Pure Punishment

by T. L Smith

  “Why aren’t you working now? Why are you with me?”

  He turns his head and looks directly at my grandmother sitting at the table watching us. His gaze locks back onto mine and I’m suddenly afraid of what he might say.

  “I am working. And I’m with you because I choose to be.”

  “How can you be working if you’re here with me? And you aren’t working, because you’re here where you aren’t needed.”

  He steps closer to me now and his arms pin me to the wall. His breath is hot on my skin, scorching it.

  “You will always need me, Kristy, and I’m greatly needed here.” His breath smothers me. It smells of coffee and him. I hear my grandmother mutter and watch as he releases me and looks at her.

  “You aren’t needed, boy, head home before things get worse.”

  “I’m not leaving her side. So now, old lady, what do you want for breakfast?” My grandmother doesn’t answer him. Instead, she gets up and walks back to her bedroom. I take a seat at the table, trying to get my brain to function after everything that has been said, but none of it making any sense.

  I really don’t understand what is going on and why my grandmother has such a hatred for him. She talks to him like he knows her well, but that can’t be possible. My brain doesn’t want to process that he may be investigating me. What for? I have no idea. A part of me likes his constant company. I like him! That is not something that happens a lot.

  “Stop overthinking,” Kai says and places a plate full of pancakes in front of me. They are my favorite and they are covered in maple syrup.

  After I’ve finished eating, I have a shower and take Grandma to her doctor’s appointment. Kai chooses to stay at home. He said he had work to do and could do with some quiet time. My grandma has been especially silent on the drive. We are in her old car that I’m surprised still runs.

  “You know you need to move now, get as far away as possible. I have some money put away for you. Just leave and don’t look back,” she says as we pull up in front of the doctor’s office.

  “What money? And why would I move again? I’m doing great in my studies.”

  “Your mother had a trust fund for you when you were little. I’ve been adding to it every year. There is quite a substantial fund set aside. In the fund is the sale of your parents’ house.”

  That shocks me! I thought she got all the money to help raise me.

  “I thought you got my parents’ money? If you didn’t, how could you afford to raise me?” I ask.

  She doesn’t look at me. “I raised you with my own money. I didn’t need or want their money. I knew one day you would need it. Plus, you were not an expensive child.”

  She stuns me with her sudden change of voice and demeanor. It’s like she does care.

  Maybe she does?

  “Alright, enough of this talk. Just remember what I said. Leave the first chance you get and don’t look back.” She steps out of the car and doesn’t wait for me as she walks toward the front door of the office. I don’t know what she’s talking about, but I don’t plan on leaving… that I know for sure.

  The doctor told her to stop drinking and smoking and to start looking after her heart better. She laughed at him, which doesn’t surprise me. It’s how she deals with life; I worked that out a long time ago. On the drive home, she is quiet and asks me to stop at the store so she can purchase some cigarettes and alcohol. I try to tell her no, but it falls on deaf ears.

  When we arrive home, I know it’s time to leave. The nurse is out front talking to Kai and he has our bags packed in his hands. Just before we get out, Grandma grabs hold of my wrist and slips a piece of paper in my hand. I give her a puzzled look and she smiles softly.

  “When you hear the song, run.”

  The brain can live for four to six minutes without oxygen, and then it begins to die.

  The night is quiet and the air is still. Hardly anyone is walking around. It seems to be only me, which is quite odd. As I walk out of the college, I see a pickup truck sitting there, and someone is inside watching me. I don’t know how I know, I can just feel it. I change direction and walk the opposite way to see if it’s following me. It doesn’t move, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not. I’ve done so many questionable things. Things that I love to do. Things that keep me grounded and my demons happy.

  I am the protector.

  I walk the streets with nothing to do. Tyke hasn’t contacted me for a few days with any jobs, so I don’t have anything on. My mind is constantly on dark eyes, wondering what he’s doing. How his body would look right now. How his cock would feel sliding in and out of me.

  I stop on the street corner, ready to cross, when I notice the dark truck creeping along very slowly behind me. I cross the street, not showing any sign that I notice it and, once I’m out of sight, I hide in the alley waiting for it to come closer so I can see who’s inside. I hear the truck come to a stop and then heavy footsteps. Obviously, the person knows I’m no longer walking down the road and has hopped out to investigate. I pull my star from my pants and wait for the steps to come closer. I’m hiding behind a trash can. The alley is dark and the person will not be able to see me, let alone hear me. I wait patiently for the footsteps to approach closer.

  I close my eyes and listen. One, two, three. The person has his back turned to me. I don’t waste any time and step quietly up behind him and place my star at the jugular of his throat. The guy is so tall, I’m on my toes, reaching up. He laughs and I want to slice just a little bit to teach him not to be an ass. Then I recognize that voice because it has an effect on me like no other.

  “Remove it, Kayla.”

  I almost drop it, but I don’t. He huffs out a deep breath.

  “Why are you following me?” I ask, not removing the star. I keep a firm pressure so if he moves, it will cut him.

  “It’s my job to follow you and now I’m trying to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.” I drop the star from his throat and walk around to face him, puzzled by what he’s just said.

  “What do you mean, it’s your job? And anything stupid? Ha! I don’t do anything stupid.” I twirl my star in the palm of my hand. He looks at it and raises an eyebrow.

  “You need to see someone. You need help. If you don’t, I will be forced to take action,” he gruffly replies and then begins to walk away.

  “You don’t know anything about me. Who do you think you are to say I need help? How about you go after someone that does need your help? Oh, and fuck off.” I go to walk past him and he blocks my exit with his body, though he doesn’t scare me. Let’s face it, hardly anything scares me.

  “That’s the thing, Kayla. I know so much about you it would even scare a girl like you.” He steps back to let me pass. His assumptions are really getting on my nerves. He may be easy on the eyes and have a cock the size of a horse, but that doesn’t give him a free pass.

  I throw my star at him, but he dodges it just in time. It surprises me! The only person who’s even been one step ahead of me is Tyke. Dark and mysterious doesn’t seem impressed. I guess that’s because I just tried impaling him with my star. Actually, he looks downright pissed.

  “If I didn’t want harm to come to you, I would shoot you right now for that. So help me God, Kayla, I’m not a man to be fucked with.” He’s looming above me, eyes as black as the sky. “Try it again and see what happens.” He prods me and a part of me wants to throw my star at him again. I can see in his eyes that he’s telling the truth. He seems to be a man that will follow through with what he says.

  I watch his retreating form, then follow so I can see him in the light of the street. His body doesn’t disappoint and it makes me even angrier. He stops once he reaches his car and glares at me one more time in warning.

  Warning not received!

  I will do as I please. As soon as he’s in his car and pulling away, I grab a star and throw it straight at his car. I hear the loud ding as it hits his back window and watch while he slams on his brakes.<
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  I look around for an escape and then look back to his truck which is currently stopped in the middle of the street with the reverse lights on. I start laughing from the truth of his words and turn around and bolt in the other direction.

  He doesn’t catch me, but it’s not for the lack of trying. I heard his car screech when he turned it around to follow me. The chase has my heart thumping and my body laughing.

  I plan to play with him again. It was too much fun not to resist another round.

  Sixty percent of your brain is fat.

  Hawaiian God – Meet me tonight at Elvive.

  Me – No.

  Hawaiian God – If you don’t, I will come and drag your ass.

  Me – Leave me alone, I’m busy.

  Hawaiian God – Who with? I’m coming to you now.

  Me – No one, I’m studying. Don’t come.

  Hawaiian God – You have till ten p.m. to get here or I’m coming for you.

  He’s been texting me all week, wanting to know what I’m doing. Who am I seeing? When can I meet up with him? I’m running out of excuses and it seems he’s getting sick of my answers. He wants me to go to the same club I was at last time with Julia. I really don’t want to go. Even though the idea of seeing him excites me, I know nothing lasts forever and that feeling will pass with time.

  I contemplate my options, wondering where I can hide or how I can get out of it, but I know nothing will work. He’s a man of ways and he gets what he wants. Julia is actually going there tonight and did invite me along. Our friendship has grown and I really enjoy her company. I think she likes to be near me because I don’t judge her. People like to judge and say hateful words.

  Me – Elvive at ten?

  It takes her a second to reply.

  Julia – Dress slutty, push them titta’s out girl.

  I pull a skirt and long sleeve top from my closet and put on some ballet flats. It’s nothing like most girls wear. It’s something I feel comfortable in, especially if I’m going somewhere I don’t want to go to in the first place.

  Not long after I’m dressed, there’s a knock on the door and I know it’s Julia by her yelling from the other side of the door.

  “We’re gonna get your freak on. Oh yeah, we’re gonna get your freak on.”

  I rip the door open and see her dancing to her own tune. She’s singing loudly enough to wake up other students.

  She’s dressed in a mini skirt and halter-top that reveals her flat stomach, with black high heels to match. Her hair is tied back in a neat bun. She walks in and immediately takes my hair tie and fluffs my hair up, letting it fall down my back. She walks around to stand in front of me and looks me over.

  “I guess you’ll do, but next time I’m so dressing you.” I laugh. She seems to have a thing with trying to dress me up. I have money now, so I pay for a cab ride to the club. My grandmother gave me bank account details to an account set up in my name. When I got to the bank to see what it was about, they took me in the back and informed me that I am very wealthy. I’m so wealthy that I could live the rest of my life without working a single day. I haven’t told anyone about the money. I feel I should do something good with it.

  We arrive at the club shortly after the cab ride. Julia drills me the entire time about Kai. Is he good in bed? Is he a good kisser? Does he make my hoo-ha sing? She asks the strangest questions. I tell her no to every single one. She gives me a pointed stare on the last one and doesn’t say another word. We walk straight into the club, thanks to her friend that’s manning the front door. He kisses her on the cheek and then I return her pointed look with a questioning one. She shrugs me off and we make our way to the bar. Technically, I’m not allowed to drink being only twenty, but because the bouncer never gives us an underage card, we don’t get carded when we walk up to the bar.

  I buy us a vodka cranberry each and, in no time, I’m on my second. I look around for any sign of Kai and I don’t see him. I look at my watch and notice it’s exactly ten p.m., the time he wanted me here. As I turn back to the bar, a rough hand lands on my hip. I look to Julia to see her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She’s impressed.

  She leans in close to me and sings in my ear, “Your hoo-ha is singing.” I spit the remaining bit of my drink out of my mouth in shock, to which she smiles and kisses me on the cheek before making her way to the dance floor.

  “You didn’t want me to come to your place?” I can hear the question in his voice.

  “I wanted to study,” I retort and turn around to face him. He’s dressed in all black tonight. His hair is pushed back, so his top half Mohawk is brushed neatly and his eyes are as dark as the night sky. He looks out of place like he should be one of the bouncers, not a customer. In fact, he’s bigger than the bouncers. He makes me feel so tiny.

  His eyes rake over me and I see a hint of a smirk appear. “I like the black dress better.” Is he saying I don’t look good enough? “But I also like not wanting to kill anyone that looks at you every time you bend over.”

  I blush hard. I turn around and take a sip of my drink to try to calm my heavy heartbeat.

  “I want to dance with you.”

  I place my drink back down and he grabs my arm and pulls me to the dance floor. Katy Perry’s song comes on and I slowly start to shake my hips. One of his hands is on my hip, the other on my back, placed just above my ass. He pulls me to him so our bodies are molded together. My head comes just under his chin. His hips start to move and now we’re moving in unison. It feels very intimate and I can feel my panties getting wet from this sexual encounter.

  One of his hands slides lower in the middle of the song and lands directly on my ass, where he gives it a squeeze. I look up to see what his intentions are and that’s when his lips land directly on mine.

  His lips are soft as first, just a basic kiss, filled with lust, but then it deepens. He pulls me even closer so there’s no air between our bodies and his tongue comes out and parts my lips. I can taste the alcohol on him, as well as what I can only imagine, is the taste of him. I don’t hesitate opening wide and kissing him back. When I do, he grunts in approval and one hand is in my hair, pulling my face close so I can't move, the other is still situated on my ass, squeezing hard.

  My mind goes blank and all I can think about is him. Nothing else matters right now, not that we’re kissing in a public area with all to see. Not that I’m kissing someone I hardly know. None of it matters.

  Our kiss stops abruptly when he pulls back and looks at me, putting distance between us. His lips are swollen red, probably just like mine are, and he looks at me with narrowed eyes, his forehead crinkled in confusion. He takes another step away and looks around. His eyes lock back on mine. Then he walks away leaving me in the middle of the dance floor, completely and utterly dumbfounded.

  I don’t bother texting or calling him to see what happened. It’s honestly none of my business. He may have had a change of heart and realized I’m not as special as he thought I was. Or maybe I was a bad kisser. If it’s any of those, I really don’t need to know. I see Julia standing at the door talking to her bouncer friend and I make my way toward her. She gives me a questionable look and kisses her friend on the cheek and walks outside with me to hail a cab.

  She takes me to her apartment to which I’ve never been. It's situated right next to the campus. She has it all to herself and it's quiet and nice. She doesn’t ask me any questions, just throws some clothes at me and climbs into bed leaving room for me. I go to sleep that night dreaming of a kiss.

  The brain releases so much dopamine during orgasm that the brain can resemble that of someone on heroin.

  I wake to Julia flinging me off the bed and I land with a thump on the floor. I get up to give her a piece of my mind, when I see her. Her wig is off and she has no makeup on. She…he is stunning without it. She opens her sleepy eyes and looks at me.

  “Answer that damn cell before I flush it down the toilet.” She turns back over and I look around her room for my cell. I
find it on her chest of pink drawers at the end of her bed. I don’t even bother looking at the caller when I answer. Being pushed out of bed does that to a person.

  “Hello,” I answer groggily, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

  “Where the fuck are you? I’ve called you and texted you numerous times. Do you not know how to answer your cell?” he screams the last part at me. I pull the cell away and look at the caller ID to make sure it’s Kai before I say something I will regret. “Tell me where you are, now. I’m coming to get you.”

  I hang the cell up in his ear and place it on silent. I notice he’s tried calling several times and there are numerous messages, some from last night, but they are mostly from this morning. All of them asking where I am and telling me to stop ignoring him.

  I place the cell back in my bag and try to find a bathroom. Julia’s apartment is very spacious and messy; there are clothes lying around everywhere. She also seems to have money, by the copious amount of designer handbags hanging from her doorknobs. Once I relieve myself and make my way back to her room to grab my bag and call a cab.

  When I see her stand up in nothing but boxers, I blush and turn my head away. She may be a lady in most parts, but her body is stunning as a man as well.

  “Don’t be shy, Sugar, it’s still me.” She picks up a robe and places it around her body, then walks past me and out her bedroom door. I grab my bag and follow her to the kitchen where she starts making coffee.

  “Ask away, people always have questions. I guess you do, too?” she says while not looking up at me, but I can hear the hurt in her voice.

  “I don’t have any. You’re beautiful either way.”

  She looks up at me in shock and a smile starts to form on her mouth.