Page 30 of Towles

When Kristine and I left for college in Fayetteville, we met a professor who introduced us to some darker shit: shibari, breath play, bondage, spanking, and role-playing. We were impressionable young women, and he took full advantage. After college, I went to Quantico and joined the FBI. Kristine stayed behind and continued the life our professor had made us enjoy.

I sat in the chair close to the door, looking around the cheap-ass hotel, the stains on the floor, the comforter that looked forty years old, and the only ashtray I’d seen in nearly ten years. Cinder deserved to die in a place like this.

“I’m fucking dead anyway,” Cinder said. “I don’t give a shit what you do to me.”

I blew cigarette smoke his way. “So if I cut your dick off and let you bleed out, that’s okay?”

“Do whatever the fuck you want.” He coughed, and a splattering of blood hit the pillow. “She was a nice girl, Trixie. What happened was nothing more than an accident. I did what she wanted, and it went too far. I wasn’t into that fucked up shit. I didn’t know.”

“You think I should let you go,” I said. "I can’t do that, even if it was an accident. You tried to hide it. Hell, you tried to pin it on one of your brothers. You just left her there.”

He spit blood across the bed. “Let me the fuck out of here. I don’t deserve to die in this shit hole.”

“I’m not going to turn the club in for the gun violations,” I said. “Shit, I’m fucking head over heels for Watcher. What does it mean if I kill you and the club finds out? I’d be one dead bitch. So, no, I’m not going to kill you. But you are going to die here.”

Someone knocked on the door, and Cinder laughed. “Dumb bitch, they found you.” He sat up, feeling better about his situation. “They’ll set me free, and then I’ll stick my dick so far down your throat it’ll be coming out your ass.”

I snubbed out my cigarette and walked to the bathroom. Cinder watched with amusement. I opened the window in the bathroom, knowing it exited to the back of the building, where my car waited.

“I don’t think your dick is even big enough to hit my throat. But you keep dreaming.” I looked out the window, satisfied I could climb out without breaking anything.

“Where the fuck are you going?”

“To meet Watcher. Supposed to have dinner, although I think plans will probably change once the Punishers are done with you.”

“Fucking bitch.”

I climbed through the window and closed it. I didn’t bother hanging around for the screaming and sound of guts torn open. I drove around the building and looked back at the parking lot as the four Punishers left the room without Cinder.

I didn’t kill the man.

I met Watcher at Lady Birds Cafe, and he gave me the low down on the missing Cinder. I assured him I didn’t kill the man, and because I grabbed his dick under the table, I didn’t need to say anymore. The fastest way to Watcher's heart was through his dick.

“You’ve heard all the shit about me?” Watcher asked.

I nodded. I’d heard all about his wives and kids and Canadian exile—exile he did on his own. I didn’t care. We all had baggage. Those who claimed they didn’t were lying or never lived life the way it should be.

“I don’t want to be shared, Watcher. If I’m in the club, it’s with you and nobody else.” I released his dick and sat back. “I’m serious. I know all the shit that goes on now. You said yourself you wanted—you needed—to back off the shit you were doing.”

“You want me to make you my old lady?”

“That’s what I want, but not if I’m going to be second to another woman.” I ate a bite of pastry. “If you can’t make that commitment, I’ll move on.”

“You and me?”

I nodded. “We’ll be into some weird stuff, but I think we can do it without killing each other.” He reached across and put his hand on my face. He kissed me but stopped when his phone buzzed. I guessed Cinder had been found. Good for him. Maybe he held on until they dragged his ass out of the shit hole.

Watcher leaned back in his seat and rubbed his face. He put the phone down and shook his head. “Beast and Diesel got a call from the Shipwreck Motel. A piece of shit motel on the outskirts of town. They found Cinder with a bullet in his head, and his guts spread around the room. A big fucking P on the wall.”

“That’s terrible,” I said.

“Is it? Or are you pissed you didn’t get to kill him?”

“Both. You know he was a shitty person.”

“Follow me back to the club. I wanna make sure your ass is safe, and the club knows you’re not the one who killed Cinder.” Watcher paid the bill, and I rolled the rest of my pastry into a napkin. I followed him outside, noticing him notice my front bumper. He said nothing and climbed on his bike. When we got to the club, everyone was outside.

“Where the fuck were you?” Beast yelled and stuck a finger in my face. Watcher stepped between us.

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