by Lucian Bane
She made several attempts to talk, stuttering out syllables. “Had a run in with a customer. At the diner.”
“Which diner?” Reginald asked, ready to go talk to the owners and find out every detail.
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” she muttered, looking down. “Was a stupid thing. You don’t want to see his face.”
Instant fury slammed him. “A man did this to you?”
More stuttered sounds before she waved her hand. “He’s an ass. My boss took care of it.”
“Who was he?” Reginald jumped a little at Bones’ sudden question.
“Nobody.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Bones said again, his voice hard. “Please,” Reginald added, not wanting to scare her.
“I can’t tell you that,” she scolded lightly.
Stop! Reginald begged when he felt Bones ready to drill her. We can dig later. Online.
The tension in his muscles slowly eased with Bones’ cooperation. But why should that matter to him, what happened to her?
It doesn’t matter Bones said. I don’t like liars. And I don’t believe she works at a diner.
“You okay now?” Reginald asked.
“Oh yeah,” she said, easily, flipping her hand. “Nothing but a thing. Nother day, nother dollar.” Her voice shook and she dabbed at her eyes again, like the tears were still coming. “I better go,” she said. “I had to come, I can’t miss a day.”
“You were going to start something new today?”
She nodded a lot. “I stopped off at the church,” she said, her words quipped and tight. “Father Burns said it’ll all work out.”
“What will?”
“Life,” she tossed her hand again. “It’ll get easier,” she nodded, again wiping her eyes. “Lordy mercy, I’ve sprung a leak.”
“You’re…” he was going to say beautiful again. “You’re okay.”
“I am,” she nodded. “I’m okay. It’s gonna be okay.”
Reginald’s chest clenched with her turmoil. She was more upset than usual. From whoever had hurt her. He wanted to know who had done that.
We’ll find out, Reggieboy.
The mean tone in Bones’ voice irked him. Like he was only interested in finding if she lied so he could bitch about how no good she was. There was nothing wrong with hiding the truth when the truth couldn’t be told, they did it twenty-four-seven.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“For watchin’ over him.” The final words burst out on a sob and Reginald hurried to her.
“Okay,” he said, reaching to touch her shoulder, while afraid it was wrong.
She suddenly lunged into him and Reginald caught her, holding his breath. He slowly put his arms around her sobbing body, feeling like the inadequate hero. “I’m sorry,” she cried, bitterly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she kept saying.
“It’s okay,” Reginald whispered, stroking slowly over the cold skin of her back.
“I’m a bad person, Reggie,” she gasped. “I’m a bad, bad person.”
“No you’re not,” he whispered, his chest tighter than ever. He stroked her head with one hand, holding it possessively to his chest. The top of it reached just below his chin. He could look down and press his lips. Smell her. His body drank in all the physical details she pressed into him while his hand stroked along her back, feeling, memorizing her softness. Silky soft. “You’re beautiful, Winter Rose,” he whispered as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Bones moved deeper inside his mind. He didn’t like what Reginald was doing, but he let him do it. Almost like he knew it was right to do but he’d have no part of it. That was more than fine with Reginald. The sudden distance gave him more courage with her. “Shhhh,” he soothed, gliding his fingers along the skin of her upper back, pressing and feeling a little more as he held her head to him still.
She suddenly pulled away. “I’m so sorry, Reggie,” she whispered. “You seem like such a nice man. I don’t want to ruin that. I think you should know,” she nodded now. “I’m a paid prostitute and I had come today to proposition you. But…” she shook her head and covered her mouth. “You’re different than all the rest and I… I didn’t want to break that, I didn’t want to ruin another good thing, I’m a bad person, Reggie,” she wailed then turned and ran off.
Reginald ran after her and caught her by the arm, stopping her.
“Don’t!” she cried, shaking her head at him. She’d made it to the edge of the cemetery where the parking lot lights were and the bruises on her face slammed him in the stomach. “Don’t look at me like that,” she begged quietly, her forehead crimped. “Don’t pity me. I don’t deserve mercy. I don’t deserve pity. I deserve what I get.”
She spun again and ran off and this time Reginald didn’t stop her because Bones didn’t let him. They both watched her get in her car and leave. They both stared at the red tail lights, wondering. Wondering what all Winter Rose was hiding from both of them.
A paid prostitute. She’d not wanted to do that with him. Her confession made his chest burn with pride. She’d proven him right, she’d just proven him right.
But judging by the acid coming from Bones, she’d proven ‘him’ right too. But surely Reginald’s angle countered that. It did. Now Reginald needed to know what she was hiding. So he could help her. Bones would want to know so he could condemn her.
****
Bones paced impatiently while Reginald logged them on. They’d set up the IP scrambler and were ready. It was ten o-clock at night. “Oh look,” Reginald said. “She accepted my request.” He kept his thrill subdued but Bones heard it loud and clear. “And she’s on!”
Have Dragon friend her now, Bones said.
Reginald’s speed said he was as anxious as Bones, but for all the wrong reasons. Paid prostitute. He knew it. And the fact that Reginald saw her nasty confession as virtuous, added to his disgust.
After he opened Dragon’s page, he hit the friend request button and then went back to his, opening the message box and typing a greeting. ‘Hi Cinnamon. My name is Christopher. I just wanted to extend a greeting, as I’m new to the site. Any pointers for me?’
He hit send then clicked over to Dragon’s profile. Nothing. He clicked back to his and waited, clasping his hands behind his head. “Calm down,” Bones said, annoyed with his lusty eagerness. “Check on her posts again.”
“Oh right,” Reginald remembered, finding the link to all her posts. “No new posts. It’s been barely a day. Not surprising. And she works.”
“Right. At a diner where men beat on her.” Lying slut. Her words kept replaying in his head, confirming everything he’d thought of her. She even knew she was wicked, they’d got a direct confession, but of course Reginald thought it qualified her for sainthood. He was fucking annoying and Bones would have to rub his dumbass face right in her dirty pussy before he got it.
The sound of a ping made Reginald jump which in turn rattled Bones’ nerves. “Shit,” Reginald whispered, hurrying to his page. “She answered! Yesss!” Like he’d scored first. “Hi Christopher,” he read. “Nice to meet you. If you tell me why you’re on the site, I can help direct you. Love your name by the way. Wow,” Reginald said. “Notice how good or proper her grammar is?”
“She’s a player, Reggie. She’s good at games. Tell her you’re on here as a Dom and you’re looking for a sub.”
“A what?”
“Just type it.”
“Fine,” he said, typing it out and hitting enter. He yanked open the desk drawer and Bones was glad he found it lacking the Red Hots he loved so. “Dammit.”
“She’s typing,” Bones said.
Reginald leaned in and squinted when her message came up. “What kind of sub are you looking for?” Reginald paused. “Why are we talking subs, is this like code for food?”
“Tell her you’re looking for one with masochistic strengths.”
“What?” Reginald hissed.
“Just. Type it!”
“I’d like to know what the hell you’re talking about, Bones.”
“We’re seeing if she’s into the BDSM community of this site, Reggie.”
“BDSM? I didn’t see anything like that.”
“You wouldn’t. But it’s there. Type it.”
He typed it and hit enter, yanking open several more drawers.
“She’s typing,” Bones said again.
Reginald slammed the final drawer shut with a bang and looked at the screen. “I happen to have masochistic strengths.”
“There you have it,” Bones muttered.
“There you have what? That doesn’t prove her bad.”
“Check the other page.”
Reginald switched over. “She accepted,” he said, unenthused.
“And messaged.” She was eager, wasn’t she? Bones read the message to himself while Reginald read it out loud. “Hi Dragon. Sexy name. Nice to meet you, let me know if I can do anything for you. She’s very nice,” Reginald mused.
“Don’t act like you don’t see it.”
“See what? That she’s nice?”
“Sexy?” Bones repeated. “That basically means your name makes me want to fuck you.”
Reginald laughed. “If that’s true, everybody on this site wants to fuck.”
“They do!” Bones bit, pissed that the innocence he loved and protected in Reginald was now fighting him.
“I’m sure they don’t,” Reginald said, maintaining his steadfast oblivion.
“Tell her I’m a sadist and I’m needing a partner asap.”
“A sadist,” he muttered sounding disgusted while typing the message and hitting enter. “Don’t you think that’s a little forward?”
“Yes it’s forward, Reggie. That’s what I want to be. She’s typing.”
“Wow, that was fast.” He sounded hurt as he leaned forward again. “What kind of partner?”
“Tell her I want a woman who can take pain and I like them a little heavy.”
“Wait, I didn’t get to say anything like that,” Reginald complained.
“You’ll have your chance,” Bones assured. “She’s typing again.”
“I see it,” he said, irked. “What kind of sadist are you?”
“Level three.”
“What’s a level three?” Reginald wondered.
“The kind that like to really hurt when they play.”
“And you like to do that?” he asked, sounding shocked. “To women?” he added, as though clarifying he knew that he liked pain.
“No, Reggie, I’m pretending to be a level three. I’m actually a level five.”
“Level five?” he said, perturbed. “What do they do?”
“Things you get the electric chair for.”
Reginald shook his head in disbelief then typed and hit enter. He quickly switched pages. “Shit, it’s my turn to message her. Stop hogging the time. What should I put?”
“Now that we know she’s on this site as a pussy patron—”
“We don’t know that yet,” Reginald spat.
“Well get busy confirming it,” Bones said, knowing it was just a matter of minutes now.
“I’ll get busy proving you wrong. And where are we going with this line of talk, anyway?”
“We need to find out more about her. See where the boundaries are, if there are any.”
“Right, right,” Reginald remembered, back to thinking of what to ask her.
Impatience made Bones’ skin itch. “We’ll be here all night. Move, let me do the talking.” Bones got at the keyboard and began peck typing.
“Oh hell no, we’ll be here all week at that pace.” Reginald read what he typed, “Would… you… be… in..ter…est…ed in being… my sub? If… so… may… I see …pictures… of you? Why are you making it like I care about looks, don’t put that.” Reginald took over and backspaced, putting instead. “I saw your pictures and think you’re beautiful. Do you have more?” He hit enter.
“Check my page.”
Reginald clicked over and read her response. “I’ll look around and see what I can find. Ohhhhh,” Reginald snickered. “You lost that one.” He clicked back to his page and read her response. “Awww you’re sweet Christopher. What kind of pics would you like to see?”
“Tell her—”
“I got this,” Reginald cut in as he began typing. ‘Do you have any more with your smile?’
Good fucking grief.
“She’s typing,” Reginald said eagerly, leaning forward again. “I like you, Christopher. Look how she used a comma before a direct address,” Reginald pointed out. “She’s smarter than you give credit.” He read on, “How long have you been a Dom? Are you a sadist? Ah, shit,” he muttered to himself. “Am I a sadist?”
“Your game,” Bones reminded him. “Check my page.”
“Hold on, I need to answer,” he said, typing. “Only if you need me to be.” Reginald clicked over to Dragon’s profile and read her message there. “I’m actually looking for a Dom. Would you consider letting me…”
“Try. Out,” Bones finished for him. “Read it and weep.”
Reginald went back to his page and read the message waiting. “I want you to be!” he yelled, shooting up out of the chair. “I’m still in, jackass,” he muttered, sitting down and typing her back, unconscious of the fact that she was trying to fuck two men at once. “Your wish is my command,” he typed. “No no,” he muttered, backspacing then retyping, “I like commanding. Do you like being commanded?” He glanced left then right. “Is that a thing? Commanding?”
“Yes, Reggie,” Bones mumbled. “My page.”
Reginald switched pages.
“Now, tell her I’m conducting tryouts this Saturday.”
“What?” Reginald whispered. “Tryouts this Saturday? Is this an audition?”
“Just type it.”
Reginald typed while complaining he deserved more specifics about shit. He hit enter then switched to his page and read. “I love being commanded. Wow,” he whispered, sounding like he was getting his dick sucked. “Is it supposed to be this thrilling?”
“Stop making my dick hard,” Bones said, annoyed.
“I can’t help it. I want to command her so bad,” he whispered, typing again. “I want to command you…” he backspaced. “I want you to let me command you. When can we meet?” He glanced right with a grin. “That was commanding, right?”
“My page,” Bone said.
“Hold on, she’s typing,” He leaned forward, pressing their hard dick into the tight fabric of their jeans. “When do you want to meet?” Reginald began typing again while mumbling, “I’ll go to your page after this message,” he promised. ‘I’m off Saturdays. Where are you?’ “Shit,” he paused. “We put me across the world from her!”
“My page,” Bones said, taking the mouse and going himself. “What time Saturday,” she’d asked. Bones peck typed. ‘Noon. I’ll make the arrangements. Tell me where to pick you up.’
Reginald took the mouse and went to his page and read her answer. “I’m in Portland, Oregon. I can meet you Sunday.” He suddenly sagged a little then straightened. “How are we supposed to prove anything like this? She’s agreeing to meet both of us.”
“She agreed to meet me Saturday and you Sunday,” Bones pointed out.
“So? That doesn’t mean anything. This is a stupid way to get at her preference between the two of us.”
“I have an idea,” Bones said, taking over the keyboard.
“What are you going to say?”
Bones typed out his message and hit enter and Reginald read it. “I have a brother that comes with me. He helps me with the tryouts. Ohhhhh. You mean me and you,” he mused, impressed. Before he could pop the next question, Bones typed, “You have to agree to remain blindfolded at all times.”
“Ahhh!” Reginald whispered sounding amazed. “That would work.”
They both sat, waiting for her answer. “Your page,” Bones remembered.
Reginald clicked over and typed. “I can meet you Sunday.”
“Don’t send that!” Bones hurried.
“Why?”
“Just wait to see what she says on my page first.”
Reginald clicked over to Dragon’s page. “Is there a fee?” she’d asked. Bones typed his answer. ‘No monetary fees. Give me your address.’
“She’s typing,” Reginald whispered, like Bones was blind. “I can meet you anywhere you want. She doesn’t want to give her address. Smart girl,” Reginald said.
“Oh yeah, real smart going with a Sadist and his brother she’s never met. Blindfolded,” he added.
“Damn, right,” Reginald whispered, realizing. “What’s wrong with her?”
“It’s called Slutitis.”
“No… It’s something else.”
Bones shook his head. Why was he surprised? Bones typed his final response. ‘Give me a secure line to reach you on and I’ll call you when I’m in town.’
They waited for her response and Reginald shook his head. “She gave her number,” he said in disbelief. “And she wants to know about the brother?”
Bones took over the keyboard again and typed, not wanting to argue with Reginald. ‘My brother is Christopher Knight.’
He hit enter even as Reginald panicked. “Why did you tell her!”
CHAPTER NINE
“So she knows. She’ll try out for both of us, but she’ll have to pick in the end. Go to your page.”
“Shit,” Reginald hissed. He waited for nearly a minute before she began typing on Christopher’s page. “You’re the brother of Dragon Bones?”
Reginald’s fingers hovered over the keys before he typed ‘Yes.’
A few seconds later, she replied, “I’m glad you’re his brother!” Reginald gave a triumphant yes. “I can’t wait to meet you. Goodnight, Mr. Knight.” He paused briefly then hurried back to Bones’ page. “Uh oh. No nice goodbyes for you.”
“She’s typing,” Bones said.
Reginald read it. “May I ask which of you is the more dominant out of you and Christopher?”
