SO I ALMOST MARRIED A HIT MAN
By Greg Emerson
thedistresser1963@yahoo.com
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was around 8:45 when Travis received a call on his cell phone.
I could hear him talking in the kitchen.
It was clear that the other person was at least one of the people on his way to my house.
I listened intently. My mouth was stuffed and taped again. Travis had generously used a fresh sock from the package and he again spared nothing when it came to the tape, which was plastered in layers over my mouth.
He was giving the other person my home address. And he used words like "gear" and "surveillance." I couldn't make it all out because Travis paced as he spoke and sometimes his pacing took him out of my range of hearing.
It wasn't until he hung up that I realized I had been digging my bare toes into the carpet out of angst. I relaxed them and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.
Travis entered the room, phone in hand.
"His name is Brick," he said, and if the situation wasn't so dire I might have laughed.
Brick??
"No last names. Brick is his nickname. They call him that because, well, he's as big as a brick house and just as solid."
Great, I thought.
"He'll be here by 9:30," Travis said. "Don't worry; he won't lay a hand on you."
Strangely, that was the least of my worries. I was pretty certain that rape or sex wasn't on Travis's mind, or the mind of Brick.
What did bother me, however, was the idea of this Brick dude showing up and seeing me like this, all taped and gagged.
It was one thing for Travis, who I knew, to see me like that, but a stranger?
I felt a chill run up my spine.
Shortly after 9:00, Travis was tying a bell onto the right armrest of the chair to which I was taped. Where he got the bell, I had no idea, because it wasn't mine. It was about the size of a walnut and was attached to a ribbon.
It dangled there, the ribbon within reach of my right hand.
"You'll need bathroom breaks," Travis correctly noted. "When you do, ring the bell."
It was logical yet pathetic.
I had already been fed like an infant in a high chair. Now I would have to ring a little bell to go wee-wee.
But the bottom line was that Travis was thinking of everything, and that was impressive, despite the circumstances.
So I simply nodded in understanding of my new toy's purpose.
The tape was getting uncomfortable. Travis had used so much of it, and the area where it was really bothering me was around my chest. Travis had taped me to the chairback above and below my breasts, and that combined with the gag was making breathing more laborious than it needed to be.
I knew the gag wasn't going to be removed, but maybe the chest tape could be relaxed.
Ahh, but how to convey that?
I waited until we made eye contact, then I kind of grunted to get his attention.
He looked at me, questioningly.
I looked down as best I could at my chest, then up at him.
"Problem?"
I nodded and again looked at my chest area.
He seemed puzzled.
I sighed, rolled my eyes, and looked down at my chest again, this time punctuating it by grunting and trying to use my chin as a pointer.
"You want the tape off your chest?"
Ding ding ding ding!!
I nodded vigorously.
He shrugged.
"I suppose that can't hurt," he said, and I sighed in relief.
So he WAS capable of empathy!
Without delay, Travis took out a pocket knife from his jeans pocket and carefully sliced away the tapes above and below my boobs.
Such a relief!
I took in deep breaths, enjoying the removal of that restriction.
"Better?"
I nodded several times, my eyes closed in euphoria.
I was still neatly fastened to the chair at the waist and wrists, so I wasn't going anywhere. But I could breathe a lot easier.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Travis began another one-way conversation. He seemed to enjoy those.
"I really do like you, Lauren," he said out of the blue.
I looked at him with no emotion, though I was surprised at this admission, as it was unprovoked.
"It's true that I struck up a relationship with you because of where you live, but my feelings for you were real. I wasn't expecting to feel this way, but I did."
His words cut through me like a knife.
He "struck up" a relationship with me because of where I live?
I looked at him sadly.
"Really, I fell for you, Lauren. I try to keep my emotions out of all my jobs, but this one was hard for me. And I failed."
Meaning, he failed at looking at me as merely a means to his end.
Well, I guess that's something a girl can build on.
The only way Travis could have said such a thing to a girl and not get a response was by doing it the way he was doing it presently-with my mouth gagged.
Any ungagged woman would have given him an earful. Surely Travis knew that.
So I could do nothing other than look at him, nod, and sigh. I was getting good at two things-sighing and rolling my eyes.
"I know I ruined things," he continued, and I nodded vigorously at that one.
"Yeah," he said. "But just know that it was all real-my feelings for you, that is."
Here's some nice parting gifts, he might as well have said. Thanks for playing!
I shrugged in a "What's done is done" manner.
We sat in silence for a couple of minutes.
I was getting used to Travis looking at me all taped up, but I was still apprehensive about my reaction to it when Brick arrived. What if this beast of a man walked in and started leering?
I'm not a Playboy centerfold, but I'm not a dog, either. I'm OK with how I look. I'm 5'8" and 145 pounds, and I'm not ashamed of that. I like being on the tall side for a woman. I'm good with my weight, for the most part.
I'm not gorgeous, maybe, but I'm attractive, I think. Travis sure seemed to like me, and to hear him tell it, it was all real.
But who knows how any man is going to react when he sees a bound and gagged woman? Even if she's not a Playboy centerfold?
I prayed that I wasn't going to feel icky when Brick walked into my home. I prayed that he wouldn't leer or make faces or that his tongue wouldn't hang out of his mouth.
Travis broke the silence-mainly because he was the only one in the room who was capable of doing so. At least with words, anyway.
"Are you working at the bar tomorrow night?"
It was Friday, and I usually worked at Lido's on Saturday night, making drinks, flirting with the drunken men, and raking in the tips.
But as fate would have it, I had this particular Saturday off. I took it off several weeks ago because it was my brother Jeremy's birthday the next day-Sunday-and I wanted to be fresh and keep the day open for shopping, cooking, etc.
Not that I would be doing any of that, but I was off from the bar.
I shook my head no to his query.
Even he was surprised.
"No? Wow. OK good. That's one less thing I have to deal with."
Translation: I don't have to lie to get you off work, because you're likely to be taped to that damn chair.
Soon enough it was near 9:30 and I heard the sound of a car pulling into my driveway.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I stiffened. It was Brick.
Travis looked at me and said, "Relax. He's fine."
Easy for YOU to say, buster!
Brick's entrance wasn't anything like I had envisioned.
First, he didn't come alone-he was lugging equipment, the "gear" that Travis must have been referring to. In fact, Brick didn't pay me any attention at all; he was too busy going back and forth from the car to my house, carrying in black cases and duffel bags and electronic components.
I stared in wonder as my front room was being filled with equipment whose purpose was to spy on Earl Battey and God knows what else.
But Lord, was Brick big!
Travis wasn't kidding. Brick made Travis, who's no small man, look puny.
Brick must have been every bit of 6'5" and about 300 pounds-but he was fit. He wore a sleeveless black t-shirt and that made him look even beefier. He looked to be in his early-30s-about Travis's age-and he was bald, which just added to it.
It wasn't until everything had been plopped into my front room that Travis made his introductions.
"Brick, this is Lauren. Lauren, this is Brick."
Crazy, I know, but how else are you going to do it?
I gave Brick a short, curt nod and avoided eye contact.
My fears about Brick leering or saying lewd things were unfounded.
"Hello, Lauren. You're in good hands," Brick said. His voice was slightly raspy.
I had no proper response for Brick's greeting. How does a bound and gagged girl react to that?
I'm in good hands?
I didn't know what to do so I just looked away and sighed, one of my specialties.
"She give you any trouble so far?" Brick asked Travis, as if I wasn't in the same room. I hate when people do that.
Brick's question might have angered me, but he asked it matter-of-factly, not with any arrogance. Like he was making conversation.
"Nope. She's not happy about this, of course, but she's been pretty good so far."
They were talking about me as if I was a toddler or the family dog.
"Cool," Brick said. "So why is she gagged?"
Good question, my friend! I liked Brick already!
Travis was unfazed, as usual.
"Precaution."
That's all he said-"Precaution."
That satisfied the Brickster, who just nodded and said, "Gotcha."
I didn't like Brick so much anymore. That was a fleeting romance!
I was hoping the hulk of a man would lobby on my behalf-convince Travis that the gag was unnecessary. And I could start talking again, which I hadn't really done for hours.
Instead, Brick capitulated like a house of cards in the wind.
I watched, bound and gagged, as the men set up their equipment in my front room. I admit, it was rather fascinating.
It took them about 30 minutes, and when they were done, my front room had been converted into a high-tech surveillance outpost. There were tiny monitors and headphones and audio components and wires galore.
I looked on in silence as this transformation took place. The men worked swiftly, efficiently, and silently. They barely spoke to each other, except to occasionally ask where something was, or where something should go.
Neither man paid me any attention whatsoever. And it wasn't like I could ask questions, which was the whole idea.
I would have liked to have a conversation with the men-not to be annoying, but to simply converse. I'd have told them how impressive everything looked, and I would have kept my questions to a minimum. It would have been nice.
I'd have made nice conversation with them.
But it wasn't to be. A sock was stuffed into my mouth and my lips were tightly sealed with duct tape. There would be no conversation.
Which is what the men preferred, obviously.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"We'll do an equipment check in a bit," Travis said when all the gear was set up. "I'm hungry as hell."
"Me too," Brick said.
The men ignored me.
I was beginning to get irritated at being ignored. They were being rude.
They began talking about baseball, which was the last straw for yours truly.
Pay attention to me!
I wasn't shy. I stomped my bare feet into the carpet and grunted as loud as I could.
That got their attention.
Travis had the gall to act surprised.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
I rolled my eyes, my other specialty.
I merely tilted my head and gave a look of exasperation.
"Lauren?"
Men! They're so stupid.
I made another plea to be ungagged.
My tact was to jut my jaw forward, tilt my head, and grunt.
Brick picked up on my signal right away.
"I think she wants the gag off," he said.
I liked Brick again.
I nodded vigorously, indicating that Brick was a very smart man.
Travis frowned.
"Of course she does," he said.
I looked at Brick and arched my eyebrows. I had him on the hook; I wasn't about to let him go easily.
Brick looked at me, then at Travis.
"You don't want to take it off?"
I looked at Travis sharply.
Travis looked at me, then at Brick.
"Not especially," he said.
Bastard.
I was more forceful. I sighed heavily and looked at Brick and grunted curtly.
Brick smirked at me, which was cool.
"Come on, man. She ain't gonna scream."
My eyes widened with glee and I shook my head vigorously.
Nope, no screaming here!
Together, maybe Brick and I could wear Travis down.
Travis frowned again and ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. He looked at me and sighed.
"Fine," he said, and that was my new favorite word.
I nodded several times and bounced in the chair in delight.
Now…would I be allowed to actually talk?
Travis approached me and narrowed his eyes. He knew he was about to do something that he didn't want to do, and he wanted me to know it, too.
"Keep it down," was all he said.
Translation: I could talk!
Apparently Travis didn't want to keep me in enforced silence, even ungagged, while Brick was around. Maybe Travis thought it would make him look bad.
Regardless, I didn't care. The gag was about to come off, and-bonus-speech was in my near future.
Travis didn't take quite as much care as before in ungagging me, but he wasn't rough, either.
After he plucked the rolled up sock from my mouth, I again coughed. I threw my head back and sucked in glorious air. I worked my jaw and licked my parched lips.
"God, thank you," I said, and I wasn't whispering this time. They were my first words in roughly five hours.
I looked at the two men hovering over me.
"I like you, Brick," I said, winking.
Travis frowned while Brick smirked.
I dared more speech.
"May I have some water, Travis?"
I was talking-something Travis didn't want. With Brick around, Travis seemed to not want to appear as strict as he did when it was just the two of us. Not sure what that meant, but I filed it away in my brain.
Travis asked Brick to fetch a bottled water from the fridge. When Brick was gone, Travis leaned in and whispered into my ear.
"You think you're so sly. Be careful, honey. Be careful."
He pulled away, grinning diabolically.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Brick tilted the bottle against my lips. I drank thirstily, as some water dribbled down the front of my t-shirt.
"Thank you," I said, smiling at Brick. I wasn't about to let up on this hulk. He was showing kindness, and I wanted to reward him.
"More?"
I nodded. "Please."
Brick gave me more water.
I swallowed and licked my lips, enjoying the cool water that was a salve for my mouth, which had been gagged nearly every minute for the past four hours.
"So," I said to the men, "what's next?"
Travis wasn't at all into me talking, but he went with the flow-for now.
He cleared his throat. "We test the gear and start surveilling."
I nodded and looked at Brick.
"So…Travis is your boss, I assume?"
Brick blushed slightly and looked at Travis.
"I guess you could say that."
"I just did," I said, smiling.
Brick chuckled and looked away. I think I was getting to him.
I glanced toward the equipment.
"That's very impressive," I said, intent on making that nice conversation I had wanted to make earlier.
Travis shrugged.
I looked at him.
"How much does all that stuff cost?" I asked.
"If you have to ask, you can't afford it," Brick interjected.
I laughed; it was funny!
I fixed a flirtatious gaze on Brick for a moment after he made his quip. Not sure if it landed, though. Hard to tell with men sometimes, especially hardened ones like these two.
"A lot," Travis said. "It cost a lot, Lauren."
Enough with the small talk, I thought. I fixed my glance at Travis and spoke, my words designed to be said in front of Brick, too.
"You could have asked, you know."
Travis cocked his head like a dog who just heard something weird.
"What do you mean?"
I sighed. "I MEAN…you could have just asked to use my house. You didn't have to go through…all this," I said, meaning tying me up and gagging me.
Travis acted like he had never considered that-and he probably hadn't.
Men!
"I don't think that would have gone over too well," he finally said.
"Probably not," I answered. "But if you explained it the right way, I might have granted you permission."
Travis arched an eyebrow and said, "And if you hadn't?"
I shrugged. "Then you do this," I said, referring to my bondage. "But at least I would have had the chance to say yes."
Brick observed this, bemused.
"You would never have said yes and you know it," Travis said, getting slightly exasperated and no doubt wishing I was gagged.
I shifted in the chair as best I could.
"The point being, you really could have asked," I maintained.
Travis sighed. "Whatever, Lauren."
"Not 'whatever.' You never know. Maybe if you had explained it the right way, then I might have-mmff."
Travis clamped his hand over my mouth.
"Enough."
He and I stared each other down for a moment.
I looked up at Brick, probably plaintively. But Brick just looked away. He was staying out of this one.
Travis spoke, his hand still firmly over my mouth.
"THIS…is why I didn't want to take your gag off."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
Travis looked at Brick.
"See? More trouble than it's worth," he told his partner, referring to my talking.
Angrily, I shook my head violently, trying to get Travis's hand to slip away from my mouth. But he held it firm and spoke again.
"Shut up, Lauren," he said. "Understand me?"
I got sad again. Until tonight, Travis never discouraged me from talking. Not only that, he remarked several times how much he enjoyed my company and my conversation.
Now all he wanted was for me to be quiet.
I sighed and looked at him. Slowly, I nodded.
He kept his hand pressed over my mouth.
"When I remove this, this conversation is over. Got it?"
I narrowed my eyes, then nodded.
Travis pulled his rough hand from my mouth.
I licked my lips and frowned. I looked at Brick.
"Nice partner you got here," I said to the hulk. I didn't stop.
"You know we were dating? Two months. Can you believe it? You know how hard it is for a girl to find a nice guy these days? You have any idea how many losers a girl has to-allmmmpphh!"
I didn't notice Travis snatching another sock from the package as I was speaking to Brick. My bad.
Travis jammed it into my mouth, mid-sentence.
"Jesus, shut up!" he said.
He didn't bother to tape my mouth. He didn't need to, really. The sock stopped my jaws open, like a pig with an apple in its mouth.
Travis turned to poor Brick.
"And you wonder why she was gagged?"
I growled at Travis, feeling rather foolish that a sock had been stuffed into my mouth while I was speaking.
"Come on," Travis said to his partner. "Let's eat."
The men walked away, into the kitchen, leaving me with my mouth stopped open.