Sick, Sick Secret

I just stared at him. ‘Bondage, dominance, sadomasochism,’ Kieran explained. ‘I know what BDSM is,’ I managed to find my voice. ‘But what does it mean? What’s the room doing here? In my backyard?’ Kieran waited for the realisation to dawn on me. ‘Carole said…’I braced a hand against the wall for support as I swayed on my feet. ‘Carole said Brennan used to come here, in the middle of the night.’ ‘There’s more.’ Kieran drew me into his arms. ‘We can come back another time, honey.’ ‘No, I…I have to…’ I gripped his hand. ‘Show me.’ Saying nothing, he led me to the far wall, pushed open a small door. It opened into a bathroom, spacious, Spartan, but it came with all the necessary fixtures—a bathtub, a shower stall, a mirror hanging over a washstand. The floor was bone dry. Kieran walked over to a corner opposite the bathtub, pulled open a set of curtains, revealing yet another door. This was one secured with a deadbolt. ‘Can’t get it open without tools,’ he said. ‘We’ll come back to it.’ ‘I