Revolution
Chapter 14

Grace

Deacon kicked us out of the bar around 1130. We felt fine and could have probably stayed longer, the money was awesome, but we had already accomplished what we went to do. No one spoke until we were back in our stolen car.

“Was that him? Was that vamp our ticket?” Todd asked excitedly.

“Yes. I saw him in the vision, and I heard him talking to Deacon. He is a leader over others. And he has been proving himself. Plus, I got another vision while we were with him, he is definitely the one. That was why I teased him until he bit me.”

“Man, that was hard to watch.”

I understood what Todd meant. I reached over and held his hand. We both had accepted the sharing our partners part, but watching someone bite and drink their blood? Yeah, that was hard to do.

I didn’t know when it happened, but somewhere over the last few weeks, I started seeing him the way he saw me. As my partner, not just in the spy sense, more like my equal, my person I could turn to.

“Oh, my gosh, did you see the vamp with the whip? He was swinging that thing around and hitting everybody he could.” Rachel laughed.

“Which whip are you talking about? He was swinging both around.” Scott mumbled. He had gotten poked more than once by men tonight.

“What was all that stuff Deacon was saying about Carter needing testosterone?” Todd changed the subject, not wanting to rehash the sore butt syndrome they both were suffering from.

Carter was a big vampire. Much bigger than Ryley. We won’t even try to compare Scott and Justin. It would just be embarrassing for them.

“What’s tester one?” Rachel couldn’t even say the word. Sometimes I forgot how young she was.

“Testosterone is a chemical that increases body mass and strength, guys have more of it. Did you see those other two new guys? I bet Deacon was on the hunt for buff guys when he met us.” I turned back to Todd to answer his question. “Carter was talking about being tired and worn out. Deacon basically sold him you like a pick me up drug.”

“Ok, that I get. But why do all that other stuff?”

I giggled at his disgusted face. Some things he was never going to get used to.

“Are you trying to say you didn’t enjoy any of it?” I teased him.

He gave me a playful scowl and moved our hands so he could pinch my leg. “You know those parts I enjoyed, it was his involvement that I didn’t.”

I sighed. “Exercise can build the levels up. Testosterone works in the sex drive as well. It’s possible he just likes that too.” I tilted my head. “Or he was trying to lace his favorite drug with dopamine.”

“Yes, that. That is what I need to know more of,” Rachel leaned between the front seats. “This one vamp kept chanting over and over again, for me to raise my dopamine. Then when I reached a certain point she cheered and dove into her dinner.”

I laughed again. Finally meeting the vamp who we were going to use, and getting started on this path, was putting me in a good mood.

“Dopamine is a chemical your body creates. It is what heightens the pleasure.” I let the last word roll slowly off my tongue, making them all laugh.

We were swapping stories when Rachel got excited over something she remembered. “Oh my gosh, did you guys see behind the bar, Deacon, Carrie, and that other large guy?”

“Colton?” I turned to face her again.

“Yes, him. Thank you.”

“No, what happened?” Todd asked for us.

I missed it too, and judging by the look on Scott’s face, so had he.

“Oh. My. Gosh. So. The two were dancing again, while Deacon was off dealing with customers, and I mean like, all up in each other’s business dancing. The guy was like way into it. When Deacon went over there, he just stood there watching. I thought for sure he was about to punch the guy. I mean, his hands were just barely under the rim of that tiny shirt she wore, which looked totally cool, by the way. I have to get one. Anyway, Deacon just stared at them, and then started smiling. You know how he kissed her when we first got there?” She didn’t even wait for our answers. “Well, it was like that, only this time, he did a whole lot more. He worked that guy right against his own girlfriend’s butt until he was dripping all over her. She was totally into it too.” Rachel let out her breath and folded her arms as she leaned back. “I bet they are all together, like together, together.”

Scott leaned toward Rachel and placed a hand between her legs. “We can’t exactly talk, love, now can we?”

“Dude. I am so sore right now It is not funny. Those guys were part animals and three times your size. You are going to have to back off tonight.” She lightened her tone with a wink. “Catch me in the morning.”

I laughed. I already knew Todd wasn’t going to let me wait that long. Every time we had to share with others, he needed to have me close. Sealing our partnership again. We got quiet as we pulled up next to the school.

We left the car parked nearby and snuck over a fence and toward a back door to one of the halls that would lead to the gym. Todd unlocked the door and stepped aside. Rachel went in first, and I followed, bumping right into her frozen back.

I looked up to see why she wasn’t moving, and shoved the door closed before the boys were seen.

An irate man of about fifty stood in front of us. His hair gray and falling out, his stomach more of a beer gut now. He had his hands on his hips as he looked us up and down. The scowl on his face did not match the tent in the pajama pants he was wearing. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, but he had enough hair on his chest to look like he was.

“Where the hell have you two been? Do you have any idea what time it is? There is a curfew in place for a reason, and you two are out galivanting all night dressed like a bunch of hookers! I bet you were just hoping to call a vampire over so you could get a thrill! I should be kicking you two out right now. You know the rules. If you are not back by sundown, you are not back at all. Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?”

I sighed to myself. I didn’t need a vision to know that if I didn’t act right now, he would kick us out tonight. We knew we couldn’t stay here for much longer, but we hadn’t started scouting for a new place yet. If I didn’t act now, he’d kick us out before we could get our stuff and figure out the next step.

I stepped to the right and pushed Rachel behind me. I was the one that got us into this after all.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Ryan.” I pulled out my pathetic childlike voice. “It’s all my fault. I forced her to go with me. Please, don’t punish her, just me.” I forced a tear out of my eye. I learned how to fake cry and pretend to feel bad when I got caught sneaking out of my foster homes. “I’ll do anything but please don’t kick us out, Mr. Ryan.” I pushed my bottom lip out in a pout, his eyes were going lower than that.

I may have also had to beg a store manager or two not to call the cops after I got caught stealing. Mom taught me how to do it. Hell, she used me as the diversion so she wouldn’t get caught. She didn’t care that some of them wanted payment in forms that didn’t involve cash. I was 12, and an early bloomer. Thanks, mom. At least I knew how to play this.

“Hmph. Looks like you and I need to have a talk about responsibility, young lady. Rachel, go put some clothes on and get to bed. If I catch you out late again, you will have to face punishment as well. Grace, come with me.”

Rachel waited near the door as I followed him. I knew she would let the boys in as soon as the coast was clear. I just had to hope she could keep Todd from breaking down the door to the office Mr. Ryan was using.

I pretended to cry harder as I heard him close the door roughly, locking it behind us. He walked in front of me, leaning against the principal’s desk, his arms folded once again. Probably going for some relaxed but still held the power pose. Little did he know…

“What are we going to do about this, Grace? What would your father say if he were here?”

Ha! Jokes on him. I never knew my father. He was just one more in the line of morons my mother got paid to sleep with. His cheap condom broke and boom! Nine months later, here I was.

I sniffed and wiped my cheek. “My daddy would just sigh with disappointment and say it was time for another reminder. He didn’t like punishing me like this, but it was the only way I would learn. He used to make me pull down my shorts and underwear and bend me over his knee and spank me when I was naughty.” At the spark in his eyes, I knew I was on the right road. My mother taught me very little, but she did teach me how to read men. She always knew what I needed to do to get the managers distracted enough. “He always took care of me after, though, being all nice and rubbing me to make it feel better. He even had special lotion that took all my pains away. He rubbed it everywhere on me, to make sure there was no pain left. The first time I was naughty rubbing hurt really bad, but he was right, it stopped hurting and the lotion made everything better.” I sniffed again. “Daddy hasn’t been around in a while to punish me when I am naughty. I guess I forgot.” I shrugged pathetically and started crying again.

“What did your mom say about the punishments?”

Hmph, like she would have cared.

“Daddy said mommy told him how to take care of me, it was the way all good girls had to learn to be good from their daddy’s. But we couldn’t tell her. She would be very disappointed and mad at me for being so naughty. I just can’t help it, Mr. Ryan. I didn’t mean to be naughty. I promise!”

“Well, I’m sorry you lost your daddy. It sounds like you need a reminder of why you should behave. I will help you this time, but next time, I won’t be so nice. And I’ll let you keep it between us.”

He sat down on one of the chairs and waved me over.

“Thank you, Mr. Ryan.”

He grinned up at me, with those yellow teeth of his. “Think nothing of it, darling. And I think I even have some of that special lotion your daddy used to use.”

I grinned back, like a complete idiot. “Oh, thank you, Mr. Ryan!”

“Now, I think you need to take that skirt off there, Miss Grace. It’s one of the reasons you were so naughty tonight, wasn’t it?” I let my lip tremble and looked at the ground.

“Yes, Mr. Ryan. I stole it from someone’s house.”

“Well, now. Stealing is awfully bad. I think you will need to take it all off for your punishment to mean something. I’ll let you wear it back to your bed later, but you have to promise never to wear it again.”

I shook my head. “I won’t, Mr. Ryan. With you here making sure I behave; I know I will do much better.”

I let the skirt slowly drop, then carefully untied the top before pulling it off. He was practically salivating.

He grabbed my arm and pushed me over his lap. “You have been a very naughty girl, haven’t you?”

“Yes, Mr. Ryan.”

“No. When I punish you, I want you to call me daddy, that way you’ll feel like he is the one teaching you again. Understand?”

“Yes, sir, Mr.… I mean, daddy. But this isn’t the way daddy did it.” I looked over my shoulder at him, his eyes glued to his hand rubbing over my bare butt.

“No, what am I forgetting?”

“Daddy made sure he was poking me in the stomach, so I felt the pain more. He said it was a reminder.”

“What did he poke you with?”

I looked down like I was feeling shy. “Himself. He said only really naughty girls had to feel that. And I have been very naughty tonight… daddy.”

“That’s it? You only have to feel it on your belly?” He totally wanted me to feel it somewhere else.

I nodded and nibbled on my fingernail. “Yes. He only put it somewhere else if I was naughty too often.” Well, looked like he was enjoying hearing it as much as doing it. I could work with that. “One time, he had to punish me four times in the same week. I couldn’t sleep, so I kept sneaking out of my room for things. The last time, daddy said I wasn’t learning my lesson good enough. He made me lay on the bed, with no clothes on. He tied my hands and feet to the bed, so I wouldn’t accidentally move away from him. It hurt so bad, and there was so much blood. At least the first time. He said I was only allowed to yell because mommy wasn’t home. He left me tied up all night. In the morning, he came back and kissed it all better before using his magic lotion on me.”

Mr. Ryan could barely speak by that point. “Did you tell your mommy when she got back?”

I shook my head, forcing a small blush. “No. Daddy said mommy told him to do that. It would help me sleep and remember not to sneak out of bed.”

“And how often did your daddy have to tie you up?”

“He tied me to my bed the rest of the weekend, coming in to remind me why I had to stay in bed. By the time mommy came home, I wasn’t bleeding anymore, but it still hurt. Daddy was so much bigger than me. But he always made it better. I lost daddy not much later. I have tried really hard to remember, daddy. I promise.”

“Well, why don’t you help daddy with his pants, little darling? Since this is the first time we’ll start out small. The next time though, I will replace a place to tie you up, so you remember better.”

“Thank you, daddy.” I stood up and leaned over him as he lifted up enough for me to slide them down.

I let my fingernails drag along his skin, and let other things hang practically in his face. My goal was to get him so worked up he blew before he could really make me regret this. He struck me as the kind to be a “quickdraw McGraw,” as my mother always put it. I was sure he wasn’t far from losing it just from my story.

Too soon, I was lying over him again, feeling sorry for his wife as that sad thing pushed against me. He started telling me every bad thing I had done since I stepped foot inside his shelter. The man had apparently watched us a little too closely.

In between each infraction, he smacked my butt. After the third, I realized he was trying to hit me hard enough to make me move forward, so he could catch me and keep me from falling. The parts he grabbed wouldn’t have stopped anything, but I just thanked him and called him daddy.

I was really bored while I waited for him to decide I had had enough. It was better than what I’m sure he was hoping for. I could deal with him being the grabby one if it kept me off my knees.

“Now what, little darling? How does daddy make you feel better?”

I pulled another chair over and held onto it. “I hold on like this, while he… you, punish me and then take the pain away.”

“Can I kiss it and make it better too?”

“Whatever daddy thinks will help. Sometimes he just rubbed a magic wand on me before the lotion came out.” I rolled my eyes, felling grateful he was behind me.

Mr. Ryan fell for it at least. I cursed to myself when I felt him trying to slide in. I bit back the laugh though when just that small touch had been too much for him. Still, he took his sweet time with the magic lotion.

Seriously? How stupid did he think I was?

“Now, there, little darlin. Doesn’t that feel better?” He pulled me onto his lap, I tried not to blanch.

I sniffled, “yes, daddy. Thank you, daddy.”

His hands roamed freely, feeling encouraged by this. “Next time I catch you being naughty, I am not going to be so nice. You are older now and should know better. I think I know a few more ways to help teach you, kind of like your daddy. Understand?”

I nodded. “Yes, daddy. I’ll try not to be so naughty. I just forget sometimes. Rachel and I like to be naughty together.” Ooo, that got him.

“Well, then maybe next time I should punish you both. You know, sometimes, things are only naughty when you do them in the wrong places. Maybe next time you two feel like being naughty, you should come here. I’ll watch you, and even help you to make sure you don’t do anything too bad. Alright?”

I hugged him, bouncing a little. He wrapped an arm around me, pressing me against him. “Thank you, daddy! You are the best daddy ever! We’ll come to you every time.” I pulled back and bit my lip. “But it’s so boring here sometimes, that we feel naughty a lot just so we have something to do.”

“That’s okay, little darling. I have plenty of time. But we need to keep this our little secret, alright? I don’t want anyone else misunderstanding and thinking you are still being naughty. It’s my job as your daddy to punish you.”

I nodded again. “Yes, daddy. Am I allowed to go to bed now? I’m really tired.”

“Of course, little darling, now cover back up so no one tempts you to be naughty again.”

I dressed quickly and left. My group was all sitting on the floor near our cots. I waved for them to pretend to lie down, as I knew Mr. Ryan was watching us. We laid quietly until we were sure he was asleep.

As quietly as we could, we crawled into the hall and into a classroom, the one we had pretty much adopted as our own. Many lessons had been taught in here. Just not the ones you would expect in a high school.

Todd was livid still. I made them all laugh with how I played the shelter manager and kept him from doing something I would have really regretted.

After some time, I broached what we all knew was coming.

“We need to leave. Tonight. We can use the car and move.”

“Why tonight? Why not tomorrow?” Scott asked with a yawn.

“Because most of us are still underage and were told we had to stay with the adults. Plus, I don’t want anyone here knowing where we are going. No trails to follow. We just disappear. If they catch us, they will break us up and make us sleep closer to the rest of them. Possibly even in different shelters. Somewhere they can keep a better eye on us.”

“Where will we go?” Justin asked softly. I didn’t have an answer for that.

The twins exchanged a look, then Layla spoke up. “We know a place. We hid there before. It’s an apartment complex. The vamps cleaned it out. There is a three-bedroom suite towards the top. The guy had a bunch of canned goods, maybe they are still there.” She ended in a shrug.

We all agreed and twenty minutes later we were sneaking out through the outside basketball courts. The car was only a five-seater, but we shoved the twins on top of laps in the backseat. We still had all the bags of food Todd and I had scrounged. At least it was a start. We even had money now, we could buy more as we needed it.

This was only temporary, until we could see Carter again. We needed to be there every time he was. We needed him to get attached enough to want to keep us. We needed him to get us closer to Curtis and his men.