by Eric Asher
“What’s your name, handsome?” she purred to me. Looking at me with those hypnotic hazel eyes, I stood there like a lump on a log, unable to talk or even move an inch.
She winked at me before grabbing my hand and pulling me into her. “Cat got you tongue?” Oh, God her breath smelled so good. Still, I said nothing. She had me pinned up against her breasts.
“All right, since you won’t speak, let’s go have a little fun, tiger.” It was then I finally found my voice.
“My name,” I cleared my throat, “my name is Ronin.”
“Hmmm.” She smirked. “Ronin, huh? Such a powerful name for a little tiger like yourself.”
“Listen,” I said as I tried to get my manhood back. “I can absolutely guarantee you I’m no little tiger.”
“Actions speak louder than words. Why don’t we get out of here so you can show me what the little tiger is packing.” She slammed her drink down on the bar and led me out. That, by far, was the best night of my life. The woman left nothing to my imagination, making all my wildest fantasies come true. The thing I didn’t know was she would be the end of me, leading me into a dark world that now consumes me. It’s one of the main reasons why I sat there in front of Faith washing her body and caring for her the way I do. Maybe one day she can know the truth, but now, all I can do his keep her safe.
FAITH
Usually, when Ronin touched me, fire burned within my body. However, today something had changed. He was looking at me as though I’m a child. A child he needed to care for instead of a woman he possessed.
“Ronin, you okay?” I asked him, entirely frustrated at this point.
“Yes, why?” He proceeded to soap up my back, lightly touching me so I didn't scream in pain.
“The way you looked at me just then like I’m child.”
“Technically, you are a child, Faith.” He paused as if trying to gather himself. “It’s just I feel sorry sometimes for bringing you into this. You’re too delicate to be in this world. When I first met you, there was a pure quality to you. Now, you look tired, confused, yet just as beautiful as the day I met you. Look at what happened here, Faith.” He turned away from me.
I turned him to face me again. “I chose this life. I chose to be in this with you. You know I enjoy this and nothing ordinary would have been fitting for me. Destiny was set forth in my life, knowing there was no room for me to be anything more than what I am.”
“And what is that, Faith? Most men only look at you like a high-class whore. Someone who they can do whatever they want to. Look at what he did to you. You can’t go around and kill everyone who harms you.” He deadpanned.
“Look, I can do whatever the hell I want to do.” My voice rose in anger. Who the heck did he think he was telling me what I can and can’t do? “This is my life that I chose. The fact is, I love my life. I’m happy I was able to slash that asshat’s throat. He deserved so much more than that, but I cut in desperation. There is no telling what he has done to other girls, so in essence you should be thanking me for saving others from him.” I pointed out the door so he could see him lying beside the bed.
He sighed. “You’re right, Faith. You are a grown woman and have the right to choose your own life. I will say this one will be a hard one to cover up. Let me finish washing you so I can get the ball rolling on making this go away.” He continued down my front side, ending with washing my hair. “Damn, Faith, your hair is full of blood. This may take a bit to get it all out.” The realization of the situation hit me just then. I had actually killed another person even if it was in self-defense. Although I did like the sensation of slicing his throat—it gave me such an adrenaline rush. Well, at least I knew he wouldn't hurt anymore girls or women. What did he think was going to happen?
“Ronin, why would he want to beat me with a belt? I know you do, but that’s something between us. That man didn't know me from Adam.”
“It made him feel in control. It made him feel as if he possessed you and that he was stronger than you were. The thing is some people are into the rough sex scene. He should have cleared that with me before he booked you. I would have never sent him to you. He would have gone to Ruth or Cindy. Those two love stuff like that. There. I think I got it all. Let’s get you dry and dressed.” Ronin turned off the shower and towel dried us both. That was the way he took care of me, always taking care of me. He stroked my hair, and then he pulled a pair of panties from my bag. I always brought extra clothes with me just in case I needed them. He held them out for me to step into.
“Once we get out of here, I’m taking you to the hospital to get your back looked at. Damn, Faith, it’s awful. I don’t even hit you this hard.” His jaw clenched as he handed me a clean shirt and jeans to put on.
“I’ll be okay. No need for hospitals. Besides, my dad may be on rounds. Someone will alert him if I come into the ER.”
“Never thought about that. Well, we need to have someone look at it so it doesn’t get infected.” He quivered at the thought of it.
“All I want is for you to take me home, Ronin. I’m tired and just want to get the hell out of here.” I tried not to throw up on him. “This night has been very exhausting.”
“Go down to the lobby and have a drink while I figure out what to do. You’re not due to check out until morning, so we have a little time to spare.” He reached for his wallet and pulled out a few bills handing them to me. I didn’t want his money. “Take it and go, Faith.” I took the money and stormed out of the room thinking how on earth was he going to take care of this.
RONIN
She didn’t want the money I forced on her. Faith was always very independent. Gets it from her mother, I’d guess. After she had left, I surveyed the room shaking my head at the amount of blood that was splattered everywhere. There was only one person I could think of who could make this thing go away. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number praying she would answer. The phone rang and I heard that sweet, sweet voice.
“Nykoda here,” she sang
“Yeah, it’s me and we have an enormous problem.”
“I’ve told you, Ronin, never to call me on this phone.” Her voice became angry causing me to flinch at her tone.
“I didn’t have a choice. Faith did it again, and I have no clue as to what to do. This time it’s messy,” I told her.
She didn’t answer right off causing me to think she had hung up. “How is it messy?” she finally spoke.
“She slit the guy’s throat, Nykoda. The guy’s throat.” I repeated, “There’s blood everywhere.”
“What the hell, Ronin?” she screamed at me. “You’re supposed to keep her under control. It’s the exact reason why I sent her to you. You said you’d be able to handle her.”
She was pissed, and an angry Nykoda was not pretty. The last guy who pissed her off, she shot square between the eyes. But I was her golden boy. The person she looked to the most to take care of things. So she’d never hurt me, right? No woman ever scared me the way she did, not even Faith. “Yeah, you did, but how was I supposed to know the creep was going to try to beat her. He beat her so badly I now have to find a doctor to look at it with no questions asked.”
She cursed. She actually cursed, which was out of character for her, which made me even more scared. You could say I’d lost my man card when I met her, but shoot—you work for her and see if you still had it. “Give me a couple of hours and I’ll take care of this. Give me the information to the hotel.” I gave it to her. “Listen, Ronin, you better keep a close eye on her for the next few days. And what I mean by that is she doesn’t leave your sight. No more clients for her until I’ve gotten this taken care of—do you understand me?” she asked.
“Yes, Nykoda, I understand. I’ll call you in a few days.” With that, she hung up without saying goodbye. I gathered everything I could find of Faith’s including the condom hanging on Mr. Kirkwood’s penis. I didn’t know if she had actually had sex with him or not, but no sense in taking any chances. Once I had all o
f her things gathered, I took one last look before feeling confident I had everything. I met up with Faith in the bar asking her to follow me out to my car. I never let my girls drive to meet clients just in case one of them met up with a stalker. They were allotted a certain amount every month for cab fare. Faith followed me with an expression on her face I couldn’t quite make out. It was a mix of anger and frustration.
“Are you mad at me, Ronin?” she asked me
“I’m not mad.” I paused a moment as I opened the door for her. “I know why you did it, but I was just taken aback by all the blood.”
“Wasn’t it wonderful?” She smiled and clapped. She actually clapped. “I’ve never seen blood splatter like that.”
“Neither have I.” I shut the door and walked around the other side throwing her stuff in the back seat before I entered.
“So, umm... What happens now?”
“Now we wait until I get a phone call in the next few days. Until then, you are to have no clients and you’re going to be staying with me.” Her eyes lit up in delight.
“What happens in a few days?” she asked.
“Don’t know. All I know is I’m supposed to keep a close eye on you until this blows over. Now buckle up so we can go.” After she had been buckled, we took off in the direction of my place. We rode in comfortable silence until we pulled into my driveway. My house was one of the things I was most proud of. I lived in a gated community with huge brick houses. Mine was the last on the street facing the river. It was my escape from my crazy life. Faith had only been to my house a handful of times and each time, it took an act of God to get her to leave. She said she felt at peace in my home, which made me smile. I pulled into the garage cutting the engine before stepping out. Faith followed suit grabbing her stuff from the back.
She smiled at me. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Make yourself at home. Looks like we’re going to be cooped up together for a while. You can take your things to the spare bedroom down the hall to the left.” She frowned
“I, umm.” She paused. “I thought we’d stay in your room together.” Her questioned look worried me. Every other time she stayed with me was in my bed. This time I needed to be away from her to clear my head.
“Not tonight… I just need some time to sort everything out. The boss was not happy when I had to call. Basically blamed me for this entire situation.”
“That’s ridiculous. This entire thing is my fault. I’m the one who killed him, not you” My phone rang with Nykoda’s name flashing across the screen. “Is that the boss?” she questioned me. I nodded to her. “Let me talk and explain everything.”
“No. You get settled and let me take it,” I said kissing her forehead and pushing her in the direction of the guest room.
I waited until I heard the door latch before I answered. “Nykoda?”
“Why did you take so long to answer?”
“I had to wait until Faith left the room.” I peeked around the corner to make sure the door was still shut. I settled myself onto the stool facing the breakfast bar. My head began to throb from all the day’s activities.
“Well, is she now secure?”
“Yeah, she’s in my guest bedroom. So what did you find out?”
“Don’t take that tone with me, boy… You’re the reason we are in this mess.” Her voice grew more and more irritated as the conversation proceeded. “You should know what type of men you are sending my girls to, Ronin. Do I need to get someone else to do your job? I don’t have time to babysit you.”
“No, ma’am.” I tried to sound calm. “Tell me what I need to do.”
“Keep sitting tight. I have a crime scene cleaner who owes me a favor. They are on the way over to start cleaning up the mess. As for the body being deposed of, Julian will be taking care of that.”
“Julian? You brought in JULIAN?” I yelled.
“Why not Julian? He will get the job done.” Julian had been gunning for my position for a couple of years now. The man was ruthless, and he would stop at nothing to get his way.
“Julian will hack that man up and burn the body.”
“That is exactly what we need. Listen, I’ll call you back when everything is done.” She hung up without a goodbye AGAIN. I was rubbing circles on my temples when I heard Faith walk into the kitchen.
“You all right? I heard you yelling from the bedroom.” She pushed my hands down to take over rubbing my temples. Damn, she smelled good.
“Yeah, everything is just fine and dandy.”
“Come on.” She pushed me off the stool and towards my bedroom. Oh, hell, that was all I needed to see; Faith naked. If that happened, all bets were off that I wouldn't make her mine at least for the night.
FAITH
My intentions were to relieve the stress I had caused him. No better way of doing that than with my body. Ronin loved my body and once told me he worshiped it. All the yelling he was doing on the phone had me worried about my future. If I still even had a future.
From what I hear, the boss could be pretty ruthless and you didn't want to be on her bad side. When this happened before, Ronin was able to take care of the situation without calling in for help. He had stuffed drugs down the girl's throat to make it seem like she overdosed. The truth was she had slipped in some water, hit her head, and died. Ronin believed I hit her, which in secret, I did because she was coming after me with a room lamp. All of this happened because she found out her husband had an affair with me. I tried to explain to her that he had hired me, and I didn’t actively seek out a married man.
To be honest, I knew very little about my clients other than what type of fantasies they wanted. She deceived Ronin into believing it was her husband who booked the session using the online website tools. Women, let me tell you something—if your man is cheating on you, don’t go after the woman. Go after the man. Nine times out of ten, the woman has no idea the man is either married or in a relationship. You make yourself look foolish when you go after the woman. What is that going to solve? I will answer that for you—absolutely nothing. Nothing but heartache. Look at what happened to that poor woman—she ended up dead. I digress, back to the God standing before me. His eyes became hooded as he undressed me with his eyes.
“Let me take care of you tonight. I don’t want you to stress over this.” He nodded standing there in a daze.
He turned to me with widened eyes at the sensation of what was about to happen. “Are you sure you want to do this? Once we enter the room, there is no turning back. Tonight has been a big ordeal for you, and I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“You’ve never taken advantage of me, Ronin. I want to do this, to be the one you lean one. I know my body will help you de-stress.” I smiled up at him as he led me into his room. Ronin’s room screamed masculinity from dark gray walls to the four post mahogany bed frame. I loved his room. It made me feel at home. Shoot, I loved him.
“If you’re sure.” He shut the door behind him turning the lock into place. He gave me a devilish smile telling me we were in for lots of fun.
I spent the majority of the night pleasing him, taking him to new heights of our physical relationship. I lay awake looking up at the ceiling thinking about what my life had become. Thinking about where I wanted my life to lead. The only thing I knew was I didn’t want to end up like my parents. Even though they had the ideal relationship. Come to think of it, I never even heard them argue. It would seem I would want to model my relationships after my parents. But I didn’t, knowing their relationship lacked fire or the spark one should have to make it last.
That was what Ronin and I had. He started to stir in his sleep making me look over to the beautiful man sleeping next me. The one thing I knew for certain about my future was that Ronin would always be a part of it. He made me feel like a woman; desired, beautiful, and strong. Made me feel like I could do anything and that the sky was the limit. Deep down, he felt I didn’t belong in this life, but I knew I did. I belonged with him no
matter what he said or tried to do.
There had been several times he tried to get me to go back to school, or better yet, to go back to my parents. Days like this made me wish I had friends to talk to. Someone who could possibly understand what I was going through. Ronin was the closest I was going to have that could possibly understand that I wasn’t a typical woman.
“Why are you staring at me?” His eyes popped open catching me gazing at him.
“Nothing, just thinking about my life and where I go from here.”
“Faith it’s five o’clock in the morning. Isn’t it a little early to be thinking that deep? I know the last twenty-four hours have been a whirlwind, but just relax. Okay? Everything will be okay.” He stroked my cheek making me feel all soft and squishy inside.
“I know. Let’s go back to sleep.” He pulled me close as I felt myself drift into a deep sleep.
NYKODA
Jesus, how do I keep employing these idiots to run my escort service? For a long while, I thought Ronin was it and would make it so I would be able to retire in a few years. Repeatedly, he has proved to be a constant disappointment. And this incident with Faith made me more disappointed in him than I ever was. My career as a lawyer takes me away from my primary role in my service. How did an attorney become owner of one of the cities affluent escort services, you ask?
I was in my freshman year of college when my parents suddenly died in a car accident, leaving me unable to pay my college tuition. From the time I was a little girl, my dream was to be a corporate attorney. My parents encouraged it, especially since both of them were lawyers.
I remembered my father taking me to his office and setting me down in his oversized chair practicing his closing arguments with me. At that age, I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I loved his mannerisms. He stood tall, in a suit, making loud remarks, making his point come across so eloquently. I remember being in awe and wanting to be just like him. Before he died in the car crash, my father had an eighty-seven percent conviction rate making him one of the most successful lawyers in our fair state.
