by Sarah Bale
He hated that the brothel was still in service. He had asked the king many times to close it but the king wouldn’t agree. The women and men who worked there were all criminals and drug addicts. They’d do anything to feed their addictions. He wondered several times why the king allowed it to stay open but couldn’t think of a reason.
He hoped they could make it past the brothel without any incidents but he wasn’t that naïve. If they tried to go past the brothel without saying hello, they’d be killed.
He slowed down and was soon strolling. Lexi did the same. Looking at her was painful at times. It reminded him that he had failed the queen on a mission similar to this. His team had been selected to take her from the royal retreat to the palace.
Not all had made it though. He and Andrew were the only ones to escape with their lives that day. In the days that followed, he’d wished he had died too. His entire body throbbed with pain from the memory.
Lexi reached out and grabbed his hand. “Hey,” she said. “We’ll be okay.”
He looked down at her and saw sympathy in her eyes. She didn’t know what he thought about but still she offered her comfort. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She hugged him back. She would need to know soon though, before they got any closer.
“I will get you to the palace,” he vowed as he let her go.
“I know you will,” she replied with a smile.
* * * * *
Lexi didn’t speak as she walked next to Ian. He was worried even though he tried to hide it. The shadows that kept dancing across his face gave it away. She wouldn’t press him about it, though. He would talk about it when the time was right.
Ahead she could see a saloon that looked like it was right out of the Old West. She half expected to see John Wayne come through the swinging doors. Loud, rowdy singing made its way on the wind and she was sure that inside, someone played a piano.
“Is that the place you were talking about?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes. That’s the Wooden Brothel. It’s Sinoda’s oldest and only saloon. Drinking and whoring is illegal everywhere else in the realm but is legal here.”
So it was something right out of the Old West. Ian’s tone let her know it wasn’t a good thing, though.
“Can we just go past it without being seen?” It seemed like the logical solution.
He shook his head. “No. There’s a certain level of etiquette that must be upheld, even here.” He sighed and went on, “We must enter the saloon and say hello before we can move on.”
“And if we don’t?”
“We would be killed. Believe me, they already know we’re approaching. The bird chirping above us isn’t a bird. It’s Reverend, the head of the Wooden Brothel’s security. And he’s warning the others that a member of the Royal Guard is coming.”
A tree branch rustled above her head and she looked up to see a massive man hidden in the leaves. He grinned down at her revealing that he only had a few teeth. She briefly wondered if he had ever been an actual reverend. It seemed hard to believe. It was probably a nickname given to him for being the opposite of a reverend.
She smiled back at him just in case it would be rude not to and picked up her pace. This place was starting to make her nervous. Her stomach was churning so much that she thought she was going to be sick.
They reached the Wooden Brothel and Ian went through the swinging doors first. She took a deep breath before following him. Once her eyes adjusted to the dark room, she wasn’t surprised at what she saw. Any cowboy from the Old West would have certainly felt at home there.
The bar ran the entire length of the long wall and men and women packed it full. Tables were scattered across the floor and people sat drinking and playing poker. Cigarette smoke—and maybe smoke of another kind too—was thick in the air and she coughed.
From the second floor, she could hear laughter and the soft cooing of women. Some leaned against the stairway rail, revealing their low-cut clothing. She could only assume that was where the whores took their customers. It surprised her that there also appeared to be men whores. She wondered if they were as busy as the women were.
A large woman wearing a light pink see-through nightie sauntered over to her. Her dark brown areolas pressed tight against the material leaving no doubt that she was aroused.
“See anything you like, hon?” the woman asked as she ran her fingers over Lexi’s arm. “Maybe a double fuck for you and your man? I have just the girl. She’s real flexible and loves to bend over backward, if you know what I mean.”
Lexi felt her entire face flush. Wow, this woman was bold and could create quite the mental image.
“Uh, no thanks.”
The woman wasn’t about to give up though. “So you two would prefer one of my handsome men then? I know just whom you would like. Matthew was in the Royal Guard before he came here. How would you like to be fucked in the front by your man and fucked in the back by Matthew? See how it feels to have Sinoda’s finest fuc—”
Ian apparently had heard enough and snapped, “That’s enough, Colleen. We’re just here for a drink. Go find someone else.”
The woman, Colleen, winked. “Don’t let him fool you, honey. He and Andrew take women like that all the time.” Someone yelled her name across the room and she grabbed her breasts and shook them in the direction of the voice. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me,” she called over her shoulder as she left.
Lexi watched as Colleen went to a man sitting at the bar and unzipped his pants. She then pulled out his cock and began giving him a blowjob. Her skilled mouth worked him in and out and the man held her head in place.
Lexi’s heart began to pound as she watched Colleen sucking the man. She knew that her own pussy was growing wet and the idea aroused her more than anything did. What would it be like to do that to Ian right now? Others were doing it… Why not them?
Ian touched her arm and she made a sound of surprise and guilt. His eyes were dark with arousal too as he looked at her.
“This is not the place for that,” he said into her ear. “We must have our drink and then leave.”
She nodded and could feel her cheeks turning pink. God, what must he think of her?
He leaned over. “I’m so hard for you right now.”
To prove his point, he pressed up against her back showing how hard he was. She rubbed against him before he created a slight distance between their bodies.
“And when I get you to the palace, we are going to fuck until we can’t move,” he said as he kissed the back of her neck. “I will lay you on the feather mattress and show you how much I desire you.”
He led her to the bar and ordered them a drink as if he hadn’t just spoken those words. She wasn’t so sure she could act normal. Her heart was pounding and her knees were shaking. All around them people were engaging in various sexual acts. The room even smelled like sex mixed with smoke and alcohol.
The throbbing in her pussy had not let up as she sat on a barstool. She wanted nothing more than to rub a hand over her breasts and then move it lower…but she knew she could never do that in a room full of people.
A clock chimed on the wall and everyone around them cheered.
“What’s that?” she asked Ian, trying to get her mind off her arousal.
Ian’s face tightened. “It must be eight.”
“What does that mean?”
Before he could answer, the lights went out in the bar, leaving it completely black. Lexi couldn’t even see her hand if she held it to her face. Throughout the room, she could hear moans of pleasure and other sexual sounds.
She opened her mouth to speak when a warm hand stroked her thigh. It ran slowly down her leg and then began making its way back up, this time under her skirt.
“Ian?”
“Shhh,” he said, his breath hot against her neck. “I thought we could avoid this. You’re just going to have to go with it. I promise no one else will touch you though.”
His lips
covered hers as his hand reached her pussy. His fingers knew right where to go even in the dark. He toyed and played with her as the room grew louder with grunts and moans. She could hear the slurping sound as someone received oral sex nearby. Everything happening around them was fueling her own desire. She wanted Ian. Now.
Someone yelled, “Yes. Yes. Oh god. Yes.” repeatedly.
Ian entered a finger into her aching folds and began moving in tempo with the voice across the room. Lexi’s hips lifted to meet him and she wished he would put his dick inside her.
“I want to fuck you so bad,” he said. “But not here. Not like this. Not when so many are near.”
He pulled his finger out and then she could feel him lowering to his knees. He didn’t lift her skirt but went underneath instead, kissing her leg as he made his way up.
She leaned against the bar for support and opened her legs wide as his mouth reached her clit. He sucked and toyed with her and her head fell back in pleasure. Her hands went to her breasts and she kneaded them.
In the back of her mind, she wondered what it would be like to have Andrew there with them. Colleen had said that Ian and Andrew had done it together before. Lexi’s breath hitched in her throat at the idea. Just thinking about Ian eating her out while Andrew fondled her made her cream.
“Come for me, baby,” Ian said against her pussy. His face was slightly scratchy with a five o’clock shadow and she rubbed her bare flesh against him.
In her mind, Andrew would free her breast and suck her nipples. She pulled her breast free from the corset and ran her fingernail over her nipple but that wasn’t what she wanted. No, she needed to feel a hot tongue against her skin.
A warm breath blew on her nipple and then covered it, hot and knowing. She reached out and pulled the person closer, wanting more. Teeth grazed her nipple while phantom hands felt her other breast.
Ian fucked her pussy with his mouth while her phantom sucked her breast. Her body was no longer her own and she didn’t care. Caught up in the moment, all she could do was feel.
Her phantom pulled back and she whimpered. Before she could call him back, something clamped down on her nipple and then on the other. She suddenly felt a vibrating that shook her to her core. The phantom pulled her face into his rough hands and kissed her.
She reached down and found his cock, hard in his pants. He thrust his hips against her hand. She unbuttoned them and his dick sprang into her hand. If only she could find a way to lower herself on the barstool. Then she could pleasure her phantom as he pleasured her.
As if sensing her thoughts, her seat lowered slightly. It was all she needed. With his help, her mouth covered the head of his cock. She licked the come on the tip and then began to suck him. His hips thrust, pushing his cock deep into her mouth. She didn’t gag, though. Instead, she used her hands to tug his balls.
The vibrating at her nipples grew more intense and she bobbed her head faster in response. The man held her still as he came in her mouth. She swallowed every drop until he pulled back. His mouth caught hers and she wondered if he could taste himself on her lips.
He pressed her nipples and the vibrations sent her out of control.
“Oh,” she cried out against the man. “I can’t take any more. I’m going to come.”
The pressure in her pussy was so tight that she felt as if she were breaking.
“Come for me,” Ian urged.
“Come for me,” the phantom man said at the same time.
The words sent her over and she climaxed with a scream. Her entire body shook and she felt the juices from her pussy squirting out. Ian’s mouth was right there, sucking them up, causing her to tremble even more.
She fell back against the bar, panting in exhaustion. Gentle hands removed the nipple clamps and placed a kiss on each breast.
“Thank you,” she said as the lips brushed her own.
“It was my pleasure,” a familiar voice replied.
Her heart jumped erratically for a moment but she pushed the thought away. It couldn’t have been him. There was no way.
Ian stood and kissed her. She could feel his arousal pressed hard against her leg. Even though she had just sucked off a stranger, she wanted more. She reached out for Ian’s pants, wanting his cock in her mouth.
He stopped her, though. “We don’t have time. The lights will come back on in a few moments. Make yourself presentable. We leave as soon as possible.”
His words were clipped and to the point. He wanted to get out of there. She didn’t say anything as she put her breasts back into the corset. The material brushed against her sensitive nipples and she gasped in pleasure. A thought crossed her mind. How the hell did Andrew get to the brothel so fast?
Chapter Six
The lights flickered once in the room and then came back on. Lexi looked down, glad to see that she was presentable. As she glanced around the room, she could see others were still enjoying their not-so-private moments. Okay, it was probably a good thing that Ian had stopped things when he had. Some of the onlookers were getting a lot of enjoyment out of watching and it made her uncomfortable. Andrew was nowhere to been seen, which surprised her. Where had he gone? She was relieved he wasn’t there though, and maybe a little disappointed…
A man standing near the doorway caught her eye. He wore a red and black uniform, much like the ringmaster at a circus would wear. His tall, muscular form looked odd in his outfit though, much like a child who had outgrown his favorite get-up but refused to change. With his long, curly hair, he looked wild. He bowed at the waist to her and smiled showing off his very white teeth.
She found herself smiling back and asked Ian, “Who is he?”
Ian followed her gaze and replied, “That’s Hank, the lion tamer. He is no one of concern.” He laid a few gold coins on the bar and said, “We need to get out of here. We’ve already lost so much time.”
His words rubbed her the wrong way and she replied, “Sorry.” She dragged the word out so he knew she wasn’t sorry.
The man, Hank, smiled again and stepped outside the saloon as if he knew she was upset. Ian walked through the doors and she followed him. Twilight quickly took over the sky, rushing the sun away. It was eerie how the darkness seemed more intense in the woods than at the compound.
She wasn’t surprised to see Hank leaning against the building. He almost blended into the shadows but his glowing yellow eyes gave him away.
“Good evening, officer,” he said to Ian.
Ian called over his shoulder, “We don’t have time for you, lion tamer. Go bother someone else.”
Hank caught up with them and said, “Word around the watering hole is that you two are trying to get to Sapphire City without the Witches knowing.”
That made Ian stop and Lexi could tell by the stillness in his eyes that he was angry. Word seemed to travel fast in the realm.
“And who do you hear this from?”
Hank lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Around. Word also says that Sully has been captured and that Horace is dead by your hand.”
His tone held blame for Ian. She wanted to defend him but she knew it would be useless. This man could not be won over easily. She wasn’t sure how she knew this but she did. Then his words registered with her and she held back a gasp.
“Sully’s been captured?” Lexi asked in horror.
She prayed that her question gave nothing away but she had to know. He had been so kind to her. If it were true, that would mean he was the second to be lost because of her. Guilt made it hard to breathe. She wasn’t worth people losing their lives over.
Hank nodded to her and said, “Yes, ma’am. That’s what I heard today.” He turned to Ian. “Did you kill Horace?”
A muscle ticked in Ian’s jaw as he said, “Horace died long before my bullet killed him and you know it.”
“Ah, so it is true, but others don’t see it that way. Some say you committed murder. There are some who want an example made of the king and his Royal Guard,” Hank said slowly.
“You know, just as an example was made of the Circus and their ringmaster.”
Lexi looked back and forth between the men. Underlying tones suggested more that wasn’t being said. She knew one thing though—she didn’t want Ian to be hurt.
“Hank, you know I had no choice but to take Brian in. He was involved in the murder of the queen.”
Hank’s eyes flashed and he replied, “You don’t know that for sure. He would have never—” He stopped talking and smiled slowly. “I’m not here to relive the past. And I am most certainly not here to listen to you soil Brian’s name by speaking it. I am here to help you two, though. You can’t travel the path to the south.”
“And why not?” Ian asked, steel in his voice.
“Because you’ll be killed. As we speak, a mob is forming there, led by your old mate, Matthew. You did see him in the saloon, didn’t you? He wasn’t happy to see you and, well, you know how word spreads in this area. And people know that the woman who travels with you is valuable—”
Ian grabbed Hank and slammed him against a tree. Lexi ran over to the two and grabbed onto Ian’s arm.
“Ian. Don’t hurt him. It won’t do any good.”
She knew Hank spoke the truth. She could feel it in her bones. She also knew they needed a new plan now. Ian let Hank go and stepped away from him.
“We need a new plan, Ian,” she said. “Come on. We can work this out.”
He shook his head. “There is no other way. We’ll go back to the compound and wait for more soldiers to travel with us.”
His shoulders sagged in defeat.
“No. There has to be another way.”
She couldn’t stand to see that look in his eyes.
“There is another way,” Hank said as he leaned against a tree.
She turned to him. “Which way. Tell us.”
A smile lifted the corners of Hank’s mouth as he said, “Through the forest and past the Enchanted Fields. Quite simple, really.”
Ian’s head snapped up at the mention of the fields. He wasn’t sure what game Hank was up to but he wasn’t about to find out.
