Bang Lords Box Set (4 Book Series includes All Bonus Chapters)

by Dani Stowe

  “I’m also a managing partner at NIM.” His face falls flat and he raises his chin as he says this. It makes me uneasy. So much pride. It’s intimidating.

  I see he has a comb, so I pick it up to run through my hair. His mouth curves upward like he’s a happy monkey, watching me groom myself, and I blush warmly beneath my cooling wet head.

  His watch, which he’s laid out on the counter, distracts me and I guess with the mention of NIM, I can’t help but think of my sister. I look back into the mirror. “Do you see Loulah at work?”

  “Um...” He looks down, shuffling his feet, which is odd. “Yes, I see her.”

  “Would you believe tonight is the first night I’ve seen my sister in years? And as much as I call her, she never talks to me.” I stop combing to look Tiny straight in the eyes through his reflection. “You know. Because of Nick.”

  Tiny looks to the floor, once more unfolding his arms and placing his hands in his pockets while biting his lips between his teeth. “Mhm.”

  It’s clear he’s not going to talk about my sister with me. It breaks my heart, but I’m not going to worry about her. I’ve tried long enough to stay engaged and she’s a grown woman. Not to mention, I have other worries.

  I sigh looking at my reflection. My rosy-colored round nipples show through the loose, thin white shirt. I place the comb back to where I found it. Looking up, I find Tiny’s reflection in the mirror and smile. “I’m glad we ran into each other. Amos Lee is still my favorite, but I really do have to go.” I’m reluctant to reach for the bathroom door though I must go. I only have a few hours left to make money tonight. I pull the door open and—

  “I don’t think so,” he says, coming up from behind to wrap one arm around my waist and lift me. The ape is back once again.

  Tiny carries me through his cave despite my opposition and he tosses me on his bamboo platform bed. He then climbs in with me, pulling me to lay down with him. We struggle a little, though I don’t fight back too hard. I’m exhausted. The next thing I know, he’s spooning me. He puffs on my hair heavily to blow the tendrils out of his face while I try to escape him with a few tugs and even a bite. But he just chuckles and grunts like a true gorilla, as if I’m his plaything and whatever fight I put up is not only expected but pure entertainment for him.

  He hooks his thick muscular leg around mine and now I’m trapped. The ape yawns behind me. It makes me yawn, too.

  “Sleep,” he commands.

  “Tiny, I—”

  “You want another spank?” He snakes his hand around my arms and chest, crushing me with the weight of his arm. “I said sleep.”

  Chapter 7

  Dontyne

  I hear shuffling, like rummaging. Someone is going through my stuff. It’s not typical when I’ve brought a client back for therapy and she’s stayed the night. Usually, clients are exhausted and it’s my shuffling that awakens them, but the memory of bringing Nancy back last night enters my mind. I open one eye slightly to spy.

  Nancy tiptoes back and forth in the kitchen trying to be quiet as she goes through my drawers. She picks up my wallet from the kitchen island; it’s already open, as if she’s already gone through it once, and rummages between the folds before putting it down.

  She races on her tiptoes to my closet and I can hear her fingers fumbling through clothing in search of what I can only guess is money. After a few minutes and a few whispered curse words, she races on her tiptoes back to the kitchen island where she picks up my wallet again.

  “I don’t have any cash in there,” I announce, rising.

  “Tiny,” she exhales turning pale. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. Um...” she heads towards the door and grabs one of my gray workout zip-up hoodies, which she crinkles her nose at because I’m sure it wreaks of gym sweat, but she slips it on anyway. “I have to get going. I have something I have to attend to.” She reaches for the door handle.

  “Wait. Please wait.” I beg, quickly climbing off the bed despite my heavy heart. “I have something for you.”

  I head to the one piece of art I have hanging on the wall and pull it down, placing it on the floor. I spin the dial to my safe—right, left, right again—and open the door to pull out a stuffed manila envelope lined with bubble wrap. I walk towards Nancy stopping at the kitchen island to pull out some business cards and squeeze the cards into the sides of the envelope. I hold the envelope out to Nancy.

  “It’s ten thousand. That’s all I have on me right now, but if you need more, I can—”

  “Tiny, stop,” she waves her hand then plants her face in her palm. I can see tears ready to leak from the corner of her eyes between her fingers. “I don’t need all that. I just need sixty dollars plus enough for a cab and maybe...” She sniffles.

  “Maybe what?”

  “Maybe five bucks for... lunch money. So, I don’t know... ninety-five dollars, maybe?”

  My head feels hot. Did I just hear her correctly? “A hundred bucks?”

  “Ninety-five,” she corrects, looking at me with needy eyes and nodding.

  “You mean to tell me you were going to shake your ass all over some stranger last night for a measly hundred bucks?”

  “Of course not. I would’ve made a lot more than that, but right now, I need to pay...”

  She pauses.

  I’m desperate to know. “Pay who? Pay what?”

  She closes her eyes and shakes her head. A tear falls down her cheek. “I can’t. Just forget it.”

  She turns from me and I grab her arm. “Take the money.”

  “Tiny, I don’t want your money. I’m not taking all of that.” She tries to open the door and I put my hand on it.

  “Take the money. It’s yours.”

  “No.”

  “Fine,” I growl and pull the cash from the envelope. She watches me closely as I separate two bills. She really does need the hundred for something. I take the separated bills and put them back in the envelope then attempt to hand the envelope to her. “There’s two hundred along with my business card printed with my private number as well as the card of each of my partners. If you’re ever in trouble and I’m unreachable, you can call any member of NIM and they will assist you.”

  Nancy finally takes the envelope, pulling it to her chest and turns to face the door again.

  I lean up against the door. “Hold on a minute.”

  She wiggles at the door handle. “I have to go, Tiny. I’m going to be late.”

  “Dinner. Tonight.”

  “I can’t. I’m going to have to work. I didn’t work last night.”

  “At the club?”

  She swallows hard, still staring at the handle. “I don’t have a choice.”

  I grab the envelope from her hand and shove the wad of cash—ten grand—back in the envelope then press it along with both her hands to her chest. “Now you do have a choice.” I reach for the door handle and open the door for her. “When you get downstairs, I’ll have a car waiting for you to take you home. I’ll also be at your home at seven this evening to take you out to dinner if you choose to accompany me. I hope you choose me this time, Nancy, but the money is yours regardless. You’re free to do what you want with it.”

  “Free?” she questions as if the word is foreign to her.

  Nancy steps slowly out the door, staring at the ground. She pulls her hair behind her ear before she turns to face me from the hall. “Tiny, I’m sorry for what happened to you years ago. I mean it. No one deserves to get put in the hospital like that, especially not you. For what’s it’s worth, Dickie did go to jail a few years later for something similar. He hurt another kid really bad to the point the kid died days later in the hospital. I often think that could’ve been you. From the bottom of my heart, Tiny, I hope you know how truly sorry I am that you were hurt as badly as you were.”

  I put my hand in my pocket. I’m still wearing my slacks from last night. The little container that normally holds the Bang rolls between my fingers and I shake it but there�
��s no sound. It’s empty and I smile.

  “I know how sorry you are.” I pull the hoodie tighter over her chest and zip it up before I turn her towards the elevator and lightly tap her ass. “Believe me, Nancy, I know.”

  “Get your fucking ass in my office right now!” roars Nick.

  The speaker intermittently clips his voice; he’s yelling so loud into the opposite end of the phone line. “And get your fucking geek friends in here as well,” he orders and hangs up.

  I look down at my watch: 10:10 a.m. I’m only ten minutes into this session.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Smith, I’m going to have to cut our session short today. I have an emergency upstairs that needs my attention.”

  Ms. Smith’s gaze follows me as I stand. She opens her knees slightly. “But we’re not done here.”

  I smile, gleefully. “No, we’re not, and please accept my apology. I am very sorry about this. You did, however, sign an agreement with the understanding that we may, on occasion, get interrupted by the affairs of NIM, which takes precedent.” I reach my hand out to her, encouraging her to stand. “I hope you understand.”

  Ms. Smith, a lovely Caucasian woman with short blonde hair dressed in a plain, full-length tan dress that makes her look like she’s going on safari, continues to sit, which is wonderful, really. She might be a good candidate for a ten-day, live-in recovery program although I have a waitlist for which I do not see an opening for at least another twenty-two months.

  Ms. Smith sighs, stands, and grins. “Will you at least be in class tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” I smile, genuinely. “I’m your defense instructor for tomorrow, so be prepared to sweat.”

  Ms. Smith’s cheeks blush crimson. Her smile widens, exposing her cracked front tooth—the result of a punch to the face by her ex. I’m thrilled Ms. Smith, a once-battered woman, has found the courage to finally smile again.

  I escort her to the door and call out to Charlotte sitting out front. “Ms. Prescott, can you please reschedule our session for today?”

  “Sure,” Charlotte smiles warmly at my client and I walk past the ladies to head towards the elevator. “Uh, Mr. Nine?” Charlotte calls so I swivel to look at her. “You need to hurry up. Nick’s already called three times.”

  I glower at Charlotte. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She shrugs, ignoring my question and turns to Ms. Smith.

  I curse under my breath and skip to the elevator. Three times? Nick’s called Charlotte three times in addition to a call on my cell while I was in a session. Something very serious is going on and I wonder if this has anything to do with the Nines who stayed behind at the club last night.

  I look at my watch: 10:15 a.m.

  I think about last night, about Nancy on stage and then later in my arms. She seems broken, like a real doll—empty on the inside.

  I think about this morning. I didn’t want her to go. I would’ve loved it if she stayed. I might’ve even called in sick, but as a psychologist and therapist even I know I can’t force myself into her life. I actually thought about tying her up to my bed so she’d be there when I got back from work—the thought thrilled me—but I’d be no better than the assailants who batter the women I’ve devoted my life to helping, with the exception of Nancy’s sister, of course, which is a special case.

  I can’t seem to find a way to help Loulah. Even with repeated attempts, I can’t break into the unhealthy dynamic shared between Loulah and Nick. I have tried to talk to Loulah about getting help as much as I’ve tried to convince Nick, but she’s in as much denial as Nick is about what’s going on between them. I can’t help either of them unless at least one makes the choice to get help.

  I think about the offer I made to Nancy this morning. I’m wishing, hoping with every ounce of my being, that Nancy will choose to meet me. The idea that she might go back to the club tonight is driving me mad! I think I’m just as madly in love with her as I was years ago. With love, real love, we are always bad at making choices and if I had a choice, I think I might just put that girl in a cage and keep her all to myself.

  For the first time, I believe I feel the same way some of my clients do—not having a choice—too consumed by my affections for another. Nancy could easily hurt me and I’d let her if she really wanted to.

  Truth be told, I have never been in a loving relationship. And damn do I want to be—with Nancy. It’s amazing how all my high school dreams of marrying my crush come flooding back so easily. I’m starting to believe that a real relationship between might be somewhat unhealthy. She did do wrong by me once. The memory makes me uncomfortable with myself. I want to get back at her in some way. Teach her a lesson. Love her and when she least expects it, ravage her until she’s delirious and as savage as me. I want to fuck her until she has no memory of who we were or how she left me. I want to bring her to a climax so hard, it robs her mind of all thought, all memory, all consciousness. When I’m done with her, I want her to be left to contemplate nothing but what I feed into her body, her soul, and her mind, which will be me...

  And my seed.

  That was our initial intention when Nick decided to buy out his father’s company—to lure the Cunt Squad into loving us back somehow. It seems so silly looking back, but we were so very serious about the whole thing. We were convinced, as most young people are, that we could do anything. We said we would stop at nothing to prove we were worthy of their love because saving those girls from a fire was clearly not enough. It was like we had to die in that fire and become reborn into bigger, better men while the women had to endure what we had as boys—torture and turmoil.

  I look at my watch: 10:25 a.m.

  At seven p.m. tonight I’ll be the last to face the test. I will be the last of the four to know whether or not if I’m worthy of this woman’s love, the woman I know was intended for me and I hope will save me this time. Because if she doesn’t, I will be forced to face a nameless beast, the same beast Nick’s always talking about in the story he’s always referring to—the Lord of the Flies.

  If I do not pass the test, if Nancy does not meet me, I fear I will not only be left to live out my days as a lonely wanderer, but I will become an outcast among my friends, among NIM. And I don’t want that. The last thing I want is to be sacrificed with the rest of humanity, all of whom will soon become pawns in Nick’s sick game of power.

  The Bang. I recognize Nick’s plot now. He asked me to write two papers during our introduction as teenagers: one paper on sexual development and the other on anger management. Developing the drug was never just about NIM making a claim to the Cunt Squad. It was also about extracting deep-rooted truths about humanity—mainly fear. I believe Nick wants to change the dynamics of social inequality. Nick want to ruin the strong so no one will be beyond his control.

  Ding. The elevator sounds. Damn. I was psychoanalyzing. Again.

  Chapter 8

  Dontyne

  Attempting to step out of the open doors, I come to a halt, bumping into a man, who I look down upon.

  “Excuse me, sir,” he looks up to me. His smile is infectious, he’s quite happy and I smile back at the elderly gentleman wearing khakis and a dark green, short-sleeved, button-up shirt, which is putting off a feminine perfume.

  Odd.

  The two of us waddle side to side, back and forth until we are both laughing, each trying to move out of the other’s way when I realize the man smells like flowers. Hmm. He’s just delivered flowers.

  I walk into the hall and turn towards Nick’s office when I see Loulah. Her knees bend and bounce joyfully. Her shoulders move up and down behind a jumbo-sized bouquet of enormous pink flowers. I quickly make my approach. I’m very curious as to the cause of such a pleasant sight. I’ve not seen Taloulah Berkeley dance so happily in such a long time.

  “Hey Loulah, what’s the occasion?”

  She peeps out, cheeks as pink as the flowers she’s holding. “It’s my birthday,” she smiles. The corners of her mouth touch her ears.


  “Wow! Happy Birthday. I’m sorry I didn’t realize today was your day.”

  At this moment, I do realize what an asshole I am. If there were ever a girl I should call my friend, it would be Taloulah and after all this time, I don’t think I’d ever gotten her a birthday gift. But then again, she’s Nick’s and who knows what disaster would come of such a small gesture, even between friends.

  “Those are lovely,” I mention with a genuine smile.

  “Did Nick get those for you?” a voice from behind me resounds. I turn my head to see Elliot with Jaxon right behind, each Nine with one hand in his pocket.

  “No,” Loulah says sternly, her pink cheeks drain to a pale white. “I’d better put these up before he sees them,” she says with a turn and nearly trips with the sudden click of Nick’s door opening.

  “You!” Nick points right at me. “We need to talk.”

  What the hell did I do? I scratch my head. I hate feeling like I’m about to get in trouble and I’m a grown man.

  Nick appears ready to scold me for something but he becomes distracted by the unavoidable display of blossoms. He shuts his office door behind him and walks right up to Loulah.

  “What’s this?” he questions, bitterness in his undertone. His fiery eyes gloss over the huge heap of pink held tightly in Loulah’s hands.

  She buries her face into the petals. “Flowers.”

  Nick backs the bouquet away from Loulah’s nose, puts his hands back in his pocket, and leans his head to creep into her line of sight. “I know they’re flowers, Lou. Who fucking gave them to you?”

  Jaxon and Elliot sway with discomfort at Nick’s tone and I clear my throat. “I did. I got them for her. It’s her birthday.”

  Why I am lying—I have no idea.

  “I know it’s her birthday,” Nick grits, flicking a backhand across my shoulder. “Don’t you think I know it’s Lou’s birthday?” His eyes narrow as he looks me over. “Tell me, Mr. Nine, if you bought her these flowers then what kind are they?”