly appreciated a man with toned, defined arms. Not that she'd ever date Kai, or
any
man. She never had and never would date. She had far too much baggage. But she still enjoyed her share of safe eye candy.

“Kelly.” His single growled word and raised eyebrow was a warning for her to get moving.
Shit
she thought to herself, she’d never been in trouble in the two years she had been working at the club. She’d been the butt of more than one joke because she was the only staff member that had never been
punished
for disobedience, poor service or, the worst punishable offence, being rude to members. Some staff and members had taken her lack of punishment as a challenge.

Kelly moved quickly to the group she was to serve and stood to the side and waited. Inwardly she groaned as she recognised a particular member who frequented the club nearly every night they were open.

He certainly gets his money's worth
she thought to herself.

This group was a
power
groups. As individuals Kelly found them each as intimidating as hell. But as a group? They made her feel like she had dressed up in a meat suit and walked into a lion’s den at feeding time. Predatory glances eyed her up and down but nobody acknowledged her. There was always a member in control of a large group who would talk to staff and subs and let them know when they were able to serve. As was club protocol.

Most of the members were fairly easy going and allowed her to hand out the drinks straight away without the game she was currently being forced to play. This particular group liked power play and she knew who had ordered. The same man who was now making her wait. He wanted her to snap, and get annoyed enough that she would break protocols and speak out of turn or be rude, the she would warrant a punishment.

Punishment.
It was the only thing she had baulked at when she had been offered the job.
Nobody
would ever put their hands on her unless she wanted them to. She’d rather go back to working six shifts a week in a shitty public bar than allow that. But so far she’d managed to keep her cool,
and
her job.

Knowing that Kai was behind the bar by himself and that he’d already had a stressful night made her restless. She eyed the group before sighing inwardly. She knew
he
would make her wait. He always did. Wanting to annoy her enough so that her tightly wound composure would snapped like a piece of chalk.

“Somewhere to be, Kelly?” His cool blue eyes pierced into hers even as he fisted the hair of the girl between his legs who was bobbing away to a rhythm only he controlled.

“Actually,
Sir
, it is busy tonight and we are short staffed both at the bar and on the floor.”

“I don’t see a problem with the staff on the floor at the moment. They seem to be doing an excellent job.” He gently ran his fingers down the face of the submissive before him and Kelly heard her moan and try to speed up the pace of her sucking. A sharp tug on her hair guiding her back into the controlled rhythm that had been set for her. Master James smirked at Kelly and stretched his arms across the back of the couch turning his attention back the other Doms and Dommes in the group. Only one submissive had been permitted to sit in her Master’s lap, and from the blanket that was wrapped around her protectively, it was for aftercare.

With his eye contact gone Master James had effectively dismissed her desire to serve the drinks and be on her way. He knew she hated watching the subs serve their masters like this. On their knees and surrounded by others who were watching intently. Other than the odd command or tighter grip in their hair, they were not permitted to speak unless spoken to and were not permitted to sit on the chairs without permission.

Kelly
hated
this scene. She closed her eyes for a second and remembered why she had taken the extra shift. Kai had rang her and begged.
Begged
! Kai didn’t beg.
Ever
. Most of the subs that graced Momentum’s doors would gladly beg for him. But not Kai. He usually just snapped his fingers and things got done. But he’d been desperate and she’d received a reminder that her car registration was due. That had settled it. This one extra shift would cover the registration and next semester’s books.

A full ten minutes passed. The weight of the tray had her arm muscles burning and it started to wobble. She avoided looking back at Master James, instead steadying her gaze on a candle sconce that lined the deep red leather studded walls. Another minute went past and she heard a grunt from Master James. She couldn’t help but notice how his eyes slowly closed and his brows knitted tightly together as his mouth parted as he came in his sub’s mouth. After he had allowed his sub to put his half-hard cock back in his leather pants he leant down and kissed the petite blonde with absolute abandon. Showering her with affection for her submission.

“Good girl, Grace. That was amazing. I’ve never met anyone else who can suck cock as long as you.” He glanced over at Kelly his eyes holding the laughter that was missing from his face. He was trying to hide his emotions. But Kelly had learnt a lot about body language since starting at Momentum. Working in the kink club certainly had its advantages for her psychology degree. Kelly could tell he was just about to cave in and allow her to serve the drinks. In five, four, three, two and…

“Please serve the group, Kelly. And I will be mentioning you’re lack of respect towards myself and the group here to Master Xander.” I watched a corner of his mouth twitch up when I nearly dropped the tall glass of champagne I had been serving, completely shocked at his announcement. Kelly
had
waited, she had thought patiently for
over
ten minutes. Pursing her lips together Kelly didn't say anything, hopefully her restraint would keep her out of trouble.

Master Xander was the owner and manager of Momentum. He hand-picked every staff and club member. The last time she had seen him in the club he'd hauled one of the other waitresses towards the public spanking bench after she’d been caught trying to poach customers for another club. She hadn’t watched but the screaming and the tears and been burned into her brain for weeks. Nikki, the waitress, had been banned for life and was now black listed in every elite kink club in the city.
Dammit
she hadn’t been that rude had she?
“I expect an answer, Kelly.” Damn ass hat Dom, always trying to remind her who was boss.
“I didn’t hear a question, Master James.” She replied as evenly as she could. She finished serving the sub between his legs before offering him the final bottle of water that was on the tray. She knew she should have served him first, but his comments had her more than a little wired, and she couldn't help herself. Even the sub grinned a little, ensuring that Master James couldn't see her face.

“Don’t. Push. It. Girl.” He growled each word out slowly, his eyes no longer laughing but daring her to continue. She knew that despite there being a protocol on members spanking the staff that he would do it anyway and accept the consequences of his actions later.
“Sorry, Sir.” She said quietly holding in her own anger at this whole ridiculous attitude. “Do you need anything else for now?”
“No.” Finally his angered single syllable answer had her heading back to the bar where Kai had two trays waiting for her.
“What did you do to piss off Master James?” Kai questioned as he passed her the next drink tray. “He made you wait nearly fifteen minutes and now you’re going to have a hard time with everyone who has had to wait.”

“Apparently I’m the only girl who doesn’t fall to my knees for him. I’m not sure that he likes that.” Kelly picked up the tray and looked up at Kai whose stare was aimed directly behind her.

Fuck! No! No! NO!
Kelly slowly turned around with the tray in her arms and came to a stop almost instantly, her eyes level with the small dip at the base of
his
neck not daring to raise them any higher to meet his eyes. She’d really screwed up. Not just a little bit either. Kelly was sure this one would warrant a punishment.
But he pushed me too far tonight!
She thought.

“You sure do have high standards of yourself, don’t you Kelly?” His large hand gripped her chin, forcing her eyes up and into his. Kelly tried to turn her head to avoid his glare but it only served to wobble the tray that she was holding. Kai would be pissed if she dropped it. They were too busy to have to remake another tray of drinks when there were now another two trays on the bar waiting to go. “I asked you a question. I
demand
an answer.”

“No Master James, I don’t believe I have high standards of myself.” She managed to squeak out. Her face flushed with embarrassment. Every part of her body started to heat as he held her chin firmly within his warm fingers.

“The
only
girl who doesn’t fall to her knees for me, huh.” Leaning into her ear he whispered so softly that only she could hear him. “You know I watch you, don't you, Kelly?" He paused and waited for her slight nod before continuing. "I can
smell
you, tonight I could have you on your knees in five minutes. I see how your body reacts to certain scenes around the club.”