"Star send him home?" Marko asked, lounging on his bike.
"I told her to" David confirmed with a nod as he observed the dregs of the boardwalk patrons.
Star knew what was good for her, even more so now that Michael was in the loop. She had always been a little weak, a little delicate but recently, as desperation had begun to claw at her, she'd been somewhat feisty. Now that she had more to lose than just her humanity, now that she thought she was in love, she had become strangely strong. She was fighting for herself a little more, she was voicing her opinions but still. Still she was scared, frightened. Easy to control.
"That felt too easy?" Paul stated, leaning against a wall, his bike waiting to the side, "like she just...slotted right on in. I think she'll fit in well with us…easy enough to look at, too and that don't hurt. Bit small…" he shrugged in commiseration while cupping imaginary breasts.
"Hey-" Dwayne shot a low warning and with a satisfied grin, Paul dropped his hands.
"Is she too nice?" Marko asked, eyeing a muscled, heavy set man as he swaggered towards a bar.
He loved killing the macho men, the tough guys. It brought him no end of amusement when they blubbered and sobbed and begged and pissed their pants.
"Maybe" David exhaled, smoke dancing into the dark sky, "she seems like a people-pleaser but I think she's got something. There's something about her, some quality. She's ours. She's one of us"
"I like her" Paul said with a nod, "I think she's got somethin'...she's got somethin' special about her"
"She does" Dwayne said, his voice sure, leaving no room for questions. Questions would have been irrelevant at this point anyway, she was his.
"Her family might be a problem though" Paul suggested amicably enough as the others nodded, "kill and grab?" he finished hopefully, as Marko barked a laugh.
Efficient though it was, they knew that wasn't an option.
The last thing any of them wanted was a repeat of Star. God, months of petulance and misery and tears.
No thanks.
David did wonder if the mate connection would override any grief Elizabeth would feel if her family were to die but he wouldn't test the theory.
He respected Dwayne too much for that.
Besides, one mistake was enough for a lifetime.
He made eye contact with an approaching security guard, smiling in an invitingly cold challenge as they made brief eye contact. He waddled past them, glancing their way with a frown once more before carrying on his route.
"I was surprised to see you back so soon" Marko said, looking at Dwayne, "thought you'd talk or hang or something. You had her"
The tall brunette merely shrugged.
Marko shot a sideways grin at Paul, who slowly began, "yeah...gotta be hard for you..mate's right there..."
David's eyes were dancing as he watched Dwayne.
"..and she was all wrapped around you on the bike. Those pert little tits pressed deliciously into your back, those soft hands wrapped around your chest, clutching at you..."
He moaned and whistled a little as if the scene he was depicting was so hot he could barely contain himself, "God that must have felt so fucking good...did you imagine those hands going lower?..."
Dwayne stiffened, looking determinedly into the distance.
"..but you have to keep playing the charming, gallant man when what you really wanna do is just bend her over and fuck the shi-"
"-fuck you both" Dwayne said, sliding off his bike as Paul and Marko erupted into riotous laughter.
David laughed along with them.
"Fuck you, too"
"God your balls must be fucking huge" Paul drummed his hands against the wall as he laughed, palms flat, "Jesus, look at you dude. Blue ballin' while your mates right there-"
"-not at all-" Dwayne said coolly, his attempt to not engage them just propelling further jibes and laughter from the two.
Marko laughed, interrupting, "-'not at all'? Bet he fucking rubbed one out! Frantically whacked himself off under her window?"
"-smacking the sausage as she sleeps soundly-"
"-wondering what that distant, wet slapping sound is-"
"-are you finished?" Dwayne asked patiently.
"did you cum in the bushes?" Marko snorted.
"She sleeps in the attic"
As Paul and Marko dissolved into laughter again at Dwayne's blunt, logical reply, David grinned, "what did you mean 'not at all'?"
David always enjoyed the crude humor Paul and Marko adored but he rarely joined in with it.
Dwayne looked at him and gave an almost feline shrug, "I wasn't playing charming and gallant"
"Seemed pretty charming..." David challenged lightly, "I've never seen you so gentlemanly"
Marko grinned again, he and Paul still tittering between themselves.
"I wasn't" Dwayne shook his head, his voice low and serious, "you're all fucking nuts"
David lit another smoke, chuckling, "you were nice"
Dwayne shook his head.
He was not nice.
"Yeah you were" Paul added, eyeing up a passing blonde. She caught his eye and smiled flirtatiously before murmuring to her friends.
They giggled and headed for the bar Marko's catch had lumbered in to.
"If it were any other chick we'd be playing catch with her tits right about now" Marko stated.
"Well, she's different"
Paul laughed, "sappy fucker"
"Yeah? We'll just wait until you find your mate" Dwayne said.
"God no thanks" Paul laughed "actually, if I ever get all soppy like that-"
"-fat chance of that happening-" David.
"-you can just finish me off" Paul turned to David, faux hurt crossing his face, "hey I'm very deep and sensitive"
Marko and Dwayne laughed.
Paul had all the sensitivity of a teaspoon.
"You were definitely being nice though, dude" Marko said, scanning the crowd again.
He was getting hungry.
"What would you have me do?" Dwayne asked, "besides.." his voice dropped a little and he too scanned the crowd. He knew he was in for more jokes, "I want to be nice to her..."
Sure, he wanted her. Badly. He wanted her blood, her body, her soul. He wanted everything..but he wanted her happiness, too.
"See!" Paul laughed, vindicated, "you're a sappy fucker!"
David stepped off his bike, "jokes aside slow is best"
Marko and Paul smirked.
"Slow is boring" Paul offered.
"This is how you do it, OK? I'll help you" Marko stood tall and cleared his throat, "I am your mate. You are made for me, built for me, designed for me. We will spend eternity together-"
"-now bend over" Paul interrupted and the two descended into cackles again.
Dwayne and David laughed heartily, too.
It was impossible not to.
"You're both idiots" Dwayne told them, chuckling with a head shake.
"She's gonna love us" Paul said.
"Does she have a choice?" David asked dryly, hiding the last of his grin.
"No" Dwayne confirmed with a small grin, "she's gonna be one of us"
"I think she'll appreciate our humor" Paul told Marko.
Marko nodded, eyeing the bar Mr Macho had swaggered in to, "let's make a toast to it, huh? To Dwayne's mate, our upcoming sister"
"Yeah. I'm fucking hungry" Paul had pushed away from the wall.
"Let's eat"