“I’ll check it out.” His girlfriend ran past them and into the house and came out a few minutes later. “All clear.”
Knowing that the house was clear of threats, Tim stopped resisting the older woman’s tugging and ran for the door. “Where is he?”
“He’s on the couch.” ShadowLily’s face twisted into a grimace.
Tim looked at Maria. “What’s his name?”
“Marco.”
The boy must have been in bad shape for her to still be crying, and ShadowLily’s face didn’t give him a lot of hope. Tim turned away from her and rushed past Maria’s mother to the boy waiting on the couch. He wasn’t a doctor, but Tim knew there was something wrong right away. The boy was deathly pale, but he didn’t see any blood.
Kneeling next to the child, Tim brushed a strand of black hair out of his face. The kid’s eyes flittered open. “Please help me.”
A ball of healing water appeared in Tim’s hand, and he splashed it on the child’s chest. Marco groaned as the spell took hold. Next he applied his cleanse spell to the kid, hoping to rid his body of any infections caused by internal bleeding. Slowly and methodically, Tim continued to heal Marco until the boy fell into a deep sleep.
After standing up, Tim turned to find the mother staring at him. She looked at the pale, unconscious form of her son and started to cry. “Is he…”
Closing the distance between them, Tim put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “No, Marco is just resting now. When he wakes up, he should be fine.”
Tim glanced at Marco one last time. He hadn’t healed many serious injuries yet, so he had to make sure the boy was ok. “If anything else happens or he doesn’t feel better when he wakes up, come get me.”
Maria fell to her knees and pressed herself against Tim's legs. “Thank you.”
Bending slightly, Marco’s grandmother peeled Maria away from Tim’s legs. “Thank you, sir. I have no idea what she promised you, but we don’t have very much money.”
Tim had the benefit of being flush with gold for the time being, so he didn’t need to survive on the offerings of others. Still, it set a bad precedent to do anything for free. His dad always told him if you’re good at something, you should be paid for it. Just like if your friend is a plumber, you shouldn’t invite him over to get free work done on your house.
Tim took the older woman’s hands in his own. “Whatever you can spare is more than enough.”
She reached inside her coat and pulled out a small bag of copper coins. The older woman looked at it, clearly unsure of how many to give him before just holding out the entire bag. “Thank you for your mercy.”
Tim accepted the bag and quickly looked inside. There were twenty copper coins, and he took out five of them and handed the rest back to the older woman. She was clearly shocked to have gotten anything back, which made him feel even better about what he was doing.
“You’re welcome.” Tim took both her hands in his. “If he needs anything, please let me know.”
Maria pushed her mother out of the way and pulled Tim into a warm embrace. “Marco wouldn’t have lived without your help. If there is anything you need from us, all you have to do is ask.”
Tim had never been a person who was comfortable with compliments. Nothing made him more uncomfortable than people heaping praise on him just for being himself. It was rare that he walked into a situation hoping he’d get something out of it. If it was in his power to help, he would.
“The payment you provided was more than enough.” Tim felt his cheeks starting to burn with embarrassment as he looked between the two women.
Maria led them back to the front door. “Our offer still stands. If you ever need help, please let us know.”
ShadowLily smiled at the women. “I’ll make sure that he does.”
They started walking back to the inn, and Tim nudged ShadowLily with his shoulder. “Thanks for protecting me back there.”
“What, from the two harmless ladies?” She giggled. “I think you’re selling yourself short.”
“Anyone could have been in there, and you rushed in without a second thought. Not everyone would do that.”
“Every now and then, I don’t mind playing the sidekick.” She bumped her shoulder into his. “But don’t get used to it.”
Tim smiled. ShadowLily was the real deal. It wasn’t just her rocking bod that had him all spun around in circles; it was all of her. The simple question was, if you stripped away the great sex and the adventures, would he still want to be with her? If the answer was yes, it was a relationship worth taking to the next level.
He only hoped she felt the same way.
Tim grabbed one of ShadowLily’s hands. “So, I’ve got a job to do tonight. Care to tag along?”
“What kind of job?” ShadowLily asked as she pulled him closer.
“The kind that involves infiltrating a kinky sex club and assassinating someone.” Tim gave her hand a squeeze.
She dropped his hand and slapped Tim’s shoulder. “Doesn’t that go against your code as a healer?”
“I’m not a doctor. I don’t follow a code,” he said with all seriousness as he looked into the stormy sky. “But I have a quest to complete, and the last time I went out with Gaston, I came back with Liz.”
“Well, we can’t have another incident like that, now can we?” She laughed. “But don’t get me wrong. You piqued my interest as soon as you said kinky sex club.”
“Oh, the lady doth protest too little. I’m guessing she has a kinky sex club skeleton hidden in her closet.” Tim laughed until he imagined ShadowLily in skintight latex, and he had to recite football stats in his head to avoid an unwelcome swelling in his pants.
“Maybe you’ll find out tonight.” She gave him a sly wink. “What’s the name of this place, anyway?”
“The Stiff Tart,” Tim said with a smile. It was a kind of a silly name, but it got the message across.
“Sounds like the kind of place where you’re supposed to be my bitch,” ShadowLily growled huskily.
“Guess we’ll find out tonight.” Tim slapped her ass and started sprinting to the inn.
“You’d better run!” ShadowLily smiled as she chased him.
Chapter Forty-Seven
The Stiff Tart didn’t look like much.
It was just a door set into a solid stone wall. There were three candles around the door, one on top and a single candle to either side. All of the candles had pink glass over the flames, casting the door in a wash of wavering pink light. There was a metal slat at about eye level in the door, and Gaston assured him that the password he’d provided would work.
Tim started to walk forward, but ShadowLily grabbed his arm. “Maybe I should handle this part.”
“Whatever you say, Mistress.” Tim lowered his head and moved to stand just behind her like a heeling dog. You never knew when someone was watching.
“Now you’re learning.” She pointed to where he was standing. “Stay.” Turning away from Tim, she marched boldly up to the door and knocked three times.
The metal slat opened, and two very intense blue eyes stared out at them. “Password.”
“Upstanding Citizen,” she spat with disdain.
The person behind the door didn’t say a thing, but they slid the metal opening closed with a thud. ShadowLily thought about turning around to look at Tim, but she just stood there glaring at the door as if she could open it through sheer force of will. Her frustration started to grow, but then she heard bolts sliding on the other side of the door.
The solid steel door slowly opened, and more pink light drifted onto the cobbled alley. The man who appeared was covered from head to toe in leather, with only his eyes visible. He stepped to the side, making sure they had plenty of room to enter.
ShadowLily turned and snapped her fingers at Tim. “You can move now.”
“Thank you, Mistress.” Tim moved forward but stopped just behind her again.
ShadowLily strode through the entranceway with Tim at h
er heels. All of the candles and torches inside were covered with the same pink glass that gave the hallway the feel of being submerged in some kind of bubble bath.
She moved to the end of the hallway and stopped at another door. Gaston had only given them the password for one of the doors, so if the second door required something else, they were totally fucked. The first door slammed shut behind them, and she heard the bolts sliding back into place.
Without any indication from the man waiting by the first door, the second door opened. A dwarven female stared up at them. She had curly brown hair and was wearing some kind of bra that left her nipples exposed. The dwarf gave them a long look before motioning for them to enter.
“I’m going to need a drink,” Tim said as he took a look around.
ShadowLily spun and slapped him on the chest. “You do not have my permission to speak, worm!” Tim quickly masked the shock on his face and demurely lowered his eyes.
“My apologies, Mistress,” Tim said as he stared at her boots.
“Just don’t let it happen again.” She looked at the dwarf. “Breaking them in is always such a chore, isn’t it?”
“Bar’s over there,” the female dwarf stated in a surprisingly deep voice.
“We’re in the market for a more private experience, and maybe someone to share it with us,” ShadowLily purred as she ran a finger through the dwarf’s hair.
“I don’t do normals.” The dwarf swatted ShadowLily’s hand away. “But you should talk to Rick. He’ll get you taken care of.” She pointed at a man wearing suspenders and the smallest set of shorts in the world.
“Thanks,” ShadowLily said with feigned disdain as she moved away. She watched the guy named Rick for a moment and thought about how his shorts were smaller than the ones worn by basketball players in the seventies. One wrong move and Rick would have a ball hanging out like a Christmas tree decoration.
She strutted toward Rick, aware that more than a few of the patrons around the room were watching her. There was no way she could look behind her to see if Tim was still playing his part. One wrong move and the people here would sniff out their little deception.
Despite herself, ShadowLily was kind of having fun. It wasn’t every day she got to dress up like a sexy dominatrix. Roleplaying in bed could be fun if both people were into it, not that she’d be into doing this every night.
Being a dominatrix was too fucking demanding.
The last thing she wanted to do was spend her time telling Tim what to do. It seemed like more of a chore than a turn on. But the clothes, she liked them quite a bit. Kind of made her feel empowered. She had control over her body, and no one else could say a thing.
For now, she was content to play her part and see what happened next.
Stopping in front of Rick, ShadowLily put a hand on her hip. She waited for a moment, but the man completely ignored her.
Rick flicked his eyes toward her and went back to talking to his other guests as if she didn’t exist. Tim watched the insult and wondered how long it would take for ShadowLily to lose her temper. The answer was not long.
Tired of waiting, ShadowLily grabbed the riding crop out of the hands of the man Rick was talking to and slapped his chest with it. “I’m tired of waiting, you worthless prick.”
Rick rolled his eyes as he turned to face her. “No reason to get testy.” His gaze moved down her body and back up to her eyes. “I was just finishing up some business.” Rick gave the people he was speaking to a casual nod and they all found somewhere else to be.
His attention quickly returned to ShadowLily. “Welcome to the Stiff Tart. Here your darkest desires are our deepest pleasure to fulfill.”
She snorted as if what he was saying to her was of little to no importance. “I require a room for myself and my bitch.” She pointed at Tim and gave him a quick wink before turning back to Rick. “We’d also be interested in procuring additional companionship for the evening. I was told you can help with that.”
“The room costs a gold coin, and the girl is included if you so desire.” He made a motion over his head, and a line of ladies marched over from out of nowhere. “We also have men if that’s your thing.”
“A man would be better,” Tim said, remembering that his target preferred male companionship.
The riding crop flashed out, catching Tim across the shoulder. He winced in pain and clutched his bruised arm. He looked up at her with the same kind of fixation Renfield gave Dracula before looking back at the floor.
ShadowLily tapped Tim with the crop a few more times before grabbing his chin and forcing his head up. She gave him a hard kiss on the mouth before pushing him away. “You’re right. Maybe another man is exactly what I need.”
Rick made another motion and the ladies disappeared, only to be replaced by a line of well-oiled man-flesh.
She walked forward and trailed her riding crop across their chests until she stopped, seemingly at random. “This one will do.”
“Antonio. He is one of my finest.” Rick smiled at the man almost longingly. “Please show our guests to Bungalow Seven.”
“As you command.” Antonio motioned for ShadowLily to follow him. “Right this way, Mistress.”
Turning toward Tim, she commanded. “Pay the man!”
Tim opened his inventory and pulled out a gold coin. He tossed it to Rick and lowered his head again to follow his mistress to Bungalow Seven.
“Bungalow,” as it turned out, was a loose term. The room was four pillars draped in swaths of pink silk. It gave you a sense of privacy from the other patrons, but nothing was completely hidden. Her first thought as she walked toward it was that it was kind of like being behind a screen or inside a tent.
People would be able to see their outlines but not much else.
Antonio held open two of the hanging silk sheets and ushered them into the space. Now came the tricky part. How did they handle Antonio? They couldn’t have him running back to Rick after they asked their questions.
A look around the room revealed a bed and a large X made out of foot-thick wooden beams. The X had manacles on it, and there were also sets on the corners of the bed. Several objects placed around the room could also be used for restraint or pleasure.
Turning away from Antonio, ShadowLily moved to Tim’s side. She leaned in close with her cheek gently brushing his. “What do you think about tying him to the X?”
Tim closed his eyes in case Antonio was watching. “Great idea.” Then he tried to kiss her.
ShadowLily jerked her head away and smacked Tim with the riding crop. “Down, dog. I decide when you get to kiss me.”
“As for you.” She pointed the crop at Antonio. “I want you over there now.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Antonio moved to the X.
It didn’t take her long to get the manacles in place. The muscle-bound masochist wasn’t going anywhere until she set him free. All she had to do now was find a gag.
Tim stood up, relief etched on his face. Now that he didn’t have to pretend to be her bitch anymore, he could help out. A few moments later, Tim slipped a gag in Antonio’s mouth.
“Is this really what you’ve been doing in the game so far?” ShadowLily asked as she watched Antonio’s eyes moving between them.
Tim shrugged. “Actually, this is my first quest that involves a place like this. The last time, I just had to sneak onto a boat.”
“At least we got new outfits.” ShadowLily grinned.
“And one of us looks hot in them.” Tim checked her out again, hoping she might put the outfit back on when they got back to the inn.
“You don’t look so bad yourself.” She slapped his ass, causing him to jump.
Tim rubbed his sore right cheek as he leaned closer to Antonio. “You might have guessed by now we aren’t your normal clientele.”
Antonio’s eyes were panicked as he looked between them. Tim stepped closer, his face mere inches away. “What we need from you is information.” When he didn’t move, Tim tapped him on th
e forehead. “Nod if you understand.”
The man chained to what might as well have been a medieval torture device nodded his head vigorously.
“Good.” Tim smiled. “Now that we have an understanding, I have one question for you.” He waited until he was sure he had the man’s entire focus. “Where is Fredrick Bohanna?”
Before removing the gag from Antonio’s mouth, Tim pulled two gold coins out of his inventory. “Something to ease your conscience.” When Antonio nodded, Tim pulled the gag free.
“That guy’s a no-tipping prick. If you wanted information on him, all you had to do was ask.” Tim slipped the coins into one of Antonio’s pockets. “There is a door against the wall out there. You’ll need my key to get in.”
“Where is your key?” ShadowLily looked at Antonio’s outfit, not seeing anywhere to hide a key. The two coins Tim slipped into his pants bulged the tight leather to point it looked uncomfortable.
“Back pocket.”
She reached behind him, feeling around for a second before she found a small slit in his tight leather shorts. Pulling the key free, she flashed it at Tim before tucking it away.
“You’ve been very helpful, and I hope you understand why we have to leave you tied up.” Tim slipped the gag back into Antonio’s mouth. “As soon as we’re done, we’ll let you go.”
Antonio shook his head from side to side, struggling against the gag. “Wait,” he cried, finally spitting out enough of the cloth to speak. “He has somebody with him.”
ShadowLily frowned. “What kind of somebody?”
“I don’t know. Never saw the scary fucker with him until the last couple of days. He looks like some kind of bodyguard, but he wears this garish orange sash. I get the feeling he would be just as likely to kill you as fuck you.”
“Thanks, Antonio.” ShadowLily put the gag back in place before slipping an extra golden coin into the other side of his shorts. “But we still can’t have you talking until we get back.”
She started walking out of the enclosure but realized Tim wasn’t following her. “What’s wrong?”
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