Some Say Freedom Is Free... (closed to hells_fury)

[Frags]

A lifer as an officer in the U.S. Army but it wasn’t an easy occupation. Steady work was always available but it was often filled with unpaid overtime, stupid in-house politics and the threat of death if you happened to find yourself sent where they needed men most. This was only made more difficult after three tours overseas and four tours at home with his rebellious daughter. If she didn’t straighten up she was going to get in the way of him making lieutenant colonel. And he knew he couldn’t let that happen. Not after all the years of hard work, sweat and blood he poured into the system.

Paul Weis, as he was known at home, stepped through the door still dressed in his uniform. It’d been a long day and he couldn’t wait to get out of it. What he really wanted was a shower and to spend the rest of the night alone. But there was his daughter to consider if she was at home at all. Sensing the irony that he was in control of all these men yet he couldn’t control his daughter was almost enough to bring a smile to his face, if he were a man who felt like laughing. It was a frustrating thought, one that sat on his mind even while at work. He was sure there was talk behind closed doors and thin walls.

Heading into his bedroom he stripped off his clothes, tossing them on the bed, and his boots beside it, until he stood in his boxers. From his closet he pulled out a pair of jeans, boxers and a t-shirt. Turning off the bedroom light as he left, he went in to take a shower. Replacing the towel on the towel rack with his clothes still hanging on the hangar he leaned into the tub, turning on the shower.

The patter of water hitting the base gave him a feeling of relief as he pulled out another towel from under the sink, setting it on the lid of the toilet. Letting his underwear fall to the floor he pulled aside the shower’s curtain, stepping inside. Immediately the heat from the spattering water hit him, revitalizing him. It felt good as it washed away all the sweat he’d accumulated through the hot day.

Just as he was reaching for the soap he barely heard the phone ringing in the other room. “Dammit,” he cursed to himself. There was no debating. He had to get out. It could be important. Setting the soap back on its shelf he killed the shower and pulled aside the curtain. Wrapping a towel around his waist in case his daughter happened to come through the door, he found the phone in the kitchen. On its fifth ring he spoke, “Major Weis.”

 

[hells_fury]

Sitting in the back of the cop car Amber Dani grinned. Oh she had really done it this time, her dad was going to be so pissed she thought to herself. Yes she had just gotten her self arrested. Not by any cop at that but by an MP. She had joined the Army following in her fathers foot steps never really having a mother she had no other examples to go by. But the issues and problems began as she got older. At the age of 16 she had seen juvenile a few times. Teachers tried to tell her father that it was the cause of the lack of attention that she got at home. But being who the man was, well that was just not acceptable.

This time she had felt the need to take her lieutenant's dog for a walk. It just so happened that they ended up on the roof of the building, where her father so happened to work. Of course she was not suppose to be here, this building was top secret and classified, but hey she was bored and had nothing better to do. Plus everyone laughed the only reason she sat in cuffs at the moment was because they had to follow protocol. She could hear the guy talking to her dad oh she knew she would be in for it this time.

"Uh sir.....Well Sir.... See we have your daughter Danielle in custody at the moment, and were told to call to ask you what we should do with her sir....?"

Dani looked at the boy, oh he was young and new, she could tell by the way he seemed to stumble over his words. But the man who had placed the cuffs on her oh he had her full attention. Glancing over to him she licked her lips, oh if she could just get a little while with him she would have him begging for more. Leaning back in the seat she sat there with her shit eating grin. Oh this was going to be so good when her dad showed up.

 

[Frags]

It was close to the last thing he wanted to hear. The only call that would be worse than the one he’d just received would be a notification of his daughter’s death. Not that he wasn’t going to kill her when he got her home. Paul stared at the wall as he heard the private stammer on the other end of the line. At least it sounded like they weren’t going to nail her to the wall and that was probably due to his rank. While there’d be some talk about what she’d done or attempted to do tomorrow and throughout the week, he was going to do whatever he could to curb the rumors, no matter how true.

After taking a calming breath, Paul spoke into the receiver, “Take her in but don’t process her. I’ll be there within the hour.” Confident that the kid wouldn’t press him - the new recruits always seemed to be nervous around anyone with brass, butter bars excluded - Paul hung up the phone when he was through. Reuniting with his date with the shower seemed unlikely now, and he was in no mood to relax as red flashed like a beacon in his eyes. The kid was getting to be a pain in his ass and a detriment to his career.

In nothing but his towel he returned to the bathroom, wiping up some of the water that had splashed out when he left it in such a hurry. Then he dried himself off, watching himself in the mirror. He still had the body but inside his daughter was making him feel older every day. With the shake of his head he reached for his clean clothes, pulling them on. There was no need to get into uniform just to pick up his daughter, not that it’d draw any less attention.

Tossing the dirty clothes and towel into the hamper he left the house with his keys in his hand. It didn’t take him long to arrive at the MP station with temper in hand. The place wasn’t nearly as busy as it was during the day but the comparisons were quickly becoming forgettable; he seemed to only come here after sundown to retrieve his daughter. She was a terrible little thing. She was going to have to be punished.

Finding the pair waiting for him in the chairs that were placed in the middle of the room in square formation he sighed, walking slowly to their spot. Remaining silent until he sat down across from them he stared at the private, speaking to him as though his daughter didn’t exist, “What did she do this time?”

 

[hells_fury]

The guy looked at him and swallowed hard not sure if he really wanted to explain to this man what had happened. Thinking better he looked the man in his eyes. "Sir I do believe it would be best if you asked her what she did, she should admit to it sir, I only received the call sir, I was not there to witness what she did." The man said his eyes bouncing over to her, with that I got you now bitch look in his eyes before he left the room.

Dani crossed her legs and looked up to her father in almost an innocent slave approach. "Daddy, I just wanted to see where you worked." She said innocently looking up to her father, almost in a pout. "and well I had to walk the dog daddy, I mean its not right to have the poor little thing cooped up all day daddy." Dani sat there keeping her innocent approach up with her father.

Was she devious, well of course she was. Did she mean for it to come out the way that it had, maybe not as innocent as she had intended on but hey if it worked it worked. She enjoyed fucking with her dad's mind, even more driving him up a wall. In all that was the only way she could get the mans attention, there for she found every way that she could to keep it.

 

[Frags]

Paul looked at the guy’s name and rank when he didn’t answer his question directly. Burning those two pieces of information into his head he’d be sure to remember. Paul wasn’t going to get him in trouble but he was going to remember the name for his own sake. With his daughter it was good to know the newly enlisted and the newly arrived. He was going to know them anyway.

Feeling somewhat relieved when the man left them alone, he turned his attention on his daughter. She wasn’t even denying it anymore. This had to stop. A change had to come. A firm hand had to come down. And it had to be laid down soon.

“I don’t need anymore of your excuses, Dani,” he spoke, his eyes looking over her as though he could gauge what trouble she’d gotten into while she was out. It could’ve been anything knowing her. “What were you up to tonight?” he asked the question but it came out more as a demand. Paul wasn’t going to give her any leeway this time. He couldn’t allow her to continue running around like a hapless child. She was a grown adult for fuck’s sake. She definitely looked like one but she couldn’t seem to act like one. The girl had to be disciplined and he had to make sure it was carried out. There was no one else to look after the girl as much as he wished it.

 

[hells_fury]

Dani looked at her dad and did everything she could not to crack a grin. She loved the man but damn did everything have to be so serious all the time. "I simply took the dog for a walk on the roof of where you work at. That's all, hey at least I have your attention now though." She said before getting up and leaving the room.

She was happy she had finally gotten him to see her again, but once more it took some extreme act to accomplish that and this cat and mouse game was getting old now. This was her dad but she knew the only reason he cared so much right now is because this affected his job as well as hers. If he had taken enough time to see, he would have noticed everyone thought it was funny and everyone got a laugh out of tonight, all but him of course.

Finally outside she took a deep breath and walked to her crotch rocket grabbing her helmet and putting it on. Getting on her bike she watched her dad come out and started her bike then pulled off doing a wheelie letting the adrenaline consume her.

 

[Frags]

Taking the dog out for a walk on top of the building. She must’ve had a hell of a time hoisting the dog up the few feet of ladder from the top floor to the roof but he wasn’t about to congratulate her on her achievement, if he could call it that. No, he felt like beating her instead but she was his daughter and he was supposed to be forgiving. Talking down to her or threatening her only seemed to make the situation worse. But he couldn’t allow this behaviour to continue. It had to stop by any means necessary.

Paul remained silent as he watched his daughter walk out the door and leave. Making sure he wouldn’t have to come back to the MP station again, he sought out the MP who’d brought her in, instructing him to bring Dani to his home if she was ever brought in by that man again. Indicating that his address was in the computer for her other violations, he promptly left the building. Seeing Dani screaming out of the lot he shook his head as he climbed into his car. Things definitely had to change.

Leaving the station he drove home wanting to see his daughter there but he wasn’t sure she’d come straight home. But he’d be waiting for her. Pulling his car into the drive he stepped out and went inside. The shower still called his name but he was in no mood to get all wet again just to be called out. Besides, he had to deal with his girl and he didn’t want the warm water calming him down. He still wanted to be angry so he could get through to her. There’d probably be another argument but he wasn’t going to let her win this time. This time it was going to go his way. Paul wasn’t going to give her an inch.

 

[hells_fury]

Dani drove all the way around base, speeding and doing wheelies, she knew she would not get stopped as they did not really watch the outer areas, but more of the inner streets. Her temper flared, her father didn't care about her, only his job and she was sick of it. She was tired of being second in his eyes, second to work, second to the military, hell he cared more about the men in his unit then he did about her and that pissed her off the most.

Pulling into the drive way she killed her engine pulling off her helmet she walked into the house. Not stopping or caring where her dad was. she went straight to her room tossed her helmet onto her bed and stood before she began to take off her uniform and let her hair down. Walking over to her dresser she pulled out her sweat pants and a white wife beater.

Pulling her robe on she set her clothes on her bed and made her way to the bathroom. She needed a shower, she needed to breathe. She had a bad enough night as it was, and she knew her father was going to start in on her soon, she honestly did not care about the man but she knew him, and this stunt threatened his job, but damn if he paid her any mind or attention then this stunt of hers never would have happened.

Stepping into the water she allowed the steam to fill her lungs. Stepping under the steaming hot water is cascaded down her body relaxing her muscles, and massaging her skin.

 

[Frags]

Hearing his daughter enter the house she was much too fast for him to catch up to. Letting her hide away in her room he thought that’d be it for the night but it sounded as though she wanted to take a shower, the very same one he was stolen from. That got under his skin more than that damn dog walking incident. Everything had to end now, tonight. Tomorrow was not an option.

Leaving the couch behind he stood up and walked down the hall just in time to hear the water patting against the tub. Instead of charging into the bathroom, first he went into her room where her clothes were laid out. Picking both the wife beater and the sweat pants up he found there was no underwear. With a discouraging look on his face he went to her dresser drawers, pulling out three before he found where she stashed her panties. Or at least her thongs. Shoelaces had more substance. But they’d have to do.

Grabbing a pair out of the drawer he put them in his hand holding her clothes while his free arm closed her drawers. Paul went across the hall and stood in front of the bathroom door, deciding that he was definitely going to do this. Turning the knob he entered the steam filled room, the air almost feeling toxic but he was here for something important.

Tossing her clothes onto the lid of the toilet he closed the door behind him, thinking that not enough air escaped to make the room too chilled. He didn’t want to freeze her but more importantly, he wanted to surprise her. With her cornered, naked and wet, she was going to play his game. There wasn’t a question in his mind.

 

[hells_fury]

Dani finished washing her hair. She heard the door open and clothes. Rinsing off she turned off the water and pulled the curtain open. She had no clue he would be standing there, what the hell was he thinking. Shit she thought to herself quietly as she stood there naked staring at her father. Grabbing the towel she had hung near the tub she wrapped herself in it and looked her father in his eyes.

"What do you want, damn it Paul, yeah I want your attention but not when I am naked and in the shower to top it off, what are you doing in here."

She said staring at him fury coursing through her. She didn't know how to analyze the situation she was currently in. She stood in the tub keeping the distance between the two of them, that being for the best, the bathroom not being very big at all. She took a deep breath and stared at him cocking a brow in aggravation she pulled the towel tighter.

" You going to leave or should I just dress in front of you, God maybe the guys are right, maybe you do just need to get laid to get the stick out of your ass that you seem to have shoved up there."

Her tone was harsh and she knew it, but this, this was taking it way to far. She knew it, and she knew that he knew it. But she was positive knowing her father, if you could call him that, the only reason he was, was because her mom married him and then she had passed away which left her with him. Lucky her. But knowing him he was up to something otherwise he would not of had the balls to be standing in the bathroom with her right now.

 

[Frags]

“There are a few things we need to talk about,” he began after she finished her little speech. It was cute in a post-adolescent teen angst sort of way but he’d been dealing with it for too many years to find any humor in it anymore. “And you’re not leaving this room until we settle things.” In a way, this had turned into his turf. Dani didn’t seem to expect him and he chose the time and place. There was no escape for her. She was just going to have to deal with it.

“I’m not leaving you alone in here until this gets resolved. First you can get dressed. Don’t worry, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before. And you might want to hurry into your clothes because it can get cold after just leaving the shower.” Behind him, Paul tugged at the door, opening it just enough for the heat to begin escaping. Still with his back to the door he kept his eyes on his daughter. “Things are changing from here on out.

“After I finish with our conversation, I’ll head into your room and do an inspection. I’ll be looking for the basic things, drugs and alcohol. It’ll be important if you tell me if you’re into anything right now and spare me the time. I have to know why you’re acting the way you do. Normal people don’t go around causing this much trouble and it has to end. So if you want to tell me what you’re on, I’ll put you into recovery. If attention is all you’re looking for, there are other ways to find it. You don’t go around causing trouble to get it. Instead, Dani, you should go out and try to do good things, productive things.”

At this point Paul shut the door by leaning against it, cutting off the flow of cold air. If she still refused, he’d open it again, sure that the cold air was doing nothing for her after her comfortable long shower. “You can either tell me the truth and we can try to resolve this now or I can keep you locked away in the bathroom all night. Right now its up to you. If you want to punish yourself, don’t get changed and stay silent. If you want to move forward all you have to is tell me what you need. Its that easy. Keep it respectful and call me ‘Dad’ or ‘Father’, you’re showing me disrespect when you call me by my first name.”

 

[Frags]

deleted

 

[hells_fury]

Dani looked at her father and contemplated her options for a few moments. She could keep up her little attitude that she had for the pure fact that it pissed her dad off, or she could take a new approach. She had heard everything that he had said to her. Drugs, he had to be nuts, she didn't do any drugs or really drink she cared about her career even if she would never admit it to him, he could of figured that out on his own by now.

Shrugging she stepped out of the tub standing face to face with her "father". Dropping her towel she leaned over picking up the shirt she slid it on, then adjusted her hair. Grabbing her thong she pulled it on all the while keeping eye contact with him, then finally she pulled on her sweat pants. Grabbing a hair tie she pulled her hair back into a pony tail. She dropped her attitude that she had been giving, this was serious, and it was about damn time.

"There are not any drugs, and there is no alcohol in my room you can feel free to look all you want. Now if you want to know the reason behind it all, well that would be because when I do, do something good, something productive you don't notice, or you give me five minutes and then back to work. You show the shower and your job more love that you do to me. Then again maybe that is because we're not blood, but see I was raised with you around there for your the only father figure I have in my life, and it would be nice for you to act as my dad not my boss."

She said looking at him. There was no attitude to her words, only pain. She met what she had said and she hoped that he would hear her and understand. Of course he was still a man, and men seemed to have issues understanding things, even more thinking that for a moment they may have done something. Not technically meaning that they are totally to blame simply meaning that they played a role it what happened.

 

[Frags]

There was no eroticism about the scene in spite of her dropping her towel in front of him. What just happened was too serious for him to be looking at her in that light even though he managed to catch a glimpse at her bare breasts. When she returned to put on the rest of her clothes he didn’t look down to try and look at anything else she had hidden, for his eyes remained locked on hers as intently as she seemed to be locked onto his.

“I’m still going to look since your behavior has been erratic. It may be because you want attention but I have to find out for myself. As for the rest, you never gave me an easy time. How was I supposed to act when all it seemed you ever wanted to do was act up? Sometimes I was taken away by my job and that must’ve been hard, God knows it didn’t do anything for our bonding. By now I figured you wouldn’t need anyone, let alone a father you barely knew. But if that’s something you need, then I’ll do what I can for you to make you safe and feel like you’re wanted. And loved.”

Paul didn’t know how to proceed beyond this point. He felt as though he should hold her to let her know but the rift between them was so wide that he wasn’t sure how to make the initial crossing. Or even if she were completely honest about her feelings. Time would be the only thing that would tell him if she were truthful about everything. Dani could’ve just as easily have been playing with him again. But trust had to begin somewhere and it seemed like she was putting herself out there. Paul might as well try too.

To start with he turned and opened the door, letting the rest of the heat escape. Letting her go would be a good start but he left first, heading across the hall and into her room. Paul was still going to look just in case but he was confident in her words that there wasn’t anything for him to find.

 

[hells_fury]

Dani shook her head as she watched him walk into her room. In all honesty he was not going to find anything that he was looking for. Although she did have quite a few sex toys hidden in her trunk at the end of her bed. She had gotten into kink and enjoyed it greatly. Of course if he looked, he was about to learn that out about his precious baby girl. At that though she could not help but to laugh.

"Look you are not going to find anything incriminating ok, if you want I will show you were I hide all of my goodies at"

She said as she followed him into her room. She hated this, he would not have ever paid her this much attention had she not gotten into trouble tonight. But she had so here they were. Of course having been able to finish her shower her way would have been preferred.

 

[Frags]

Goodies. Alarm bells went off but he wasn’t thinking the same thing she was. Thinking that she may be lying to him after everything they just talked about because of her language, Paul dared her, “Show me. Take everything out on lay it on your bed.”

Paul moved off to the side along the wall as he kept watch over his daughter. They were both going to have to make real changes in their lives if they wanted things to be better. It was going to be hard work but that was one thing Paul was never against.

Paul looked around the room for anything that seemed out of order but it all seemed like a normal room. Except that it was Dani’s place. He was still irritated and a little angry over everything that had happened within the last hour but he kept reminding himself that he had to cool down. What had happened over the last few minutes far outweighed anything she’d done. She’d still be punished as she was living in his home but he wasn’t going to ignore her.... at least he was going to try to not ignore her.

 

[hells_fury]

Dani sighed deeply. She knew that he was not going to like what he was about to see. Also she figured he did not really want to be this deep into her personal life. Shaking her head she knelled down in front of her chest. Pulling the key up from the chain she always wore around her neck along with her dog tags she unlocked the chest and pulled of the top shelf. Shaking her head she began pulling out the different toys.

First to be pulled out were a few different whips, then the handcuffs, and that came the velcro cuffs. She continued pulling out all of her toys till all of them laid neatly with precision on her bed. There were not dildo's however, only things that she seemingly could use with another partner. But as she knew none of these things had ever once been used, and if he was to look close enough and inspect them he would know, although she doubted he would.

"There that is everything, satisfied?"

She said softly looking up to him, as her eyes began watering. She was humiliated, everything she was curious about, everything that had even caught her attention was now on display to him. One of two things she expected to happen was either he laugh at her, or became totally disgusted with her.

 

[Frags]

Paul kept his eyes on Dani as she knelt in front of the chest. Finally he knew the point of that key around her neck. When she opened the chest he was expecting something else but still, he remained silent as she pulled out each of her toys. It was a surprise to discover that his daughter was into this other lifestyle but he lived at home, he knew no one was fucking his baby girl.

When she spoke, that broke him out of his momentary daze and he saw her on the ground. She looked pitiful and defeated, “Why didn’t you tell me you were into this kind of thing?” He wasn’t barking at her which seemed strange to him but a lot had happened that night. For him, he decided to take a different route. Yesterday he would’ve run all over her but tonight a new wind was blowing. Act like a Dad, that’s what she had said earlier... or at least stop acting like her boss.

Paul knelt down until he was equal on the floor with her, “I wasn’t expecting this. I thought you were hiding something else.” It felt awkward to him but he felt he had to do something, to comfort her to keep those eyes from spilling their hidden water. Leaning forward he managed to kiss her cheek before slipping his arms around her, holding her close and tight. Through the awkwardness he spoke, deciding to tell her what she had showed him was okay, “You don’t have to hide this stuff from me. It isn’t bad.”

 

[hells_fury]

As she felt his arms wrap around her that was the last thing she had expected, and the shock alone drove the tears from her eyes. It was humiliating to have him see her secret, to have him know. She shook her head and pulled away and began to put her precious secrets back into the chest before her.

"I don't feel the need to tell you, as I have not done anything with any of these, they were merely curiosity, things that caught my eye, things I wanted to one day try."

She explained to him between shaky breaths. She had fantasies, but her fantasies were not with any of the guys on the base, her fantasies were with the man that lived in the same house as her. He already knew to much for her comfort zone, he did not need to know the details behind these things.

 

[Frags]

When she pulled away he let her go. There was no use in keeping her, it’d probably only infuriate her, humiliate her further and he didn’t want to do that after they’d seem to be making progress in whichever direction they were going.

“Then you don’t have to tell me,” he spoke as he watched her, not yet ready to stand. “But I’m going to trust you from now on. We have to start somewhere and tonight seems to be the right starting point for us.” A momentary pause caught him before he continued, “Were you hoping to try them with someone in mind? Or was that something you wanted to spring on your husband on your wedding night?” Paul spoke the last in hopes of breaking the thickening iced tension.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to look at Dani the way he had done before. After seeing her in the shower, the water dripping from her body, her dressing in the clothes he brought for her, then having her show him those few toys she had stashed away, it was going to be tough not to see her as a sexual being. Yet she was still his daughter.

 

[hells_fury]

Dani looked at him shaking her head. She organized her chest once more and shut it. Leaning close she locked it then stood up looking at him.

"Paul you do realize the only reason you are my father is from marriage right?"

She did not know why she felt the need to explain this to him, but she needed him to understand this. She knew the truth of everything, and she got over it a long time ago, which may have been the reason she was fantasizing about her 'father'.

"Look I have someone in mind ok, and no I am not going to tell you because it has already been humiliating enough tonight, and if I told you who he was, well I don't think I could live here anymore."

She said to him as she crossed her arms right below her chest, hugging herself as she looked at the man before her now. Her fantasies of him playing across her mind as she stared at him. He had seen her naked and did not react to her, he now had seen her deepest darkest secrets and did not react to her. He didn't want her that was clear to her now.

 

[Frags]

Paul looked at her strangely when she told him they weren’t related by blood. “I know,” he spoke. After all the time spent on work, he couldn’t help but to be occasionally forgetful about the daughter he occasionally claimed as his. He didn’t know what to think about what she said. Any of it. A lot had happened in quick succession in an area he wasn’t used to.

“If we want to make a change in how we treat one another,” he spoke only because she seemed as though she wanted to tell him who she was waiting for. Even if he was joking, even if he didn’t want to know... even if he was a little curious. “Let’s be open and break down the walls we built between us over the years. I don’t think either of us wants to live in a divided house so let’s do what we can to even it out.”

After he spoke, Paul moved and sat near the foot of her bed. It was a hell of a night and he wanted to settle everything before bed. “Come up here and tell me,” he spoke simply while his eyes remained on her. Then his hand patted at a space on the bed next to him for her to come and sit. It was still a new experience and he wasn’t sure what to expect from her.

 

[hells_fury]

Dani swallowed hard as she stood up looking at him for a few moments and then dropping her eyes to the floor then back to him. Sighing heavily she shook her head as he had asked her to sit next to him. Chewing on her lip she walked over to her window and opened it, no screen being there she took a seat and pulled out one of her cigarettes and lit it up. Taking a long drag she blew the smoke out the window, then she shot her eyes to him.

"Its you....Does that solve all the mysterious. I wanted you from the get go, I introduced you to my mother, and my mother knew that I had liked you from day one, and she didn't care..... Ok does that solve all our issues... No it just makes this all the more awkward for everyone."

Her words were said with no emotion as she sat there taking drags from her cigarette. One of her arms was wrapped around her rib cage as the other rested along it, one of her legs hung freely out the window, had she not had good balance she would probably fall, but she really was not to worried out that. Looking at him she shook her head as a smirk touched her lips before she looked back outside.

 

[Frags]

Paul didn’t know what to think. This went beyond a girl telling a guy that she liked him; she was telling him that she wanted him to strip her down, using those toys that she displayed. He knew he should’ve allowed himself some time to think about the new revelation but he denied it. Instead he looked at Dani, framed by the window.

“Then we can try and make something work,” he spoke, half turning his body on the bed. “Why don’t you come over here,” although there wasn’t a question in his voice this time.

Paul caught a second glance where her stash was stored in her trunk and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little interested in what she’d hidden. He’d seen the girl without a single spot of lint on her body, knew her habits good and bad, and now he was opening his eyes to her sordid, secret little world. One he hadn’t spurned at first look.

“And put out that cigarette before you come.”