There are no windows and only one door on the opposite wall. A few overhead lamps buzz faintly on the ceiling, providing what little light there is. W...ile the rest of the room is empty, a large bare mattress is in the middle of the floor, about three metres away from me, and on it lays Sarah.She’s unconscious and naked except for her bra and underwear, both a lacy black material. Her hair is messily splayed around her and a black blindfold is tied around her head. Aside from this, she appears. There were handcuffs and chains, gags and blindfolds. In the centre of the room stood a whipping bench that looked well used. My overwhelming thought was that I was no longer alone in the world – there were clearly other people out there who felt like me, women who had their Pashas, men who had their Dark Ladies. Fear fought with happiness within me and happiness won. When I got home I went to the cupboard under the stairs, and found what I was looking for. Years before, when they were just. She hadn’t worn a bra because of the dress’s open back and fought the urge to look down to see if she was showing.Giovanni finished and said, “Paolo will be right with you.” His hands lingered another second on her shoulders before he took them away.They studied their menus in silence for a few minutes before Paolo showed up with two tall glasses of ice water.“Thank you, Paolo,” she said, smiling at the boy. His eyes were saucer-wide.“Y-you’re welcome,” he stammered, a trace of accent in his. Eventually we were told us that it was safe to disembark. Unbeknown to Marta, I had found a handgun amongst Wolfenden’s boarding bag. I slipped it inside my jacket when she wasn’t looking. We emerged from the cargo deck into large open plan rooms that were exquisitely appointed with soft furnishings, beautiful rugs laid over wooden floors, exotic plants and huge monitors recessed discretely into bulkheads. It looked like some kind of exclusive country club and it was clear the ship was designed.