Outlaws

by David Aries

  He cowered away, trembling. “I thought… you were supposed to run.” His gruff voice had turned into a pathetic whimper.

  “What… what is this?” I said.

  “Mistress said I didn’t need to fight. All I had to do was look scary. She promised it’d work; promised nobody would hurt me.” His menacing aura had vanished. Viewing him as intimidating was no longer possible. He’d metamorphosed into a seven-foot baby.

  “Hey,” Titania said, grabbing his vest.

  “Mercy, please!”

  “Shut it! The fuck you chatting? Ain’t you the boss?”

  He shook his head. “I just play the role. Mistress hired me to look tough. She’s the real boss.”

  “Who is she?” Esther said.

  “That would be me.” The newcomer strolled from the balcony above, dressed in the total black garb her gang adored.

  I had no clue who the lass was. I’d never seen her before. What struck me was the stark contrast between her and her body double. She was a good-looking, dark-haired woman with average height, build, and general presence. Nothing about her appearance screamed gang leader.

  “You disappoint me,” she said. “I know you’re a coward, but revealing our secrets? Shame.”

  “But, Mistress… they were gonna&emdash;”

  She shot him in the thigh.

  I jumped. It was my first time seeing a firearm outside of Esther’s hands.

  He screamed and collapsed, clutching his bleeding leg.

  “Isn’t this tool marvelous?” she bragged, showing off the flintlock design. “I imported it from Tellbec.”

  “Who are you?” I said.

  “Zula,” Titania growled.

  “Hello, Tina,” Zula chuckled. “How’s my favorite traitor?”

  “You know each other?” I asked, staring at Titania.

  Titania nodded, features scrunched. “Grew up together. She loved screwing with Blair.”

  “It rattled you without fail. You were such a funny brat,” Zula laughed. “To think you’d become treacherous trash.”

  “I never!”

  “Oh, but you did. Stabbed us all in the back to cozy up with the nobles. Betrayed everyone who made you.”

  “That’s bullshit. I didn’t have a choice!”

  “Tell that to the people of Sterne.”

  Titania shrunk back. “How… why do you know?”

  “I have my sources. Is that what you call loyalty? As expected of mommy’s girl.”

  A switch was flipped. Titania roared and charged.

  Zula responded with a shot.

  I tackled Titania to the floor. The slug drove into my shoulder. I bit down, hard, to stop myself from screaming. Weaker than an Earth firearm my arse. A bullet was a bullet.

  Esther opened fire, driving Zula back.

  I darted behind the nearest cover before I ended up like Swiss cheese, dragging Titania with me.

  “Dammit! Lemme go,” Titania growled, trying to wrestle out of my hold. She went still when she noticed the blood rushing from my wound. “You…”

  “I’ll heal. It’s fine,” I growled, gripping my shoulder. Molten red oozed between my fingers.

  “It’s not! I caused this,” she said, squeezing her fists shut. “I’ll make that bitch pay.”

  “Stop,” I said, grabbing her wrist. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Listen to him,” Esther said, ducking behind a nearby crate. “I’ll handle this. You two, get outta here.”

  “Not happening.”

  “Go! I’ve got this.” Esther poked her head out and fired.

  “You’re never gonna hit me like that!” Zula laughed from across the room, returning fire.

  Esther ducked as shots slammed into her cover.

  “Lemme help,” I said. “If I use my powers&emdash;”

  “Absolutely not,” Esther responded. “You both need to leave.”

  “But, Boss,” Titania said.

  “No buts. I don’t&emdash;” Something round and metal landed at our feet. Esther’s eyes bulged. “Move!”

  I tried bolting away. A sharp jolt hampered my movements. Damn bullet.

  The makeshift grenade exploded.

  Roaring fire cooked my back. Shrapnel shredded my flesh. I bit back the searing agony as my ears rang at a volume that blotted out the world. And that was from avoiding a direct hit.

  “You okay?” I coughed, checking between my arms.

  Tears filled Titania’s red eyes. She had no injuries to speak of. I’d done my job as a shield. “Again, you…”

  “I’ll heal,” I reminded her. Not that it didn’t hurt like shit. My head was buzzing and every movement was torture. “Esther, you okay?”

  No reply.

  I battled through the pain to check. She wasn’t there. The cover she’d been using had been ripped to shreds. My heart thumped.

  Something clicked. Physically clicked. Hot metal pressed against my temple.

  “Caught you,” Zula giggled. “I don’t know who you are, but you picked some bad allies.”

  “Says the one who shot her friend.”

  “He betrayed me. I don’t like traitors.”

  “And I’m not a fan of criminal scum.”

  “It’s called doing what’s needed to survive,” Zula said. “You and your ilk wouldn’t understand.”

  “I know all too well. You’re just making excuses to justify your sins.”

  “Cute. Real cute. You and that bitch belong together. Even in death.”

  “Never. We’ll…” I closed my arms and discovered they were empty. Titania had vanished.

  “You’re not getting a choice. Goodbye.”

  Boom. Zula pulled the trigger. A bullet shot from the barrel. It fired into the air and shattered through a glass pane.

  Titania had flanked around and tackled Zula.

  “You bitch,” Titania roared, wrestling Zula to the ground. She pinned down her pistol wielding arm.

  Zula struggled but couldn’t overpower Titania. She pulled a knife from her belt.

  “Watch out!” I yelled.

  Titania crushed her knee onto Zula’s wrist, disarming her. “It’s over.”

  “No! Get offa me,” Zula snapped. “I won’t lose to you! You’re just a pampered noble bitch who never had to struggle.”

  “Shut up,” Titania said, pushing her forearm against Zula’s throat. “You know nothing about me. I suffered too.”

  “Like the people of Sterne?” Zula wheezed. “What now? Gonna kill me too? They weren’t enough?”

  Titania gasped, wavering. Her confining hold slackened.

  Zula pulled the pistol free and aimed at Titania’s head.

  I tried to move, but the pain immobilized me.

  Boom. Another shot. This one connected. The bullet pierced straight through its target.

  Zula collapsed. Her blood spilled across the warehouse floor.

  Esther lowered her steaming pistol. Crimson trickled down the side of her face. Compared to what she’d caused, it was nothing.

  “You killed her,” Titania said. “You killed Zula.”

  “It was you or her,” Esther responded.

  “But I knew her. We grew up together.” Titania’s face turned white as she stared at the corpse beneath her.

  “She doesn’t deserve your pity.”

  Titania didn’t respond. Her gaze was locked.

  Esther sighed and looked at me. “Jake. You okay, sweetie?”

  “Yeah. Good,” I said. It was a total lie. I was in serious discomfort, but I’d live. I was too stunned to give anything but generic compliance. It was my first time seeing a person die. Enemy or not, there was something deeply uncomfortable about the experience. Rationally, I knew it was leagues better than if Esther hadn’t intervened. Such a shame that emotions don’t tap into that same logic.

  “We should go,” Esther suggested. “All that noise was bound to attract someone.”

  I was good to move, even if it did come with a groan.


  Titania didn’t make any effort. She was frozen; paralyzed in a different way.

  “Come on. Let’s go,” I said, offering Titania my hand.

  “Kay,” she mumbled, letting me pull her up.

  We hurried out of there before the guards came swarming. The Oath was done for. Esther had seen to that.

  Chapter 13

  We should have been exultant. We’d gotten revenge, wiped out a huge threat to our safety, and made Grabadon a smidgen more hospitable. Yet the atmosphere was somber. A dark cloud hung over Titania. Not that I could criticize. I wasn’t skipping.

  Titania slipped to bed as soon as she got the chance. Nobody spoke up about her insubordination. Or mine.

  My exhaustion had accumulated yet I wasn’t ready to sleep. A substantial amount of metal resided in my flesh. My demonic healing was incredible but it wasn’t perfect. It couldn’t mend wounds packed with shrapnel.

  I couldn’t remove the shards myself. Assistance was required. Dessa, our team healer, was the obvious choice. However, Esther pulled rank. Her steady hands were well suited to the task.

  Didn’t stop it from hurting to high heaven.

  Getting the metal plucked out was as painful as having it drilled in. I bit down and did my best not to groan. My back had taken a beating from the grenade. That didn’t even account for the bullet buried in my shoulder.

  It was a long task but Esther pulled it off.

  Sleep was still a distance away. Dried blood stained my flesh. I hopped into a warm schedule-wrecking bath.

  The near hot tub conditions were divine. It was like being embraced by a liquid blanket. Before I knew it, my eyes were closing and my body was sinking. I was being dragged in by the allure of sleep.

  Squeaking hinges knocked some consciousness into me.

  “Mind if I join you?” Esther asked, covering her front with a towel. The white rectangle hugged her shapely bosom and dipped to the top of her pale thighs. Far enough to hide everything yet not enough to stop the imagination surging.

  “Be my guest,” I said. There was plenty room for two.

  Esther dropped the towel, revealing her perfect, fit physique. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on her flat stomach. It had been hoarded by her large breasts and curvaceous hips. She submerged her long, toned legs in the toasty water, doing nothing to hide from me.

  I’d seen her naked body countless times, but I continued to find myself captivated.

  She noticed my eyes and smiled, giggling as her apple-shaped tush dunked into the bath. “Ah! So hot.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Her dark brown locks cascaded freely down her pale shoulders, floating along the water’s surface. So much for cats not enjoying baths.

  “Turn around,” she said, twirling a finger.

  I flinched. “I’ll stop staring.”

  Esther shook her head. “That’s not it. I wanna see your back.”

  Who was I to deny her? I obeyed, showing off.

  She brushed her fingers down my spine. “Amazing. All patched up. Not even a scar.”

  Sparks tingled from the tips, into me. Esther had a magic touch. “It’s nothing. Dessa’s medicine does the same.”

  “Her potions are incredible. As are you.”

  “You’re the incredible one. If you hadn’t done something…” Unpleasant thoughts filled my head.

  Esther slapped my back. “Stop mulling. We talked about this.”

  “I know. It’s hard,” I grumbled, rubbing my neck. “Titania almost… and then you…”

  She smacked me again. This time it was with the comfort of her soft chest. “It had to be done. I’m not like you, sweetie. I’ve fought, I’ve killed, and I’d do it again to keep you all safe. I don’t care if you grow to hate me&emdash;”

  “That’ll never happen,” I declared, spinning around.

  Esther squeaked and stumbled back, splashing into the water.

  “Oh, shit. You okay?”

  She bounced back to the surface and shook away the excess water. Her dark locks swung, showering me with droplets. “You arse,” she said, playfully jabbing my chest.

  “It was an accident.”

  “You wanted to get me wet. Admit it.”

  “Not at all,” I said. A grin crept across my face. “Although, that does sound pretty good.”

  She huffed, trying her best to pout. It would have been more effective if the corners of her lips weren’t curled up. “Then you shouldn’t have been a bad boy. No fun for you.”

  “Come on. I’m not that bad.”

  “Says the one who keeps sneaking out,” she sang.

  “You did the same.”

  “I’m not an outlaw.”

  “Excuses, excuses. You were as bad as us,” I said. “Maybe I should punish you?”

  “Really now?”

  “Oh, yes. You know, the punishment for bad boys and bad girls is very different.”

  “How so?” she asked.

  “Well, bad boys don’t get anything.” I grabbed her submerged hips and dragged her close. “Bad girls get gobbled up until they’re screaming for mercy.”

  Esther looked away, biting her bottom lip. “Exactly. Bad boys get none.”

  “Bad boys also do what they want,” I said, shifting closer.

  “Not happening. I’m punishing you,” she protested, face burning.

  “I’ve been throbbing these past few days. How about you? Struggling much?”

  Esther gulped. Before I arrived, she masturbated daily to tackle her sky-high libido. It was unlikely much had changed after nightly bouts of being spoiled rotten.

  I snuck past her guard and stole a kiss.

  She mumbled into the embrace but broke it swiftly. “No fair.”

  “That’s me,” I said, going in for more. I peppered her lips with affection.

  Her resistance swiftly crumbled. She stopped fighting and let me adore her softness.

  Once I had my fill of Esther’s mouth, I worked down her chin and ventured along her neck. Her natural scent was so sweet. I drunk it in as I moved lower to the soft mounds hovering just above the waterline.

  Esther squeaked. “You really need to stop.” Her hands didn’t move an inch. Her chest pushed forward.

  “Really? You didn’t come here hoping for this?”

  “I came to clean.”

  “You sure? Not a little stress relief after a few days denied?” My mouth moved back up as my hand wandered down. I stroked her inner thigh, sliding to the enchanting honeypot nearby. My lips nipped the tip of a fluffy feline ear.

  Her moans flowed out. She shimmied in the water, swinging hips becoming the jet the tub lacked.

  “When did you last cum?” I whispered, blowing into her ear.

  Esther bit down and mumbled under her breath.

  “What was that? You need to speak up.” I said, nibbling some more.

  “Days! Days ago,” she confessed. “With you…”

  “Your fingers not enough anymore?”

  “Don’t say that!”

  “Which means it’s true.”

  She looked away, complexion burning. Her bedroom poker face was as bad as ever.

  “You could have said,” I whispered. “I’d have helped you anytime.”

  “I couldn’t. I was punishing you. I still am.” Esther squeaked, eyes glancing away. “I’m supposed to be…”

  “Sounds like you were punishing yourself.”

  “You didn’t give me a choice! Getting yourself in trouble like that. Even after&emdash;”

  I silenced her rant with a kiss, defusing the situation. And she told me not to mull. There was some serious merit to Terix’s focus on relaxing the worries away. Plus, it was a lot more fun than constantly brooding.

  My fingers pressed against her slit, running up and down, giving her what she craved. The water couldn’t obscure the heat radiating from her person.

  “Does that feel good?” I asked into her mouth.

  “Yes,” she confessed in a rich fem
inine tone. It was the sort of voice that made a man’s mind race with scandalous fantasies.

  I couldn’t blame her for falling out of love with masturbation. She’d ruined it for me. Once you’d tasted the very sweetest fruit, your hand was no longer up to snuff. It was a pretender trying to claim the throne occupied by a pair of goddesses. What used to satisfy paled in comparison.

  My cock throbbed in the water. It’d only been a few days and it was acting like I hadn’t blown for a month. The girls had spoiled me. Being surrounded by man-hungry strippers hadn’t exactly helped matters.

  Resistance rewarded me with the finest treat of all. Esther’s palm brushed my shaft.

  I stiffened and clenched my teeth. Her hand felt infinitely better than my own. It was small and silky smooth, with thin delicate fingers. Contact alone was enough to eclipse anything I tried solo.

  Precum drooled out. Hiding my lust was impossible. I was under her spell.

  Esther was in the same position. Every moan was a declaration of need. She was in love with the way I touched her.

  We were both pent-up and craved release. Taking turns to satisfy was madness. I didn’t want to keep her waiting and I knew she felt the same. We didn’t need to share a word. Our feelings were synced.

  The water got in the way. We abandoned the bath for greener pastures. The floor wasn’t as comfortable as a bed but I couldn’t wait. I pulled her on top of me, thighs around my head. Her wet folds hovered mere inches from my face. They were captivating. From a distance, all you could appreciate was her flawless beauty. Up close you could feel the heat of her lust. An alluring scent surrounded me, encouraging my wanton desires.

  My bulge throbbed right in front of Esther’s eyes.

  “This position feels so naughty,” she said, words brushing my member.

  “Perfect for us,” I said, kissing her inviting slit.

  She squeaked, tensing up. The faster she panted the more she inadvertently teased my cock. How could anyone be so stimulating by accident?

  “Don’t be shy,” I told her between kisses. “I’m not.”

  That was enough to convince her. Esther secured my tip with her finger and ran her tongue up the shaft.

  I leaked like a broken faucet. She knew how to press my buttons. I was in danger of becoming putty in her hands. My pride didn’t allow that, especially with her hypnotic pussy hovering above my mouth. A scent that could make a chaste man sin filled my nostrils. There was no way I was losing here. I filled her sweet folds with my tongue.