Negotiations With Teeth

[ticktockgrin]

Dwayne hates this part of the act. He's pulled just about every con in the game at some time or another, some of them enough times to do them blind without a moment's warning, but this one? It never gets easier, even with the amount of trust involved.

Art items, money, contraband luxuries of all sorts, even drugs and weapons? Sure. Humans? That's one thing he can't stomach.

Next to him, Mira is just as calm as he is, probably calmer because she knows the lock on her silver collar has a quick-release that will let her get it off in half a second.

She's the quickest shifter he knows, maybe because she was turned so young. She's still too damn young... But that's what makes this work so well. The fact that she can do this without losing her shit. After all she's been through she can do the job, control her wolf, and still be rational, reliable, able to have a life outside the perversion and submission that defined her teen years? It's kind of amazing.

She can hold her own, both physically and emotionally, and he can control her if things go bad. Combined with his middle-aged, refined demeanor? They make a good team, and the pack has a lot of faith in them for taking down yet another slave dealer.

He still hates it. But he smiles anyway, genial, professional, and harmless in spite of the huge boxer's build filling out his tailored suit, copper-penny hair and beard trimmed close and neat and not showing even a hint of gray in spite of his forty-five years. A middle-aged businessman, not even a bit out of place in an upscale hotel where a little money buys a lot of discretion.

And the slender young brunette with him? Well, everyone has their indulgences, and all it takes is the right price.

Comments

[tinkermoose]

There's nothing about this Josh doesn't hate, though the fact he feels incredibly out of place in his tailored suit and polished shoes isn't even close to the top of the list given he's here to try and buy a sentient creature, human in all the ways that matter, purportedly as a sex slave. The whole idea makes him sick to his stomach, and he steels himself in determination as he studies the other buyer as intently as the seller and the... merchandise. It almost makes it worse to realize that he wouldn't give any of these men a second look on the street. Or, well, he'd definitely give the big redhead a second look--probably a third, too--but not because he thought he was the kind of man to sell a kid to some fat middle-aged businessman.

He focuses on appearing casual, comfortable surrounded by luxury and excess and used to having the kind of money needed to pick up a high priced 'toy' on a whim. But all the preparation and determination in the world doesn't change the fact that it's like one of those nightmares where you're naked in school, and he can't believe that everyone isn't looking at him, seeing just how much he doesn't belong here. He makes himself smile back at the redhead, easy and confident and, he hopes, with a slight predatory edge. Something in keeping with the kind of guy who'd be looking to buy the pretty little brunette he has on a collar.

"I'm prepared to pay five percent over the asking price, can we just get this over with?" he asks, trying to sound bored and absolutely convinced that no one would ever consider denying him what he wants, but he's not sure how well he's pulling it off.

loop

[tinkermoose]

Damn, that smile- The guy had always been objectively hot, but there's something about him now, despite his obvious weariness, and it's not just that Josh now knows he's not a sadistic racist bastard. Or, well, maybe it is at least a little. He doesn't feel dirty looking anymore, anyway, and he smiles back despite his still pounding head. And, hey, he suddenly realizes that he doesn't have to refuse the ginger ale on principle anymore and reaches across to pop it open and take a sip as Dwayne answers him.

"Yeah, well, most people are tough to deal with sometimes, and I grew up around mercenaries and, well-" He ducks his head and frowns, an shamed flush spreading up his neck. "Hunters," he admits, voice going low and pained. He's seen plenty of the wrong side of this trade, and plenty of wolves as well, most of them in pretty damn bad circumstances. "I'm not much bothered by dangerous... and I have some debts to settle." Even if they were mostly accrued by his father, he can't shrug off the weight of them, the knowledge of what the man had done, and where at least some of the money had come from when his 'normal' avenues of employment had begun to tail off as he became more and more erratic.

Loop!

[ticktockgrin]

Josh has a couple hours to sleep before Dwayne feels secure in packing up to go. If he's still got lookout outside, he hopes they brought coffee and a good spot to settle in (and while Dwayne might be smartass enough to send a Starbucks delivery out to them, it's better to avoid getting them involved right this moment.) It will take a bit for a runner to deliver what Dwayne's asked for to the safehouse, anyway.

Awake and alert, Dwayne passes the time reading on his phone until it's a good time to move. And if he glances over occasionally to watch Josh sleep, well, he's just keeping an eye on things. In spite of his size he looks even younger, asleep. Sprawled on the bed and thoroughly enjoying it, and Dwayne is reminded he does tend to take it for granted, these days. It's been a long time since his days of getting by on cramped barracks racks, and if he's going to spend his money on anything, it's comfort.

So it's nice to see someone appreciating the huge bed for a bit, and even if it's not for too long it's enough time for Josh to get rid of some of his headache and let his shirt air out. And Dwayne can be sure that the safehouse is ready and waiting by the time he gives a huge stretch, head to toe, and wanders over toward the bed area of the room.

His wolf wants to go over and give the shirts hanging on the shower rod a good and thorough sniff, but it's an impulse he firmly denies in favor of simply rapping on the doorframe. "Hey. You feeling good enough to move out?"