Demon in Disguise (Masters of the Incubus - Part One) by Roxie Lee Page A

dreary jamboree and gala event. Christ Almighty, she would certainly enjoy a break from those tedious women’s coffee mornings, where ladies that lunch gossip about inconsequential things of no real interest.
    At first, her best friend had been adamant. “No. No. No. You’re not a natural submissive, and you’re not into the lifestyle, Lacey. You’ll be out of your depth. You simply have no idea what you’ll be letting yourself in for if I agree to let you come.”
    Believing herself to be a confident woman, Lacey had instinctively disputed her best friend’s reasons for not wanting to take her along. “Listen, Becky, I’m only going to look and learn, and I certainly won’t be participating in any sexual activity with men I don’t know. Sleeping around is just not my thing. Anyway, you’ve already told me the auction rules state that the whole charade is merely a showcase to raise money for charity. A way of introducing like-minded individuals to one another. When all is said and done, it’s no more dangerous than a blind date for God’s sake.”
    Rebecca had vehemently shaken her head. “You have absolutely no idea how persuasive some of these Doms can be.”
    After much arguing, Lacey had eventually persuaded Rebecca to take her along. After all, what was the worst that could happen? If there was anything going on that she didn’t like at Club Incubus, she only had to say no, right?
    Club Incubus had been shrouded in secrecy ever since the enigmatic philanthropist, Willem Zeegers had founded the organization in San Francisco more than two hundred years ago. Just to be inside the place and glimpse that legendary interior was an achievement in itself.
    Lacey knew she was about to be called onto the stage at any moment, and she steeled herself as best she could. Yes, she’d make a point of enjoying herself, and the more information she discovered about the enigmatic club, the better. If she could gain the confidence of the highest bidder, the man whose submissive she was about to become; then she would have the story of the century to take to her editor. After that, her boss Vincent Carpetta would have no choice but to recognize her as a serious journalist—a journalist who always got the story.
    Indeed, that afternoon while Rebecca and herself had been waiting for the auction to begin, they’d managed to slip away from the organizers tight control, and find the infamous East Tower. The imposing turret rose some three stories, defining the outside of the Gothic building, and creating a landmark for miles around. Unfortunately, the massive oak-paneled door that would gain them entrance had been securely bolted. While they’d stood there, looking at the antiquated cast-iron locks, they’d both shivered as though an icy-cold hand had run the entire length of their spines. Believing themselves to be rational thinkers, Lacey and Rebecca had dismissed the unnerving phenomena as merely a change in the temperature, and not something more sinister.
    Several years ago, a young woman had reported seeing some bizarre happenings in and around the East Tower—weird stuff that defied logical explanation. Her crazy story about devil worship had caused an incredible amount of hysteria within the media. So much so that it prompted Club Incubus to issue a strong statement of denial. As with everything, the trail eventually went cold and interest in the story soon waned, becoming another one of those five-minute wonders that people remember and then forget within the space of an afternoon.
    Besides, who would believe that a club secretly practicing devil worship would be named Incubus? It just didn’t make sense, because they’d be drawing unwanted attention to themselves.
    With no real evidence of any wrongdoing, Lacey had zero justification for snooping around the club. However, the auction gave her the perfect opportunity to dig a little deeper, and besides, the origins of Club Incubus were both interesting and