It doesn’t matter. He catches Charon’s eye and draws the contract out, slowly. He didn’t imagine Charon’s expression could get stonier, but it does, and all expression fades away as Ahzrukhal says, “Grab her.” Charon grabs her.
“Hey, hey!” she protests, before catching sight of the contract in Ahzrukhal’s hands. Then, she sighs. “Ah, you got me. But I think my deal is more than fair, don’t you?”
Ahzrukhal advances on her, gesturing for Charon to raise her up so her feet dangle uselessly over the floor. “I oughta kill you now,” he hisses, his face very close to hers. She doesn’t flinch. What is wrong with this little bitch, that she doesn’t flinch? “And fuck you after.”
She doesn’t bat an eye. “A ghoul into necrophilia,” she says blithely. “Who’d have thought?”
He strikes her hard across the face. She reels for a moment, and then laughs. He stares at her in disbelief as she quiets, and then she raises her head to meet his eyes in a very serious gaze. “Ahzrukhal,” she says, her voice level. “There aren’t that many decisions you get to make just for yourself out there, and you know it. That’s why you hole up here with your body guard when there’s a world out there ripe for the taking. I’m just trying to make my own decisions here. I figured you’d appreciate that.”
He leans back and considers her. He does appreciate it, he supposes. He could question her choices from dawn until dusk, but he has always been a gambler at heart. A stacked deck has always been his favourite way to win, but this girl – this smoothskin – with her brazen attitude and her full, young breasts, is making him falter. He still has the contract, after all. And he’d have given it to her for the straight thousand if she took Greta down. And seeing her there, suspended in Charon’s grip...
He leans close again, and murmurs, “Smoothskin, you have yourself a deal.”
She lifts her chin. “And how do I know you’ll honour in it?”
He laughs mirthlessly. “You’re in no position to question me.”
“I don’t care. Give me a guarantee.”
Just take her, a voice in his head screams. It hasn’t mattered to you before! But something about the idea of her coming to him willingly, returning...he can get to her, bury himself under her skin, twist her any way he wants –
And he’ll have his foot in the wastes after all.
Ahzrukhal slides the contract out of his pocket, showing it to her. He shucks of his jacket and folds it around the contract, placing it on the bar. Still technically his.
“It’s the best I’m gonna offer you, kid. I’m not handing him over to you now. I’ve had an idea.”
She follows him with her eyes as he walks back towards them. “Oh?”
“Strip her,” he tells Charon. “One hand. Don’t let her go.”
Charon hesitates.
“That’s hardly fair,” the kid pipes up. “He doesn’t have to get involved in this. You should give him a damn choice in the matter.”
The big ghoul looks down at her in surprise. His hand, which had begun to reluctantly move towards her top, pauses.
“He’s mine for the time being,” Ahzrukhal reminds her. “He’ll do what I want.”
“No, no.” She shakes her head, wriggling in Charon’s grip, and Ahzrukhal is pleased to see his bodyguard tighten his grip instinctively on her wrists, pulling them tighter above her head. “I’m not having him hate me because I accidentally got him mixed up in some kind of weird threesome with his ex-boss.”
“I don’t care if he hates you, loves you, or thinks you’re the Queen of fucking Sheba,” he hisses at her. “Charon, take her fucking clothes off.” Fury reigns on her pretty little face for a moment, and then she relaxes. “Sorry, Charon,” she grumbles, and angles her chest so that he can begin to unbuckle her armour. Stony faced, he reaches his free hand across her chest and begins to undress her in efficient, swift motions.
Hard Bargain 2/6
It doesn’t matter. He catches Charon’s eye and draws the contract out, slowly. He didn’t imagine Charon’s expression could get stonier, but it does, and all expression fades away as Ahzrukhal says, “Grab her.”
Charon grabs her.
“Hey, hey!” she protests, before catching sight of the contract in Ahzrukhal’s hands. Then, she sighs. “Ah, you got me. But I think my deal is more than fair, don’t you?”
Ahzrukhal advances on her, gesturing for Charon to raise her up so her feet dangle uselessly over the floor. “I oughta kill you now,” he hisses, his face very close to hers. She doesn’t flinch. What is wrong with this little bitch, that she doesn’t flinch? “And fuck you after.”
She doesn’t bat an eye. “A ghoul into necrophilia,” she says blithely. “Who’d have thought?”
He strikes her hard across the face. She reels for a moment, and then laughs. He stares at her in disbelief as she quiets, and then she raises her head to meet his eyes in a very serious gaze. “Ahzrukhal,” she says, her voice level. “There aren’t that many decisions you get to make just for yourself out there, and you know it. That’s why you hole up here with your body guard when there’s a world out there ripe for the taking. I’m just trying to make my own decisions here. I figured you’d appreciate that.”
He leans back and considers her. He does appreciate it, he supposes. He could question her choices from dawn until dusk, but he has always been a gambler at heart. A stacked deck has always been his favourite way to win, but this girl – this smoothskin – with her brazen attitude and her full, young breasts, is making him falter. He still has the contract, after all. And he’d have given it to her for the straight thousand if she took Greta down. And seeing her there, suspended in Charon’s grip...
He leans close again, and murmurs, “Smoothskin, you have yourself a deal.”
She lifts her chin. “And how do I know you’ll honour in it?”
He laughs mirthlessly. “You’re in no position to question me.”
“I don’t care. Give me a guarantee.”
Just take her, a voice in his head screams. It hasn’t mattered to you before! But something about the idea of her coming to him willingly, returning...he can get to her, bury himself under her skin, twist her any way he wants –
And he’ll have his foot in the wastes after all.
Ahzrukhal slides the contract out of his pocket, showing it to her. He shucks of his jacket and folds it around the contract, placing it on the bar. Still technically his.
“It’s the best I’m gonna offer you, kid. I’m not handing him over to you now. I’ve had an idea.”
She follows him with her eyes as he walks back towards them. “Oh?”
“Strip her,” he tells Charon. “One hand. Don’t let her go.”
Charon hesitates.
“That’s hardly fair,” the kid pipes up. “He doesn’t have to get involved in this. You should give him a damn choice in the matter.”
The big ghoul looks down at her in surprise. His hand, which had begun to reluctantly move towards her top, pauses.
“He’s mine for the time being,” Ahzrukhal reminds her. “He’ll do what I want.”
“No, no.” She shakes her head, wriggling in Charon’s grip, and Ahzrukhal is pleased to see his bodyguard tighten his grip instinctively on her wrists, pulling them tighter above her head. “I’m not having him hate me because I accidentally got him mixed up in some kind of weird threesome with his ex-boss.”
“I don’t care if he hates you, loves you, or thinks you’re the Queen of fucking Sheba,” he hisses at her. “Charon, take her fucking clothes off.”
Fury reigns on her pretty little face for a moment, and then she relaxes. “Sorry, Charon,” she grumbles, and angles her chest so that he can begin to unbuckle her armour. Stony faced, he reaches his free hand across her chest and begins to undress her in efficient, swift motions.