A short, pensive walk

Eva felt relieved to find the hotel's hallways empty. It seemed almost everyone was at the gala downstairs - and she was thankful for that, for it meant nobody was around to see her in her current state. A part of her was still in denial. How had she been so easily stripped, then collared and paraded nude? Even Hawk's "rescue" of her - if one could call it that - didn't change her much. She was still collared, being paraded nude on all fours. Was it just a string of bad luck, or did she actually enjoy being humiliated?

As they walked, she couldn't help but steal glances at Valerie crawling alongside her. Except for her stockings, her mentor was just as naked as her. Judging by the way Valerie's cheeks were flushed and breathing was labored, there was no doubt the woman was turned on by this. Was that why she had given up her clothes to Hawk without any resistance?

Seeing an accomplished agent like Valerie turn into a subservient **** with a simple command evoked a strange cocktail of feelings in her. As Valerie's protege, was it inevitable she would follow in her shoes? To make matters worse, her primal self was more accepting of the idea than she was comfortable with. Is that why she was now working for the mysterious man, even though he had stripped and humiliated her - not once, but twice?

She didn't like the dark direction in which her thoughts were heading, and tried using her earpiece to contact Lexi. Once again, her friend didn't pick up. She was starting to get worried - was everything all right? Even if she was too busy to talk, Lexi would at least have sent her a message by now.

Before she could do anything else, she noticed that Hawk had stopped in front of her. They had reached the - mercifully empty - elevator. Thankfully, they were only a couple of floors below Kaiser's suite, which meant the ride was short. Once they got off on the floor, Hawk spotted an unlocked janitor’s closet and led the women inside, before closing the door behind them.

Eva and Valerie looked each other and went into a kneeling position, awaiting further instructions. Hawk quickly took off his plumber's jumpsuit and overalls, revealing a sharply tailored suit underneath. Eva blushed upon noticing Valerie bite her lip.

"That's better.", he said. He took out a couple of ornate masquerade masks from his suit pocket, and gave it to the women. They were beautiful and ornate, covering most of their faces. "Put these on. From past experience - Kaiser is a dangerous man. Keep his attention on your body, and no matter what, don't let him see your face."

The three of them spent a couple of minutes discussing their plan. Once finished, the women went back on their knees as Hawk led them out of the closet and in front of Kaiser's door.

Right before they entered, Hawk turned to Eva. "And before you ask - Valerie can tell you where I got the masks." He winked, and used the keycard to open the door.