Owned (Office Intrigue Book 8) Nicole Edwards (classic english novels TXT) 📖

“We’re casual here,” Talon said, obviously noticing that I was checking out his attire. “I leave the suits and the shoes in the closet.”

“Can’t say I blame you there.”

“I’m sure you’ve got questions,” Talon prompted as we left the villa, heading for the path that led to the courtyard.

“Only a few dozen.” I went on to tell him how I’d gotten a brief glimpse of the grounds last night, purposely leaving off the fact I’d witnessed his playtime.

“Possessions in training,” Talon explained. “That’s what we’re responsible for here.”

Nodding as though I understood, I hoped he would continue.

“Where you’re familiar with Dominants and submissives, even Masters and slaves, what transpires here is a bit more … regimented. We refer to them as possessions because that is what they are. And those who seek to obtain them are known as Owners.”

“Owned, Incorporated,” I mused.

“I’m not big on subterfuge as you can imagine.”

No, he was not.

We walked down the short path toward the center of the enormous resort, as Jasper had referred to it. “And this is where you what? Train people to become possessions?”

“To put it simply, yes. But not just anyone. Only those who’ve proven themselves worthy of becoming something owned by another. The process only works if the person has a deep-seated desire to be such. The same goes for Owners. I’m incredibly selective about those who wish to partake of my services.”

“Do tell.”

Talon stopped along the slate-tiled walkway that surrounded the interior courtyard, wrapping around and following the lines of the buildings that formed a U around the space.

“That’s my residence and the main office.” He motioned across the way to the four-story house that cascaded down so that the third floor was actually ground level, then pointed to the bottom of the U. “That’s the pool house and my personal gym.” He turned and faced the building behind me. “And this is the Owners’ Retreat.”

Although it had clearly been modified, it appeared Talon had done what he could to maintain the feel of the island everywhere.

“Similar to Dominants and submissives, when it comes to the sort of relationship between an Owner and a possession, not everyone’s suited for it. No different than those who wish to delve into BDSM or become a member of a fetish club. It’s not for everyone, despite what some eager newbies want to believe. The desire to be owned is not something that can be wished or trained. It’s something one is born with. The same goes for wanting to own someone. The possessions here are looking for more than a mere Dominant to command them in the bedroom. A lot more. And everyone has to be in it for the right reasons.”

“Which is why you’re selective.”

“Precisely. Because I’m the one taking responsibility for bringing these like-minded people together, I feel it’s my duty to ensure those who seek my services are of the highest quality. At the core, that is Owned, Incorporated.”

Simple, yet not.

“How many employees do you have?”

“Quite a few,” he said easily. “Although you’d have to get with Zion to get an exact number.”

I would bet big money Talon knew exactly how many employees he had; he was merely being modest.

“And his role?”

“Chief financial officer.”

“That makes you the CEO.”

Talon simply smiled.

“I take it this came about because of your personal interest?”

“Isn’t that how most profitable businesses come to be?”

I grinned, moving down the steps alongside Talon. “Touché.”

“To answer your question, yes, Owned, Inc. came about because of my own desires to find a possession. It’s not nearly as easy as one might think. Trial and error became the norm for me.”

“And based on what you’ve got, I can only assume you’ve mastered the art of identifying one?”

“If only it were that easy.” Talon grinned. “Over the years, I’ve come a long way in honing my skills in regard to ferreting out the truth, finding exactly who will fit in my life. Since I put a lot of time and effort into it, I decided to use what I’ve learned to assist other Owners in locating what they’re looking for. At the same time, I’ve made it a priority that the possessions aren’t put at risk, blindly walking into the life of someone with ill intentions, hence the need for intrusive background checks for all parties.”

“Which is what you performed on me? An intrusive background check.”

“I told you I did.”

“No. You told me you learned some things.”

Talon smiled. “Semantics.”

“So I assume the process is rigorous,” I said as we stopped near the swimming pools, which appeared to be separate yet somehow connected to one another. “To gain access to your—you’ve got some sort of platform you use? Website? App?”

“Yes and yes.” Talon grinned. “That’s what I like about you, Ransom. You’re smart.”

“I like to think so.”

“There are a wide range of checks that take place prior to someone being allowed to utilize my app. Aside from the intrusive digging into their personal details, both parties undergo extensive testing. Months of physical and emotional poking and prodding, ensuring all applicants are capable of making decisions such as they are. Those who maintain an active account on the app are required to submit frequent blood tests to ensure safety of all involved.”

“How many active users are we talking?”

“At the moment, a little more than ten thousand. Owners, that is. Worldwide.”

I honestly hadn’t expected the number to be that high.

“A significant amount of work is required up front, but in the end, I find it’s worth it. As you can see, we’ve gotten the process streamlined.”

I motioned toward the area around us. “It looks to me like it’s done well for you. Probably not cheap to utilize your services.”

“Owners fork over the money for the most part. Possessions are required to pay fees to enter the program. Mostly so we can determine how genuinely interested they are. Once they leave their former life and move here, I’m financially responsible. At least until they’re acquired by an Owner.