She took a deep breath. “Yes. Thank you.”
He set the tray on the edge of the bed. Avilon pushed herself up until her back rested against the headboard. She kept the blanket close to her neck.
“Are you hurting?”
She shook her head. But then she shifted her legs, and she winced. Jason gently lifted the blanket and moved it off her legs, revealing the blood. Avilon felt her face flame up. Jason glanced at her before walking to the washbasin. He poured some water from the pitcher into the bowl then soaked a cloth. After wringing it out, he eased down next to her on the bed.
“I’m going to clean you,” he told her.
“No, please,” she said. “I can take care of it.”
As if not hearing her, he began wiping her legs.
“Jason, please, I can do this.” She tried taking the cloth from him.
He pulled it back. “Are you embarrassed?”
“Yes!” she replied with a bit of desperation in her voice.
Jason cupped her face. “Avilon, what happened last night was natural.”
“For you, maybe,” she muttered.
He gave her a wry smile. “I admit that having multiple partners isn’t unique to Eli or myself, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of, Avilon. Nor is the blood upon your thighs.”
As he talked to her, he kept washing her body, running the cloth over her skin in long strokes. Despite her unease with the situation, each area where his touch landed exploded in a riot of sensations. Her heart started to pound as wetness collected in her private area, right were the cloth was being pulled. The rough texture scraped along the delicate nerve endings, making her gasp and shiver as desire suddenly flooded through her body.
“Your body has learned to crave a man’s touch,” Jason murmured. As he pulled the cloth once more in her slit, he let his finger nudge the tender little nub. “Your body aches for pleasure. Would you like some more, Avilon?”
Her breath caught in her throat at the promise of sinful delight darkening his blue orbs. He leaned down and captured her lips with his, the kiss stealing away the last of her hesitation. Avilon breathed in his scent, an intoxicating blend of male and raw sexuality. She raised her arms and encircled his neck, allowing his body to press into hers. The hard ridge of his cock strained against the buttons of his pants, pressing into the area where she needed him most.
One of his hands pulled the blanket away, baring her breasts to his gaze. He bent his head and nuzzled between them before turning to flick his tongue across a nipple. Her chest arched, begging for more attention, which he happily gave. He lavished one breast and then the other, sucking and licking her nipples with equal fervor. Raw need flooded her pussy, and she moved her hips against him, urging him to mount her, to ride her and put out the fire that consumed her.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said as he gave one final caress of her nipples.
“I’m only hurting from you not taking me,” she told him. “Please, Jason.”
He left her breasts to trace the fine lines down her body. His finger found her slit, wet with need, and he pushed a finger inside, immediately setting up an in-and-out rhythm that quickly escalated the fire in her blood. He pushed another finger in while his knuckle brushed against her clit. Before she knew what was happening, her body shattered into a thousand bright colors, robbing her of breath for a few moments. She rode it out, humping his hand, which still teased her, desperate for more and yet wanting his flesh buried deep inside.
“Jesus, Avilon,” Jason muttered against her mouth. “You drive me out of my mind.”
“Please, Jason,” she whimpered.
His hand left, and he pushed himself up, his thighs straddling her lower body. Slowly, he undressed. First were the suspenders. Next was his shirt. He unbuttoned his pants and pulled out his cock, which was heavily swollen. The large purple head bobbed, as if demanding to find her body. Fascinated, Avilon reached out and touched the tip, catching a bit of liquid seeping from the hole.
“You’re beautiful,” she told him.
He gave a pained laugh. “I’m bloody aching is what I am.”
“Does this taste good?” she asked as she brought the small bit of liquid to her mouth. She darted out her tongue to lick it up.
“Fuck, Avilon, I almost came,” he grumbled. “If you want to taste my cock, I’ll be happy to let you slurp me up later. Right now I want to be buried so far in you that you forget your name.”
“Then take me,” she whispered.
Jason took his cock in hand and aimed it at her slit. With one mighty push, he slid into her, going all the way until his full length was buried deep.
“Ah!” she said with a gasp, arching her back.
“Avilon?” he asked in concern, starting to pull out.
She grabbed his ass and surged her hips upward, keeping him impaled inside her. She looked into his concerned eyes. “Take me,” she ordered.
His cock was filling her, different from Eli’s thicker shaft, but no less as potent. He started out slow, letting her adjust to his weight then easing onto his hands as he angled his hips to thrust faster. In and out his cock worked, deeper and harder as he pushed into her. He grunted as his balls started slapping against her ass.
“Oh yes,” he moaned. “I can’t last much longer.”
She brought her hands to her breast and mimicked what Jason had done to her the previous night. She pinched her nipples lightly, then again with a little more pressure. She liked it, the pain increasing the pleasure to where she was joined with Jason. His rhythm started to falter. He was pushing heavily into her, his breathing labored. She saw his face turn red, and just as he cried out, she twisted her nipple hard and instantly joined him.
She shattered apart and went flying. She felt his body jerk sporadically against her. When he slumped against her, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in tight. She felt his heart hammering against her chest, his sweat dripping onto her own soaked body.
“Jesus, Avilon,” he managed to say between gulps of air. “I’ve never felt like that before.”
“Shh,” she soothed. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“Do you think I say those words lightly? That I utter them every time I have an orgasm?”
She didn’t say anything, and he gave a heartfelt sigh. He squeezed her tightly. “Listen, I know you haven’t demanded payment for your songs the past two weeks,” he said as he ran a hand up her arm.
“Truthfully, I don’t know what to ask next.” She took a deep breath. “I went to the sheriff, wondering if there had been a woman matching Amelia’s description whose body had gone unclaimed. But as soon as he found out she was one of Eli’s upstairs girls, he dismissed me immediately.”
“I’m not surprised,” Jason replied. “David Scannell’s term as sheriff has been mainly about how much he can skim off the gamblers in the area. He’s friends with a man named Cora.”
“You don’t like this man?”
Jason shrugged as he levered himself off her to sit up. “James King writes some enlightened pieces on Scannell and Cora in his paper. Who knows how much of it is true.”
“Well, he wasn’t as awful as that Mr. Behr.”
He flashed a stern look. “If Behr ever comes near you again, you let me know. Okay?”
She nodded, and he relaxed.
“Anyway, I thought I’d take you to the accountant’s office so you could look up the girls who were working six months ago. Perhaps you’ll recognize a name.”
She sat up next to him. “Thank you, Jason.”
He picked up her hand and entwined their fingers. “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up. We’ll take a hackney cab to the office.”
* * * *
The ride to the accountant’s office was short. They traveled out of Sydney Town heading west, passing from the more sinister aspect of the city to an area where a row of normal-looking businesses stood. She saw a baker, a butcher, a button maker, a shoe store, and the accountant’s office
.
Jason helped her down and made arrangements for the cab to stay for their return trip before opening the door to the office.
“Mr. Braddock,” greeted the proprietor, a small, round man. Literally. His bald, round head rested on his rounding shoulders, which led to his round body.
“Hello, Mr. Pintari. This is Miss Chambert.”
Mr. Pintari nodded his head politely. “How can I help you?”
“I need the accounting ledger from October.”
“Right away.”
He was gone just a few minutes, and when he returned, he held a black leather binder with him. He held it out to Jason.
Jason took it, opened it, and skimmed through it till he found what he was looking for. He turned the book around and pointed to a column of names. “These were the working girls.”
Avilon took a deep breath and glanced at the list: Franny, Esther, Popper, Sabrina, Doll, Queenie, Duckie, Louisie.
“She’s Louisie.”
“How do you know?”
“She’s from Louisiana. Couldn’t it be more obvious?”
He sighed and snapped the binder shut before handing it back to Mr. Pintari. “Thank you. I’ll see you next month.”
The accountant gave them a smile and left the room. Jason took her arm and led her to the door. “Listen, I’ll tell you about your sister.”
She shot him a surprised look, but when she opened her mouth to question him, he shook his head.
“Not here,” he told her.
But when they stepped outside, the first thing Avilon noticed was that the hackney cab was gone.
“Damn it,” Jason muttered.
“Jason, tell me what you know. Please, just…tell me the whole story.”
He sighed and looked around the busy street. He shot a quick glance down the alley. “Come here,” he told her and led her away from anyone who might overhear him. “Have you ever heard of the Committee of Vigilance?”
“No.”
“Four years ago, thousands were pouring into the city. Not just Americans but Russians, Chinese, Australians, people from all over. It was a madhouse. California had just become a state two years prior, but there was barely any form of law. Hell, we didn’t even have money printed yet. So about seven hundred citizens felt the need to step in by forming this band of…persecutors, for lack of a better word. The committee engaged in policing, investigating, deporting, even acting as a militia, all without due process. Four people were hung, Avilon, before the committee was dissolved by the elections.”
“What does this have to do with my sister?”
“I’m getting to that, but this has more to do with the banking system. For a gaming establishment like the club, patrons have to put their money up front in our bank. They’re extended credit so they can never bet over their limit.”
“That makes sense.”
“There’s been talk about wanting to do away with gambling altogether, but especially establishments like ours, and leading the rally is Eugene Behr. He moved here about six months ago and has been stirring up all sorts of financial unrest.”
“Why am I not surprised?” she asked sarcastically.
“The girls who work upstairs get the cut of what they bring in, and sometimes they line their pockets a little more by…How do I put it? By being a little light fingered.”
“You mean stealing?”
He shrugged. “Eli and I don’t condone it, but hell, half the time the men are so drunk they can barely stand.”
“So my sister stole this coin from Mr. Behr.”
“And when she saw what it was, she brought it to Eli and me.”
“What was it?”
“It was a Committee of Vigilance coin, dated eighteen fifty-five.” He waited to see if she would connect it. “Three months before the year actually started.”
“But you said the committee happened four years ago.”
“He’s trying to start the committee up again, start the whole insanity again. And I have a feeling his first target is going to be Eli.”
“Revenge against a club’s bank seems petty compared to the ambition of unifying California’s treasury.”
“It’s a first step. Shut down gambling to bring the money into the banks.”
“But he was a member. That seems a little hypocritical of him.”
“The world is full of hypocrisy. But four people died last time, without a trail. And God knows we can’t rely on Scannell.”
“So what happened to my sister?”
“Eli and I decided to protect Louisie by hiding which girl it was that took the coin. In order to do that, we had to let all the girls go. We compensated them and found acceptable houses for them to go to.”
“Then where is she?”
He shook his head. “The thing is, Louisie disappeared that night.”
“What?”
“Eli and I figured she must have left San Francisco, because we looked for her everywhere.”
“She’s gone? What about questioning the other girls? If they’re around, we can talk to them.”
“There’s a reason why there aren’t any last names in that ledger. When Eli and I went back to find her, it was as if she—”
He broke off abruptly as his gaze settled over her shoulder. Avilon turned and saw two large, hulking men blocking the front of the alley. One man had a scar bisecting his eyebrow, and the other flashed a tooth of gold when he grinned. Jason didn’t waste another minute. He grabbed her hand and turned toward the back of the alley, only to come to a halt as two more men moved to block that exit.
“Stay behind me,” he told her quietly. He blocked Avilon with his body as he angled them both toward the wall.
“Who are they? What do they want?”
“I don’t know. Shanghaiing me, maybe.”
“What?”
“Kidnapping me to recruit as a sailor.”
The four men moved as one, walking in from the only two exits.
“When they get close enough, duck. Get out of the way. Run and get Eli.”
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“Avilon! You can’t help me. Please, just get Eli.”
And that was all the time he had to say anything. The four men reached them and grabbed for Jason. Jason fought, fists flying as he attacked back as hard as he could. He punched with jabs and drives, using every inch of his arms and legs. Elbows thrust upward while knees tried to cripple. Though he fought like a lion, he had a difficult time defending all parts of his anatomy at once. The assailants dove for him at once, causing each fist to connect with Jason’s jaw. He staggered back and hit the wall hard enough for him to fall to his knees. Forgetting his words, Avilon jumped on one man’s back, banging her fist against him. He swatted at her as if she were a fly and knocked his head backward, which connected with her forehead. Dazed, she went flying and crashed into a heap on the cold ground.
“Avilon!” she heard Jason cry.
She lay still for a moment, trying to gather her wits. When she finally opened her eyes, all she saw was Jason trapped between two large men, hanging limply, being taken toward the end of the alley. She pushed herself up to stand and rubbed her forehead before following. She kept a fair distance between them and herself, making sure to keep out of sight. She followed them through the backstreets, staying out of sight from the attackers. The sound of the bay grew louder as they moved closer to the water, and she realized that Jason’s prediction had been accurate. The brutes were going to sell him!
The docks were an ugly sight. Muscled hulks of men worked in various tasks of ship life, from hauling cargo to coiling thick rope. A blend of odious smells seemed to linger like a poisonous cloud. Horse manure sat in piles on the street, urine mixed with brackish water, and the stench of rotting fish never dissipated, even with the breeze off the bay. Avilon found herself breathing through her mouth to hold off her nausea.
From the dark corner of a warehouse, she watched an unconscious Jason being carried up the g
angplank of a ship. She saw the captain meet the kidnappers. He pulled Jason’s limp head upward to study him before giving a nod of agreement.
Just then, a group of kids ran by her, startling her. She pulled back in fright, her heart hammering like crazy as she tried to figure out how to rescue Jason. He had been partially right. She couldn’t save him alone.
“Hey,” she called out to the last boy, and when he turned, she saw red hair sticking out of the cap. Recognition flooded through her as she remembered him from that day in the alley when Eli gave him some coin and a job tip.
He stopped and walked over to her. “Yeah?”
He was a dirty thing, matted hair, smudged cheeks. His clothes were somewhere between brown and gray. When he smiled at her, she noticed his front tooth was crooked. Avilon reached into her reticule and pulled out a gold coin. The boy’s eyes widened.
“You remember Eli Masters? You tried to find work at his club off Montgomery and Broadway.”
“Yeah.”
“Get him. Bring him here. Tell him Jason and Avilon need him. Do that as quickly as possible, before that ship sails, and this coin is yours. Honest truth.”
In a flash, the boy was gone, leaving her praying for a miracle.
Chapter Thirteen
Eli was ready to chew some nails and spit them out.
He had left Avilon and Jason sleeping peacefully, and as much as he would have loved to stay with them, he had to accept a shipment of produce. As he had walked as quietly as he could down the stairs, he managed to stub his toe on a chair. Then someone had put a cart in front of the door to the hallway, and he’d banged his shin as he stepped into the club.
Then the food had arrived, but upon inspection, he had discovered most of it rotten. He wasted half an hour arguing with the driver, half ready to tear off his head and send it back to the merchant he had bought the food from. Luckily, Ellis had stepped in to take over the arrangements for a new shipment.
And that’s when the street urchin had come barreling into him, babbling almost incoherently. He had been ready to toss him into the smelly gutter when one name came through: Jason. Then he had sat the boy down and listened in horror as he learned Avilon had sent the boy to prevent Jason from being sold onto an outgoing ship.
The Song Bird (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 9