A Gamble

Ainsley Slater. 30. Owner of The Labyrinth Casino. Vices~ Money and Control

[ainsleyslater]

parkeroutback‌:

She’d been in Dayton for a while now, and since she’d graduated from college and didn’t have to commute anymore, Parker was spending a lot more time in town.  She’d made no effort to get a job, but thanks to her parents and their careers, didn’t actually have to get one.  That left her with plenty of time to do what she liked to think she did best, flit around Dayton like she was the fictional character Eloise doing her daily rounds at the Plaza. 

She had a very busy and demanding schedule that included treating herself (and sometimes a friend or two) to a late brunch before sitting in a coffee shop and pretending she was working on a novel when really she was just using the wifi to watch porn.  Definitely not the most conventional hobby, but she liked the risk of being caught, and it wasn’t like she kept it on full volume or anything, she wasn’t that rude.

The issue with that hobby was that it almost always left her wound up, and she couldn’t always just drop in on one of her fuck buddies to take care of her… they had lives and jobs and she had to pretend to actually respect that.  It’s why instead of texting someone to see if she could stop by, Parker caught up with the person who’d just walked past her, falling into step next to them and waiting until they actually noticed her before she spoke.

“What are the chances I can convince you to come back to my place, paint me green and spank me like a disobedient avocado?” she asked, her expression completely serious regardless of how ridiculous her proposition had been.

It wasn’t unusual to find someone watching porn in public in this town. Most of them had their headphones in out of auditory respect, but you’d catch glimpses of the screens. Ainsley herself was even known to partake now and then, if she was bored, about to meet someone for a quickie that she wasn’t sure would get her off if she didn’t pregame first. The girl to her left was watching some good quality shit too, the kind of porn that toed that line between overdramatic overproduced and so amateur the camera angle from your bedside table mostly shows off your legs but damn that audio is dreeeenching me. 

She’d lost track of time, watching over the girl’s shoulder till her coffee was finished. But Ainsley couldn’t let herself idle, there was too much to do, errands to run, a 3 o’clock conference with vendors. So she tore her eyes from the free entertainment, tossed her first cup and ordered a second to go. The sun was bright, too bright, her vampire nature making her immediately pull out her sunglasses. Make it till 5 and then she’d call Hayden, demand he meet her at her place, give in to this insanity between them yet again. She’s imagining it, the way he smells, how good his stubble feels against her cheek when she burrows against him. Another sip of her new beverage and then the female voice distracts her. 

Distracts her and throws her for a loop. The avacado bit making her sputter with shocked amusement and nearly choked on her coffee.

She’s hot, and normally Ainsley would have jumped on that clever pick up line so fast. But god Hayden had stolen her edge from her, filled her head with nothing but themness. “You know I actually have edible paints at home, but that’s ... besides the point. I am afraid I am unavailable for spanking. But baby if you got needs I know a classy little sex club up the street a block. I can get you in and get you real taken care of.”

[ainsleyslater]

claudiafern96‌:

Historically, there have been some sleazy people to come through one of the Labrynth’s many bars. Today was no exception. Claudia felt her eyes burning as she tried to keep her cool, customer service face on while the bar patron in front of her was really asking to be socked in the face. She wanted to tell the man that bartenders didn’t flirt with customers for their numbers, they flirted for the tips. She could tolerate a lot, but what Claudia didn’t tolerate was blatant racism and sexism and the man sitting in front of the bar was exuding those -isms. “I’m actually Cuban, not Mexican and I suggest you misogyny to a different bar, no?” she said, throwing her change at him. “Now or I’ll call security.” she said, encouraging him to get his ass moving. Walking across the bar, she took a few deep breathes and attempted to re-gain her cool. She knew she was going to hear about that from her boss in a couple days, but her boss should’ve just been glad she didn’t throw a drink at his face or worse. “Sorry you have to witness that,” she said to the person across from her. “I promise i’m not evil, he just deserved it.” she laughed. “Sí or no? You agree?” 

“Red shirt, black pants, on his way to a mullet, a baby attempt at a mustache. Have Finn pick him up and take him to the back. Racist and sexist comments towards an employee.” Ainsley’s voice was subtle, quiet as she spoke into her security comm. Shit like what had just been pulled was an instant ticket to the backroom. At least a few broken knuckles, a black eye, and a permanent ban from the establishment. She turns to face the girl. Too many employees in the casino for Ainsley to remember them all, but she likes the way she handled that. “Si. Strong agreement from me. He deserved a hell of a lot more, but you handled that perfectly. Are you all right? Do you need a break? I don’t condone my employees being made to feel unsafe in their work environment.” Ainsley could be a hard boss, but she did genuinely care for her staff. A successful business couldn’t stay successful if you didn’t respect all the cogs in the working machine equally.

[ainsleyslater]

lennonweston‌:

lennon sat on a bench outside of coffee shop she could not afford to buy from. she had a notebook with a list of places to go and ask for a job application. her daddy had always told her going in person to ask for an application, even if they have one online, left a bigger impression. it let the manager see your face, and all that good stuff. so far, she had filled out two or three applications in person, but a lot of places just … weren’t hiring. claudia had been kind enough to let her take a week to settle in, but she made it pretty clear that unless lennon started helping with rent, they might not have a place pretty soon. with a defeated sigh, lennon went through and marked out the jobs that said they weren’t hiring. she tilted her head back, looking down the long street of businesses that she had yet to apply to. “i can let myself rest a lil’ longer,” she hummed to herself. lennon practically jumped a foot in the air when she heard someone chuckle at her comment. “sorry, i was talking to myself! you’re not hiring, are you?”

It’s not that Ainsley has a habit of picking up strays. But she definitely likes to take a chance every now and then, when opportunity strikes and her gut thinks it’s gotten a whiff of potential. The girl is cute, doesn’t take offense when Ainsley chuckles at her. “As a matter of fact I am hiring,” she answered, pausing in the middle of sipping at her coffee. She turns to assess the girl properly. Behind a bar probably wouldn’t be a good fit, that’s not the vibe she’s getting, but she figures she’ll list some available positions and leave it to be her responsibility to sort out what might fit. “I’m always looking for bartenders, waitresses, entertainers. There’s a few shops at my casino that could always use cashiers and shelf stockers. I”m also looking to hire a VIP concierge to make sure the high rollers are being attended to, call them a car if they want to go to Plan B, set them up with a suite if they want to stay the night, order them food, gifts, girls or boys.”

[ainsleyslater]

letsgetblaised‌:

He raised an eyebrow as she mentioned owning a casino, admittedly impressed that the woman he’d randomly bumped into had ended up being as powerful as she clearly was.  Smirking at the mention of her need for specialized security, he nodded.

“I’m your guy then… no job too dirty,” he told her simply, not wanting to get into things but figuring that the look on his face made it clear that he was definitely picking up what she was putting down.  “If you need specialized references or anything, I’ll need a few days to track someone down who’s willing to talk to you about me,” he added.  In his line of work, he didn’t make a habit of outright telling people what he did for a living, but he had high power contacts on the east coast that would speak to his ability if he really needed it. 

What a good day it was turning out to be. This kind of muscle could scare the piss out of a lot of guys by sight alone. She offers him her business card. “You do that then. Have them call me here, tell them it’s a secure line and anonymity is welcomed. I’m good at figuring out whether or not a reference is legit or trumped up lip service.” Ainsley doesn’t ask for a lot. A potential security worker would prove whether they were a good fit or not within the first two shifts, in the end the reference was just for the hell of it, formality for formalities sake. If you didn’t at least check a little people could think you didn’t care, that you didn’t expect anything from them. And Ainsley had learned long ago that people always gave you as little as they could get away with.

[ainsleyslater]

realdylanadams‌:

There was nothing that could surprise Dylan at this point in her life, the things she has seen and done desensitized her to it all. She sat in the passenger’s seat as Ainsley sped to the casino. The ride felt like forever despite it and the club being so close but it gave her enough time to run through the checklist of things they needed to do in the next few hours. She couldn’t lie, this was invigorating. Adrenaline pumped through her as she wished the car would go faster. “I got your back. Just keep Hayden under control and the two of us will get this mess cleaned up like it never happened. If we run into a snag, we can call Abel.” She really hoped it wouldn’t come to that. As much as she trusted Abel, the less involved, the better. Dylan pulled out one of the dime bags from her pocket and pressed her finger tip into the white powder, rubbing it against her gums before returning the bag to her pocket. “You ready to do this thing?” she asked as they came up to the casino. 

Her toes itch to press the gas until she hits the floor, but she needs to keep it cool, needs to keep everything under her control contained and normalized even as her insides are a hurricane of adrenaline. The casino is a looming shadow within the shadows as they approach. Keep Hayden under control. Keep him safe. She’s distracted by how much he is her priority, not the dead body outside her club. When the car stops outside the alleyway she takes a steadying break to refocus. There will be time for her to tend to Hayden later, to fall apart with worry for him. Right now she needs to be Ainsley fucking Slater, ruthless handler of messy shit. “Ready,” she answered shortly, turning the key, the sound of the car door opening echoing in the night. The alleyway is long, which is good. There’s a back door towards the front for vendors, but the VIP side door is further back, purposefully hidden in the shadows and a large half brick wall. “I’m just glad this happened outside. So much easier to get blood out of asphalt than carpeting, let me tell you.” She skirts around the half wall and there it is, there he is. A heap of what used Tate Weston. Hayden is so still that it takes her 30 heart stop seconds to find him, feet moving as she beelines for his side. “Hey it’s me, it’s Ainsley. I’m here. It’s handled. Everything is gonna be handled, I’ve got you.”

@haydenbarnes​

[ainsleyslater]

realdylanadams‌:

There weren’t many people Dylan could trust and would jump into action with no details. But Ainsely was one of them. The little network that she had formed around Dayton was everything to Dylan. Ainsely, Marissa, and Abel. They were her people. She would do anything for them. She’d kill for them. And clearly, as Ainsely explained, she would hide a body for them. Dylan sighed as the other woman explained the situation. She knew some of what Ainsely and Hayden had been up to at the casino, she knew about the things that happened in backroom. It wasn’t like Dylan didn’t do the exact same thing in her office. It was only a few years ago that she herself had killed someone in a similar situation. “I guess that means, one less fucker to deal with in town,” she said harshly. It wasn’t like Dylan cared about the boy, if it was him, no use sugar coating it. “Can’t say this is a first for me. We’ll get in and out and take care of it before anyone even notices we’re gone.” Dylan was confident in her abilities, but maybe that was the coke talking, ask her again when she is face to face with Hayden’s victim. 

Ainsley wasn’t afraid to involve Dylan. They were cut from the same cloth, they were on the same page. A body was trouble for all of them, would draw too much attention. Thank god it was Tate. “Co signed,” she answered when Dylan showed little remorse at the name. “He was a cocky little shit and I’m surprised he lasted this long. And hiding him is going to be easier too.” Rich white boys with trust funds had a tendency to wander, to disappear with no warning, on a whimsical trip to Cabo or India or wherever the fuck rich brats wandered these days. They could hack his phone, make some social media posts, buy them some time, convince people he’d left town. “It’s not a first for me but it’s been a while,” Ainsley admitted. “Which is why I need you. To make sure I stay sharp. And to handle some of the basic shit while I make sure Hayden isn’t about to try and turn himself in.”

[ainsleyslater]

letsgetblaised‌:

He laughed despite himself at her comment.  “It’s that obvious, huh?” he asked, his voice deep and a bit gruff despite the accent that he’d been told made him sound overly friendly.  He didn’t get that, but he’d been trying to bang the girl who’d told him as much at the time and he hadn’t been about to argue with her.   He watches the woman in front of him and wonders if she’s trying to figure him out the same way he’s trying to decide on his impression of her.  “I just got here like… a week ago, still trying to figure out where shit is and where I can get a decent gig that pays more than minimum wage,” he joked.  “My bad for getting in your way though, I can let you get on with your errands or whatever,” he told her, figuring her plans for the day hadn’t included talking to a random dude on the street for hours.

He was amusing, hadn’t annoyed her, but was fairly dismiss-able. Ainsley might have concluded the interaction there, walked away without a name and not thought of him again. But then he mentioned needed a gig and her eyes sparkled with intrigue. Big muscle guy in need of work. Time to see what his moral temperance was like. He obviously had a kid and in any other town she wouldn’t have bothered. But if he had a kid and was living in a place like Dayton, then he obviously hadn’t lost his grungy dirty edge. “Hey....about a decent gig,” she mused, digging through her purse for one of her calling cards. “I own a casino in town, Labyrinth. I’m always in need of security members who are willing to...get their hands a little dirty now and then.”

[ainsleyslater]

laid-bear‌:

Bear smirked a little at her question, raising his coffee cup to his lips and giving a little shrug before he took a sip, answering her once he put the cup back on the table. “I might’ve run my mouth a bit in my youth, I’ve grown much older and wiser now,” he began, smirk broadening before he nodded, folding his arms across his chest. “But yeah, sure, I’ve been slapped a time or two in my life.” Understatement, but she didn’t need to know that. “But that,” he said, jerking his head over to where the confrontation was really starting to pick up steam. “He’s done some major shit. Definitely cheated, maybe even with a friend–she’s not reading him the riot act over some stupid domestic thing,” he said, once again speaking from experience. And then there went the coffee all over him. Bear had to look away to keep from laughing, shaking his head a little. “Maybe he slept with her mom? Used the money they were saving for vacation on some game console? KIlled her cat?”

“Are you now?” Ainsley gave him a once over, reserving her judgement until more data was collected. “Older and wiser, good for you. That’s not always as easy a win to claim. I know a lot of people who get dumber as they age.” He looked away when the coffee spilled, but Ainsley clapped, shameless about her enjoyment. “Oh shit I bet it’s the mom thing. That happened to my roommate in college. She wanted to surprise her mom for thanksgiving break, said she wasn’t gonna make it home, but made plans to go home. Boyfriend didn’t know, told her he was heading to his homestate. She shows up at her mom’s to surprise and finds the boyfriend balls deep inside her. Apparently they’d been having an affair since she brought him home for christmas two years prior. TWO. YEARS. You can imagine how much shit she threw at him.”

[ainsleyslater]

haydenbarnes‌:

If it wasn’t for the wind that whipped around his face as they rode through the silent town, Hayden would have been convinced that this was a dream. He wasn’t a man that was easily moved to a smile and yet the feeling of Ainsley pressed so tight behind him, the feeling of freedom as the rode together… It curled his lips into that unfamiliar expression. It felt like he was in some teen romantic comedy; as if right now the director was about to ask him to happily shout out into the void. 

He wants to turn around to look at her so badly. He can feel her smiling into his shoulder and suddenly he’s developed an insatiable need to see her smile. Two people with so much red in their ledger nothing else was legible… They shouldn’t be deserving of the ability to smile, but here they were, smiling anyway. This was going to end terribly with the only thing on the horizon being heartbreak and disappointment. That was where this always led, wasn’t it? For Hayden, that’s all relationships had ever caused whether they were platonic or romantic. Pain. He knew this, so why did he come out the front of the bar instead of the back? Why was he riding to her apartment with her? Why was he obsessing over how well their bodies fit together?

She was different. 

Above all the questions, all the doubt, all the self-loathing those three words echoed. Ainsley was different. She wasn’t here to try and save him, she didn’t want to change him, she didn’t want him to get clean, or suppress his anger. All she wanted, was for him to accept it all; to own his own being and do it alongside her. Harmonic chaos. That’s what they both wanted.. No, it’s what they both needed. 

They come to a stop and suddenly reality screeches into slow motion. Time ceases to exist as if they’re more important than time itself. He flicks down the stand and dismounts, his lips part to say something but hers connect before he has a chance. They kiss, and he closes his eyes, he wraps his arms around her with selfish intent. Hayden wants Ainsley all to himself, a jealous rage burning inside him as he thinks about anyone else getting to taste her decedent lips. He can feel her having to hold back from going for round two right here and now. He feels it because he has to do the exact same. 

Suddenly, they’re going up in the elevator to her apartment. The only reason he notices is that, finally, their lips take a break from each other. It’s because of this that he finally gets to see that smile and… God, it’s cliche, but he skips a breath and a heartbeat because of it. His arms refuse to unwrap from around her as she pulls at his top and plays with his hair. She’s trembling, and it relaxes Hayden’s mind because that means she’s thinking the same as him. It means that this means something to her as well. “I had my hand on the back door,” he replies, a softness in his voice that she’s never heard before. “But I couldn’t open it… I– needed to see whether you were waiting, and you were.” His hand fucking goes through her hair and tucks it behind her ear so he can see her face better, so he can see her smile better. “You’ve got me in a trap, Ainsley… And I have no desire to leave it,” the elevator doors ping open and he guides her out, rejoining their lips as they stumble together down to her front door. 

He hears the key push into the door, and for a second a wave of panic floods through him. “It’s not too late for me to leave if you don’t want this… Whatever this is…” He speaks slowly, quietly, and softly, as if the walls have ears and they’re the town’s biggest secret. 

Ainsley doesn’t know what she would have done if he hadn’t shown up. Probably hunted him down and fucked him senseless the next day at work. But she would have had time to remold her mask around her. Now she was defenseless and the only thing keeping her from falling apart was Hayden’s arms around her. She doesn’t normally allow hair tucks, but she does for him, and it makes warmth rush to her cheek. She lets herself be lusted after, but she doesn’t let herself be cared for and this...this is dangerously uncharted territory. The elevator pings and thank god he has the common sense to move them out into the hallway, because Ainsley can’t focus on anything but his mouth. Trapped. Yes. She’d meant to trap him and somehow he’d trapped her too only it didn’t feel like a trap. It felt like...a sanctuary, miles and miles of suddenly free land inside her chest begging to be explored. 

She’s already working her hands under his jacket when her back knocks into the door. It’s a feet, its a scramble, to get the keys out and into the lock while attempting to keep her mouth on him at all times. The key connects, she turns it and there’s a click. And then Hayden gives her an out and she stills. Her eyes half closed, her lips lingering against his as she breathes harshly. Whatever this is she could stop it now, she could build her walls higher, she could send him away. “Don’t leave,” she whispers, fingers curling against his shirt again. “Don’t ever leave.” And then shes kicking the door open with her foot, both arms looping around his neck as she reclaimed his kisses demandingly and drags him into the apartment. She uses their bodies to close the door, pushing him hard against the wood like she had that first day in her office. Her hands urge his jacket off, disappear under his shirt to claim the muscles of his back as she devotes her lips to his, tongue demanding entrance.

No one has ever been invited into Ainsley’s space before. There is a fleeting wonder if she’s left any messes about, but it falls to the wayside because kissing him is more important. He is a monster, and now he is her monster and he deserves to be worshipped, every dark shuddering inch of him kissed and fanned into flame. “Do you have any idea how fucking good you taste,” she murmured out harshly, fingers gripping his hair hard as a low moan slips past her lips. “I’m not good at this, Hayden. I’m not...I don’t...do this. But whatever this is with us I...need it. I need you. Tell me you’re mine.”

[pelinore]

[ainsleyslater]

letsgetblaised‌:

He felt like shit as he watched her fall, annoyed at himself for not reacting quickly enough to actually help her, but at the moment, getting his kid’s gift home in one piece was kind of more important to him than anything else.  Her comment had him snorting with amusement as he nodded at her advice.  “I think I’ll be able to handle myself, but thanks for the warning,” he told her, though he was being polite about it and not overly arrogant.  He knew damn well that all of this had been his fault, and to be quite honest, he didn’t know what kind of people he was going to run in to in this place.

“You guys get a lot of tweakers around here then?” he asked, using a more generalized term because he didn’t know what kind of slang native Daytonians used nowadays.  He was probably dating himself and making himself appear as an out of touch old dude trying to figure out how to assimilate with all the cool kids in town, but he didn’t actually care about that. 

“I’m sure you can,” she answered with a shrug. Not like she’d ever seen muscled tall guys get overly cocky and get taken down by someone presumably weaker. Not like she’d ever been the weaker person that won the fight. Oh these days her manicures were usually unscathed, but Ainsley still knew how to scrap, she knew how to take people underestimation of her and use it against them. At his question it’s her turn to laugh, a dainty bubble of amusement. “Oh sweetie, if you have to ask me that I guess you haven’t been here long, have you? A lot of tweakers, a lot of nudists, a lot of drunks, a lot of every kind of inebriated state you’ve ever imagined. Dayton is all mess all the time.” Her eyes take in the obviously child centered wrapped gift. What was a guy like this doing in a town known for less wholesome family friendly activities. 

[ainsleyslater]

laid-bear‌:

Bear was halfheartedly reading that morning’s edition of the Dayton Daily News at his seat at the crowded Sunset Cafe–he’d taken a seat next to a girl because there was only one seat left in the whole joint. When he heard the girl next to him speak, he’d assumed she was on the phone until he felt her nudge him and he looked up, glancing over at her. “What’s that?” He asked, then listened as she went on. He glanced in the direction of the couple she’d indicated and rubbed a hand over his mouth and jaw to hide his grin, shaking his head a little before looking back at her. “I am a gambler, but I know better than to go up against a sure thing,” he said, nodding at the couple as their volume pitched up even more. “I’ve been on the other side of that before, she’s probably going to slap him if he keeps it up–that’s when you just close your mouth, nod, and hope to have a shred of dignity left by the end of it.”

“Ah so you’re a smart gambler,” Ainsley mused, viewing him from her periphery. She’s pleased to see he’s not hiding his grin. Good. She respected people who didn’t try to deny their human instincts for voyeurism and pleasure gained out of witnessing the drama of others. There was a reason reality tv made millions. “Have you?” she asked, turning her head from the main entertainment to view him with more curiosity. “And did you get slapped, or did you manage to salvage the situation with some level of dignity?”  She supposed that even if dignity was left, in the end one would still have been publicly broken up with in a very loud attention grabbing manner. But god a coffee stain would really just add insult to injury. “The real question is what did he do. Did he cheat? Did she cheat? Did he leave the toilet seat up one too many times? Did he call her best friend fat?” And voila....in a raged shriek of nonsensical syllables the girl dumped her coffee directly onto his head. Satisfying. Profoundly satisfying.

[ainsleyslater]

haydenbarnes‌:

Hayden had never before been so enamoured by another person. He had always had the internal struggle of right and wrong, he had always subdued the pestering need for another. In his life, people he cared about were hurt. Sometimes, it was through no fault of his own, but he’d always find something to blame himself for. With his Father, the fault was obvious. With Marissa, it was not being around. It was leaving. Because, that was easier than dealing with issues, right? Just leave. Run. 

But, Ainsley had this grip. She had this gravity around her that made him want to do the opposite. He wanted to stay. He wanted to let her in. A lifetime of running… Maybe that was all about to change. She saw him for who he was, and she wasn’t afraid. She didn’t know his story, she had no idea the things he had done and yet still, she knew him better than anyone ever had. She understood. 

There were no helmets attached to his bike; he only wore them going out of state. Dayton cops didn’t care about murder, let alone road laws. But, there are helmets on one of the other bikes parked up in the alley and he smirks. “If you’re worried about cracking your beautiful head open, I’m sure they don’t need two helmets,” he gestures over his shoulder at the helmets. “Otherwise, actually yes. My hair and helmets? Worse than bed-head,” he smiles as his leg swings over the bike, key inserted into the ignition in perfect harmony. He looks back to Ainsley, a tilt in his head as he offers a stabilizing hand out. She joins him on the bike and he feels her pressed against his back. 

It takes him a second to get out of his own head, to get away from all the flurry of thoughts about how well they match each other. About how they are two fucked up pieces to the same fucked up jigsaw. He’d vowed to never care for anyone again, but here he was, going back to her place, ready to give it all up. Ready to give himself over to her. And he was doing it willingly. So much so that his hands left the bar and pulled her arms tighter around him before returning to rev the engine and, finally, pulling off.

The wind sweeps through his hair as they turn out of the alley onto the main road. There’s nothing else on the road, it’s as if the whole city as seen them together and run back inside. It’s as if together, they have the power to cause that. The engine roars as he speeds up, he has his eyes on the road but his focus is anywhere but in front of him. He can’t stop thinking about how good she feels pressed up behind him. He can’t stop thinking about how much he wishes he could see her face right now. They pass a glass shop window and he looks in it for hope of catching a glimpse. God, she’s everything, isn’t she? 

But this wasn’t love; couldn’t be. They could have everything else, but when that word comes into play everything gets messy. So, they could be matching pieces. They could fit perfectly together. They could rule this town. But, no, they couldn’t love each other. It was too dangerous a thing to admit. 

What the fuck was happening?

Was she smiling?

He pulled her arms tighter around his frame and she fucking...she smiled...she smiled and she couldn’t stop and it was the most terrifying thing she’d ever experienced. Ainsley Slater believed in love stories. She believed in princes and princesses and soulmates and all that crap, but she’d never been interested in any of that being a part of her story. So what in the fucking hell was this trembling thunderous sound inside of her? The way she pressed closer against Hayden and tucked her head against the back of his shoulder and closed her eyes so that all sensation except him melted away. She is jealous of the wind playing through his hair. Of the inky night that gets to caress the skin that is facing away from her. She wants to see if his eyes light up when he takes a turn, if he’s smiling too. 

Love stories are for soft souls and Ainsley is a sharp edged monstrous creature. This isn’t love, it’s not. It’s a successful mission with unforeseen consequences. She’d wanted Hayden to belong to her, body and mind and he did now, she could feel it in his body, she had felt it in the way he claimed her at the hookah bar. But now...now under cover, with nothing but the scenery whipping by and the roar of the motorcycle she realized she’d made a mistake, she’d missed the part where she began to belong to him too. There was no love here, just two monsters who appreciated the rotted away parts of each other, just two monsters who could create nightmares and take over this town.

The ride to her place lasts forever and yet only seconds. Time gets this odd, fuzzy edged consistency to it. She’s trembling when they stop, when she gets off the bike, fists clenched at her sides while Hayden settles the bike. The second he’s off she’s tugging at him, kissing him like she’s been doing it for years, like she’s always known the taste of him. Part of her wants to beg for the familiarity of rushed roughness, wants to beg him to push her up against the dirty brick of the building’s exterior and fuck her again. But the other part of her wins, her fingers winding in his hair to claim what the wind had been enjoying, kissing him just to kiss him till she could barely breathe from the sheer weight in her chest. Then her fingers found his, twined impossibly perfectly fitted as she takes his hand and leads him up the stairs to the front door. 

Words...she should say something shouldn’t she? But she can’t. She can only squeeze his hand till she’s lead him to the elevator, a grateful sigh exuding from between kiss swollen lips as the doors immediately open. And when they’re inside, when it’s just them in a small square box with cheesy fucking elevator music she leans into him, rests her head against his chest, her fingers clutching gently against the fabric of his shirt. She breaths him in, she lets him feel her trembling. And god fucking damn it she’s still smiling, a dopey uncharacteristic curve to her lips that almost hurts, strains muscles that aren’t used to such an expression. “I thought you would leave out the back door,” she admitted. “I also thought I’d grab a cab and disappear and leave you behind. But I was so sure one of those things at least was going to happen. But you...you came out the front. And I waited for you.” 

[ainsleyslater]

realdylanadams‌:

Dylan’s night had been pretty typical for her, things were running smoothly at the club and for once there wasn’t any messes to clean up. Little did she know that on the other side of town, there was just that. A mess. Her phone rang, Ainsley’s name came up on the screen. It wasn’t too late in Dylan’s eyes but it was still the middle of the night and there weren’t typically too many reasons for her business partner to be reaching out now so she answered it quickly.

“What’s up?” she said into the phone but was cut off by the other’s words. Ainsley’s tone concerned her, but she quickly jumped into action knowing it had to be important. “I’m at the club, come down the alley, I’ll come out the back.” And that was that, Dylan ended the call. Nothing more needed to be said, not over the phone. Leaning down, Dylan hoovered up a line that was already cut on her desk before she got up. Leather jacket pulled on, she opened the top drawer of her desk and brought out her pistol. She quickly checked the clip before tucking it away inside her jacket. Pocket knife, dime bag bag of coke, and her phone were shoved into the pockets of her jeans and she was out the door. Once Ainsley’s car pulled up, Dylan swiftly got in the passenger seat. “What’s the emergency?”

She could count on Dylan to take a hint, to let the call be brief and not ask for a full rundown. The call ended and Ainsley’s eyes narrowed as her foot pressed on the gas, taking shortcuts to snip seconds off the drive. She’s concerned, of course, but she’s also invigorated. Ainsley doesn’t always like to be the start of trouble but goddamn does she love to be tagged in as part of the cleanup crew. There’s a gun in her glove compartment, another stowed under the driver’s seat, a few knives carefully stowed under the floor mats in the backseat. She’s not sure how necessary any of that will be, seemed from Hayden’s voice that he’d done most of the damage.

Pulling up to the back alley of the club is a dissociating experience. Her mind is whirling. Is Hayden hurt? What if someone else finds him and the body first? The second Dylan is in the car she’s taking off again, tires squealing. “Hayden killed someone outside the casino,” she answered curtly, eyes on the road. “Got a feeling it was that fucker Tate that’s been giving us shit at all our businesses. Can’t say I’ll mourn him but obviously I can’t have dead bodies being discovered outside my establishment so we need to take care of it.” And make sure Hayden is okay. A side thought, a side worry just for her.

[ainsleyslater]

“Ainsley?” He practically whispered when the woman picked up the phone. “I need you– I need you to fucking get Dylan, and– Ainsley, just fucking listen to me! I need you to come to the back of the casino. I– Ainsley, he’s fucking dead.”  

FUCK. She mouthed it, silently, receiver against her ear. “Don’t fucking move Hayden. You find a shadowy corner and you stay there and you don’t move, you don’t make a sound until you hear my voice.”

Ainsley hung up the phone curtly, a blur of movement. She was home, had left the office two hours ago. Now she was shoving her feet back in her shoes, body clad in sweats and a camisole as she grabbed her keys. Racing to her car, it seemed like it took forever for the bluetooth to connect as she squealed out of her parking space. “CALL DYLAN,” she ordered, and thank god the other woman answered swiftly. “Your house or Plan B? I’m coming to get you, it’s an emergency,” she demanded. @realdylanadams

[ainsleyslater]

cherrynosnam‌:

Cherry stood on side of the road, blonde hair blowing wildly with the wind. The overall shorts and baggy t-shirt she wore didn’t do much to protect her from the cold night. The girl was literally and figuratively lost. This was the first time she was without her family. It was a shock to go from living with 30+ people who cherished you like the earth they walked on to being alone. Being torn apart was nothing anyone in the family could have prepared for. It happened so quickly. One minute Cherry was in Sunset’s lap, the next she was being put in a car and told to have faith. They’d be together again soon. It was their purpose in this life, and this separation was just a trial to test their dedication to the family and their beliefs. So with the promise of being reunited one day, a suitcase, and an address to a motel in town, Cherry moved forward. There was no point in looking back now. 

Moon and Willow only allowed them to be driven into the town they would be staying in, but not to the direct address of their new homes. It was too risky to have anybody but the family know where the members were hiding. Cherry had planned to hitch a ride with some generous stranger as she had no clue where her motel was. That was proving to be more difficult than she thought, the streets were practically dead. She walked a few more blocks aimlessly until a car sped by her. That same car had come to an abrupt stop at the next light. ‘Always have faith. The universe is on our side.’ Moon’s voice rang clear in her head.  

Cherry approached the car before the light turned green, her head poking into the rolled down window. “Hey,” the young girl offered a sweet smile and doe eyes. “Do you think you can give me a lift?” 

It was true that most of Dayton’s patrons were invested in getting fucked up, the consenting kind of fucked up, the fun kind of fucked up. But no town was without scoundrels, predators. The blonde on the side of the road was a goddamn target. Ainsley had every intention of driving by, but she had a thing about strays, especially young girls who could grow up to be so much more powerful with the right guidence. She reached the light and reconsidered, stopped and gazed at the red, wondering if she might back up. Turned out she didn’t have to, the girl suddenly appearing at her window.

Bright smile, sweet doe eyes. She’s either a fantastic wolf in sheeps clothing or a very very naive lamb. “Now....hypothetically, say I answer you with a yes. Let you in. Lock the doors. Say your gut starts to tell you I’m not the nicest person, but oh shit I’ve put the childlocks on and you can’t get out.” One arm drifts slowly out of the car, fingers just barely tugging at a strand of blonde. “How do you protect yourself? What do you do? Do you have pepper spray? A knife? A phone to call for help? Something you can make a weapon? Disarming smiles and doe eyes only work on the people you were already safe from, not the sharp toothed creatures of the world.” Ainsley pulled her hand back in, the light going green. “Get in the back if you must.”

[ainsleyslater]

letsgetblaised‌:

He knows what he looks like.  He’s the kind of guy who walks through a crowd and attracts the stares of the people around him, either because he’s towering over them or because he looks like saying the wrong thing to him could make them end up in the hospital.  Even now, as Blaise walked out of Build-A-Bear with one of those giant cardboard carriers that announced to the world that he’d just spent way too much money on something that would probably hold a kid’s interest for less than a week, he looked like he was on the verge of starting shit with anybody who deigned to look at him the wrong way.

In actuality, yeah, he’s not the greatest person in the world or anything, but his thoughts are preoccupied with figuring out how to wrap the stupid bear he’d just bought in order to ship it across the country.  He’d just settled in Dayton and unlike his former home in Portland, he didn’t have nice old ladies in the apartment across the hall offering to help him with the normal stuff he didn’t bother with.  He didn’t know any of his neighbors here yet, and while he was generally happy about that, it also meant he was kind of fucked and his daughter was going to end up getting a stuffed animal shoved into a mailer for her birthday. 

After a quick stop in a drugstore to grab three rolls of Frozen themed wrapping paper (just in case he ended up having to actually try to do it himself), he was so deep in his thoughts and the text he was sending to his baby mama that he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going and definitely walked straight into someone with enough force to actually knock them over and snap him out of his thoughts.

“Shit… fuck… you okay?” he asked the stranger.

Ainsley Slater did not like being walked over. Not literally, not figuratively. She’d been in a bad mood to begin with, the kind of prickly irritability that no measure of chocolate or coffee or rough fucking against her desk could fully mitigate. Which meant she’d taken the day off, stayed home, was trying to handle as much socialization as possible  via her phone. She was not a woman that liked people to see her vulnerable. Anger was good, steel cold rage could be a useful tool and she wielded it unafraid. But hot anger, uncontrolled flames, they were dangerous, they made you incapable of looking out for your own best interest.

She’d just put her phone away when she was sent sprawling to her ass on the questionable Dayton sidewalk.  Not his fault, everyone walked around with their eyes glued to their phones, he just happened to be a weaponized mass of muscle. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, wincing, some tenderness in her palms were she’d slid and broken her fall, broken just a few layers of skin off. She doesn’t want to be rude, doesn’t want to start something. Not because she’s scared of his ferocious nature but because if she let her temper flare there’d be violence and she wouldn’t care who got the worst end of it.

“Nothing copious amounts of scotch and a bubble bath won’t eventually soothe,” she answered cooly as she found her footing again. “I’d be careful though. I see that you’re mister muscle, but you never know when you might bump into a seemingly harmless person rolling on some pcp or something that makes them fucking stronger than ox.”