Caged

by Shanna Ehrlich

  Walking forward she never took her eyes off the man. He looked like a creep. Pretty in a mama’s boy sort of way, but there was something strange about him. Maybe it was how his blonde hair was parted on the side. Or that he looked too much like a nice guy for a club like this, but the same could have been said about them. They didn’t look like they belonged either.

  With one final look in the direction of her friends, the man tapped a small vial over the blue drink, depositing a clear liquid.

  Oh hell no.

  He was quick. She never would have noticed if she weren’t watching with such intensity. He roofied the drink as if he knew what he was doing, like he’d done it a thousand times before, and maybe he had, but this would be his last.

  The man began walking toward her friends and she managed to get one step in front of him, intentionally causing the blue drink to spill down the back of her shirt and slip entirely out of his hand, landing on the floor, ice and liquid spraying everywhere. Turning toward the man she shoved him back. “Watch where you’re fucking going.”

  “I could say the same thing. You bumped into me sweetheart.” His slight southern drawl made him appear even more of a nice guy. “Let me get you a napkin.”

  Setting his beer on the bar top he reached over and picked up several, pushing them against Annie’s back to dry off the liquid. She let him, even though she would have preferred to do it herself.

  “Nice going Annie, that was my drink you just spilled.”

  She looked up to see Sara smiling toward her ratchet state; could feel the liquid dripping out the ends of her hair and new she looked a fool. Oh well. It would be worth it. “It looks good on me, don’t you think?” she joked to lighten the situation. “Maybe I’ll let you lick it off later.”

  Sara laughed, but it also got the guy’s attention.

  “Can I get in on that?” Using the napkin, he squeezed at the ends of her hair, dabbing up the falling drops.

  “Sure, only if I can lick something off you.”

  Sara was visually taken aback by her words, not used to hearing her talk like that.

  “I’m Justin,” he held out a hand.

  As she reached forward, Sara stopped her. “I think you’re a little drunk Annie. Maybe you should go find Brax.”

  “Fuck Brax. I’m right where I want to be.”

  Justin waited with his outstretched hand until she finally reached over to shake. She didn’t give him her name, but he had already heard it from Sara. Annie. She was beautiful in a down to earth sort of way. Light makeup and natural looking blonde hair, though he doubted it was completely natural. All girls these days seemed to dye their hair, but hers was a perfect shade of gold, matching her striking features. He couldn’t wait to get her home and under him. Keep her for himself for a little. He’d end up getting top dollar for this one, it was only right to take her for a test drive first to ensure the product.

  “Can I get you a drink?” he asked. “You probably need one now.”

  “What the fuck,” Sara exclaimed. “I just said she was drunk.”

  “She doesn’t look drunk to me. I’m sure she can make her own choices. What do you think baby? Another drink?”

  “I’m fine Sara,” Annie replied, keeping eye contact with him. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve only had a couple.”

  She licked her lips after the word couple and he felt the urge to bite them, to know what her blood would taste like on his tongue.

  “Whatever.” Sara stomped off, back to her other friends.

  Justin didn’t care he had made her mad. That he snubbed her for this one. In the end, the only difference it made was how much money he was paid, and Annie would make him more.

  Hand in hand he guided her toward the bar, ordering a vodka diet at her request. She stood close, leaning up against him with her breast pressed to his arm. It was too close. He couldn’t slip her anything, would have to do it later.

  They stayed at the bar talking for what felt like an hour, though it was probably only a fourth of that. He needed to get this shit done and fast, it was almost three in the morning. The sun would be coming up soon.

  “Let’s dance,” she suggested after they finished their drinks.

  He agreed and escorted her to the dance floor where she grinded up on him in all the best places. His dick grew hard for her. He couldn’t wait to fuck her brains out. Even if they weren’t conscious, having power over someone and knowing they would be screaming from pain if they were awake was one of his biggest turn-ons. Even better if they were actually screaming.

  “I can feel how hard you are for me.” Turning to face him she palmed him over his jeans. “Why don’t you take me to the bathroom so we can take care of that.”

  Looked like he would be getting a screamer after all. Jumping at the chance, he hurried them off the dance floor and toward the private rooms, reserved especially for this.

  Annie followed as he tugged her along. She could feel Brax’s eyes on her the whole time; knew he was watching from the moment the drink spilled. Justin was sick, was planning to drug her friend, but Annie still felt turned on by Brax watching as she pretended to flirt. She had purposely rubbed her hand up and down his arm as they talked at the bar and made sure to dance with him as provocatively as she could, all in the name of Brax. Just to piss him off. She needed him angry.

  Looking over her shoulder before entering the dark hallway she saw him, leaning casually against a wall, glaring in her direction. The popular saying, if looks could kill, was truly the best possible way to describe his expression. Perfect.

  Justin led her down a dark hall, lit only by red lanterns hanging sparse along the walls. Pulling back a curtain to one of the rooms, he flipped on a switch and a red light began to blink from above. He didn’t wait for her to step forward before hauling her against his chest. She let him kiss her but the feel of his tongue in her mouth made her want to bite it off and spit it out.

  Annie pretended it was enjoyable; dropped her purse to the floor and jumped up on him, wrapping her legs around as he walked them backwards. Trapping her against the back wall of the small square room, he rubbed his erection against her belly. Low moans emanated from his lips and she cringed in disgust. Lowering herself to the ground she dropped to her knees; couldn’t stand him touching her any longer and knew who she was waiting for was less than a minute away. She could feel it. Just knew on instinct it wouldn’t be much longer.

  She took her time with his belt buckle and unzipped his pants slow, trying as best as she could to waste time.

  Justin became agitated and shoved both his pants and boxers to the floor, causing his dick to spring free. He clasped her hair, yanking her head back and she let out a small scream of pain while water began pooling in her eyes.

  The nausea built in her stomach at the thought of putting him in her mouth, but he was being forceful now, wouldn’t let her wait much longer. Annie couldn’t believe Brax hadn’t come for her. It’s what she was counting on. Was positive he would. He had told her as much in the car; he would kill anyone who touches her. Where was he?

  Looking up one last time, she braced herself for what she would have to do, but instead let out a sigh of relief. Fucking finally. He was silent in his entry. Even when she expected him, she never heard a sound.

  Seeing his girl on her knees in front of some random Joe was the worst sucker punch he ever experienced. Especially since she refused to do the same for him. Was she just trying to get back at him for what he said to her? It was a low fucking blow and he had reached his breaking point. He didn’t give a fuck if the guy was an innocent and had no clue what she was doing; thought he was just going in there for a good time. Death happens to good people all the time, whether they know it’s coming or not, and today was his day.

  B looked up at him from her kneeled position on the floor, her gaze holding a hint of happiness. She’ll be next he thought before reaching out and wrapping a firm arm around the guy’s neck.

  Flailing, the gu
y pulled at his arm to get airflow, but Braxton only squeezed tighter. He let it prolong as long as possible before the guy passed out and then reached a hand to the opposite side of his head, pushing with all his might until he felt the crack; the noise, usually loud and nauseating, drowned out by the base of the music.

  The body limp and heavy in his arms, he let it fall to the floor. His dick still free, but now flaccid, pissed him off more, and he kicked at the dead body. Over and over again, damaging his pretty boy face and lean form until it was unrecognizable.

  When he turned to Bethany she was standing, pressed into the back wall like it would save her. He stalked forward, breathing hard, his vision tunneled in on only her. The urge to hit her was strong. His arms shook at the need to back hand her, to teach her a lesson, to kill her, all of the above, he didn’t really know. Standing in front of her, he did nothing, made no move to touch her. Instead she touched him. Reached for his wrists and pulled his hands up to her neck, gathering them around.

  “Hurt me Brax. I can see it in your eyes. I know you want to, so do it,” she pushed against his hands, encouraging him. “I’m yours, you can do what you want with me. I want to know what it feels like.”

  His hands squeezed on instinct, chocking the life out of her. The two major arteries pounding under his palms. He could feel the blood flow slowing as it tried to push through. Bethany stood tall, not fighting it one bit or breaking their eye contact, and eventually her eyelids drooped and her legs went out from under her.

  She woke in the same position she passed out in, up on the wall, his body pressed against her in an effort to hold her up. Once her vision cleared, and the world righted itself once more, he finally spoke. “You planned this didn’t you? You wanted me to kill him. Played me like a fucking puppet.”

  “Not so innocent now am I?”

  “Don’t get cute with me yet. You won’t ever do that again. Do you understand me? If you want me to do something, you just need to ask. I’ll give you anything in the world, but I don’t like to be played, especially not by someone I trust.”

  “Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

  “Nope.” He pushed two fingers to her lips to silence her. “Don’t you dare apologize. You fucking own it. You decided to play this game and you won. So that’s yours to keep. Just don’t do it again.”

  Swallowing she held back a smile. “Do you know how hot you are when you’re angry?”

  “Do you know how hot you are when you’re being a bitch,” he countered.

  Leaning forward she claimed his mouth, it was the first time she took initiative and wasn’t gentle. Their tongues tangled and when they weren’t she nipped his lips, tugging them closer. She had to have him, needed him.

  Breaking the kiss just as fast, she dropped to her knees, eager to have another part of him in her mouth.

  “No. Not now,” he forced out while she unbuttoned his pants, pulling them down. They weren’t words he ever thought he would tell her, but this was fucked up even for him. There was a dead body lying next to them for god sake.

  Paying no mind to his hesitance, she reached in his boxer briefs and pulled his cock free, her eyes widening at the sight. She took a few seconds to appreciate its raw size and then licked up the side, from base to tip. He couldn’t argue with her now even if he wanted. He was all in; literally. As far back in her throat as she could take.

  “Fuck,” he moaned and leaned forward, bracing his hands against the wall.

  Sucking hard she used her hand to pleasure the length she couldn’t reach with her mouth, moving fast just the way he liked. Spit leaked down her chin and she never once stopped to wipe it away, just continued licking and moving back and forth until his legs shook.

  “I’m going to cum B, god you’re so fucking good. Just like that. Fuck,” his breaths labored, he wouldn’t last much longer.

  Despite his warning, she continued, taking him as deep as she could until he exploded, loving the way her tongue lapped at each burst. When he released every last drop she pulled off, kissing down his sack, sucking on one ball and massaging the other like she wanted more, wanted all he had to offer. He could barely stand, had never cum so hard in his life and it almost hurt, but the best sort of hurt possible.

  Reaching down he pulled her up and rested his body weight against her, trying to catch his breath. This was when he usually walked away, let the girl go and hoped he would never see her again, but not with this one. He would never let her go. It was him or no one. She would need to get on board with that. Or maybe she already was.

  After adjusting his pants and tucking himself back in to place, he stepped off the wall, noticing his handy work beside them. He really fucked this one up. The clean-up crew would be talking about it for weeks, undoubtedly spreading rumors that he did it for fun, or because the guy interrupted a kinky sex session, which was usually the type of thing to take place in these back rooms. Either way, it would only help his reputation, something he desperately needed after his past two attacks. Maybe he hadn’t given Bethany enough credit. She definitely wasn’t innocent. Cold and calculating was more like it. The mangled body didn’t even seem to bother her. He just hoped it wasn’t someone important he killed, an innocent who was just checking the place out. “Why him?” he asked, indicating toward the body. “Just an easy catch to make me jealous?”

  “No. It wasn’t about making you jealous. I just wanted to see you make someone pay. You needed it to feel better about what happened at your place earlier and he deserved it. Trust me on that.”

  “You think you know what I need?”

  “I know I do. Was I wrong? Tell me doing that didn’t make you feel better, or when I did this.” She brushed her fingertips down the fly of his pants. “You needed this too.”

  “I thought you needed it. That’s what you said.”

  Had she said that out loud?

  “Tell me my dick in your mouth didn’t make you feel better.”

  “It did. I wanted it. I wanted to know what you taste like, but I also wanted you strong and on your game, and you are now. It did all of that.”

  “Yes it fucking did.”

  Eight

  Braxton and Bethany stayed in the room until the cleanup crew arrived; four young guys who would cut up the body, bag it, bleach the floor and take the trash out the back door without anyone realizing. Leaving the room hand in hand, they walked back out to find her friends, it was late and time to go. They could catch a ride if they wanted, but either way he was getting Bethany the fuck out of there. Pulling him through the dance floor, she searched everywhere. The bar less crowded than when they first arrived, it should have been easy to find them, but they were nowhere in sight. Pulling out her phone she read over a text.

  “They left. Apparently Sara’s pissed at me.”

  “So what? Fuck her. Come stay at my place.”

  She wanted to, thought about it, but nothing good would come from going home with him, and she needed to make things right. She stole Justin from Sara, or at least that’s how she would see it, she had to explain. Get Sara to see her side. “No. I need to go back to the hotel. Will you take me?”

  He didn’t reply to her stupid question. Of course he would take her.

  They drove back to the hotel in silence, the situation with Sara bothering her more than she let on. When the car pulled up, she jumped out and he followed.

  “I’m good Brax. I don’t need you to walk me up.”

  “Too fucking bad.” Over his dead body would he let her walk up alone in the middle of the night; especially since she was placed out in public with him. Word would soon get around to people that Braxton Cage went out with someone. Took a lady friend to a club, stayed for hours and left with her. It was only time until the news would get to the wrong people. They’ll want to know who she is, what she means to him, and there are two ways he could answer that question. The first being, she means nothing, and hope no one calls his bluff and goes after her, or the second being, she means EVE
RYTHING, and if anyone fucks with her they will start a war so grand it will make World War II look like a fucking birthday party. He would go with the latter. Best to not take chances.

  Brax left her at her room after a kiss so good, she almost forgot why she was making him leave in the first place. Opening the door, the room was dark. She flicked on the light and found Trevor passed out in his bed. She decided to call Sara, could hear her phone going off in the room beside hers, but she never answered. Maybe she was asleep too, but Annie highly doubted that. Oh well. She would talk to her in the morning. Maybe a night’s rest would cool her off. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened.

  Annie woke up in the morning alone, Trevor gone from his bed. After showering, dressing and still finding the room empty, she went next door and knocked on Sara and Mandy’s door. There was no answer, but she could hear them in there. “Come on Sara open the door.” She banged harder, loud enough to wake the people in the room beside theirs. “I’m not going away until we talk.”

  Suddenly the door flew open.

  “Then talk. Tell me why you’re a bitch who gets whatever she wants and the rest of us have to stand by and watch. It’s one thing seeing you get everything, but then you have to take things from us. Really? What you have isn’t enough? Brax isn’t enough?”

  She walked in without an invitation, not wanting the door to be slammed in her face before she had a chance to get out what she wanted to say. “I didn’t take anything from you. You should be thanking me right now. That guy was bad news.”

  “So what you just decided to sleep with him? I saw you go back there with him. Can you honestly tell me nothing happened?”

  “No, nothing happened,” she paused. “A kiss that’s it. I didn’t even want it. Sara, he was going to drug your drink. I saw it.”

  “Oh you saw it? And then what, decided you wanted a drink from him too so he could drug you?