"Oh come on, let's check the place out!" Edie squirmed and snatched Spike's hand. She hauled him over to an antique shop.
"Hey!" He called out as she intertwined her fingers into his and tugged at him.
While in pursuit of their bounty, Edie spotted the tiny store that looked to be housing collectables. She liked that knick-knack shit. Upon their entry, they were pleasantly greeted by the elderly gentleman who owned the place, he welcomed them to peruse. Edie didn't let go off Spike's hand as she browsed through the many dusty household objects and memorabilia. Spike paid no mind to her tight grip, he merely followed and took a look for himself.
"You know we should check if this planet has a sex shop. To spicen things up of course." Edie raised her eyebrows and winked at Spike. The owner of the shop peered over at the two, throwing them a scandalous smile. Spike fought the urge to punch her in the face.
"Let's just get whatever the hell you want and get outta here."
"Hold your horses! We just got paid for god's sake! Let's go on a shopping spree." exclaimed Edie with fire in her eyes.
Spike sneered at her words and was dragged along to the next store after Edie purchased some old mangas and a stuffed animal from the antique store. For some odd reason, Spike wasn't quite compelled to go back to the ship nor spend his Woolang elsewhere. He simply bummed behind Edie. Edie did offer to pay to feed him. Why pass on a free meal ticket? He thought to himself as he ambled into a clothing store. Edie browsed through different clothing racks, aimlessly. Spike towered over her and yawned loudly, expressing his boredom. Edie ignored his noise, continuing to push through dresses till she ripped one from the rack and squealed in delight. It was a long flowing black dress. It had a halter top that fully covered her breast, but exposed her back with a large slit. She ran to the dressing rooms that were harbored in the corner of the large boutique. Spike stayed in place, fishing for a cig. At seeing the cigarette perched in his lips, a sales associate turned her head a pointed to a "No Smoking" sign above them.
"Great," mourned Spike as he tossed the unlit cigarette back into his pocket.
"Spike! Spike!" Edie signaled for him. She hid her body behind the dressing room door. "What do you think?" she asked as he wandered to her location.
His eyes roamed her figure. Spike had never seen her in anything so formal before. The dress shaped her well. Or rather she already had a nice shape. He halfheartedly nodded at her and threw his arms behind his head. Aloof, as usual.
"Now help me take it off." She demanded and turned her back to him.
"Bossy." he mumbled to himself and fumbled with the zipper.
His eyes roved Edie's bare back as he unzipped the dress. When he completely unzipped her, he loudly cleared his throat to serve as the his "clear". Edie twirled to face him and snatched his forearms, causing Spike to stumble into the dressing room.
"What the h..."
"Shh!" She placed her fingers on his cold lips.
"What the hell are you doing?" Spike whispered hastily.
"Just shut up and go with it." She griped as she tore away the black dress.
She threw Spike a devious smile, sitting him down. Edie straddled herself on top of him and grinded, steadily, over his suit pants. Spike eyes dropped and groped at Edie's ass. What am I doing? Am I actually going to have sex in a dressing room? The notion was strange yet exciting. It was something he never encountered with Julia. Julia was modest about their activities. It was limited to her flat. Sex with Edie was a whole 'nother ballgame. She was thrilling and dangerous in her sex. With Julia, he was intimate, gentle and loving. With Edie, he was a wild animal giving into carnivorous passion. Their sex fascinated him, it livened him. Spike couldn't deny it was another high to him. She was rough, she was dominant, she was restless. Not to mention, reckless. Basically she was everything he was in the sack. Though he didn't openly admit it, he looked forward to banging her or sometimes, she banging him. Edie made Spike not want sex anymore, but need it.
Spike caressed Edie's back and pulled at her hair. She nestled into his neck and munched on it. She was wrapped in his scent, swearing she'd come out of there smelling like him. Spike's sex enthralled Edie. It got her begging and lingering for more. He'd initially played innocent and shy to things, especially to the unknown, then he'd play along as if he'd been playing for years. Spike was ruthless in their sex, which delighted Edie. Nothing could be better than getting your brains fucked out. He was much different than Felix. Felix wasn't that desperate in their sex. To Edie, Felix seemed more distracted than anything. As if he were thinking of work while their bodies rubbed against each other. She loved Spike's pure hunger for lust. And his desperation. He fucked to forget, like she did. That's what made it intense. Not stupid love.
Spike unzipped his pants and Edie slipped out of her underwear. As he thrashed inside her, she pressed further into his neck to silence her cries.
"Put your hands on him again and I'll put two bullets in your skull." edged Edie as she pressed the gun barrels of her twin magnums against the back of the guy's head.
He didn't bother to turn around to face her. Spike slouched in a chair in front of him, bound to the seat. Spike's face was riddled in bruises, cuts, and dried up blood. He appeared to be spacing in and out of consciousness. The stranger said nothing, he still bent down to look into the face of Spike.
How did this guy get the drop on Spike? Edie pondered to herself as she peeked passed the man, to check on Spike. The stranger raised his arms up to surrender. He was bulky man. Surly, no doubt, which explained the bruises. But, Spike had the speed for the upper hand over a character such as this. He must have done something to him or take him by surprise. Edie sounded doubtful in her thinking, but this wasn't Spike's style. Seeing him so beaten unsettled Edie a bit. She shot at the stranger's hand.
"AHHH! What the fuck was that for!? I surrendered, didn't I?!" yelled the stranger as he cowered over his bleeding hand.
"Who set you up for this job?" she demanded, threatening his other hand with her pistol.
"What are you talking about, bitch?!"
"You damn well heard the first time. Who hired you?!" Edie snarled as her eyes set ablaze.
"I ain't sayin' shit." The man spat back.
"Was Spike your target or me?" She grabbed onto his collar and threw him hard against the floor. The stranger mugged a wicked smile and laughed maniacally. Edie punched the grin out of his face.
"You're half as beautiful as I expected." the cocky man teased.
This man doubted Edie had the guts to pull the trigger and to end his life willingly. Was it because Edie was a woman and women tend to be the nurturing, the loving, and merciful? This man is sadly mistaken. She pulled the trigger of her magnum and pierced the hired assassin in the chest, twice. When the hit man was safely confirmed dead, Edie sifted through the man's body. Her eyes gave way to the tattoo that bore on his neck. A symbol. Edie felt her stomach drop to her feet. All hell is about to break lose. It was the designated sigma of the Armada gang. The Armada was just like any other gang that acquired their own asesinos. But who was the Armada targeting? Her or Spike? She denied any thought that Spike would be involved with gang members of that caliber. So that ultimately left her as the true intent of the assassin. That only fueled further questions. What would the Armada want with her? The Armada had no relation nor input in the affairs of La Puerta.
In the left jean pocket of the dead man, she found a surveillance photo of Spike and a trailing Edie. The photo was bordered with scribbled hand written notes. Spike Spiegel, Vicious, Julia and something about a Red Dragon. Julia. So he was after Spike. But, why? What was his purpose in his research of his prey? Was this Spike's past coming to haunt him or was hers seeking revenge? A hundred and one questions jumbled in her head. It made her dizzy just trying to comprehend it all.
Spike. Edie paced over to Spike's beaten body. He appeared knocked cold. She ran her fingers through her hair and slit the rope wrapped around his body. She pulled her communicator out and called out to Jet.
"Jet! I need your help."
"I'm on my way." He retaliated immediately.
"What happened back there?" Jet crossed his arms as he spoke to her. Edie hovered over Spike's weak body and cleaned his bindings.
"We were baited." Her tone monotone and serious.
"Baited? By who?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out, Jet. He was a hired hit man. I think he was aiming for Spike."
Jet ruffled through his slimming hair and massaged the back of his neck. "I don't get," he began. "I thought he finished his business. That's, of course, if this is what it's about."
He peered upon Edie with a condescending look which she avoided by keeping her sight on Spike. "What are you insinuating?" She gnashed her teeth with malice and disdain. Jet turned to return to his quarters, leaving Edie to care for Spike's wounds.
"Shit!" She sighed heavily, "Shit's gonna hit the fan. This is only the beginning." Edie spoke aloud as if she were designating her speech for Spike, but she spoke to herself. She felt the sudden urge to express everything to the asleep Spike, so she rested her chin on the yellow couch aside from him and searched for a beginning.
"I was in love once. We both were from Earth. Father warned me of him. Said he only wanted one thing out a pretty girl like me. I was too thrilled with the fact that he referred to me as 'pretty' to even bother listen to the rest of his advice. I was 14, he was 17. Young lovers. I'll never forget the way he looked at me the first time we saw each other. He was one of the neighbor's older cousin who moved from Cuba. He always got into trouble. Father, though, never liked him. Said he was a nobody. Which says a lot because we were nobodies. But after father died, he found me and protected me. He wasn't able to my first, if you know what I mean. I was raped before he was given even the chance. But before then, I was saving myself for him and him only." Edie looked up to Spike as if to receive feedback but just heard his slow breathes.
"And for years, I stood by his side and idolized him. I don't think he ever loved me quite the way I loved him. My devotion for him surpassed my own feelings and judgment. And then one day, he turned on me. Threw me out like I was garbage and meant nothing at all. From then on, I vowed to make myself stronger. I didn't need him, I didn't need any man. I made my own choices. I could do whatever the hell I pleased." At that she straightened her posture and neared herself to Spike, their faces inches apart. She breathed on his lips and looked at them longingly.
"Your arrogance reminds me a lot of him." whispered Edie. She rose and walked to her room.
Spike fluttered his eyes open and stewed under Edie's deep revelation. She spoke with such sorrow and lost. And anger.
"Because everyone has a Julia." Spike recalled her words. He was her Julia. It disturbed Spike how similar their Julias were. Save, love, betrayal and abandonment. It was all a dream. Spike could hear Julia's words but not her voice. Had he forgotten what she sounded like, what she smelt like, what she felt like, what she tasted like? More importantly, what she looked like... His image of her was fuzzy and faded. Maybe, indeed, that was all she was. A dream. In her stead, he could see Edie. Edie being stupid. Edie pulling pranks on Jet. Edie violently chugging things at Spike's face. He can even see them when they're tangled in bed.
"Fuck." Spike groaned, rubbing the headache spreading along his temples.
...
"You've taken quite a liking to her,"
"And you haven't?"
