The Cult

They simply nodded, moving past me, while I closed the remnants of the bathroom door behind me.

The girls had two suitcases full and were piling things into large green garbage bags. "Take only what you need for a few days. We'll pick up the rest this weekend," I said.

I got a good look at Cindy and flinched. She had the beginning of a black eye, a swollen cheek, and bruises on her arms. Blood was dripping from her lip. She seemed embarrassed and turned away from my gaze.

"I ... I think I'm ready. I don't know what to say, Joshua. You saved me."

I took her in my arms hugging her. "You're safe now. I promise. Nobody will hurt you again."

She clung to me for a few more seconds, before standing tall and taking a deep breath. "Let's go," she said.

She was a brave little thing. I took a garbage bag in each hand, and led the way downstairs, tossing everything in the bed of the truck. "Wait here," I instructed them, before going back for the rest.

I checked in on the guys in the bathroom. One of the three didn't look very good. "Has he gotten the message?"

"Yes, sir. Would you like us to run him in?"

Gazing at the broken man, I shook my head. "Mine is a merciful God." I stepped forward and applied the toe of my sandals to the man's ribs, making him groan. "Do you understand what will happen if you don't heed my warning?"

He nodded slowly.

"Excellent. Be out of here by tomorrow. Lock up behind you. Don't fuck around, and don't mess with her stuff. Never cross the threshold again. We are done with you," I said.

My associates helped me with the remaining bags. I tipped them a hundred each, and would work out what I owed with their boss. They were pleasant, courteous, and I figure they had done an excellent job, even if they were a bit tardy.

It looked like my plans had just changed.

* * *

On the way home we stopped by the Diamond. I won't say Mario and I were friends, but we were acquaintances, and by now, of course, he knew of my relationship with Bethany. I had the women wait in the car.

The bouncers allowed me in without a hitch, and I looked for Mario. Not seeing him, I approached Maria. She looked at me curiously.

"Mario around?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Why?"

"Courtesy call. Cindy's live-in did a number on her. I have her out in the truck. I don't think she'll be up to dancing for a few days, and Bethany will be helping her tonight, but should be back tomorrow."

Maria's look of indifference turned to concern. "Is it bad?"

"Not too bad. We got there before things could get uglier. Black eye, busted mouth, lots of bruises. She'll heal. He'll take a little longer."

I guess she had some kind of hidden call button. Mario appeared beside me. "Problem?" he asked, addressing Maria. She only nodded toward me.

"Joshua," he said, his voice inflectionless.

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I wanted to give you as much of a heads up as possible. Maybe you can find someone to cover," I said.

"Cover? Who? Bethany?"

"Cindy, mostly, for a couple of days until she's better." I went on to explain the situation, providing a little more detail.

Mario turned red in the face, and I was getting a little concerned. "That lousy, mother-fucker. I told her the bastard was no good. I told her, didn't I, Maria?"

Maria nodded. "You did. We all did. You know how some of these girls are. It's love," she said with a sneer, rolling her eyes.

Mario grabbed the walkie-talkie off his belt. "Cindy's guy, that loser Rafe, he's persona-non-grata. I don't want to smell him within a hundred yards of this place. If he shows up here, there's fifty bucks in it for anyone who reminds him why we don't let assholes beat up our girls. Put the word out."

I took out my wallet and peeled off my last Benjamin, placing it on the bar.

Mario grinned at me, returning to the walkie-talkie. "Make it a hundred. I don't like the fucker, and I want he should learn a lesson."

Then he turned and shook my hand. "I appreciate the notice. Take care of her, alright? She's one of the good ones. Been with me for seven years. That's an eternity in this business."

"I'll do my best, sir. You're right. She is one of the good ones."

I'm not sure Mario and I would ever be friends, but I like to believe we understood each other a little better after that meeting. I was predisposed not to like strip club managers, having heard some nasty rumors. I don't believe Mario was that kind of guy. Bethany had nothing bad to say about him, and it appeared he did care for his girls, at least some of them. I could work with that.

Back in the truck, I explained to the girls that they had the night off, and that Cindy could take the next few off.

"I can't afford to," she argued. "A little makeup and I'll be as good as new."

"Cindy, do you trust me?" I asked.

She answered quickly. "Totally, Joshua."

"I don't want you working until at least Monday. We'll discuss the details when we get home. Money won't be an issue. Am I understood?"

She was wedged in the front between me and Bethany. She leaned her head on my shoulder, placing her hand on my thigh. "Yes, Joshua," she said softly.

"Would you like me to take you to the hospital?" I asked.

"No," she said, shaking her head slightly. "Please just take me home."

Back at the house, Lilith was waiting for us. She ran out to the truck, Hercules on her heels. "What happened?" she yelled before we could even stop.

Bethany explained while I started unloading. By the second trip, the girls were contributing, following me into the newly emptied bedroom beside the girls.

Bethany stopped in the doorway, before turning toward me. "You ... you just finished this room yesterday. Did you know ...?"

I dumped the bags on the twin bed. "There are some things you know, some things you're told, and some things that just feel important. I didn't know what would happen to Cindy."

Lilith was standing beside her sister. "You were told, weren't you? God told you. That's why you made this room ready, even though we have eight open ones upstairs."

Cindy was watching us, appearing confused. I shrugged. "Let's just say that I was encouraged, and leave it at that."

I reached for my wallet, which for once was almost empty. Except for a new little surprise I'd worked out with Bruce at the Illusionist Warehouse. I pulled out stack of ones, displaying the empty wallet. I sighed, counted them out, and folded them over. I looked to the skies for a moment, leaving the women quiet.

"Bethany, take her out tomorrow and get whatever she needs. We'll get the rest of her stuff out of the apartment over the weekend." I did the move, flipping the bills over, and counted out several hundred dollar bills. Thank you, Gregory Wilson.

I heard their gasp as I separated three of the hundreds, handing them to Bethany. "Let me know if you need more."

I turned toward the astonished Cindy, hugging her. "You're ours now. We'll take care of you. You're safe and loved."

Cindy finally broke down, clinging to me and sobbing. I saw that Lilith had snatched the money from her sister, and was examining it. Sorry, kiddo, that part was clean, and she wasn't getting a peek in my wallet.

"How long is your lease for?" I asked.

"Three m-m-more months," she sobbed.

I nodded at Lilith. "Take care of that, please. I want it closed out this weekend. Same for utilities." I loosened my grip on Cindy, tilting her head up, her swollen face reminding me of her misery. "Your car?"

"In the parking lot. You don't think he'll take it, do you?" she asked.

"No, but if he does, we'll get it back. Don't worry about that. Don't worry about anything, not now."

She nodded, then surprised me by grabbing my head and kissing me fiercely. I went along, until she eased up, then backed away slightly. "Thank you," I said, grinning. "Now why don't you get settled in? I, unfortunately, have work to do. We'll talk later."

Again, to Bethany, I said, "Get her keys to the place and get her a gate controller. Take care of her; she's had a rough day."

I hoped that nobody saw the erection I was sporting. Then again, that had been common enough lately. Besides, I had plans for that.

* * *

By the end of the weekend, you'd have thought Cindy had been a resident forever. She was still feeling very grateful and made sure I knew it, often. She was barely dressed half the time, and it was rubbing off on the other two. I'm pretty sure I was hard about 10 hours a day, if not more.

Cindy was taken care of, her belongings retrieved, her car in the shop getting the once over and any maintenance and repairs completed. Rafe was a ghost, at least according to Mario. And a visit to the bank had my finances in order again.

Wednesday was Bethany's next night off, and it was Cindy's second day back. Today was the day. Lilith went to bed earlier than her sister weeknights. Once she was gone, I retired for a few preparations before calling Bethany over. She was dressed in her late night wear which was ideal.

I had her sit next to me on the couch, and offered her some wine. I let her drink what I'd prepared, talking inanities, letting it start to take effect.

She was pleasantly buzzed, and I could see she was ready. I pulled her close, kissing her softly.

"Bethany, my love, I've got a message for you," I said.

She smiled. "Okay. Tell me."

I shook my head. "It's not that kind of message. As a matter of fact, it's not really from me." I took my time, then looked up to the sky.

She caught on pretty quickly. "For me? He has a message for me?"

I nodded. "He's been trying to get it to you, but you're blocking. You're not open to Him. Not yet."

She pouted. "I ... I don't mean to be," she said.

"I know. He knows. That's why He asked me to deliver it to you, personally."

Bethany was trembling, staring into my eyes, her excitement palpable. "Don't be mean, Joshua! Just tell me!"

I sighed, holding her hands. "I wish I could. I don't even know the message. I'm just the delivery mechanism. The message is in me, trying to get out. It's difficult."

I drew her close, lifting her, seating her in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Hold me. Feel it. Listen for it. It's there."

We were quiet for a while, letting her relax. It was time.

I held Bethany close. "Can you hear it?"

She gazed at me with those huge milk chocolate eyes. "He's speaking to you now?"

"Speaking doesn't adequately describe it. It's a total experience. My entire body is resonating with His message. It's hard to believe you can't feel it."

"What's He saying?" she asked hesitantly.

"If you can't hear it, perhaps it's not meant to be." I pulled away, unwrapping her arms, and leaned back in the couch.

The poor girl was almost in tears. She got up and stood before me, head bowed in sorrow.

I almost felt guilty. Almost.

I guess you know what happened next. I kind of spilled that at the beginning of the story. As you can see, I'm not really the fiend that scene makes me out to be. Not that I'm an innocent either.

It was two hours later that I was in her bed, pumping between her legs, the clinically pure MDMA setting her on fire, the odor free balm leaving her skin tingling, the message from my 'special' ring beating into her brain. She screamed her pleasure for me once again, collapsing upon me. I peeked over to see Lilith watching, unable to tear her eyes away.

When I'd sated myself with beautiful Bethany, Lilith and I talked briefly, setting the stage for her epiphany. I was in no hurry to get to her. I was absolutely convinced that Bethany would be receiving many more messages from me. My enforced celibacy was stripped from me, by God himself, no less. All for her.

I was still luxuriating in the afterglow when I heard Cindy's arrival. I got up and put on my robe, before seeking her out. She looked exhausted.

"Long night?" I asked.

She shrugged. "The usual. Not too bad."

I took her by the hand and had her sit down. "Relax. I'll be just a minute." I returned with a bottle of wine and poured her a glass. She took a sip, while I removed her shoes, and massaged her feet. She sighed, sinking back into the couch, her little skirt moving far enough up to give me a tantalizing view. Not enough to bring life to the monster, not after Bethany.

"How's the car performing?" I asked.

"Oh my G—," she blushed. "G-g-goodness. It's amazing! It drives like new. Thank you so much." She smiled at me over her glass. "It seems I'm always saying thank you lately. You must get tired of hearing it."

I grinned back. "I do. So stop. No need to thank me. Your presence here is thanks enough."

She pouted. "That's silly. My presence? You've got Bethany and Lilith. They're younger, prettier, and absolutely devoted to you."

"Your beauty is internal, Cindy. It shines from you like a beacon. I love to bask in its light. Having you here is wonderful. I mean that with all my heart."

Here foot was being mischievous, rubbing between my legs. "I wish there was some way I could show you how much you mean to me, Joshua. Something."

"A smile is more than enough."

She gave me a big one, her foot getting more daring. Then I saw a confused look on her face. "There's something different about you," she said. Then she sat up abruptly. "Oh my God! You did it, didn't you? You and Bethany! You're not even hard, and you're always hard!"

I'm sure I blushed. "It's complicated."

She was grinning, walking over to me on her knees until she was clinging to me. "Spill, buster. I know you did it. I want details." Then she was laughing, stretching out in my lap, looking up at me with joy in her yes. "You're not celibate anymore!"

"It ... it wasn't my fault. She had difficulty receiving His message, until, well ..."

Her eyes opened wide in surprise. "He had a message for her? Just for her?"

I nodded.

"And you too, you had to do it, for her to ... understand?"

I nodded again.

"Do you think he has a message for me?" she asked hopefully.

"Perhaps, but I haven't been told."

She was staring at me, then she reached for the front of her outfit. It was a skintight dress that didn't reach much past her crotch. Electric blue, with a big chrome zipper down the front. Definitely stripper-wear. I watched her hand slowly draw the zipper down, until her dress opened completely, leaving her exposed to my view. She was braless, wearing a thong, and her body was stunning. "You don't mind?" she asked, with a teasing lilt to her voice.

I placed my hand on her stomach, rubbing her softly. She grinned when she grabbed my wrist and pulled it up to her breast. Damn, she had nice tits.

"You and Bethany, you're not exclusive, are you? I'm not going to poach girlfriend's territory."

"I'm not sure what we are," I admitted. "I'm still not sure about my celibacy. This wasn't something I chose to do."

She pouted. "Seems like the message is clear enough. He wanted you to do it. That's why He arranged things the way He did. You don't need to be celibate, Joshua. We can take care of you, and still leave you plenty of time for your work."

"I'm lost, Cindy. Confused. I don't know what's happening to me. It's too much, too fast."

She nodded, then sat up, peeling off her dress, and straddling my waist. Her tits were right in front of my face. "I understand, Joshua. There's no rush. But I need you to understand that I'm going to fuck your brains out soon. As soon as you're ready. I've wanted to from the first time I met you, and it's just getting worse and worse. Can you smell me? I want you so bad. So you need to get your head on straight, and when you're ready, give me a sign."

She reached down between my legs and smiled. "Dang, I guess Bethany didn't quite finish you after all."

I think I was as surprised as her. She yanked my robe open, scooting back enough to see where I was hard. I was naked underneath the robe, and the result of her actions was obvious.

She kissed me softly. "I'm gonna blow you now, Joshua. I hope you don't mind."

When I didn't say know, she slid off the couch onto her knees and took me in her mouth. The woman was an oral artist, and despite Bethany's earlier efforts, I only lasted about ten minutes. Ten of the most delightful minutes of blowjob that I'd ever received.

We didn't talk, until I let her know I was close. That didn't slow her down a bit. When I was done, she smiled up at me. "Think of that as a down payment. I owe you big time. When I'm done with you, you're going to love me just as much as those sisters. I've spent a long time looking for you, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you get away."

"Language, Cindy," I reminded her.

She gave my cock a long slow lick. "I'll be darned if I'll let you get away." Her smile was huge. "This is friggin' great!"

Cindy stood up and rubbed her breasts against my face. "Get you head on straight, lover. And once you do, understand, my bed is yours. Anytime."

As I watched her walk away, her slutty dress hanging from one hand, a spring in her step, I shook my head. Now that certainly wasn't according to plan.

Returning to my bedroom, I set the alarm for one hour away. I was going to be tired the next day, but I figured it would be worth it.

It was after three in the morning when I closed the door to the secret passageway, having completed my mission. Now we'd find out if Min's efforts passed the test. If so, I imagine the morning would be a surprising one.

* * *

Apparently I missed the bulk of the excitement when I was out on my run. For once, there was nobody waiting for me when I finished. I walked into the house, and could hear the excited jabbering from the sisters' room.

I stood in the doorway, sweaty and breathing hard. I could see the girls were gathered in front of Bethany's closet. "What's going on?" I asked.

Bethany spun around, holding a white dress in the air. "This!" she squealed.

"What? I've always liked your blue dress. It looks great on you."

All three of the girls looked at me like I was insane, which made sense. "My blue dress?"

I nodded, stepping past her to pull another white dress out of the closet. All of them were white. "Now your black one is my favorite," I said.

"Black?" Lilith said.

"Uh-huh. What's the problem?"

It had taken Min and her minions almost three weeks to make copies of all of Bethany's clothing in all white. I thought it had come out pretty good. It had taken me several days and lots of Internet shopping to replace the rest of her clothing. Shorts, blouses, socks, panties, the works. The girl had an all-white wardrobe. The after-effect of her epiphany.

I know what you're thinking. I'm not evil, just a little mischievous.

"What color is this?" Cindy snapped, holding up a different outfit. It took me a second to figure out the design.

"Gray, black and white. Not one of my favorites."

Bethany pulled out another. "This?"

"Naughty cow-girl. Maybe my favorite working outfit."

Lilith was the first to break. "It's white, Joshua. All white. Every outfit is white!"

I frowned, pulling another one out of the close. "Seriously? Fire-engine red!" I said, waving the dress.

Bethany looked really confused. "No, baby. That was red. Now it's white, like all the rest of them. You ... you don't think He did this, do you?"

"Well, I know I didn't! I can't even see what you're talking about." Okay, a little lie, but it wasn't said out of meanness.

They all started talking again, and I turned away grinning. Keep them on their toes. I was halfway to the shower when Lilith fell in step beside me. "You really can't tell they're all white?"

"No. I mean they look a little faded, but I figured that was the light in the room. Definitely not white."

Lilith followed me into the bathroom and started to undress, as I turned on the shower.