Tamara opened the door to the wives' room and not for the first time had to fight the urge to think of it as a harem. Each of the girls looked up briefly but then returned to whatever distraction held their attention for the moment. Bobby sat at her desk, an array of eyeliners spilled out in front of her, she was always experimenting with her eyebrows for some reason.
“Have a nice walk Tammy girl?” Bobby asked without looking away from the mirror.
Sophia was laid out on her Yoga mat at the back of the room reading one of her self-help books as she stretched. She looked up as Bobby spoke, a slight grin on her face. Bobby glanced her direction and returned the subtle smile. Tamara was obviously the butt of another inside joke, she ignored the question and moved to the foot of her own bed and her footlocker. She opened the lid and began to rifle through it. Tina was laid out on her bed and next to her, and the Asian girl spoke up.
“Hey guys, let’s do another one, how about? “What your power animal says about your love life.”
“Tina please!” Bobby pleaded. “We have done all of those stupid quizzes so many times!”
“Oh come on, they are funny. Just answer the questions differently this time if you want," Tina said and then without waiting for a reply started reading the article aloud.
Let them have a nice laugh together Tamara thought as she searched. At the bottom of Tamara’s trunk underneath several pairs of discarded moccasins, she found what she was looking for, a small stuffed bear. It had been one of the few things she had carried with her when she came to the ranch, begging for food, when she had come to Coal, almost a year ago. She turned it over and with a twist ripped through the stitching on the back of the bear and slid out her 6-inch butterfly knife.
The girls were laughing together at something Tina had just read, Tamara found herself smiling. She stood and as an afterthought took a bath towel from her trunk as well. She moved back to the doorway and knelt down, shoving the towel firmly in the crack under the door.
“What are you doing Tammy girl?” Bobby asked still looking in the mirror, still smiling.
“Just trying to soundproof the room a little," she explained standing and walking up to stand next to Bobby’s desk.
“Why would you want to do that?” she asked simply.
Tamara reached over and placing a single finger on Bobby’s chin gently turned her head up to face her.
“So no one will hear you bitches scream," Tamara explained and then with a quick thrust shoved the knife into Bobby’s throat. Blood erupted from the wound spraying Tamara’s arm and face. Bobby opened her mouth to speak, but only a fountain of frothy blood escaped. Bobby weakly lifted her hand to try and touch her killer’s face. Tamara easily brushed it away.
“SHHHHH, hush now," she whispered as Bobby’s eyes glazed over.
Tamara gave the knife a vicious twist in the dying girl’s throat and then with a grin began sliding her arm back and forth in a vicious sawing motion. The light was entirely gone from Bobby’s eyes by the time her head flopped awkwardly to the side on her now ruined neck.
The other two girls were screaming wildly now, backing away from Tamara toward the other side of the room. In their terror, they were just beginning to realize they were cornered. Tamara pushed Bobby’s body to the floor and then with her bloody knife in hand she stalked deeper into the room.
Coal walked through the gates of his ranch later and more tired than he had expected. It wasn’t the honest, hard-earned tired that he felt after a hard day riding the wastes. It was that drained of life feeling that only sitting for most of the day with a room full of politicians can bring about. He had decided after he met with Kyle tomorrow night he would ride out again. He had stuck his thumb in Murphy’s eye enough for one week, time to lay low for a while. Maybe the councilman or more likely Rory would make the mistake of sending Ranger’s out after him, Coal smiled at the thought.
Charles met him just inside the gate. “Evening Mr. Coal.”
“Evening Charlie, how are things on the home front?” Coal asked.
“Very good Sir. Mrs. Tamara has asked me specifically to meet you and send you up to the house straight away. She also asked for the two of you not to be disturbed for the rest of the evening," Charles explained.
“Really?” Coal asked.
“Yes sir, seems it’s some kind of special occasion for the two of you?” Charles hinted.
“Holy shit, is it our anniversary? Has she been here a year already?’ Coal asked, he had never been one to pay attention to dates.
“It would seem so Sir, or at the very least Mrs. Tamara thinks it is," Charles said carefully.
“I get your point, if she says it is, it is. Well, I guess I shouldn’t keep my bride waiting. Enjoy your night Charlie," Coal said and began moving to the house.
“You as well Sir," Charlie replied from behind him.
As Coal made his way across the dark ranch, he could tell that most of his people had already turned in for the night. His house was slowly filling with light though. Not the overwhelming display of lights that the girls usually did when he returned home from a trip out. The whole second floor was awash in a soft glow, maybe just a few dozen candles were lit as compared to the hundreds. Even from here it felt more intimate, more personal. Coal couldn’t help but smile, maybe Tamara really was starting to feel at home.
Coal pushed through the glass double doors, and Tamara was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. Coal stopped dead in his tracks. She wore all black, black heels, hose, garters, panties and a black silk teddy. Her long blond hair cascaded over her shoulder and was held together by a black silk ribbon. Coal had seen her before, many times before, wearing much less. But something about her was different, the set of her jaw the look in her eye. He didn’t know what had changed, but whatever it was he had noticed it, and he definitely liked it.
“Hello husband," Tamara said, emphasizing the words.
“Tamara, you look, just amazing," Coal said breathlessly.
She smiled at him, the smile of a predator it felt like, and he had to wonder, maybe it wasn’t all bad being the prey.
Coal glanced up the stairs behind her. “Where is the rest of the family?” he asked.
“Well, you see dear husband, me and the rest of the girls had a real…moment, earlier today. This is our night; they’ll be staying in their room. They won’t be disturbing us.”
Coal nodded and realized he was okay with that, this was a completely different side of the quite Tamara, he wanted to see what she had planned.
She turned on her heel and started back up the stairs. “Come!” she commanded over her shoulder, and he was happy to comply.
She walked with a determined stride to the foot of the bed and then casually laid herself out on it. Coal started to follow, but Tamara stopped him.
“Stop. That’s as far as you go with all of that,” she said waving a finger at Coal.
The Indian realized he still wore his boots, duster, knife belt and that his rifle was still slung over his shoulder. He smiled at her sheepishly.
“Drop it, now. Don’t you dare take another step," Tamara commanded, she took a glass of whiskey from the bedside table and sipped it now as she watched him.
Coal grinned, he would play her game he decided. He unslung his rifle laying it carefully on the floor. He dropped his duster as well followed by his belt. He took a tentative step forward, and she spoke again.
“No, you don’t. I kind of like this game. Take the rest of it off, all of it. Now," her voice held an authority that Coal found intriguing. He didn’t dare disobey.
He began to strip for her, at first quickly and then at a look from Tamara more slowly. She was smiling now watching him. Within a few moments, he stood completely naked. His skin was dark, and while not overly muscled, hard living had left his muscles very well defined. One muscle, in particular, was, at the moment, very well defined.
Tamara grinned. “Not bad Husband,” she said emphasizing the word again.<
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“Now come here," She commanded sitting up, and Coal eagerly approached the bed.
“Now tonight, we are going to be doing things my way,” she explained.
“You have a way?” Coal asked smiling.
“Yes I do, and tonight I’m going to share it with you," she said holding up a red rubber ball gag. Coal’s smile quickly disappeared. But she was ready for that. She leaned forward putting her mouth right next to his ear.
“Do you trust me husband?” she whispered.
“I...,” Coal began to reply, but she cut him off.
“Do you love me?” she asked still whispering. Coal didn’t know what to say, he wasn’t ass enough to think what they, hell, what any of what he and his wives shared was true love. But none of them, especially not Tamara had ever brought the question up, at least not out loud.
“Then don’t speak," she said taking his silence for consent. She held the ball gag up to his lips, he hesitated for a moment and then bit into it. She secured the strap around the back of his head. She ran her hand through his hair and then commanded. “Lay down on your back.”
Coal made a high-pitched hum sound in reply and climbed on to the bed more than a little concerned about where this was all going to lead. Tamara climbed on top of him then, straddling him. She began to work her hands down the length of his body. She applied pressure to his muscles, releasing his tension with a bit of pain. Though gagged he found himself relaxing under her touch. As she moved her hands up his body, she very pointedly refused to touch his most sensitive areas. But her silk teddy and hose would occasionally brush across him stoking his ardor even more intensely. Through the gag, he moaned in pleasure.
She brought her mouth down to rest against his ear again. “Are you still with me dear husband?” she asked. Coal responded first with a sound and then an avid shaking of his head.
“Just one more step and then we can take care of all of this,” she said tracing a single finger down his aching member. Coal moaned again through the gag.
“You just have to trust me a bit more, you still trust me baby?” she asked. Coal replied with an emphatic nod.
Tamara held up the handcuffs for him to see, they were covered in hot pink fur. He closed his eyes for a moment and nodded his consent. Tamara was smiling as she secured one of the cuffs around his wrist and the raising his hand above his head slip his hands over the bed's steel rail and cuffed his other wrist.
“Thank you dearest husband,” she said and kissed him sweetly on the forehead.
“Now to get us started, I think…yeah. I’m going to cut your cock off," Tamara said in the same sweet voice and then showed him the knife she held. Coal let out a wild yell through the gag, and she stabbed down at his crotch.
Pure instinct coupled with Coal’s short stature saved his cock. He bucked his hips upward as Tamara struck, the blade missed his manhood but slammed hilt deep into his stomach. Coal let out a whimper of pain through the gag. Immediately Coal felt as if he had swallowed a burning ember.
“OOOppppsss," she said. “You know us girls, we can’t do anything right," Tamara shouted playfully. “Not even cut off a pesky little cock like that,” she laughed. Coal attempted to scream at her again through the gag like a muzzled dog.
“Well, as they say. If at first you don’t succeed…” Tamara said, she tore the blade free and stabbed down again. Coal rolled his hips hard to the side and pulled his leg up to shield his groin. Her blade stuck into the thick muscle of his thigh, and a fresh trail of warm blood flowed onto the mattress. Tamara’s lingerie was already dark black and sticky from Coal’s blood.
“OOOpppsss again," Tamara laughed. “Hey, who do you think can keep this up the longest? Me stabbing or you getting stabbed?” she asked grinning wildly and pulled the knife free from Coal again. He pulled desperately at his cuffs, slamming the steel chain of the cuffs against the bed rail. The cuffs cut into Coals wrists as he thrashed.
“Hush now, you're making quite a mess my love. Though not nearly as much as your bitches. Tell me, did you love them? Can you love anyone? Do you even have a heart?” she asked in a sad voice.
Coal grunted back loudly in reply and violently pulled against the cuffs again.
“You do?” Tamara exclaimed in disbelief.
“Let me see,” she laughed and stabbed down at Coal’s chest.
Coal rolled hard to his right, the blade missed his chest and slide painfully down his side cutting a jagged bloody line. He was slowing down he realized, the blood loss starting to take its toll. She could have stabbed him squarely in the heart if she had wanted, but she didn’t want this to end quickly. She wanted this too last, she wanted him to suffer. He had to do something, something drastic.
Tamara was laughing twisting the blade inside the muscles at his right side. With a thrust of his leg Coal rolled hard to his right. Pinning the knife under him and tried to get on top of her, agony rolled up his side, but the move took her by surprise. They both rolled on their sides, but the cuffs bound together keeping him from rolling on top of her. She reached for his side trying to grab hold of the knife again, and he took the single moment that it gave him to attack. He brought his other leg up fast between them and caught her squarely in the face with his knee. He heard a satisfying crunch followed by a scream as she rolled away from him, off the bed and onto the floor clutching at her face.
Coal knew he had only bought himself a few precious moments. He tried for the knife, but with his hands cuffed, he couldn’t reach for it. He painfully raised both legs up and put them up on the bed rail and began to push with everything he had. The cuffs cut deeper as fresh blood flowed from his wrists and his leg. The steel railing didn’t even quiver at his desperate attempts. Tamara groaned, still laying on the floor next to the bed. He was running out of time, she would be up in a few moments and stabbing at him again. He slid the cuffs down to the other side of the bed. Putting as much distance between them as he could.
“Husband?” Tamara called in a nasal voice, she crawled up to her knees and looked across the bed at him, her nose was bleeding badly and sitting at an odd angle.
“Now dear, don’t you know you shouldn’t ever hit a lady? Especially one with a knife,” she said, though her words were now accompanied by a slight nasal whistle.
She reached up onto the bed to reclaim her knife, but Coal had been waiting for it. With his feet down on the floor and his hands still cuffed he could just reach the top of the bed frame. He heaved it upward, and the bed flipped over, pulling him over with it, but pinning Tamara and her knife underneath it. She screamed a few unintelligible obscenities at him from beneath the bed. He shouted back through the ball gag with his own completely incomprehensible curses.
Coal moved to the bed frame and saw a faint ray of hope. The frame was held to the rail by only two large bolts. He feverishly began working at them with his bloody cuffed hands. At first the nut refused his advances, then using the side of the cuffs as leverage it slowly started to turn. He roared through his gag in triumph, and then he felt Tamara shifting under the bed, trying to fight her way out. He jumped on the bed throwing all his weight down on the lump and was rewarded with a grunt and another unintelligible curse.
As the nut began to twist loose Tamara crawled her way from under the bed, she had her knife in hand again. Before she was completely free Coal turned and kicked at her desperately, raising one arm to protect her injured face, and she swung blindly at his outstretched leg with the knife. They connected, send a fresh shot of pain up Coals leg as the blade connected but more importantly sending the knife flying free of her grasp. The bloody knife slid across the floor and then plunged fell over the edge of the landing down to the first floor. Coal howled again through the gag in glee as he attacked the bolts once more.
Tamara screamed in desperation as she finally freed herself from the bed completely and stumbled across the room towards the stairs.
“You bastard, you always have to try and ruin everything!” she shouted
through her broken nose. “This was supposed to be my night!”
Coal kept glancing back at her furiously as he continued to work free the bolt. Tamara was moving towards the top of the stairs on unsteady feet. How long would it take her to get down the stairs? How long to find the knife and then come back up for him? The first bolt came free in his hand, only one to go. He glanced back at her as his hands started in on the second bolt. Tamara wasn’t going down the stairs.
“This was supposed to be a special night for us," Tamara shouted as she picked up his rifle from the floor.
“I was going to cut off your cock and then feed it to you,” she racked the bolt back and then forward as she spoke.
Coal looked around wildly, his hands still trying to spin free the last bolt.
“Just like you have been feeding it to me,” she screamed out as she raised the rifle to her shoulder awkwardly.
In desperation Coal threw the mattress up between them and dived behind it, badly jerking his still cuffed wrist in the process. Tamara fired, and the blast echoed painfully throughout the glass-walled building. The bullet struck the mattress high spewing a geyser of blood-soaked feathers into the air and blowing a fist-sized hole in the glass wall behind it. A half a second later the rest of the wall shattered and collapsed entirely. The crimson stained feathers glided gently down like some hellish snow as an eerily silent moment fell across the room. The abused mattress lay in a blood-smeared heap in the middle of the feathery haze.
To Cross a Wasteland Page 21