by Ella Burns
I know I should probably be thinking about what the hell we are going to do next, but I keep finding myself thinking of our earlier conversation. I always knew that Mia was drawn to killing and death. It's not like I can say her killing that cop was any big surprise. I suppose I just hoped without Jane around, that urge would fade.
Then again, I think of how I felt when I killed Bud. That hit of adrenaline was like nothing I'd ever felt before and even in my limited experiences, I get the sense it's not an easy one to replicate. Beyond that, the sense of rightness in this instance made it easy. Every stab of the blade into his flesh.
I feel my dick twitch at the thought of the knife pressing into skin, at how it felt to wield that sharp edge, and open my eyes with a frown.
Maybe we aren't so different after all.
Looking around, I realize I've had my eyes closed longer than I thought, and the houses are getting closer together. The faint music is still playing, and it takes me a moment to realize that Mia is singing softly along to it. The corner of my mouth turns up as I sit there and watch her, listening to her sing for the first time since we were children.
It isn't until the song ends that she realizes I'm watching her and her cheeks pink lightly, but she smiles.
"Don't stop," I tell her, and her smile grows.
"We're only about twenty minutes out of the city now," she replies through her grin. "We should get some things, find a place to stay for the night."
"Sure," I tell her, sitting back into my seat feeling more at peace, “but keep singing.”
She keeps smiling but obliges me, her voice washing over me. Maybe, just maybe, I'll be enough, and she won't need to kill. And if not? Maybe that isn't as awful as I thought.
✽✽✽
We pull into a parking lot with small businesses. It's about 5 PM and the sky is beginning to dim. I feel my heart pick up at the sight of people walking around. A woman and a young boy walk by hand in hand and I watch them intently until they pass.
Mia parks and waits a moment before turning to me.
"Are you okay with going in?"
"What do you mean? Why aren't you?" I feel a wash of panic rise in me as I turn to her.
She gives me a sad smile and I get the sense she understands, or at least knows, what I'm feeling.
"My picture is all over the place right now. I can tell you what to get and do, but if they recognize me, then we're fucked."
I swallow and nod. "What is this place?"
"It's called a drugstore, I suppose. It'll have the things I need, like hair dye. Here, I wrote it all down. All the people who work there will be wearing the same uniform. If you can't find something, just ask."
"Won't that be strange?"
She shakes her head. "No, they are there to help. When you have it all, there will be someone at the front working who will ring it all up. You can use this money, it'll be more than enough, so just hand them this bill and they'll give you change."
I look down at the faded bill now in my hand and back up at her and realize what she already has. I have never bought anything before. The expression on her face is vaguely sad. A choked sort of laugh leaves me as I shake my head.
"Let's get this over with."
Fear threatens to overwhelm me as I approach, the fluorescence of the light reminding me too much of Jane's old workshop. She hadn't maintained the lights for the last few years, but my childhood was filled with lights much like these. Blindingly bright, leaving nothing to the shadows. The irrational fear that they will expose me for the monster I really am grips me for a moment, but I shake it off.
No one looks twice as I enter. I note the baskets other people are carrying, so I grab an empty one for myself and try to act like everyone else. Doing my best to keep my eyes from bugging out, I take in the aisles of just… things! So many random shapes and colors. Things I've never seen before.
Swallowing, I pull the list of items out of my pocket and look around for signs to tell me where to go. Hair. Perfect, I'll start there.
I take a few minutes to inspect the giant wall of boxes of hair dye but have no clue what I'm doing, so I just pick a few random ones and throw them in my basket. The sharp thrill of making a choice runs up my spine.
Beside them are brushes and other accessories. I see some hair clips that remind me of Mia, so I toss them in as well, feeling pleased with myself for thinking of it.
I manage to get most of the things on the list until I get down to one of the last items and see ibuprofen. I frown, recalling the word from my medical texts as being pain relievers and wonder why she didn't tell me she was hurting.
Not sure where they would keep such a thing, I look around until I find someone wearing a blue uniform looking outfit I'd noticed on a few people walking around.
"Um, hello, do you, um, work here?"
The man turns around and I see he's probably close to my age, in his early twenties. His collar is low enough to show his neckline, utterly bare of scars and chafe marks. In another world, another life, this could have been me.
"Yeah, man, what do you need?"
"Ibuprofen?"
"Yeah, aisle nine, just past the condoms and stuff."
I nod, making my way over to the aisle he indicated and moving slowly until I see a section with a bunch of small boxes labeled "Condoms". I stop and pick up one of the boxes, reading the back of it until my eyes get wide and I realize what they are. Fuck. It takes me a minute, but cheesy commercials play through my mind. Making a mental note to bring it up with Mia, I quickly grab the ibuprofen and go to pay.
Chapter Seven
Teddy
Fortunately, I knew of a motel just outside the city that takes cash and asks no questions, perfect for two people essentially on the run. Until I can get some kind of disguise in place, I don't want to be seen around, just in case. The video and images they got were fuzzy, but enough for me to need to be wary.
We pull into the gravel lot and I turn to Branson, who's been quiet since we left the market.
"Do you mind?" I ask him, handing him a few more bills and pointing at the sign that says ‘Reception’. He nods.
"What do I do?"
Once we're settled in our room, I go through the bag of stuff, pleased he was able to get it all. Branson takes a seat, closing his eyes and leaning his head back and I know his headache is probably still bothering him. He's always been a bit sickly, but the past few years I haven't obviously been concerned about his comfort. A sliver of guilt hits me and I start digging for the ibuprofen I put on the list. When my eyes land on an item I didn't ask for, I pull them out and hold up the barrettes in question.
"What are these?"
He opens his eyes long enough to look before shrugging and closing them again.
"They reminded me of you."
I look at the small girly things and feel a grin grow on my face. I hop off the bed and into his lap, leaning in to kiss his cheek lightly. He sighs and looks at me and I pout.
"Hardly the reaction a girl wants when she sits in her man's lap," I tease. He tries to give me a small smile, but I see the pain lined in the creases of his brow and let my pout drop.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he replies, "just tired."
I nod and carefully rise off him, reaching into the bag again and handing him the pain killers.
"Take a few of these, I got them for you," I tell him. He looks at me a moment but eventually takes the bottle and swallows a few pills dry.
"That reminds me," he says as I hand him a bottle of water which he pauses to chug half of, "I saw something else in there I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh yeah, what's that?" I ask, rifling through the bag to find the brush so I can start my hair.
"Condoms."
I feel myself pause and turn to him.
"What about them?"
"We had sex."
I look at him questioningly. "Umm, yes?"
"You could get pregnant."
"And?"
His hand darts out and grabs my arm, stopping my motions so I turn to look at him.
"Mia, this is serious. Do you really think either of us are equipped to handle something like that?"
I look into his face, his dark brown eyes staring into mine.
"I-I guess not," I admit, sitting on the side of the bed. "We're really gonna talk about this, huh?"
He nods.
"I want you, Mia. And now that I've been inside you, I don't think I can ever go without. But I can't deal with that on top of everything right now."
I nod, my head dropping to look at my fingers fiddling together in front of me. "Yeah, you're right. But I don't want to use condoms, I’ve heard they’re gross. There are pills I can get, but you might have to get them for me too."
"I can do that."
I look into his face again, and this time, I feel desire rise inside me. That he wants me.
"You really want me?" I ask shyly and he chuckles lightly, taking my hand and placing it gently on the hardness in his pants. I bite my lip, looking up to him.
“Was that ever really a question?” he replies, pulling me back onto his lap where I nestle in, enjoying the hardness pressing against my ass. I wiggle lightly, bringing my mouth down and leaving a trail of kisses down his face.
"Maybe tomorrow we can get the pills, because tonight, I need you to touch me."
His gaze heats at my words.
“Touch you?”
I think back to the sting of his belt and feel heat rising as I press my legs together, my body leaning to his as I whisper,
“Hurt me, love me, give me everything I deserve.”
Chapter Eight
Branson
Give me everything I deserve.
At her words, my dick hardens to a point of being almost painful. I let out a hiss as her lips trail down my face and neck until they touch the circling scars. Pulling back, her finger comes up, lightly tracing the lines. When she leans down again to kiss the scar before lightly licking up the side of it, I shudder, pushing her off me.
She looks up at me with heated eyes, waiting for my direction, and I feel an increasingly familiar sense of power rise in me. I hope she’s ready for me, because what she deserves…
“Take off your shirt and pants, little doll” I tell her, standing back to admire. Her eyes never leave mine as she drags the top over her head, leaning over to push down her jeans until she’s standing before me in only her bra and panties. Her pale skin is flawless, even the heavy scar on her arm that I know she hates. It’s all her, it’s all beautiful.
My mind races with possibilities, all the things I want to do to her. She stands patiently, though I don’t fail to notice how she bites her lip, how her legs are pressed together. Making a decision, I go to the table and pick up one of the knives we brought with us, holding it up to my thumb to test its sharpness.
I hear Mia’s sharp intake of breath, but I know her better than to think it’s fear. My eyes meet hers as I walk up to her slowly, blade in hand, until I’m standing in front of her. She doesn’t move as I let the sharp edge trail from the side of her neck down her chest.
“So perfect,” I whisper. “So porcelain. Now, stay still.”
Her breath quickens as I press down just a fraction and the blade bites into her cleavage. A small line of blood immediately rises. Still, she doesn’t move.
“Good girl,” I tell her and her face lights up. The corner of my mouth rises but I don’t smile, not now. Turning back to the bed, I take the knife, grabbing the sheet and quickly ripping several strips off it. I nod to the bed and she giggles, jumping up to the middle of it.
This time I do smile.
“Lie down, little doll.”
She complies, even holding her arms above her like she already knows what I have in mind. It doesn’t take me long to wrap the lengths around her wrists, tying it to the bedpost. I look down at the scratch on her chest and notice it’s stopped bleeding. My thumb comes up and harshly rubs the small cut. She moans lightly, making me chuckle. “Such a dirty girl. You love pain, don’t you?”
Her green eyes meet mine and she lifts her chin. “Yes,” she replies breathlessly. “Hurt me.”
I lick my lips as I look down with her, both excited and scared to let this play out. There will always be a part of me that hates her for what she did, that wants to give her true pain and suffering. But the other part of me loves her, wants to worship and cherish her. That she wants this, that she craves the pain, is like a fucking gift.
“Once I start, I don’t know if I can stop,” I admit. Her head rises off the bed as far as she can, her eyes intent on mine.
“Don’t ever stop.”
That’s all the consent I need, and a guttural sound leaves my throat as my mouth finds hers. The kiss is anger, passion, and love all rolled together and I’m sure her lips are the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.
My mouth finds her throat and I bite down hard, eliciting a cry from her even as her hips rise up to me. When I finally pull away to inspect the bite mark, she whimpers.
“I think it’s time for these to come off,” I whisper as my finger trails down the scratch one more time into the crease of her bra. Reaching over, I grab the knife, sliding it beneath the fabric to tear it off. The sharp blade cuts easily and her breasts tumble out, her perfect pink nipples standing at attention for me.
She watches my movements as I bring the knife up to her breast again, letting it faintly trace over the edge of one nipple. She whimpers again as they pebble further, and I know it's fear she’s feeling. Good.
“You’d deserve it,” I whisper as the knife moves and she swallows. “You’d let me, too, wouldn’t you, little doll? Let me take these, if I asked?”
A deep outtake of breath, but she nods, “Yes.”
I feel myself smile and drop the knife.
“Good girl, but these are too perfect to cut.”
When my mouth finds one of them, she lets out a moan, pushing her chest forward. I suck, enjoying the way the small nub feels as my tongue traces its outlines until I bite down. Hard. She cries out but still presses toward me. My other hand comes up and finds the other, rolling it between my fingers.
Nipping at her chest one more time, I pull up and look down at her again, frowning when I realize she’s still wearing panties.
“This won’t do,” I say as I lean down, ripping the side with my hands and tossing the flimsy fabric away. My eyes land on the perfect V at the top of her thighs and it takes everything in me not to take her right here.
She catches where my eyes land and opens her legs to me. I let out a groan before flipping her onto her stomach. She squeals as I pull her hips up so her arms are crossed over, still tied in front of her, and her bare ass in the air waiting for me.
“Much better,” I say, smacking her ass and getting another small yelp. Staying on the end of the bed where she can’t turn to see me, I start to take off my clothes. The view from here is perfect and my dick pulses as I look at her inviting opening, her perfect little ass.
“Mmm, I like you like this,” I tell her as I come around the side of the bed again, my hand caressing her skin as I walk. She turns her head to me and her eyes land on my cock, bobbing in front of her. She licks her lips, looking up to me briefly.
“Please,” she says, putting her chin over her arm to get closer. I take a step until I’m only millimeters away from her mouth before turning to the side and smacking her face with it. She lets out a tiny grunt and whines as it moves away from her.
“No,” I tell her, letting my hand move down her body once more until it lands on her ass where a perfect handprint already shows. Squeezing, I lean my head down and pull her hair back so I can whisper behind her ear. “Tonight, it’s this I’m claiming.”
She swallows as I drop her head and climb on the bed behind her, rubbing her until her hips move, wiggling back into me. Gripping her waist, I press my hard length against the crease, enjoying every moment of frictio
n.
Soon, I think, as I let my hand move down, relishing the feel of her shiver when my thumb trails over the sensitive hole of her ass. She doesn’t pull back, but I feel the muscles tense when I press lightly. I caress softly until I feel her begin to unclench.
“Good girl,” I whisper to her, bringing my fingers forward into her folds of wetness. She moans lightly as I explore with my fingers, pressing into the warmth of her pussy a few times before pulling out. She lets out a groan of complaint when I do before I bring my thumb back up to her ass, rubbing light circles until she presses up against me. My other hand rubs her side lovingly until her muscles give way and my thumb slides in easily. Her head flings back and she gasps.
“That’s right, little doll,” I say quietly, moving in and out slowly as her head drops in her arms. “Give me all your pleasure, all your pain.”
Pulling my thumb out I plunge two fingers inside her now soaking wet pussy and pump a few times before bringing them back up, pressing them mercilessly into her ass. Her muscles clench around my fingers again but I don’t stop moving in and out.
Her hips begin to move again. I add a third finger, and she grunts as I stretch her virgin ass for a few more minutes before pulling out. Mia turns to look at me just as my dick presses against her, and her eyes widen. Reaching a hand out to her hair, I tug back so her throat is taught.
“Hold on, little doll.”
That’s all the warning I give her before pressing in. Her cry is pained, and I have to stop, my teeth gritted as I stop myself from coming right there. She's just so tight. After a moment, her body loosens as it adjusts to me inside it. Slowly we both begin to move, and I press in to the hilt.
Her breathing quickens as I move and I know I won’t last long. Recalling how she touched herself, I slide a hand around to her front and use my thumb to rub the little nub I find there. Her moans change, becoming more frantic, as I circle and I feel myself losing control.
