HER!?" Distant.
After an hour, they were still not yet out of the passage. "Brinley, stop, please, I'm tired." Instantly, he stopped.
He helped her find a seat, and then offered her some bread and water.
"What's going on? I'm just some prostitute. What do they want with me?"
"Don't talk so down about yourself," he warned. "I'm very sorry, but I can't tell you anything yet. You need to be able to plead ignorance."
"Plead ignorance?" Virgene repeated incredulously. "Surely you don't intend for us to get caught!"
"No!" Brinley insisted, looking up quickly. "It's merely a precaution the rest of us have already agreed upon."
"The rest of who?" she begged.
"The Knights," Brinley explained, vaguely and casually. "We have to get out of the city for now. I assume you have some money in your room?"
"Well, yes, but why--"
"Good, are you well enough rested up for another hour? I can carry you if needed."
"I... I've had to work for longer than an hour before. I think I'll be fine."
"So be it, come on," he said, again grabbing her hand and hurrying her through the passage again.
Another hour passed, and they came up miles away. He took her out of the passage and into a street. Just another minute, and they were outside of her brothel. "Back entrance," she suggested, and they hurried around the building together. A ladder lead up to the hallway to the girls' rooms. Brinley went first, then turned around and helped Virgene up. For the last time, Brinley led Virgene to her old room.
"You better change, too," he suggested.
She slid off her slip, not worrying about modesty. She walked over to her wardrobe, but was stopped by Brinley's sudden action. He was turning around, leaving her some modesty.
"What's with you lately? You've seen me nude before. You've been so respectful to me. What's changed?" she asked, stopping dead in her tracks.
"It's one of those things I can't talk about," he murmured.
"Oh, really?" she said, raising an eyebrow. She walked over to him and slid her hands over his broad shoulders down his chest. "What about that kiss the other night? Can't talk about that either?" Her voice was breathy against his ear. "Or what about that time?" her teeth closed lightly around his ear lobe. "I got payed extra for figuring out this move?"
After an hour, they were still not yet out of the passage. "Brinley, stop, please, I'm tired." Instantly, he stopped.
He helped her find a seat, and then offered her some bread and water.
"What's going on? I'm just some prostitute. What do they want with me?"
"Don't talk so down about yourself," he warned. "I'm very sorry, but I can't tell you anything yet. You need to be able to plead ignorance."
"Plead ignorance?" Virgene repeated incredulously. "Surely you don't intend for us to get caught!"
"No!" Brinley insisted, looking up quickly. "It's merely a precaution the rest of us have already agreed upon."
"The rest of who?" she begged.
"The Knights," Brinley explained, vaguely and casually. "We have to get out of the city for now. I assume you have some money in your room?"
"Well, yes, but why--"
"Good, are you well enough rested up for another hour? I can carry you if needed."
"I... I've had to work for longer than an hour before. I think I'll be fine."
"So be it, come on," he said, again grabbing her hand and hurrying her through the passage again.
Another hour passed, and they came up miles away. He took her out of the passage and into a street. Just another minute, and they were outside of her brothel. "Back entrance," she suggested, and they hurried around the building together. A ladder lead up to the hallway to the girls' rooms. Brinley went first, then turned around and helped Virgene up. For the last time, Brinley led Virgene to her old room.
"You better change, too," he suggested.
She slid off her slip, not worrying about modesty. She walked over to her wardrobe, but was stopped by Brinley's sudden action. He was turning around, leaving her some modesty.
"What's with you lately? You've seen me nude before. You've been so respectful to me. What's changed?" she asked, stopping dead in her tracks.
"It's one of those things I can't talk about," he murmured.
"Oh, really?" she said, raising an eyebrow. She walked over to him and slid her hands over his broad shoulders down his chest. "What about that kiss the other night? Can't talk about that either?" Her voice was breathy against his ear. "Or what about that time?" her teeth closed lightly around his ear lobe. "I got payed extra for figuring out this move?"
