Chapter 3

As she half-stumbled into the front room, Betty was seriously considering making the rooster that had awakened her into lunch by going out and wringing its neck. As she passed a window, she saw a man she didn’t recognize walking toward the house in the faint morning light, carrying a basket covered in cloth.

“Must have woke up with a bone,” Ghent remarked.

“Gods...” Betty groaned.

“What is it?” Jan asked as she wandered into the front room and yawned.

“Already some randy bastard here at the ass crack of dawn. Go get some coffee on. Ghent, let him in, and then go rouse Lana.”

“Yes’m.”

When Ghent opened the door, she heard the first hump of the day say that he’d brought some vegetables. When he lifted the cloth, Ghent stepped to the side and looked back at Betty.

The basket was full and would be a welcome supplement to their stores, so she nodded. “Take that to the kitchen, honey, and then go get Lana.” She forced a smile and waved the other man inside.

His eyes focused squarely on her breasts as he approached. He was in his thirties at most, and not all that bad looking. A bit of a surprise - especially at first light. She patted the couch next to her and asked, “Early riser?”

The corners of his mouth curled into a grin when she twitched her eyebrows to punctuate the double meaning of her words.

“Sorry I look a fright, but we all just got up,” she informed him as he approached. “Can you wait until we get a cup of coffee in us, honey?”

He looked a little disappointed, but nodded as he sat down. His eyes barely strayed from her breasts, which gave her an idea.

“We do appreciate it. Let me show you.”

His eyes went wide when she yanked down on the bodice of her dress and let her tits spill out one after the other.

“A little something to wet your whistle until we get woke up,” she said as she gave a shake to make them jiggle. “Come a little closer and see if they feel as good as they look.”

He did, and Betty again wondered why he needed to visit a whore while letting out little moans to encourage him. He had a gentle touch that set her nipples to hardening. She eliminated one possibility when she reached between his legs. He was hard and not small, so that wasn’t it.

A hand on the back of his head pulled him to her breast, and he was quick to suckle her nipple. His clothes weren’t threadbare. No wedding band. His enthusiastic attention to her nipples was making her wet. He was one of the riddles she liked to solve in order to pass the time while a man humped her.

Over the top of his head, she saw Lana enter the front room from the hall. Lana pointed at the man sucking Betty’s tits and lifted her eyebrows. Betty gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Lana said, “Well, I was going to say good morning, but looks like someone is saying it better than I could.” She moaned as she sat down on the couch behind the first customer of the day.

Betty moved her hand from the back of his head to his cheek and asked, “Lana will take good care of you, if you’d like?”

He released Betty’s nipple, glanced behind him, and then took the hand Lana extended. Betty stuffed her saliva-slick breasts back into her dress as Lana led him back to her room. Jan emerged not long after with a welcome cup of coffee.

“Here comes another one,” Ghent said while sitting at his post in the chair next to the window.

Betty said, “Damned rooster isn’t the only cock crowing this morning.”

“I’ve got him,” Jan offered, and then walked to the door tugging on the bodice of her dress to expose more cleavage.

Only a few seconds later, Betty heard a high-pitched, warbling grunt coming from Lana’s room. Mystery solved. He couldn’t keep his cum down once he got his pecker wet. If he came back and it didn’t seem as though it would offend him, she’d have whoever humped him suggest that he learn how to lick a pussy to compensate for his lack of stamina.

While it might seem counterproductive to teach a man to get pussy for free, it hadn’t been the case at the Kip. Men needed to feel some kind of connection as much as they needed to spew their seed, even if they wouldn’t admit it. Gently teaching men to be better lovers was another facet of what had spread the Kip’s reputation, bringing in more men to replace those who found someone to hump for free with their new skills.

Jan’s first poke of the day was paying in coin. Word was obviously getting around. That was both a blessing and a potential curse. It meant more coin filling the strongbox, but it also meant the golden bitch might very well discover they were still around soon.

There was nothing they could do but ride out whatever storm came along until the bully boys from the Kip arrived.

“Mmm ... Thank you, honey,” Betty said in languid tones as the sellsword placed a couple of extra coppers on the bedside table. She giggled and waved to him as he exited the room.

The moment the door closed, she winced and grabbed her tits, which were aching. He had wanted to take her from behind, and her large breasts had been swinging around everywhere as he pounded her. She scrunched up her nose as she parted her thighs. She had to reuse a rag from a previous hump to catch the sellsword’s cum.

It wasn’t even lunchtime, and sixteen men had already been in and out of the door that she knew of. She wasn’t sure if the sounds of passion she heard coming from elsewhere in the house were part of that tally, or from men who had arrived while the sellsword was beating her pussy up and trying to knock her tits off.

She cleaned up as best she could, dressed, and headed for the outhouse. When she saw Pallah standing outside with a bundle of fresh cloths cut from a sacrificed sheet, she said, “Oh, thank you, honey.”

He said, “I put a clean bucket of water in both stalls.”

“You are an angel,” she said as she took two of the cloths and proceeded to the outhouse.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she returned to the front room and didn’t see a man waiting his turn. “New boys?” she asked Ghent while pointing toward Lana and Jan’s rooms. He nodded. “Eighteen, then?”

“Yep. Last one brought in a nice cut of beef rump. Piece of ass for a piece of ass.”

Betty rolled her eyes and chuckled. “That would be nice if they’d let Jan get off her back long enough to cook it.”

Ghent said, “Janus is going to run into town. Want to get into the strongbox and send some coin with him?”

“Think it’s safe for him?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Should be. He’s used to getting hassled anyway.”

Betty pursed her lips and hummed in thought. “Might want to see if there’s anywhere else we can get things besides Hard Creek. The golden bitch is going to find out we’re here before long, and she’s not going to be happy about that. Go ahead and get some coin. You know what we need.”

Ghent nodded. “I’ll make a list and see if he knows of anywhere else we could buy stuff.”

Betty sat down and groaned as she hefted her still aching tits. Not long after, she grinned and waved for the last two men as they left in turn. When Jan returned Betty asked, “Feel up to cooking?”

The busty blonde answered, “I’m starving.” She then reached behind her and cupped a hand between her buttocks. “Don’t think I want to sit down for a little while anyway.”

Betty grunted in sympathy for Jan’s abused ass. “If you need some salve, just ask.”

She shook her head. “He wasn’t exactly hung like a horse. Just stings a little. I’m going to roast that rump and try not to think about mine.”

Lana looked just as relieved as Betty had felt when she returned to the front room. She plopped down next to Betty and said, “I think that last boy was part jackrabbit.”

“I think mine was part ogre. Damn near shook my tits off.”

They both laughed. Betty saw a hint of movement outside and leaned over for a better look through the somewhat wavy glass of the small, thick windows. When she saw three men in matched, well-cared for armor, riding what could only be warhorses, she muttered, “Oh shit...”

“The law coming to roust us?” Lana asked.

“I hope not. Tell Ghent to stay in the house. One look at him and people think he’s a threat. I’m going to talk to them.”

Lana nodded, popped up from her seat, and hurried toward Betty’s room. Betty straightened her clothing and opened the door. She saw Janus already approaching the riders, who had stopped before reaching the house.

“Is there a problem, General Corra?” Janus asked, revealing the identity of at least one of the men.

“Not yet,” the man in the center of the trio answered in a thick Draxnian accent. “You are aware that certain parties will not be pleased to find there are other whores stealing her business?”

The way Corra sneered the word her was at least promising.

Janus said, “Well, I’m not really worried about what the bitch thinks, General.”

Corra broke out into booming laughter. “A man after my own heart,” he said. “I may have a couple of men watch the area. I would dearly love to sting my countryman by arresting his assorted criminals and drunks. There seems to be a fine trap here, waiting to be sprung.”

“Well, you’ll hear no complaint from me about that,” Janus said.

The general chuckled, then turned his attention to Betty. “These are your girls, yes?”

Betty answered, “They are, General.”

Corra nodded approvingly in response to her respectful use of his title. “You have men to protect you?”

“One for now, another with sharp eyes, and more on the way.”

“You are wise to be cautious. These are honest whores, I trust?”

“I don’t tolerate any of my girls stealing. We’ve got potions to keep us from catching ill, so we won’t be passing along any sickness either.”

“Very good. I fear my men and I may have frightened away a few who would have sought your door as we rode in.”

“To be honest, we’re a bit knackered already and can use the break, General.”

He chuckled again. “Still, I apologize. I will tell my men who have liberty that they are free to visit, should they choose. That should provide some recompense, and a boost to morale.”

Betty smiled, winked, and said, “We’ll take real good care of anyone who comes along. We have a stableboy who will take good care of your fine steeds as well.”

“The foolish grins we saw as we rode in suggest this to be quite true. I will take my leave and wish you good fortune.”

“Thank you, General,” Betty said, and then curtsied.

“Appreciate you coming along to warn us, General Corra.”

Corra nodded, then signaled for his men to ride out. When they reached the road, Betty breathed a sigh of relief.

“No need to worry about Corra,” Janus said. “He’s a fair man and a good general. Only real flaw he has is how much he hates Roja and his family.”

“Not much of a flaw from where I’m standing.”

Janus guffawed and said, “Can’t argue with that. I’m about to head into town.”

“Ghent’s making up a list and fetching some coin. You be careful. If the General has heard we’re here, he may not be the only one. You might want to think about going somewhere else the next time you need something.”

“If it comes to that, it’s about a day’s ride to the next nearest town. I’ll stock up on what I can. We can probably buy a lot of things from folks around.”

Betty winked. “Or get it in trade. Jan’s roasting a beef rump.”

“Think I’ll wait to leave, then.”

“Good idea, considering the magic she works in the kitchen,” Betty said.

“Send someone over to fetch me when it’s done?”

“Will do, honey.”

The door opened, and Betty turned to see Lana. The blonde asked, “Any trouble?”

Betty shook her head and started toward the house. “Just a courtesy call. Best rest while you can. If it picks up like it was this morning, you’ll be glad you did.”

Her prediction proved quite accurate.

Lana blew out a long breath through pursed lips as she walked into the front room. It was mid-afternoon, and the girls had barely had time to eat before the steady stream of horny men had resumed. They were all thankful for the brief lull the General’s arrival had caused.

Lana collapsed into a chair and asked, “Does every woman around here have her cunny sewed shut?”

They all laughed at that. Even Pallah joined in, and didn’t look as heartbroken as he had previously. He had apparently accepted the reality that his feelings for Lana were a little misplaced.

As Ghent’s booming guffaws trailed off, he looked out the window and said, “Janus is back.” After a moment’s pause, he added, “Got a woman with him.”

Betty levered up from the couch with a groan and walked over to the window. The woman sitting next to Janus was a pretty young Draxnian girl. She had coal-black hair, nutty brown skin, and full, sensual lips. Even her slumped shoulders and sun-faded dress couldn’t distract from her beauty. Betty was curious, so she headed outside.

Janus gestured toward Betty as she exited and said, “This is Betty.” He then said to Betty, “This is Liliana. Found her walking this way along the road. She ran afoul of Josephine too.”

“I was just trying to get some food and a place to sleep,” Liliana said in a quiet voice.

“And trading the only thing you’ve got for it, huh? Come on inside. There’s some roast left over.”

Liliana’s eyes widened and she stammered, “I ... I...”

Betty walked over and held out a hand to help the young woman down. “Come on, honey. If you made Miss Golden Pussy fume, you’re more than welcome here.”

“Thank you,” Lilliana said as she accepted Betty’s hand.

Betty led the newcomer toward the house and said, “We’ll get some food in you, let you have a bath, and find you some clothes that aren’t trying to come apart at the seams.”

“I ... Why would you do this?” Liliana asked.

“Because I’ve been there, honey. I know how hard it is. You’ll have a roof over your head and food in your belly from here on out. I promise.”

The raven-haired beauty’s eyes welled up and she sniffled. “Thank you.” Her misty eyes widened as the door to the house opened.

Betty said, “This is Ghent, he watches out for us. Honey, this is Liliana.”

Ghent waved and said, “Hello.” He then pointed toward the wagon. “I’m going to help unload.”

“Once you get done with that, get to repairing the harness on the wagon too. We have our rings if anything gets out of hand. We can do without you for an hour.”

The big man nodded and turned to help Janus.

Betty introduced everyone else and asked Lana to see if she could find some clothes since they were of a similar size. The lull in the parade of pent-up men ended, but Lana and Jan were able to keep up, allowing Betty to tend to Liliana. The beautiful Draxnian looked far less world-weary once she had bathed, put on clean clothing, and sat down on the bed in the room Betty had given over to her.

Betty said, “Obviously, you know what we do here. If you’re not up to whoring, we’ll find you something to do. If not here, then back in Windsholme once our boys from there get here. Cooking. Cleaning. Something. You won’t go hungry or have to sleep under a tree again as long as you’re willing to earn your keep somehow.”

Liliana caressed the linen sheets as if they were made of the finest silk. “I still can’t believe this is real.”

“Well, it is. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, but what was left of that dress looked expensive. What happened?”

She shrugged. “I married the wrong man. Once we were married, he took me whenever he wanted, left me wanting, and beat me over any small thing that displeased him. He had power, so nobody cared. One night when he was beating me, I picked up an iron skillet and hit him in the head. One of his servants started screaming murder, so I panicked and ran.”

“With nothing but the clothes on your back, and you’ve been running ever since? How long?” Betty asked.

Liliana nodded. “Since winter. I had to sell myself, or I would have frozen to death. It’s all I can do. I’ll whore for you if I can stay. I will earn my keep.”

Betty nodded. “I’ll give you a try. I’ve got potions to keep you from getting sick or pregnant, so you won’t have to worry about that either. You’ll get the same cut as the other girls, and you get to keep anything extra a man gives you. If that doesn’t work out, we’ll find you something. Promise. No need to thank me - especially if you can take on a few of these boys who’re coming in. We’re getting run ragged, to be honest.”

“I’ll start right now. I am ready.”

Betty smiled, nodded, and then had an idea. “Let me go get those potions, and then there’s something special you can do for me. Pallah got a little too sweet on Lana because she was his first. He helped us out when we needed it most, so we’re trying to help him. Mind teaching him how to give a woman a good licking?”

“I can do this. And please, call me Lilly.”

“Lilly it is. I’ll fetch those potions, some cloths to clean up with, and then I’ll get Pallah.”

Lilly drank down the bitter potions, which Betty had to unfortunately warn her were never going to taste any better with time. Betty then fetched Pallah and took him to the new girl’s room.

“Hello, Pallah,” Lilly said when Betty opened the door. “Come here and let Lilly show you something.”

The look Lilly gave the young man and her tone of voice in that Draxnian accent was so seductive that even Betty got the shivers. The girl was good. Pallah was ensnared in her tendrils immediately and headed straight for the bed. Betty smiled and shook her head as she closed the door.

She might have just traded one infatuation for another.

Thankfully, the steady stream of men remained manageable for Lana, Jan, and then Lilly once she finished with Pallah. She knew how to put on a show from the sounds that emerged from her room. The slack-jawed smile that her first paying man was wearing when he left indicated that she was going to work out just fine.

All was right with the world right up until Ghent opened the door with a ruddy-stained cloth wrapped around his hand. Betty gasped and shot up from her seat. “What did you do?” she asked as she cradled his big paw in her much smaller hands.

“Knife slipped when I was cutting some leather.”

Betty peeled back the bloody layers of cloth and whimpered from concern when she saw the gash in his thumb. It was deep and started bleeding profusely the moment the pressure of the impromptu bandage was gone. She rapidly pushed the cloth back into place.

“Come on,” she said while nodding toward their room.

“Just a cut,” he protested.

Betty stared at him with hard eyes.

“Yes’m,” he acquiesced and then followed her into the hall. When Betty stopped him next to the bed and then went for her potion case, he said, “It’s not that bad.”

Betty opened the case and retrieved the healing potion. “It’s bad enough. That will take forever to heal, and we can’t afford to have you with a lame hand. It should only take a drop, and it’s worth it.”

“Okay.”

“Besides, I don’t like seeing you in pain, no matter how much you’re trying to hide it. Tongue out.”

The big man stuck his tongue out while Betty pulled the cork of the tiny bottle. She carefully tipped it over his tongue until a single drop rolled out.

“Now swallow,” she said.

Betty corked the bottle and then tucked it into her cleavage. She once again pulled back the bloody cloth, and smiled as she saw the wound knitting itself.

“It tickles,” Ghent complained while fidgeting.

“Oh, stop,” she told him. Within a few seconds, only smooth skin remained.

Ghent moved his thumb around and grunted in surprise.

Betty sighed in relief, then slapped him hard on the arm.

“Ow!”

Suppressing a cry of pain of her own from the sting of slapping his hard-muscled arm, she said, “You be more careful. If you’d cut your wrist instead, you could have bled out in the barn before anyone even knew you were hurt, you big oaf. I don’t want to lose you.”

Her lip quivered and she quickly wrapped her arms around him - as far as they would go - and pulled him close. His huge, gentle arms enfolded her in a warm embrace as well.

“Sorry. I’ll be more careful,” he said in a soft voice as he caressed her back.

“I...” Betty caught herself and said, “You’d better.” She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against his chest. Her heart was racing even as her stomach knotted. It wasn’t so much the words she’d almost uttered as the fact that she had admitted to herself that they were true.

I love you.

It was ridiculous. She was a whore. It was as impossible as impossible could be. Yet somehow, held in his arms, she couldn’t let the feeling go.

As darkness descended, the men finally stopped coming. Traveling the open roads at night was a lot more dangerous than crossing town to a brothel. Even the promise of pussy wasn’t enough to draw men out onto darkened roads. Considering all four of them had been humping the day through, it was a welcome respite. Betty had only needed to take on one more man during the day when four had arrived together, but the time she’d spent with her legs in the air was a lot more than what she was used to of late. Her pussy was sore. Her tits ached. Her knees stung.

It was definitely time for her to make her living sitting behind a desk counting coins instead of on her back earning them. She wasn’t getting any younger.

Across the way, Lana and Lilly were chatting. The new girl was smiling and seemed content with her lot. It was a transformation she’d not only seen so many times over the years, but also experienced herself. Betty vividly remembered the relief of being accepted to the Cat all those years ago. Having a safe place to ply her trade had lifted an enormous burden off her shoulders - made it bearable.

Being in a position to offer that same solace to another frightened, desperate young woman made all the years of getting poked by sweaty oafs worth it.

Jan’s last hump had left a few minutes before with the darkness chasing him home. Betty glanced over her shoulder, toward the door to the outhouses, expecting the buxom blonde to return any moment. They were all hungry and looking forward to whatever Jan conjured up in the kitchen.

They all jumped when they heard her scream.

Ghent literally jumped - vaulting over the back of the couch. In only a few seconds, he burst out the door to the rear of the house with a roar that would have made a plains cat piss itself in fear. Betty, the other two girls, and Pallah scrambled to follow.

When they reached the door, they found Jan shivering in the doorway. Ghent was standing protectively in front of her with a long dagger in hand, staring out into the darkness with a glare full of unbridled rage. He waved his other hand, indicating everyone should get away from the door. Betty grasped Jan’s trembling hand and pulled her into the house.

“What happened, honey?” Betty asked.

“Some m-man tried to g-grab me,” Jan answered.

Betty asked, “Why didn’t you use your ring on him?”

“I panicked and kneed him where he lives,” Jan explained. “H-he let go, I fell down, and then Ghent was there.”

“Got him good, too,” Ghent said as he securely latched the door. “I could smell the puke and he was running funny. Hope she turned them to mush. Far enough away I didn’t want to try to chase him and leave Jan alone.”

“Come into the front. You okay, honey?” Betty asked.

Jan nodded. “Just need to catch my breath.”

Betty got her settled on the couch, sat down, and held her hand. The blonde showed remarkable resilience, because her breathing was already slowing and she’d ceased to tremble.

A knock on the door caused them all to start and Lilly yelped in alarm. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Janus called from outside, “Everything okay?”

“It’s open. Come in,” Betty said. She then turned to Ghent and said, “Fix that. Lock all the outside doors.”

The big man nodded and set to the task.

Betty explained to Janus what had happened. He asked, “What did this fellow look like?”

Jan shrugged. “He had a mask over his face. All I could see was his eyes and ratty brown hair. His breath stank of whisky.”

Janus sighed. “Think it’s safe to say the bitch knows you’re here.”

“Probably some drunk she promised a hump to come and scare us,” Betty growled. “Okay, girls. Nobody goes outside alone. No excuses. Even if it’s the middle of the night and you’re about to piss yourself, you have someone go with you. Lock the doors behind you every time you come in. Start carrying your daggers too. Ghent, do you have one you can loan Lilly?”

“Got a little one that will do the trick,” he answered.

“I wish I’d brought another ring. Damn it,” Betty cursed. She held up the ring to show the new girl and said, “These are magic. Touch someone with them, think about it, and it knocks them out. You’ll get one as soon as possible, but for now, take mine.”

Ghent grunted in disapproval of that notion.

“She needs it more than I do. I’m with you all the time and I know how to use my knife,” Betty said as she stood up.

The big man nodded his head and said, “You’re right.”

Lilly’s formerly relaxed features had taken on a nervous edge. Betty handed over her ring and said, “You could always grab a skillet from the kitchen. You’ve already proved you know how to take care of yourself with one of those.”

That had the desired reaction of drawing out a faint smile from the Draxnian girl.

“Best we can expect is the day after tomorrow for the boys Alice is sending,” Betty mused as she turned back to Ghent.

“Need to set a watch at night,” Ghent said.

Janus said, “I’ll take a stretch. I may not be much of a fighter, but nobody is getting through the walls or these doors very easy, or quietly. The windows are high and small on purpose. Easy enough to get out in an emergency, but it would take some doing to climb in one from outside. Just needs to be somebody awake to sound the alarm.”

“I’d honestly feel better with you in here instead of over there by yourself anyway,” Betty said.

“He’s right,” Ghent said. “Gonna need an axe to get through those doors or a battering ram to knock down the walls. Ain’t like bricks and slate burn real easy either. Can you take a watch, Pallah?”

“What about the horses?” the young man asked.

“We’ll just have to risk it,” Betty said. “Studly doesn’t like strangers and he always raises a ruckus whenever anybody’s around. Whoever is awake should hear that.”

“Besides, the barn is made of brick too,” Janus offered.

“Okay. I’ll take the last,” Pallah said. “I’m used to getting up before the sun.”

Ghent said, “And I’ll take the middle watch. I can deal with the broken sleep.”

Janus nodded. “And I’m used to being up late, so that works.”

“And I’ll go make supper,” Jan said as she stood up.

Betty asked, “You sure you’re okay?”

“I enjoy cooking. It takes my mind off things. Besides, we’re all starving.”

Betty smiled. “Go ahead. You’re not wrong there.”

Everyone’s nerves seemed to have settled. Betty felt a lot better with a plan that Ghent approved of in place as well. They should be able to make it through two nights.

“Why don’t I go fetch some wine?” Janus offered. “You ladies don’t have to stay up, so you may as well sleep well.”

Ghent said, “I’ll go with you, and then you can help me fill the tub with clean water.”

“Please,” Betty said. “I’ve got talc caked under my arms and I can barely stand to be around myself.”

That drew chuckles from everyone.

“And make sure the horses are settled for the night?” Pallah added.

Ghent hesitated and looked to Betty.

“Nobody is going to try anything in the next few minutes, and all the doors will be locked,” she assured him.

Ghent grunted and nodded for the other two men to come with him.

Betty said, “Well girls, from what I’ve seen so far, she’s not got much going for her. A lunkhead who threatens scrawny innkeepers, a couple of inept thieves who were foiled by a stableboy, and scruffy drunks. There may be a reason to be scared of her wrath in town, with the law sniffing her pussy, but out here, that’s about as useful as tits on a boar. Keep your eyes open, your wits about you, your legs in the air, and we’ll put the bitch out of business before the boys from the Kip even get here.”

The little speech drew smiles and further cut the tension that had arisen with Jan’s scream. Betty was about half convinced of it herself. It wasn’t enough to change her mind about hightailing it back to the Kip as soon as Alice’s boys arrived, but it was a nice fantasy.

Betty was loathe to get up when she awakened warm and safe beneath the covers with Ghent. Unfortunately, the rooster wouldn’t shut the hell up, and if it was anything like the previous day, men would start showing up at first light. She carefully slipped out of the bed to avoid waking Ghent. He needed the rest after the broken sleep of middle watch.