by Sam Crescent
They’d broken his hand, and one part of his face was slowly repairing.
Pulling him down to the basement, his brother shoved Sean into the seat and stood back.
Straddling the chair, Dawg stared at the father of the woman who had completely captured him.
“I have nothing more to give,” Sean said.
They both knew the amount of money this fucker had taken. Most people would have been killed, or he’d have all of their family working for him.
“I want information,” he said.
“What?”
“That’s right. I want information about your daughter.”
Sean’s face went even paler, and again, Dawg knew that he was onto something. Glancing at his brother, he saw the raised brow. Paul thought he was going crazy. That he didn’t know a good woman when he saw one.
“I’ve got nothing to say.”
“Something happened to Lori, Sean. I want to know what. There’s no police report, no incidents ever recorded. Nothing. She made a point of saying that she didn’t want your blood on her hands. Whose blood does she have?”
Sean shook his head.
Dawg was growing bored of being made to wait, so he grabbed his gun.
“I’m guessing there’s no love lost between you and Lori. She can’t stand you, and she hasn’t once asked if you’re okay, or what has happened to you. I could kill you and I don’t even think she’d cry at your funeral.” He prepared the gun and pointed it at him.
“I promised,” Sean said.
“What?”
“My wife asked me for many things. She wanted me to be a good husband, a loving father, and I fucked up. I treated her like shit, but she said if anything was to ever happen to her, I was to take care of Lori. My little girl.” There was a sob in Sean’s voice.
“Tell me what the fuck happened.”
Sean shook his head. “I … I told her I wouldn’t tell anyone. That she didn’t have to be afraid.”
“I’m not the police, Sean. I’m not going to hurt Lori.”
“You know what, this is boring, and I want to know the answer.” Paul grabbed a crowbar, and lifting it over his head, he slammed it down on Sean’s hand.
Sean screamed, pulling away.
The chair flung back as Paul raised the bar once again and slammed it on Sean’s foot. The sound was sickening and echoed off the walls.
“She killed someone!” Sean screamed the words, and Paul was about to bring the bar down as Sean confessed.
“Who?”
“The night her mother died. I’d gotten into debt with some bad people. I’d had threats before, but I figured my family was safe. A sort of honor, but … they went to my home, and my wife was there, waiting for me. She was always waiting. The men I owed money to sent one man to my home as a warning. He … attacked her. Lori came home to find him … raping her mother, who was already dying at that point.” Sean stopped, and Dawg saw the pain in his eyes. “I kept weapons around the house just in case. Knives, bats, guns. Lori didn’t know how to use either. I don’t know what she saw. I only knew that when I got home, one man was dead and Lori was covered in blood, holding my dead wife, her mother.” Sean sobbed through the pain.
“There was no other body on the report,” Dawg said.
“I got rid of it. Paid to have it burned. There’s no trace. I couldn’t … she tried to save her mother when I should have been the one there. I failed, and she had to pay the price. No one took any tests of her clothing. She’d just held her dead mother. I told them the attacker clearly escaped before she got there, or she scared him off. No one knows. Just me, Lori, and God.”
Paul dropped the crowbar and looked toward Dawg.
“Don’t … please don’t hurt her. She had a shitty father and had to live with me in her life. Men coming at all hours, turning the house over for money. Please, don’t hurt her. I beg you.”
Dawg didn’t say a word. Leaving the basement, he headed out to the car where Paul joined him.
“Are you okay?” Paul asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You were right.”
“Of course I was right. I’m always right.”
****
Work and life went by as if nothing had ever changed, which surprised Lori because to her, everything had changed. She lived with a man who now owned her, and yet, he only held her at night. They shared meals together, and they talked often. He’d even text her, and she loved their conversations. In those moments she could forget who she was and who he was. They were two different people enjoying each other’s company.
Entering his home, she smelled the delicious aroma of meat and garlic. Her mouth watered, and as she entered the kitchen, she found Paul and Dawg talking, which they stopped the moment they saw her.
“Good day at work?” he asked.
“Yes, it was good. You?”
“Can’t complain.”
She bit her lip, but didn’t say anything more.
“Well, that got awkward really fast,” Paul said.
“I didn’t know you could cook,” she said, trying to make the effort for it to be less uncomfortable.
Dawg smiled, and she saw that smug smirk that she wanted to wipe off his face, but equally see it there as well. He had this way about him that always made her want to do two different things at once, and there was no way that wasn’t confusing. Even to her.
“Take a seat, sweetheart. Dawg has always been able to cook. His mother taught him everything she knew.”
“I didn’t know you had parents.”
“I had parents,” Dawg said.
She looked toward him expecting an explanation, but all she got was a stony scowl.
“They were killed. Someone ran them off the road years ago. My mom died of a drug overdose not long after. Dawg took over the business, and seeing as I’m his half-brother since we shared a father, he keeps me around,” Paul said.
She didn’t look away as Dawg kept staring at her. She thought about her mother, and she couldn’t look at him anymore. Even now, nearly five years after her death, she still got chills over that night.
Dawg moved away, and she watched him open the fridge. Paul kept on talking, and she noticed out of the two brothers Paul was the one that couldn’t stand long silences.
A glass of wine was placed in front of her. “It’ll help you to relax.”
She thanked Dawg, and watched him work again.
Every now and again Paul would ask her opinion, and she’d give it, but her focus was on one man and one man alone.
He’d removed his jacket and the shirt sleeves were rolled up, showcasing his ink. The only time she saw him partially naked was a few precious seconds before the light went out.
A band of black ink circled each wrist, like a chain, and the ink ran up his arms in intricate designs. There had been many times she wanted to trace those lines, but she held herself back.
When she’d signed that contract a few weeks ago, she had thought her life would change completely. Other than where she lived, nothing actually changed. She still went to work, came home, ate. The only difference was the man she spent time with.
Running fingers through her hair, she sipped at her wine, enjoying the fruity taste, which showed its quality.
It didn’t take long for their meal to be served, a homemade lasagna with a side salad. She loved this meal so much. Her mother would make it as a special treat.
She inhaled the aromas, and felt like she’d gone home.
Paul and Dawg kept on talking, and she relished every single bite of her meal. When it was over, Paul said his goodbyes, and they both watched him leave.
She was acutely aware of how close Dawg stood.
“Would you like to join me for a drink?” he asked, suddenly moving to his study.
It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse, but she found herself agreeing.
Taking a seat in his study, she waited as he poured them both a drink, and admired the floor to ceiling
length of book shelves.
“Have you read every single one of these titles?” she asked.
“No. It has been Paul’s mission to fill all the shelves.” She watched as he pointed toward his desk and moved to three shelves. “I’ve read those. Everything else I don’t have a clue what it is.”
She chuckled.
“You don’t read a whole lot?” he asked.
“Not since high school. I was a bit of a bookworm. My mom loved books, but because Dad had a bad reputation she never joined a local book club. They always turned her down.” Lori shrugged. “I’d read the books, and every Friday night we’d sit and have a couple of hours of talking about the book.”
“It sounds like a lot of fun.”
“It was. Dad was always out most of the time. I know it upset her a lot.” Lori didn’t know why she was talking about her past with him. She bit her lip, trying to gain control of her emotions. The last thing she wanted to do was cry. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Your mom sounds like one hell of a woman.”
“She was. She deserved a lot better.”
“You’re angry?”
“Yes. Dad never loved her. Not really. He … cheated, and gambled, and cost her so much, and still, she stayed with him. The few times he stayed home, she was happy. I know she was.” She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and shook her head. “Let’s not talk about that. I don’t want to cry all over you, and thinking about my mom makes me cry.”
Dawg took a seat next to her. “You can cry on my shoulder anytime you want. There’s no shame in it.”
“I thought men like you didn’t appreciate women crying or getting highly emotional.”
“Did you ever allow yourself to cry after she died? Have you ever taken the time to actually think about everything? Or do you just keep going? Moving from one thing to the next?”
She stared at him, and she didn’t like how close he was to understanding her. Dawg placed his arm across her shoulder, and she rested her head against him, feeling his warmth. She didn’t want to lose this feeling of safety that he inspired.
Chapter Five
Night after night Dawg fell asleep with Lori in his arms, and even though he loved every second of it, the torture was starting to get to him. This wasn’t supposed to be about him waiting, and he was growing fucking bored with waiting. Still, each night, he’d watch her comb her hair, or change, or do something else, and he felt a kind of peace settle over him.
Even as his dick was aching, he knew he wouldn’t force her. He didn’t believe in rape.
Finally, one Friday night, two months after the contract was signed, he decided to take her out dancing. He didn’t want to be alone in his home especially as she offered up way too much temptation for him.
“You want me to wear this?” she asked.
“Yes. Don’t you like it?” He’d passed a shop window that afternoon, and the moment he saw the red number, he knew he wanted to see her in it.
“It’s beautiful.”
She spun on her heel, leaving him to watch her ass sway. Once she was alone, he sat down on the bed and moved his rock-hard dick to a more comfortable position. He ached all over, and there would be no reprieve anytime soon.
He’d vowed to wait, to make her come to him.
If he started begging her, that wasn’t going to happen.
Seconds passed, and she finally appeared in the room. The dress fit her curves perfectly, and even though it would be torture, he’d have to handle it.
Her hands ran down the sides of her dress. “It’s amazing, Dawg, thank you.” She moved toward him, placing her hands on his chest and kissing his cheek. The action was a simple and sweet one, and yet, he wanted her.
When she pulled back, he caught the look in her eye. Her nipples were rock-hard, pressing against the front of her shirt. She wanted him, and yet, she was still denying them both.
“We’re going out dancing tonight.”
“Back to your club?” she asked.
“No. To a different one.”
It was a risk he was taking, but he hoped it would be a risk she was willing to take, too.
Grabbing his keys, he took her hand and led her down to the car. This time, his guards would be following him there in a different car. Helping her inside, he buckled her in before climbing in the driver’s seat.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll soon see.”
“It’s a surprise?” she asked.
“Yes.”
He drove the short distance to a secluded location. Only a few people knew of it, and he’d frequented the club many times.
Parking his car, he nodded at his guards to keep an eye out. He didn’t imagine he’d be leaving anytime soon, but his guards were paid handsomely to watch everything and keep him and Lori protected.
On the door a modestly-dressed woman greeted them.
“Mr. Hampshire, it’s a pleasure to see you.”
“Thank you, Sarah.”
She smiled and opened the door for him to enter.
The moment he walked through those doors, anticipation filled him.
Handing his and Lori’s jackets over to the woman, he took Lori’s arm and began to mingle in the room.
“Where are we, Dawg?” she asked.
Her hand squeezed his arm where she held him, and he smiled. He wondered, not for the first time, if she was affected by the heat within the house.
Many of the men and women were scantily clad, but then the thermostat was always up.
He walked her into another room, and the cry of a woman’s orgasm could not only be heard, but also watched.
Lori stepped in front of him. “You brought me to a sex club? Or is this a brothel?”
“This is no brothel, Lori. The people here are couples, or men and women who like to watch.”
He saw the fire in her eyes, but she also wasn’t running away screaming. Leaning forward he kissed her cheek, before grazing her ear. “I know you’re not some simpering virgin, Lori. I want you to enjoy what you see.”
She pulled back, and he watched her swallow.
Dawg wondered if she was having a hard time, just like he was. Denying herself would do neither of them any good, but he wasn’t about to push the issue if she wasn’t interested even though he had the contract, which seemed completely pointless. He wanted to use it to keep her, but not to force her. She was attracted to him, but her fears held her back. He didn’t want her to find any other reason other than her need for him to be in his bed.
This was indeed a sex club, and he’d been here many times before. He liked to watch, but not only watch. The energy, the pulse of the club, always helped him to think. The moment he stepped through the doors, he stopped being Dawg the crime lord and became someone else.
Lori held onto his arm, and they found a quiet booth no one had touched.
Drinks were offered. Most of the drinks were either water or soda. They didn’t allow the use of alcohol in the club.
“This is … insane,” Lori said.
Glancing down at her body, he saw her chest was flushed and her thighs pressed together.
Sex was everywhere.
The only woman he wanted, though, was right here, beside him, trying not to look.
Placing his arm across her shoulders, she snuggled in against him, and that for him was enough. There was a time she’d have recoiled from any touch of his, and now she snuggled in, and he loved it.
Tracing her shoulder, he watched as one man lifted up a woman’s dress right over her head and she stood before the room, completely naked.
No one else touched. That was the rule. Unless clearly invited, no one touched each other unless they were couples. There were guards ready to deal with any problem that could occur.
The man slid his hand between the woman’s thighs and began to work her pussy. Lori rubbed herself against him and smiled. He’d hoped she’d be affected by what she saw.
****
Dawg
had done this on purpose. Lori knew it deep down to her core that he did, or at least wanted to see if she was affected by their arrangement.
She was.
Each night she’d enter their bedroom with the intention of saying something, or trying to push them out of that stalemate, and each night, she’d climb into bed and nothing would be said.
She loved sex.
Sometimes it was a little boring, and she wasn’t really into it, but she loved that feeling of being completely taken over, lost to the sensation of what was happening. Like the woman now who was being teased. The man who’d taken off her dress sucked on her exposed nipple while also teasing her pussy. His pants had gone to the floor, and the woman held his cock, working it up and down.
The sight alone had heat flooding Lori’s pussy, and she suddenly stood up, recalling that she didn’t have any panties on, as she’d had to remove them for the sake of the dress. The line had stood out, and she didn’t want to ruin such a beautiful dress.
“Let’s go and mingle.” She took his hand, and ignored the chuckle that came from his lips.
In recent weeks, she found his company so much more enjoyable than she thought she would. He was always there on each weekend to pick her up, and he never asked questions about why she did it. She didn’t ask questions about her father either as she wasn’t interested to know how he was doing.
They left one sex scene and entered another, only this time the woman was further along, and with two men.
She was bent over a chair as one man knelt in front of her, his hand wrapped in her hair, holding her head steady as he fucked her mouth. The other man pounded her pussy. An answering quake filled Lori.
“Is there a restroom?” Lori asked.
The heat was getting to her, and she needed to cool down.
Dawg led her to a private bathroom. Placing her drink down on the counter by the sink, she stared at her reflection. The bathroom was completely empty. Turning on the tap, she wet her hands, dabbing her cheeks and chest, hoping to rid some of the heat from her body.