Chapter 1
Pale moonlight filtered into the alley, faintly illuminating a spill of golden blonde hair as it cascaded over slender shoulders and down the slim back. The figure wavered unsteadily as it tried to retain balance against the waves of disorientation that rolled over it. One delicate hand rose and reached for something to anchor to, groping futilely for something that wasn't there.
The moonlight dimmed as the end of the alleyway was blocked.
“What have we here?” One shadow detatched from the group, revealing itself to be a large, well-muscled man with a shaved head. He walked down the alley towards the slender figure that hadn't turned at his words. “You're a long way from home, darlin'. Didn't your mamma ever tell you it wasn't safe to hang around in alleys after dark?” The man grinned maliciously, “Or perhaps you're here because you wanted to be found?”
The muscular man reached for the slender body and wrapped his hand around one slim arm, pulling the unresisting form closer. “Perhaps you want someone to claim you? Is that it, pretty one?”
The two men standing at the head of the alley grinned at each other. They were quite content to watch Bull take the blonde, aware that when he was finished with her, they'd get their turn. In the meantime, they would make sure no one else tried to get in on their fun.
“Release me,” the lilting voice spoke softly, neither begging nor demanding... yet.
“I don't know what you're saying, pretty girl, but it sounds real nice, so you just keep talking, and I'll just show you what pretty girls who stand alone in alley ways after dark get.” Bull grinned as he turned the slender body to face him. His breath caught slightly at the beauty that was illuminated by the faint moonlight. He'd never seen anything so stunningly gorgeous.
Unfocused blue eyes looked into muddy brown ones; the pale brow furrowed in confusion, the tone of the words was understood although the meaning remained unknown. What did this creature want? It couldn't mean what the tone implied, could it? “If you would just tell me which direction I must travel to return to Minas Tirith, I will be on my way.”
“What's your hurry, bitch?” Bull tightened his grip on the slim arm as the beautiful blonde tried to pull away. “You're not gonna try to deny Bull his right to claim you, are you? You're in my territory, slut, that means you have to pay, and you're so pretty, I might just decide to keep you.”
The fog that had clouded his mind receded slightly, and Legolas' mouth firmed into a grim line as he surveyed the foul creature that held him. With very little effort, he freed himself from the grip, shrugging off the pain this caused to his arm. He stared imperiously at the being in front of him. If he understood the tone the creature used, it meant to take its pleasure from him, and that the elf would not allow. He would rather die than to permit such filth to touch him intimately. “Touch me again and you will die!” He hissed in warning.
“Good, you've got a bit of fire in you,” Bull sneered. “Maybe that'll make up for your puny tits. If you're a good fuck, maybe I'll pay for you to have implants.” He refused to show his surprise at how easily the little slut had escaped his grasp. She was only delaying the inevitable. Snake and Eddy wouldn't allow her out of the alley anyway. Bull would have his way sooner or later.
Legolas surveyed his surroundings. His nose wrinkled slightly at the odour of rotting garbage and filth. The walls of the narrow passage he found himself in extended too far up and they were too slick for him to easily scale them and escape. Somehow, he didn't think the posturing creature in front of him would remain idle while he tried to find a means to climb. A quick glance behind him revealed that the only way out of the alley was past the large creature in front of him and then past the two more at the alley's mouth.
The elf cocked his head slightly as he observed the being in front of him, trying to puzzle out just what manner of creature this was. It was not an orc, for though it was foul, it was not as dark and evil as an orc. It could be one of the wild men of Rohan, although if that were so, it was a very long way from home. “What manner of creature are you?”
Bull grinned when the blonde made no attempt leave once she had freed her arm from his grasp. He moved forward again. This time when he grabbed her, she wouldn't get free so easily. Without another word, he wrapped his fist in the moon-bright tresses of the woman and pulled her into a plundering kiss, forcing his tongue into her mouth when she gasped in surprised. The muscular thug grabbed between the woman's legs, stiffening in surprise when he felt what he had not expected.
Legolas used the surprise of his captor once more to free himself. He aimed a solid blow to the side of the man's head, stunning him and allowing the elf to pull out of the unwanted embrace. “Do not!” The elf snarled as he readied himself in an attitude of defence. The vile being would not take him by surprise again.
The bald thug shook his head against the shock of the blow and the discovery that what he had thought was a weak woman for his taking was actually a male and ready to fight. His eyes hardened further as he made his decision. No one was allowed to hit Bull, no matter how pretty they were. And the fact that 'she' turned out to be 'he' made it even worse! The insolent bastard would pay, for invading his territory without notification, and for duping Bull into thinking he was female.
“Snake! Eddy!” Bull snapped out. He wasn't going to take any more chances with the little shit. He was a scrawny little fucker but he packed a hell of a wallop. Bull's head was still ringing slightly from the blow.
Snake and Eddy moved into the alley at the command from their leader. They knew what his snapped command meant. Things hadn't gone according to his plan and now the two men were required to assist in beating the living shit out of the person who had dared to hit Bull.
“Uh, Bull, are you sure you want to beat up a woman?” Snake asked hesitantly. He didn't mind a bit of biffo himself, but it just seemed wrong to use his fists against a female, regardless of how good her right cross was, and it had been a thing of beauty.
“There is no woman here!” Bull growled as he once more began to advance on the slender male. “This fucker is a guy, and he needs to learn not to walk around dressed like a girl.”
“A guy?!” Eddy gasped in surprise even as he moved against the wall of the alley in a flanking manoeuver. Soon the three men would have their victim cornered and three against one was not good odds for the blonde.
“Now!” Bull shouted and the three men rushed the elf, intent on inflicting as much damage as possible in the shortest possible time with minimal injury to themselves.
Legolas twisted as he tried to avoid the solid fists of his three assailants. His previous disorientation made his head spin as he moved, causing him to stumble slightly and taking him right into the path of the short fat person. He collapsed to the ground as a hard blow to the side of his head increased his dizziness. From there, all he could do was curl into a ball in an attempt to protect himself as a flurry of fists and feet pummelled him.
Soon the metallic smell of blood joined the other malodourous aromas in the alley and the three men stood back to survey their handiwork. Snake wiped a pudgy arm over his sweat-soaked forehead as he gasped for breath. It had been a long time since he'd had to actually beat anyone and the easy living as one of Bull's top lieutenants had left him out of shape and grossly overweight.
The alley rang with the sound of a pistol being cocked.
“Wait!” Eddy said hastily, his adam's apple bobbing anxiously as he swallowed.
Bull glared at his second-in-command, silently demanding an explanation as to why he should wait.
Eddy nervously rubbed his hands against his jeans. He was a nondescript man, easily forgotten, hard to identify. His hair was mousy brown and his face had no remarkable features. He was neither fat nor skinny, muscular nor flabby. In all things, the right hand man of the most vicious thug in the greater San Francisco area was average. This was something he was very grateful for. He'd done many things that had been attributed to others, and he remained second to Bull, only because it still suited him.
“Before you kill him, Bull...” Eddy began in a placating tone, disguising his nervousness at deterring Bull from doing what he wanted. “I've got a bit of a suggestion.”
“What?” Bull ground out, angry that he'd been stopped when he'd been about to waste the only man he'd ever kissed. The only reason he was prepared to listen to Eddy was because his second always had good ideas and he'd never sought to claim Bull's position. Bull knew Eddy was much smarter than he was and he was happy that the other man had never challenged him for leadership.
“I know someone.” Eddy shifted his stance slightly, prepared to defend himself. He didn't think Bull would just flat out shoot him for what he was about to suggest, but he might hit him. “Someone who would pay handsomely for such a pretty boy.”
“Who?” Bull was curious in spite of himself. “And how much money are we talking?”
“He goes by the name the Procurer. He's put the word out that he is looking for pretty boys, virgin ones in particular.” Eddy continued quickly, aware that he had to say the next piece quickly to get Bull to agree. He wanted the money the Procurer would give him on the side as a commission on the sale. “If we take this boy back to the hideout, and clean him up, maybe wait until the bruises and scrapes fade, the Procurer will pay more than double what we got for the Wilton heist.”
“You want us to take him back to the club?” Bull scowled, even though he uncocked the pistol and stowed it once more in his waistband. Double the money they got for the Wilton heist was not to be tossed aside without consideration.
“What could it hurt? He can't speak English, no one's gonna understand whatever he babbles. We just keep him tied up and he won't give us any trouble.” Eddy relaxed slightly with relief, aware the deal was almost sealed. “I bet Snake's still got the chains he used on that South American hellion he had two weeks ago.”
Bull looked the question at the fat man who nodded once, even as he licked his lips with remembrance. She'd been a feisty little bitch and he was sorry she'd eventually died from being repeatedly raped. The chains had been the only way to restrain her.
“And have you thought about what we're going to use to restrain him until we get to the chains?” Bull asked sarcastically.
“Just this,” Eddy said as he crouched beside the still form and punched the blonde hard in the side of his head. He smiled with satisfaction when the slender body relaxed completely in unconsciousness. Standing once more, with the blonde slung over his shoulder, Eddy followed Bull out of the alley with Snake bring up the rear.
The moonlight dimmed as the end of the alleyway was blocked.
“What have we here?” One shadow detatched from the group, revealing itself to be a large, well-muscled man with a shaved head. He walked down the alley towards the slender figure that hadn't turned at his words. “You're a long way from home, darlin'. Didn't your mamma ever tell you it wasn't safe to hang around in alleys after dark?” The man grinned maliciously, “Or perhaps you're here because you wanted to be found?”
The muscular man reached for the slender body and wrapped his hand around one slim arm, pulling the unresisting form closer. “Perhaps you want someone to claim you? Is that it, pretty one?”
The two men standing at the head of the alley grinned at each other. They were quite content to watch Bull take the blonde, aware that when he was finished with her, they'd get their turn. In the meantime, they would make sure no one else tried to get in on their fun.
“Release me,” the lilting voice spoke softly, neither begging nor demanding... yet.
“I don't know what you're saying, pretty girl, but it sounds real nice, so you just keep talking, and I'll just show you what pretty girls who stand alone in alley ways after dark get.” Bull grinned as he turned the slender body to face him. His breath caught slightly at the beauty that was illuminated by the faint moonlight. He'd never seen anything so stunningly gorgeous.
Unfocused blue eyes looked into muddy brown ones; the pale brow furrowed in confusion, the tone of the words was understood although the meaning remained unknown. What did this creature want? It couldn't mean what the tone implied, could it? “If you would just tell me which direction I must travel to return to Minas Tirith, I will be on my way.”
“What's your hurry, bitch?” Bull tightened his grip on the slim arm as the beautiful blonde tried to pull away. “You're not gonna try to deny Bull his right to claim you, are you? You're in my territory, slut, that means you have to pay, and you're so pretty, I might just decide to keep you.”
The fog that had clouded his mind receded slightly, and Legolas' mouth firmed into a grim line as he surveyed the foul creature that held him. With very little effort, he freed himself from the grip, shrugging off the pain this caused to his arm. He stared imperiously at the being in front of him. If he understood the tone the creature used, it meant to take its pleasure from him, and that the elf would not allow. He would rather die than to permit such filth to touch him intimately. “Touch me again and you will die!” He hissed in warning.
“Good, you've got a bit of fire in you,” Bull sneered. “Maybe that'll make up for your puny tits. If you're a good fuck, maybe I'll pay for you to have implants.” He refused to show his surprise at how easily the little slut had escaped his grasp. She was only delaying the inevitable. Snake and Eddy wouldn't allow her out of the alley anyway. Bull would have his way sooner or later.
Legolas surveyed his surroundings. His nose wrinkled slightly at the odour of rotting garbage and filth. The walls of the narrow passage he found himself in extended too far up and they were too slick for him to easily scale them and escape. Somehow, he didn't think the posturing creature in front of him would remain idle while he tried to find a means to climb. A quick glance behind him revealed that the only way out of the alley was past the large creature in front of him and then past the two more at the alley's mouth.
The elf cocked his head slightly as he observed the being in front of him, trying to puzzle out just what manner of creature this was. It was not an orc, for though it was foul, it was not as dark and evil as an orc. It could be one of the wild men of Rohan, although if that were so, it was a very long way from home. “What manner of creature are you?”
Bull grinned when the blonde made no attempt leave once she had freed her arm from his grasp. He moved forward again. This time when he grabbed her, she wouldn't get free so easily. Without another word, he wrapped his fist in the moon-bright tresses of the woman and pulled her into a plundering kiss, forcing his tongue into her mouth when she gasped in surprised. The muscular thug grabbed between the woman's legs, stiffening in surprise when he felt what he had not expected.
Legolas used the surprise of his captor once more to free himself. He aimed a solid blow to the side of the man's head, stunning him and allowing the elf to pull out of the unwanted embrace. “Do not!” The elf snarled as he readied himself in an attitude of defence. The vile being would not take him by surprise again.
The bald thug shook his head against the shock of the blow and the discovery that what he had thought was a weak woman for his taking was actually a male and ready to fight. His eyes hardened further as he made his decision. No one was allowed to hit Bull, no matter how pretty they were. And the fact that 'she' turned out to be 'he' made it even worse! The insolent bastard would pay, for invading his territory without notification, and for duping Bull into thinking he was female.
“Snake! Eddy!” Bull snapped out. He wasn't going to take any more chances with the little shit. He was a scrawny little fucker but he packed a hell of a wallop. Bull's head was still ringing slightly from the blow.
Snake and Eddy moved into the alley at the command from their leader. They knew what his snapped command meant. Things hadn't gone according to his plan and now the two men were required to assist in beating the living shit out of the person who had dared to hit Bull.
“Uh, Bull, are you sure you want to beat up a woman?” Snake asked hesitantly. He didn't mind a bit of biffo himself, but it just seemed wrong to use his fists against a female, regardless of how good her right cross was, and it had been a thing of beauty.
“There is no woman here!” Bull growled as he once more began to advance on the slender male. “This fucker is a guy, and he needs to learn not to walk around dressed like a girl.”
“A guy?!” Eddy gasped in surprise even as he moved against the wall of the alley in a flanking manoeuver. Soon the three men would have their victim cornered and three against one was not good odds for the blonde.
“Now!” Bull shouted and the three men rushed the elf, intent on inflicting as much damage as possible in the shortest possible time with minimal injury to themselves.
Legolas twisted as he tried to avoid the solid fists of his three assailants. His previous disorientation made his head spin as he moved, causing him to stumble slightly and taking him right into the path of the short fat person. He collapsed to the ground as a hard blow to the side of his head increased his dizziness. From there, all he could do was curl into a ball in an attempt to protect himself as a flurry of fists and feet pummelled him.
Soon the metallic smell of blood joined the other malodourous aromas in the alley and the three men stood back to survey their handiwork. Snake wiped a pudgy arm over his sweat-soaked forehead as he gasped for breath. It had been a long time since he'd had to actually beat anyone and the easy living as one of Bull's top lieutenants had left him out of shape and grossly overweight.
The alley rang with the sound of a pistol being cocked.
“Wait!” Eddy said hastily, his adam's apple bobbing anxiously as he swallowed.
Bull glared at his second-in-command, silently demanding an explanation as to why he should wait.
Eddy nervously rubbed his hands against his jeans. He was a nondescript man, easily forgotten, hard to identify. His hair was mousy brown and his face had no remarkable features. He was neither fat nor skinny, muscular nor flabby. In all things, the right hand man of the most vicious thug in the greater San Francisco area was average. This was something he was very grateful for. He'd done many things that had been attributed to others, and he remained second to Bull, only because it still suited him.
“Before you kill him, Bull...” Eddy began in a placating tone, disguising his nervousness at deterring Bull from doing what he wanted. “I've got a bit of a suggestion.”
“What?” Bull ground out, angry that he'd been stopped when he'd been about to waste the only man he'd ever kissed. The only reason he was prepared to listen to Eddy was because his second always had good ideas and he'd never sought to claim Bull's position. Bull knew Eddy was much smarter than he was and he was happy that the other man had never challenged him for leadership.
“I know someone.” Eddy shifted his stance slightly, prepared to defend himself. He didn't think Bull would just flat out shoot him for what he was about to suggest, but he might hit him. “Someone who would pay handsomely for such a pretty boy.”
“Who?” Bull was curious in spite of himself. “And how much money are we talking?”
“He goes by the name the Procurer. He's put the word out that he is looking for pretty boys, virgin ones in particular.” Eddy continued quickly, aware that he had to say the next piece quickly to get Bull to agree. He wanted the money the Procurer would give him on the side as a commission on the sale. “If we take this boy back to the hideout, and clean him up, maybe wait until the bruises and scrapes fade, the Procurer will pay more than double what we got for the Wilton heist.”
“You want us to take him back to the club?” Bull scowled, even though he uncocked the pistol and stowed it once more in his waistband. Double the money they got for the Wilton heist was not to be tossed aside without consideration.
“What could it hurt? He can't speak English, no one's gonna understand whatever he babbles. We just keep him tied up and he won't give us any trouble.” Eddy relaxed slightly with relief, aware the deal was almost sealed. “I bet Snake's still got the chains he used on that South American hellion he had two weeks ago.”
Bull looked the question at the fat man who nodded once, even as he licked his lips with remembrance. She'd been a feisty little bitch and he was sorry she'd eventually died from being repeatedly raped. The chains had been the only way to restrain her.
“And have you thought about what we're going to use to restrain him until we get to the chains?” Bull asked sarcastically.
“Just this,” Eddy said as he crouched beside the still form and punched the blonde hard in the side of his head. He smiled with satisfaction when the slender body relaxed completely in unconsciousness. Standing once more, with the blonde slung over his shoulder, Eddy followed Bull out of the alley with Snake bring up the rear.