Ill Wind

Around the time that Tseng was talking to Kerri, Reno was sitting at a bar on the outskirts of Edge. He'd made it back into the city about three hours ago, and had stopped at the first place he came to that served drinks. The fact that it was also happened to be a brothel hadn't been important to him. Since then he had set about getting as shitfaced as possible, trying to drown the memory of the pain in Kerri's eyes when he left. It wasn't working to his satisfaction. In fact, the booze seemed to be enhancing the picture, and he was feeling guiltier by the moment. He tried masking it with anger at Kerri.

I never made any promises, he thought, his old familiar defense whenever he knew he'd broken someone's heart.

Oh, really? that damn Elena-voice answered, and images flashed behind his eyes. Himself kneeling beside Kerri while she was in the tub, telling her that she was his woman. Holding her when she woke up from the nightmares and whispering that he'd never let anyone hurt her again. Whispering Come for your Reno while making love to her. Not a single promise, huh?

“Fuck you,” he snarled, earning a startled look from the bartender which he didn't see. Why the hell had she had to go and get pregnant anyway? Things had been going great for them; there was no reason for her to have to try to tie him down by getting herself knocked up. Deep down he knew better, knew that Kerri wasn't the type to attempt to trap a man that way. But being as drunk as he was, it seemed to make sense.

He emptied his glass and tipped it toward the bartender to indicate that he wanted another. The man cautiously made his way down the bar and poured another whiskey. “Thanks,” Reno said. He swung around on his stool, swaying a bit, to check out the rest of the place. Dim, quiet, nicely furnished, there was little indication that the place was a brothel except for the occasional man going up the stairs. An idea popped into Reno's head. If the booze couldn't get the picture of Kerri out of his head, maybe a quick fuck would. He turned back toward the bartender. “I wanna go upstairs, yo,” he said. “Who do I talk to?”

“Right over there,” the bartender told him, pointing toward a middle aged but still attractive woman sitting alone at a table against the far wall. “That's Miss Lisul. She'll take care of it.”

Reno finished off his last drink and got up to make his way over to the madam before he could think too much about it. “How much to go upstairs?” he asked bluntly.

Lisul eyed him for a moment before she spoke. She knew he was one of the Turks, but his name escaped her for the moment. Still, Turk or not, it was her job not only to get custom for the ladies upstairs, but also to protect them as best she could. “You're drunk,” she said. “And you're an assassin, among other things. How do I know you won't hurt one of my girls?”

Reno was indignant. “I wouldn't do that. My job's got nothin' to do with the way I fuck. So how much is it gonna cost me?”

Lisul pursed her lips for a moment, considering, and then said, “One hundred gil an hour. Five hundred for the night.” Reno dug for his wallet and pulled out five hundred, tossing it on the table. “You have a preference about looks?” Lisul asked.

“I just wanna get laid. I don't care,” Reno answered. The madam raised her arm and gestured to a burly man standing by the foot of the stairs. He came toward her at once.

“Leef will take you up,” she told Reno before turning to the bodyguard. “Show him to Arden's room,” she said, and the man nodded.

What the hell are you doing? The Elena-voice in his mind screamed. Reno ignored it.



The girl was good, there was no denying that. Reno lay cross-wise on the bed, his feet on the floor while the girl knelt between his legs. He groaned as she took his entire length in her mouth, his cock easily sliding down her throat. He hadn't had a woman do that in a long time. She started out slowly, bobbing her head up and down, sucking him, swirling her tongue around the head of his dick each time her head came up. She lightly teased his heavy balls with her fingernails, making him draw in his breath sharply. Yeah, she was great at giving blowjobs. Better than Kerri, who was still inexperienced at this.

But then why hadn't he came yet? She'd been working him for a while now. Kerri always made him come fairly quickly when she did it. What was missing? His eyes opened as the answer descended on him like an icy shower. When Kerri did it, it was because she wanted to do it. There had been no desire in the hooker's eyes before she went down on him, no affection. No blue eyes looking up at him with an adorable bashful expression. Kerri always took her time, kissing him, licking, nibbling, caressing him with her hands. This girl hadn't done that—she'd just went to work, which was, after all, what this was to her. What Kerri lacked in experience she more than made up for by actually enjoying going down on him.

“Stop,” Reno said. He sat up and gently pushed her away from him, noticing that while still buzzed, he was nowhere near as drunk as he had been when he came up here. “I can't do this,” he told her as he pulled his trousers back up.

“What's wrong, sugar?” she asked. “Was I doing something you didn't like?”

“Oh, hell no. You're great, yo. It's me. I've got a woman, and I've already hurt her pretty bad today by being a selfish asshole and a coward,” he admitted. “I don't want to do anything else to hurt her, you know? I've got enough making up to her to do already.” He stood up and gave her a hand to help her to her feet, then pulled his wallet out. He gave her an extra hundred gil, and she stuffed it into her bra. “Sorry, Arden. Didn't mean to waste your time, yo,” he said. “No hard feelings, right?”

“None whatsoever,” she said, smiling. “Just as long as you don't tell Lisul about this.” She patted her bra above the money he'd given her.

“Deal,” Reno said, and started for the door.

“I hope you and your lady patch things up,” Arden told him.

Reno looked back at her. “You and me both,” he said, and closed her door behind him.

“Lucky lady,” Arden remarked, knowing that most of her customers would never do what the redhead had just done.