Jason
The smell of piss and gasoline smacks me across the face as I turn down the alley leading to the Kitty Cat Club.
The nerves in my gut churn as I step closer to the door. It’s not even eight o’clock in the morning, and the chances of someone being awake are slim, but I had to come.
I can’t stay in that trailer—not after all of that.
I need a plan, and this is it. If they don’t let me join the HellCats, then I’ll let Angie pimp me out long enough to buy a ticket to Mexico and never look back.
I knock on the door with my chest puffed out, ready to make my case right there in the alley. The door opens, revealing a man and woman, both in their early twenties, wearing matching gold thongs, wings, and haloes.
The girl has pasties over her nipples, and they’re both covered in gold glitter.
Their faces are similar, and they both have blond hair…
Sexy angel twins?
They stand before me, almost naked, with bored expressions.
“Are you here for Tobias?” the guy asks.
“Uh…yeah…”
They nod, and the girl curls her finger, signaling me to follow.
So much for my big stump speech.
As I walk in, I realize this is actually an old inn or something that’s been turned into a brothel.
To my left is a living room-turned-bar that still has a few drunk stragglers in it.
There’s a man who stands across the way, checking people before they walk down to the basement, which I’m pretty sure is a dungeon.
At least that’s what it sounds like from up here.
Not even the thumping bass of the techno blaring one flight below can drown out the sound of whips and cries of agony.
I knew this place was a sex club, but holy shit.
It’s surprisingly packed for eight o’clock in the morning, but I guess these people don’t really sleep at a normal hour, huh?
The twins lead me up a flight of stairs on my right, taking me to the second floor.
I’m shocked that they’re taking me to the leader of the HellCats without so much as an explanation, but I’m not going to question it.
We walk along a corridor where folks, clearly sex workers, smile at me. They stand outside their bedroom doors, and their rooms are a trip. One is floor-to-ceiling pink with boas, sparkles, and stuffed unicorns. Another is completely black with a pillory positioned at the foot of the bed.
A few invite me into their rooms for some fun, but I avert my eyes and follow the creepy sex twins who lead me to a set of double doors and usher me into an office.
The walls are black. The carpet is black leather, and—
Oh, my god.
The most striking man I’ve ever seen sits behind a giant black desk, his combat boots propped on top. A black mesh shirt clings to his chest, paired with leather pants and enough jewelry to set off a metal detector.
Icy blue eyes stare back at me, making me shudder. Dark auburn hair frames a face that’s almost shockingly beautiful. His light skin shines like glass, earrings line both ears, and a massive ring adorns nearly every finger.
This has to be Tobias Kay.
“He’s here,” the twin girl says.
And they leave, shutting the door behind them
Holy shit.
I’ve met a lot of badasses in my day, and none of them made me feel as small with their gaze as this man does right now.
“H-hi…” I croak out.
Tobias cocks his head to the side. “You look nervous. Are you new?”
At that moment, my stomach rumbles, almost as if it’s saying, “Yup! Just about ready to shit ourselves over here!” I don’t know what to do with my body. Should I stand? Sit? Shake his hand?
“Y-yes, I’m new,” I stutter.
Tobias narrows his eyes at me and sneers. “Al didn’t tell me he was sending someone new. Are you experienced?”
“W-with what?” I ask.
“Fisting.”
Holy fucking shit…
“What? No. I-I’m so confused…”
Tobias rises from his desk, and I almost bow. “You’re not one of Al’s boys, are you?”
“N-no, I…I don’t know who Al is.”
He whips out a gun that was concealed beneath his shirt and points it at me. “You have five seconds to say who you are and why you’re here.”
My hands shoot up. “Please don’t shoot me!”
Tobias cocks the gun. “5, 4…”
I shriek like I’m twelve and yell, “I’m Jason Mathers, and I came to ask for a job. Please don’t kill me!”
Tobias approached, eyes blazing with fury. “The only thing I need is a hot stud to fist. Would you like to fill out an application? KNEEL!”
I fall to my knees, and Tobias points the gun at my head. “Why. Are. You. Here?”
“Please! I want to join the HellCats.” Christ, I’m shaking like a leaf. So much for making a good first impression. The cool metal of the gun presses against my forehead, and I’m so afraid I’ll piss myself.
“Why would I hire a kid to be in the HellCats?” he asks.
“I’m 20.”
“I repeat. Why would I let a kid join my gang of highly dangerous and skilled criminals?”
My body turns cold. Humiliation washes over me. “Because I’ve got nothin’ to lose,” I reply.
Silence.
Well, aside from my frantic breathing.
Tobias says nothing, but he lowers his gun, so I take a chance and look at him.
His head is cocked to the side, almost like he’s studying me. He arches a brow and says, “Sit.” He clicks the safety on his gun and takes a seat behind his desk. “There.” He points to a chair, and I swear I’ve never moved faster. “Why?” he asks.
“Why, what?” I ask, still reeling from having a gun pointed at my freaking head.
He rolls his eyes. “Why do you want to join the HellCats?”
I walked all the way here to make my case, and now I’m speechless. My throat is dry, and my tongue is too big for my mouth. What did I think I was going to say? “Well, I have no skills, no brains, and can barely get through the day without fistfighting.”
Yeah, that’ll go over great.
So, I take a deep breath, muster every last ounce of courage I have, and word vomit.
“I’m hungry to be something. Not just some drone who sits at a desk or a fuckin’ store all day, but somebody.
I can fight, and I can follow orders, but I don’t want to join the military because my dad’s a military man, and he can go deep-throat a shotgun for all I care.
I want to make something of myself, but on my terms. I want to work for you. ”
Tobias sits there, motionless.
I’ve never met someone with scarier eyes in my life.
Then something happens. His mouth curls into a little smirk. “That was sexy.”
My jaw drops. “Uh…thank you…”
“I like a scrappy blond with daddy issues.”
Oh, Jesus Christ.
“You’re not the only one who wants to join the HellCats. There aren’t a lot of options for folks in the Patch. Recruits can show their stuff on the second Wednesday of each month. That’s next Wednesday. Can you fight?”
“Yeah! Yeah, that’s about the only thing I can do.”
Wow, that was probably not the best thing to say at this moment.
Tobias laughs, clearly amused by me. “Good. I wish you the best of luck. I’ll see you on Wednesday.”
I’m stunned. This went…a hell of a lot better than I expected. “Thank you.”
“I’m Tobias.”
“I’m Jason.” I eagerly hold out my hand to shake his, and he looks at it like I’m handing him a dead rat. He grips it, pulls me across the desk, and slams me against the floor.
“Don’t let that happen on Wednesday,” he says.
Then he kisses my cheek.
“O-okay,” I croak out, still flat on the floor.
“Good boy.”
He helps me up and motions for me to leave. “Hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave. That’s a hell of an ass, Jason.”
“Th-thank you, sir.”
“You sure I can’t stick my fist up it? I’m very skilled.” He winks, clicking his tongue while he does it.
All I can do is stutter nonsense before Tobias cackles loudly and says, “Run along, little pup. I look forward to seeing what you've got next week.”
I nod, then scurry out of his office. When the door closes behind me, I lean against it and take a breath.
What have I gotten myself into?