What a sick and twisted joke.
At first, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Cain sitting in the audience at the Midnight Raven. I hardly recognized him in an outfit that didn’t fully consist of black and leather. This was the place where I came to escape all of the fucking fiascos that Lorenzo Gonzalez put me through on a daily basis, and now my biggest thorn in my side was here in civilian clothing. His eyes stayed locked on me as I danced, and I was unable to escape them. I could feel them burning into the back of my head. And, I assume that this is all some ploy for him to be able to frisk me at a time that we have no business seeing one another.
I pushed Cain down into the chair, turning him to face this group of people who probably had no clue who or what he actually was…
With a hand rested tentatively on his shoulder, I turned to signal the DJ to start playing one of the most fitting songs for this particular dance.
As the beat picks up, I slipped further away from him and begin to step flirtatiously around the others, who in all fairness, seemed to really like Cain.
Eyes fluttering and hips swaying.
Then I double back to Cain and place my hands on his knees, bending to show his friends my ass while I stare menacingly into his eyes, “You asshole.” I whispered curtly.
Something in his silence felt different, and his face held an expression that I had never seen on this wretched man’s face before.
It was something almost kind. Though a disturbing level of alert protectiveness also hovered as it always seemed to in my presence. It was like he was on edge, waiting for shit to hit the fan…
I narrowed my eyes with the sound of Gin’s raspy voice, and returned to the table of his friends behind me, crawling toward the older man who looked to be the boss. A seductive and saccharine smile on my face as I dipped, close enough to his face to feel his hitched breathing on my lips.
I smirked and pulled away, reaching up and tangling my hands in my hair as I stepped slowly back towards Cain. My gaze hunting and hungry as I searched his body.
Saying that he wasn’t attractive would be a load of bullshit, I had danced on far worse looking men. But he… he had hurt me worse than any other man in my life had hurt me. It was his fault that I was so fucked up now. So, as I slipped my legs over his waist and rolled my hips into his very obvious erection, I found solace in the way he squirmed beneath me.
The helplessness in his eyes grew and he leaned his head back against the plush of the chair. It almost felt like he was pulling himself into it to escape my touch.
This only made me want to hunt him more.
I dipped my head low and placed my lips beneath his ear, “You’re a fucking dick for hunting me down here. And then to have the nerve to claim it’s your birthday”
He closed his eyes tight, his breath hitching as he whispered in return. “I-it is my birthday.”
How fucking annoying.
I pulled my face from his soft tattooed skin and grabbed his brown hair, tangling my fingers in the small curls that I had seldom seen without the cover of his stupid beanie. I pressed his face into my chest as I rolled my hips against his, though I could feel his hands press against the flesh of my stomach, as if to hold me at bay.
I growl, “your friends are watching. They paid me. We better give them a show.”
His head jolted lightly in a quick shake, “no. Rule number one-”
“Fuck the rules, Cain.” I hissed, “We aren’t Lorenzo’s fucking pets right now. I told you to act like you fucking like this.”
Cain’s resolve wavered, and he allowed his hands to drop to his sides as I peeled away from him and turned myself in his lap. My ass was now perched against his erection as I leaned forward and pulled his large hands up to rest on my waist.
His skin against my own sent warm flutters into my chest.
As he grew more comfortable, I could feel his grip tighten…causing my own stutter as I watched the way his tight, ink covered hands were gripping at my skin.
I nearly missed my cue for the next move of my dance, because as I pulled away to release myself from his grip, they lingered for a few seconds longer.
The absence of his hands now felt irregular as I continued to dance for him. Despite all of the lust he had plastered on his face, that painful reminder of uncertainty lingered in his eyes, and I could tell he wasn’t looking at me completely.
He never looked at me completely, not even when he was supposed to! How could he see my need for him if he never even looked at me?
Need…?
I couldn’t even begin to think that I needed Cain… That I needed anyone…
Could it be the way his hands held so tightly to my hips?
Their lingering warmth as I pulled away?
Maybe it was the fact that I felt genuinely pissed that he only called me the once last night.
I glanced back at him.
His eyes still felt distant, almost as if his body coursed with exhaustion. Had he even slept since last night? I cupped his face in my hands and pulled him to look at me, the beading of a few sleep-hungry tears at the far corners of his eyes as he stared those dazzling blue’s directly into my soul.
For a moment, the world stood still.
It took everything within me not to forgive him right there and then for what happened…
And I wanted to beam a smile at him…
But I didn’t.
My smile was perpetually kept at bay by a raging anger that pulsed itself through my very veins.
My hands fell as the music slowly faded, and I turned from him without another word to toss some kisses at his friends, before slipping away towards backstage.
In that instant, when the stage door closed behind me, I had to press my burning flesh against the cool metal door, trying to slow my heart racing in my chest.
This wasn’t fair.
Why did I have to feel this way, towards him??
Why did I want to see him?
I wanted to speak with him without anyone there watching us.
I pushed myself from the door and walked to the dressing area. I waved to Freya, the house matron, offering a soft smile.
“Hey Frey, I think I am gonna head home now. I’m not feeling too well.” I said softly, dipping to undo the plastic clasp of my heels.
Freya pushed the side of her well-manicured afro with a soft smile, “No worries, gorgeous. Just make sure to put your house fees in the box when you go. Good job tonight.” She snuffed a joint out in a bowl of ash before reeling me toward her for a hug.
She smelled of honeysuckle and weed.
“Thanks,” I muttered, kicking off my heels and rubbing the skin of my ankles where they chaffed. I had left a black hoodie in my station along with matching sweatpants and a pair of simple black tennis shoes, so I pulled those on over the top of my lingerie and then packed everything else into my bag. I counted out my fee, and then stuffed it into the glass box by the door before slipping into the alleyway at the back of the club.
I slowly snuck around the side, mostly because I expected to see Cain’s Charger parked out front, but there was no sign of it.
With a shrug, I began the swift walk home.
Once back in my apartment, I turned on a shower and reveled in the warmth of the water as it began to cascade down my skin…
At least for now… momentary warmth.
The faucet above me began to sputter and before I could react, ice cold water doused my whole body. I yelped and pushed through the cold to clear my hair of the soap.
I quickly shut off the tap and wrapped myself in a towel that definitely could have been more fluffy than it currently was, and then I slipped quietly to my bedroom.
As I closed the door, I saw both my phone and my charging smart watch alight with an incoming call.
I felt a surge of confusion as I saw Cain’s name.
This asshole just couldn’t get enough of me.
I rolled my eyes and slid the answer icon to the right, “What?”
There was an uncomfortable silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, but soon that familiar voice lifted through the speaker, “I wanted to say that I am sorry.”
Sorry?
Was he apologizing for ignoring me when I needed him?
“Sorry for what?” I asked.
“You could have said no to the dance. Sorry if it made you uncomfortable.”
I stared down at my phone with a disgruntled expression, pulling my arms into a cross pattern in front of my bare chest, “Oh.”
The silence resumed from his end for a moment before he mutters, “Lorenzo has a single client for you.”
My eyes widened slightly, “is that the real reason you called me?”
“Um… yes?” He said with uncertainty.
I rolled my eyes, “Fine. What is the job?”
“Escort service.” Cain mumbled, his voice hinting at annoyance.
“What?! I told him I wanted to be done with the escort service…”, my lips pulling to a tight line as I listened further.
Cain pushed a soft sigh out, “I know, Val. I don’t make the rules.”
I frowned and tapped my screen, ending the call and immediately throwing my hands over my face. I felt the heat cross my cheeks as I pushed back the burning sensation of tears welling in my eyes.
I was so fucking fed up with this.
My phone rang again, and I answered it.
“Can you not take a hint, asshole?” I shouted into the mic, pushing back the scorching tears so they couldn’t escape.
“Valentine…” Cain’s voice was calm, soothing.
“What the fuck do you want, Cain? Can’t you just leave me the fuck alone?” I whimpered.
He went silent for a few seconds.
It was a few seconds where the loudest noise I could hear was the heavy rapping of my heart against my ribcage.
“I will be outside your place in ten minutes. Don’t worry, everything is going to be okay.”
“That’s so fucking easy for you to say. I’ll be down in ten.” I mashed the red button aggressively and threw my hands back over my face, allowing one soft scream of frustration to exit my lungs: to exit my heart.
I laid a few punches into my pillow and bit down hard on my tongue until I could taste a hint of iron.
Pain made it cogent.
I wrung my hands through my hair and sighed, wiping my tears away. No way in hell would I be able to get dressed and ready for an escort job in ten fucking minutes… but I guess I had to try.
I grabbed one of my long, especially elegant evening gowns that hung in my rickety closet. It was a dark forest green with sequins throughout. A deep v-neckline that brought special attention to my breasts, and a slit in the side that reached just above my mid-thigh.
Then for my hair, I decided to stick with a tight bun. It would be tidy and classy enough for most escort services.
I did a quick and easy makeup look with a smoky eye shadow and classic red lipstick, then searched for a matching underwear set to put on beneath my dress. The one I settled on was black leather with deep green lace. The leather straps encircled my thighs in cuffs and squeezed my skin lightly. I slipped the dress on over the top and then search for my black evening heels before making my way down the stairs.
Cain was precisely where I thought he would be, leaning against the hood of his slick black car. His usual black leather jacket was back, and his head was, of course, adorned by that stupid fucking beanie. I gave him a soft wave and then crawled into the back seat of the car silently.
Cain returned to the driver’s seat and started the car, “You made good time today,” He told me flatly, eyes still dead on the road.
“Thanks… I guess…” I returned, staring out the window.
“As I was trying to tell you, this is an older gentleman, about fifty. Just wants someone to go to dinner with him and talk.” Cain explained this in a soft mutter that I could barely hear from my place behind him.
I nibble the soft flesh of my bottom lip as I opened the hidden email on my phone. Lorenzo’s name was there in the unread messages section, glowing in bright white to show that I hadn’t yet read it. The subject: Neil Flemings. I selected the email to open it completely and I began to read.
Valentine,
Customer today has not paid for his tab with us for approximately three months. Normal service as usual, but spice up his drink enough for it to look like an accident. Use your brilliant skills as an actress.
Ciao!
Lorenzo
I gritted my teeth and immediately deleted the message, eyes flicking up to see if Cain was paying any attention to what was going on.
Surprise, surprise… he wasn’t.
Eyes facing clearly straight ahead and unmoving. Stoic and sharp as always. I opened my handbag and removed the small round compact from inside, popping it open to pretend I was checking the status of my lipstick, but I was truly more interested in the capsules that rested within the base of the compact.
I counted them.
Six thin white capsules with glittering silver dust within them.
Content, I click the compact closed and return it to my bag.
“You never told me whether you were upset about earlier,” Cain’s voice ruptured through the painful silence like a cannon, pulling me back to reality despite a swelling of anxiety.
I turned my head to look at his rear-view mirror, and for once, his eyes fixated on mine. A warm sensation churned in my belly, but I quickly looked away. “I think it was a bit shitty of you to hunt me down when we weren’t on shift.”
Cain grunted and nodded understandingly, “I mean, it wasn’t my choice. And I didn’t know it was your night at the club.”
Something in that statement made it feel a bit selfish that I was angry, but not enough to dissuade the anger. “When I saw Louis asking you questions, I knew something fishy was up…” he paused his words quickly and then suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road.
Once we were stationary, he turned around in his seat to face me, “Listen, Val… those were my real-life people. My real-life colleagues… they know me when I am not being a broody asshole who’s only personality trait is having a fancy four-door muscle car. I have tried my best to keep my identities separate. If Lorenzo finds out-”
“Don’t worry.” I cut through his panicked speech, “I am many things, but a snitch isn’t one.”
For a moment, he stayed in place. His cold blue eyes stared into mine as if pleading with me. But my eyes wandered from them and fixed for half a second on his lips.
Pursed.
Serious.
Unsure.
Then, he nodded slowly and returned to his previous position, his eyes soldered to the road as he focused on the journey.
The anxiety from Lorenzo’s message reached a crescendo as Cain pulled up to the entrance of a fancy-looking five-star restaurant, stopping at the main entrance.
I crawled to the opposite door and then glanced back at Cain, “you didn’t have to apologize, by the way. It is just my job.” I assured, “Keep your fucking phone on. If this guy gets weird, I’m getting the fuck out of here.”
Cain let out a soft chuckle and waved me away. “Right, Timer is set for an hour. I’ll be in the area.”
With a final, brief nod, I exited the car and plastered a saccharine smile on my face as I ascended the carpeted stairs to the host stand.
A young man with beautiful brown eyes and hazelnut-colored skin greeted me, “Hello! Have you got a reservation?”
The name from the subject header of the email flashes back to mind, “Yes! I am meeting a friend of mine here. Neil Flemings should be the name on the reservation.”
The gentleman searched through their list that seemed to be about five pages long before his warm eyes finally brightened and he beamed back up at me, “Absolutely! Follow me this way, please!”
The host led me to the dining room.
Ceilings that reached heights I didn’t quite expect with sparkling crystal-filled chandeliers with gold accents. I couldn’t help but think of Lorenzo’s gaudy Victorian mansion as I stepped over the red carpet with golden floral patterns toward a small circular table with a single unoccupied chair.
In the other, a man who didn’t look anywhere close to the age that Cain had described, sat quietly over a glass of water reading a menu as it was propped against the long white tablecloth.
He looked to be about fifty… his salt and pepper hair fading to slightly more salt than pepper. His face was growing more wrinkles by the day, but only in the areas you’d expect: crow’s feet from years of laughter and creases in his brow from decades of contemplation.
“Mr. Flemings,” I called to him in a sweet voice.
His eyes shot in my direction, a kind, generous smile covering his deeply dark skin as he stood. He smoothed down his light tan tuxedo and extended a hand to me.
The host bowed his head and took his leave as I gracefully accepted the handshake. They felt strong, and sturdy, with a slight oil from a nicely perfumed cream. A perfume that lingered on my fingertips as I pulled from his grasp.
“Please! Call me Neil!” He sang, moving to pull the chair out for me.
This man was on par with most of the men who requested personal escort services.
A lot of the time, they just wanted a pretty girl to sit with them and just talk.
I graciously accepted the gesture, sitting down in the chair as he pushed it back beneath me and then returned to his own chair.
“It is lovely to meet you, I have heard that you are one of the most sought-after girls that Lorenzo has to offer.” Neil spoke excitedly as he looked me up and down.
A feigned blush rose to my cheeks, and I giggled lightly. “I don’t even know where to begin with that. I would say that we have a fair few girls that are just as competent as I am.”
A smile broke apart Neil’s full lips, flashing the sight of his perfectly white teeth, “I think it lies in more than just competence. You’re a stunning woman.”
“Thank you, Neil. That is very kind of you.” I said sweetly, a dash of uncertainty peaking in my chest.
Neil waved down one of the servers, beckoning them over to the table. “Would you like something to drink, Miss Valentine?” A woman with dark brown hair approached us.
“Oh, yes! A glass of soda water with lemonade!” I cheer brightly, the server nods, writing this on her notepad.
“Soda water with lemonade?” Neil asks with a soft chuckle.
I grin wider, “Yes! I visited England a few years ago and their lemonade is different to ours. It’s carbonated. I learned that I prefer it that way.”
Intrigue pipes up in Neil’s eyes and he nods, “I think I would like to try that as well, actually. Two of those, please.”
The server added a note and then smiled kindly, “I will have those out for you in about five minutes. The bar is slightly backed up at the moment.” I nod with a contented smile and place my hands in my lap.
Everything was going according to plan.
“So! Tell me about yourself, Neil.” I mused, placing an elbow on the table and leaning my chin to rest on my palm in an intrigued poise, my brown eyes fluttering.
As most people do when you give them space to discuss their favorite topic: Themselves.
Neil straightened and crossed his legs, leaning back lightly in his chair. “I am an ornithologist. I am head of the research division for the Atlanta Ornithology Association. I have been working towards a Nobel Prize.”
I widen my eyes, “So you get to study birds all day, for fun?” I asked, a superficial look of awe growing on my cheeks as I peeked up at a sparkling chandelier above us, “maybe I should quit my day job.”
I catch a glimpse of the server approaching with our drinks and I quickly return my attention back to Neil.
“Have you decided what you’d like to eat?” I asked, pulling my own menu open to have a look.
Neil nodded, “I am quite interested in the carbonara.”
A soft hum escaped my lips as I nod, my eyes falling upon the pasta section, “I do love a good carbonara…”
He grinned, “Go for it! You look like you have never seen a carb in your life. My treat.” I smiled.
The waitress returned to our table, placing two glasses of sparkling lemonade in front of us. “I squeezed some extra lemons in as well so that you didn’t lose any of the flavor because of the dilution!” She beamed, “Are we ready to order?”
Neil piped up, “Yes, absolutely! We have both decided on the chicken carbonara. Please let the chef know that I am severely allergic to shrimp.”
An alibi.
Their conversation continued as I reached into my purse and retrieved the hidden compact.
I pulled out one of the silver capsules, and just as Neil’s attention returned to me, I cracked the capsule open and emptied the contents into my drink.
“What are you doing?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.
I glanced up at him and put a grin on my face, “I know it is a bit silly, but I think anything that looks like a magical potion tastes better.”
I pull the paper sheath from over the straw and plunge it into the drink, swirling it around. The liquid slowly begins to sparkle, a glittering sheen throughout.
“My mom used to make my drinks like this. Said it was the only way she could get me to drink anything other than chocolate milk. It’s tasteless, but it makes your tongue all glittery. Wanna try?” I took a quick sip through the straw, enough for the liquid in the cup to visibly decrease, and opened my mouth, allowed my long, slender tongue to roll from side to side inside my mouth. My eyes locked with Neil’s knowingly, as he took a very brief moment to examine the sparkles on my tongue, now visibly shifting in his seat.
Neil’s eyes gleamed for a moment in curiosity, and he shrugged, “Why not?” He returns, grinning.
I opened a second compartment in my compact and retrieved a capsule with a slightly darker shade of glitter, “This one has gold shimmer mixed in. It’ll look cooler in the lemonade.” I giggled innocently and then cracked the seal of the capsule along the rim of his glass. I focused my eyes onto his and smiled seductively as I empty the contents into his drink. I removed the paper from his straw and kissed the side where he would be drinking from before plunging it into the drink, mixing and until it had the same effect as my own.
Neil watched me in silence, the dark skin of his cheeks reddened slightly, and he cleared his throat. Beneath the table, he adjusted his position again.
He was under my spell.
Right where I wanted him.
“Tell me about birds, Mr. Nobel Prize Candidate.” I mused, leaning back in my chair and pressing my triceps against the sides of my breasts to push them out to make them slightly more obvious. The crease of my cleavage was accentuated by the motion.
He cleared his throat and reached for the glass of sparkling lemonade, taking a quick swig before his face changed to one of delight, “You know, Miss Valentine, I think you are onto something here. Maybe I’ll mix glitter into all of my drinks from now on.” He chuckles as he tried to compose himself.
“Um… right… birds.” He hummed, pulling at the lapel of his jacket to smooth it out.
“I am actually incredibly interested in tits…” His eyes widened, “The- the bird! Paridae’s!” He corrected. The previous richness in his cheeks deepened as the blush crept down to his neck. “You know, chickadees?”
I allow a subtle laugh to fall from my lips and I nodded slowly.
“Yes… a lot of my work is currently surrounding Carolina Chickadees and their mating routes. In Atlanta in particular, we have noticed a steep decline in their numbers in the past few years.” He cleared his throat again, glancing around. “S-s-sorry, I must be nervous. I have a tickle in my throat.”
He reached to take another sip before sighing with relief. “We have some pretty groundbreaking research that is coming out soon.”
My smile softened at his words, and I nodded along, “You know, Neil. There is no shame in being interested in tits.” I leaned forward with my elbows once more on the table, a brandishing that made him stutter once more.
“No! No. You’re right… and you sure have lovely… tits.” He ran a hand through his hair nervously.
“What would you say if I told you I had something that may… prepare you for what happens after this dinner?”
I reached to remove a small pink box from my bag and place it on the table.
Neil looked down at the box, then his eyes flashed back up at me.
“Open it,” I laugh in a sultry tone, pushing the tiny box toward him.
The man looked at the table in contemplation for a moment before lifting the cardboard lid.
Inside, resting on a bed of pink silk, was a small purple silicon remote with two buttons.
One plus.
One minus.
His brown eyes widened and deepened with something akin to lust as he stared at the remote. He removed it from the box and stared at it as it rested in the palm of his hand.
Watching him squirm like this filled my void with adrenaline as I felt it being pumped inside of me.
I grinned and leaned back.
“Go ahead, Neil. Nobody will know but you…”
His lips parted once more; a smile now displayed on his face that would have melted any normal woman. His thumb hovered for a second over the plus, rubbing at the edge of the soft silicon button before pressing down.
“Hmmph,” I laughed, “you’ll need more power than that to get a reaction from me.” I placed a hand over my lower belly and lifted one of my feet to graze his leg beneath the table.
Neil’s face twisted into one of desire and he pressed it three more times.
The vibrator on the lace panties began to pick up speed slightly, sending pleasant vibrations directly to my clit. I signaled to him that it was working by biting down on my lip and allowing my eyes to gloss over.
Before we could speak again, the server approached us with our food, ready to eat.
Neil took this opportunity to increase the vibrator’s speed once more, and I shuddered in pleasure.
This pleasure was real, but it felt wrong.
It always felt wrong.
Vacant.
I ran the heel of my shoe along the seam of his lower pants leg, nodding gratefully to the waitress as she vanished.
Neil smirked, “you handle these things well. I like an experienced woman.” He hummed in a low tone.
I grin, my teeth poised against my bottom lip in a sultry bite as I lean forward to grab my fork. “It takes skill to really show a woman what pleasure is.” I hummed lightly, but I pressed the front of my pelvis against the chair to position the vibrator a bit closer. I pulled a forkful of the pasta to my lips and began to suck a dangling noodle from my plate, eyes still locked on Neil’s as I let the white sauce spatter all over my lips.
He gritted his teeth and increased the speed on the bullet between my legs and I let out a whimper of a moan, just loud enough for him to hear.
“You should eat. The faster this is done, the faster you can get what you want.” I reminded him, my eyes pointing down to his waist.
This seemed to encourage him to eat, and he lowered the level of the vibrator by three, but I could still feel it.
It still sent me jolts of occasional pleasure.
Soon though, that tickle in his throat became a stabbing sensation that burned throughout his throat.
My date began to struggle and looking around with wide, panicked eyes.
My own eyes widened at the first sign of his struggle, “Neil?” I ask, putting on my best concerned tone. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
His face began to break out in hives.
Bumps rising over his cheeks with quick succession.
He stared into my eyes, clutching at his throat, the other hand clutching the remote tightly.
He started to choke.
“Help!” I called, tears brimming around my eyes. “Somebody help! I think he is having an allergic reaction!”
Neil tried to stand, but his weight was too much for his weak knees to bare and he collapsed… with his thumb pressed tightly to the plus button. The vibrator surged, jolting to the highest vibration that sent coursing electricity through my body.
I yelped, partially out of pain between the bursts of pleasure as my cheeks flooded with tears.
I scrambled to the floor and pulled him into my lap as the concerned patrons and staff huddled around us.
I managed to retrieve the remote, turned it off and shoved it deep into my bag. I sat there with Neil in my lap, trembling both from the adrenaline, and the overwhelming sensation that the vibrations had caused.
Before I knew what was happening, an ambulance had arrived and the paramedics were seeing to Neil.
Servers and patrons doted over me.
The server for our table looked quite distraught, “I must have given you the allergen free one…” She muttered morosely, tears highlighting her own delicately painted features.
I clasped a hand over her shoulder, now standing free of Neil’s weight, “you cannot blame yourself. Things like this happen.” I pulled her into a tight hug.
“He’s dead!” One of the managers suddenly shouted, and I turned to let out a pained wail.
Suddenly, two arms encircled me, clutching me tightly against a very large chest.
This smell.
I recognized this smell.
Earthy and smooth.
It was Cain.
He shushed me and slipped me effortlessly out through the front door. The rest of the guests seemed to not notice as the commotion continued to grow within the bar.
“What are you doing? You could have fucked this all up?” I ask sharply, snapping out of the act that I had just put on.
Cain’s arms dropped from around me and he stared at me for a second, “time was up. Get in the car, blondie.” He said gruffly. I frowned and opened the front door of his Charger, first throwing my bag to the floor and then myself getting in.
Cain grumbled something under his breath before slamming the door shut.
The echoes of Neil’s helpless gags now filled my mind, facing me constantly.
That heat that coated my body as he collapsed to the ground was unreal.
I could feel the need to climax buzzing on every single nerve ending as I sat there in Cain’s front seat.
Frustrated in all of the worst possible ways I could have possibly been frustrated.
Cain got into the car and slammed his own door shut, “Fucking pain in my ass. You should have messaged me; I would have gotten you out of there sooner.” He griped.
I sat, silent.
I wasn’t supposed to talk about my real purpose behind this particular job… nor the other jobs that Cain believed to be just escort jobs.
I folded my arms tightly against my chest as the sound of Neil’s choking and sputtering continued to fill the vacant space in time.
Cain looked over at me, his eyes narrowing, “Why the fuck are you sitting there like I’ve just ruined your day? Do you even want me to do my job?”
Genuine tears began building up behind my burning eyes, but I looked away from him.
These tears were real.
They were so…so fucking real.
I clenched my fists so tightly that I swear I felt the skin split beneath my manicured nails.
I didn’t care anymore.
I did not give a fuck anymore.
“Fucking speak to me, Valentine.” He said, his words tipped with a poison of their own.
I shook my head, turning my body away and toward the door of the car.
He extended a hand, placing it on my shoulder and then pulling. He turned my body back to face him and then pinned me aggressively to the seat.
Waves of confusion washed over me as a whimper escaped my lips. I stared up at him, eyes the size of headlights as I was fully unaware that my forced-away tears had begun to streak slowly down my cheeks.
Cain’s eyes were thin, and his face was stern, but as he noticed how heavily my chest rose and fell, and as he saw those genuine tears rolling down my face, he relaxed.
He removed his hand from my shoulder, and he sank back.
The softness that overcame his figure was overwhelming, and I wanted nothing more than to dive into his arms and soak in whatever comfort he could provide me with.
“He… he overloaded my-my vibrator.” I whimpered in a low whisper, placing a hand between my legs where the warmth still glowed in a slowly fading buzz. My cheeks burned a crimson blush that spread over my skin and painted me in blotchy pink speckles.
A blush joined Cain’s face, and he cleared his throat, but as the tears fell continuously from my face, I curled back into myself, “I hate this.” I mutter. “I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.”
Sobbing with no end in sight.
Burning rivulets of pain, tortured anguish, and loss.
“I want to die, Cain. I want to die.” I began to hyperventilate, “Please,” I turned to look into his eyes, “Please kill me, Cain. You’re the only person I trust to do it right. Please… please” The words poured out of me like water as I felt the desire to go on waning faster than one could be expected to cope.
His blue eyes softened and a pain flashed into the pupil at the center of his eye. He reached out to me and cupped my cheek, flicking his thumb with some sort of snake tattooed on it across the damp skin to collect tears and then push them away.
I wanted him to do it.
To grab my other cheek and snap my neck.
End it right there.
But he didn’t.