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My brows furrowed as I considered how realistic it was that a network of train tunnels could exist under the Hudson Valley — hidden away for centuries and left for the underworld that simmers beneath the surface.

Swallowing hard, I was left with one reality: The Oracle was far more powerful than we realized.

As we neared the arched tunnel, I was left with even more questions. I needed to know how my Freaks got involved with The Oracle. And maybe more importantly, why had they learned so little about them before working together?

There was no more time for my questions as we stepped into the hallway.

Compared to the thrashing crowd, the hallway felt far more open despite the low ceilings.

Party-goers mingled next to doorways as we passed through.

Blade’s head turned to look at the glass stalls that lined the hall. “Holy shit.” A cackle rose from her chest, echoing off the stone walls.

I gasped before I could stop myself.

Inside the first glass-enclosed room, three women were stretched out across a leather bench. Their lips pressed together as the tallest of them fucked the tied-up one. The third woman grabbed a whip off the wall.

All I could do was blink through my confusion, unsure what I was seeing.

Cyrus didn’t stop to look, just continued on.

Gripping my shoulder, Blade giggled and pushed us forward. “Come on, Trinket.”

Every room was the same. Bodies pressed together, everything completely visible to anyone who might walk by.

There were any number of combinations — two men, five women, a room with too many people to count. And toys were in abundance. Whips, chains, large X structures with bodies tied to them. People cried out in pain, some in pleasure.

A few rooms had fogged glass.

My heart raced in my chest as I tried to calm the pulsing between my legs — wondering what might be inside.

I should have been shocked. But more than anything, the long hallway of sexual exploration felt oddly honest.

Unlike the dirtbags who’d taken over Velvet Paradise, these members were more willing to just say what they wanted. Nothing was hidden, everyone was consenting. The exchange was far more clear.

If only everyone could just say what they needed.

Cyrus slowed her pace as we approached the last door on the left. Propped open, it was definitely our guest.

From there, the hallway turned into a huge room with rounded stone ceilings. There, a massive orgy unfolded — bodies everywhere.

But as Cyrus, Blade, and Nash stepped into the threshold of the final room, my attention was back on our mission.

Inside, a woman in long, brown robes sat on a leather bench and leaned against the stone walls at the back of the space. Her face scrunched in fear as she saw my Freaks fill the doorframe.

Stepping inside, Cyrus, Blade and Nash blocked her exits.

Looking for another way out, the Pigeon’s panic set in. “Who the fuck are you?”

50

BLADE

I liked the way the bird's eyes flicked around the room, like she thought we might kill her right here and now.

Rather than sit and take the slaughter, she jumped up and bolted toward us, hoping to slip through the cracks of our muscular bodies and make a run for it.

But as she ran toward my Trinket, I grabbed her body with one stiff arm and lifted her up a few inches — just enough to get her in the room.