Devon knew it was wrong. He knew he should leave her in her room and never see her again. He knew what would happen next, she would go on dates, endless dates, night after night and when she wasn't on dates she would be on a webcam making Calvin money. They had walked this path so many times before. He felt like he couldn't breath while he watched her as he had done for the bulk of the day.
Kristy was singing to herself as she moved between the bathroom and the bedroom. She had several dresses laid out on her bed and she was strutting around the room naked, "Someone broke in to the house?"
"They did, but it's nothing you need to worry about," he let his eyes take in her nubile form as he stood by the door.
"I just don't know if I should go on a date if we had an intruder, it just seems creepy to me." She said as she pulled on some red panties. "Besides, I would much rather spend the night with you."
"Not my call."
Kristy pouted and coyly covered her nipples as she approached him, "Are you sure I can't convince you," she batted her eyelashes and smiled appreciatively as she took note of his growing erection.
Devon shook his head, "Kristy, you got to behave," she took his hand and tried pulling him to the bed, but he wouldn't budge.
Calvin stepped in a moment later and Kristy's attention instantly shifted. The things he said while she was on Truth came screaming back to the front of her mind. She almost fell when her knees went weak at the sight of him. She didn't so much walk to him as she floated and wrapped herself around him to kiss him. He indulged her and massaging one of her tits as they made out.
Devon straightened up and stuffed his hands in his pockets, but dropped his eyes to the floor as they continued kissing. "I'll step out."
Calvin pulled away from her, "Hold up, let's you and me have a drink," he said to Devon. He held Kristy's chin in his hand and looked her in the eye, "I need you to get ready, baby girl. You got work to do, you heard me?" She looked up at him with big worshipful eyes and nodded. She didn't cast Devon another look as she returned to her clothes and makeup. "Come on," Calvin said to Devon as he opened the door and stepped out.
Calvin led Devon to the living room and the bar set in the corner. He poured himself out a glass of Martell and took a sip before addressing his brother. "You look like you got something on your mind."
Devon laughed to himself and shook his head "Motherfucker breaks into your house, threatens to shoot you, and you gonna a get him laid. That's an interesting strategy."
Calvin poured out a little more cognac in his own glass, poured a second, and handed it to his brother. "Fabiola got skills you ain't got, fre m. You gonna have to trust me."
Devon nodded, "Yeah, I see her skills."
"This ain't about the Pretes is it?" Calvin stated point blank.
"What?"
"I see how you look at her. How has this bitch got you so twisted, man?"
Devon stepped away from Calvin and batted at the air with both arms, "Shit, you the one got it twisted. This is just the same shit different day."
Calvin shook his head, "Nah bruh, this all new shit, we going to do it better than last time. Look here, the drug, that's only half the battle, we're taking the city." Devon shrugged at his brother, "Politicians, chief of police, fucking district attorney, all of them in my sight. I don't need any more hookers what I need is licenses."
"So where does Kristy fall into that?"
"That's cute that you know her name. That girl, Kristy, is gonna be my honey pot. Not a girl in the east wing hold a candle to that ho' you crushing on." Devon looked down at his glass of cognac and felt the world suddenly get heavier. He took down the glass in one gulp and set it out for another drink. Calvin smiled and poured another cognac "When we're done with this town we gonna own the motherfucker. Totally untouchable."
* * *
"I am Fabiola, but my worshipers call me Pretes," Tom woke in a chair with her on his lap whispering to him. She was thin and tall and her body was draped around him. Her skin was so dark that in the dim light of the room it was hard to tell what was skin and what was her black leather dress. He tried to recall what had happened and how long he was in the room. He didn't even know if it was the same day. Distantly he remembered a fragment of a dream. Kristy looked at him him with disinterest then kissed a shirtless muscular black man. She was flanked by other men behind her waiting for her attentions, but that was where the image ended. The Pretes was still speaking, but he couldn't keep up with what she was saying.
Her mouth was close to Tom's ear and it was difficult to focus much on the specific words. The attention was pleasant after his strange dream and his body responded to her honey dipped voice. "People get disillusioned with their lives, they want more and there is always something that offers more. Gambling, religion, sex, magic, perhaps a pill. Anything to give them more control in this uncontrolled world," she stroked his arm gently, goose pimples sprouted across his arm spread to his shoulder up the back of his neck to his head. "It is a lie."
"What happened?" Tom croaked. His mouth felt like it was coated in paste. "I'm thirsty."
"They drugged you." He heard her words and jerked away from the chair. His wrists and ankles were zip-tied to the chair. He shut his eyes tight and hummed to himself trying to shut out the woman's voice. "Not Truth, just something make you sleep," she let out a small laugh as she poured some floral smelling liquid into her hands and anointed Tom's forehead.
"What do you want?"
"Your soul and where you got Truth. Calvin wants the drug, but what he wants I want." She poured another aromatic oil into her hands and again touched Tom's head paying more attention to his forehead and the back of his neck.
Tom relaxed as he watched her move around the room lighting candles and sage. "We're in a different room," he noted. She had a table with an assortment of bottles and several candles lit where she seemed to be doing some work. On the floor he could see skulls, flowers, and more candles arranged around a chalk drawn circle. The back wall was lined with windows looking out over the river.
"I needed more space," she said and her dress dropped to the floor at her feet. Her skin was immaculate in the firelight. Her body was shaved bare and seemed to glisten as the orange candle light danced across her exquisite form. She lifted a knife from the table and approached him in his chair. "I'm about to cut you free. Evens is on the other side of that door with a gun, you understand?"
"Where is Calvin?"
"Don't you worry about him. If you give me what I want this'll go easy for you."
"What do you want?"
"I already told you, I'm here for your soul." She cut his zip-ties free and stepped back away from him. "Now strip."
Tom stood up carefully, his head felt about ten pound heavier than normal. He still felt a bit drunk, but there was something else working his body making him feel sluggish. He didn't move and instead watched Fabiola's expression. She could've been a statue. Her face didn't reveal anything she was thinking.
Fabiola pulled at the hem of his shirt, but he pulled away kicking over a candle as he fell back into the chair. His head throbbed as she descended on him and blew some kind of powder in his face, "Poud zonbi, ou obeyi mwen," her voice came out as a snarl. "Rise." she said almost in a whisper and Tom felt his cock throb and grow. "Nanm ou pral pou mwen." She opened his fly and his dick sprang out. She took it in her hand and stroked it as she continued talking. Tom grunted as he felt his body responding to her touch.