“Ben! So delighted you did! I hear you just returned from rescuing young women in Australia!” the man said with a delighted grin.
Ben glanced to the others at his table and saw they were all looking at him in surprise. He sighed. “Uh yeah, I did find one who needed a little help.”
“It’s wonderful that you are keeping chivalry alive!” Stephane gushed.
“Please, I’m just doing what needs to be done because I can,” Ben said humbly.
The man’s smile couldn’t get any wider. “Well I hope you have a wonderful time tonight at our club! Will you be visiting the Steam Room?”
Ben caught the excited looks on Karen’s and Penny’s faces and grinned at them. “Yes, some of my group didn’t get a chance to enjoy the experience last time so I believe we will. My treat.” The girls squealed with joy and the twins looked at Ben with heat in their eyes. He suddenly recalled their activities on their previous visit and his face flushed.
“Excellent! I’ll let them know. Have a wonderful time and welcome back to the Asylum!” Stephane said as he moved away. Ben gave him a nod and smile.
“What’s this about rescuing a woman in Australia?” Hector asked as his lady stared at Ben excitedly.
Ben just shrugged dismissively. “I just met a young woman who I discovered later had run away from home and had been pressed into working at a strip club. All I did was bring her with me to Sydney to get her home.”
“You met her in a strip club?” Hector’s eyebrows went up as he couldn’t see Ben going to one.
“Yeah, the engineering team I’d gone to Melbourne to work with wanted to celebrate and took me out to dinner. Unfortunately the place turned out to be a seedy strip club. The guy running it was a real sleazebag. The food was good but the place itself was horrible. A number of the women had been forced into the business apparently,” Ben grumbled.
“And this sleazebag just let you take this young woman with you?” Hector asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Well… I can be very convincing when I need to be,” Ben said with a small smile and a raised eyebrow as he squeezed his right fist with his left.
“Yeah baby! That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Hector hooted as he high fived Jayden who was grinning widely as well. Ben just shook his head with a smile.
Mandy returned with the drinks and Ben’s spring water was there too. A cheer went up when they saw the shots. Everyone raised a toast and slammed back their drinks. Ben smiled and shook his head as Karen and Penny gasped at the burning sensation. Frank and Jayden were trying to look cool but their eyes were watering a little too.
“Shall we dance?” Ben asked and got cheers again.
They made their way out onto the dancefloor and let the beat inside to move their bodies. Frank moved a little awkwardly at first but soon loosened up.
The music was so good they stayed on the dancefloor for almost an hour before they went back to the table for their second round of shots.
“Ben, would it be ok for us to throw a Halloween party at our place?” Penny asked hopefully.
“A costume party!” Karen added excitedly.
The twins picked up that excitement and begged Ben to say yes. He smiled at them then looked back at Penny. “Who’s invited to the party?”
“Everyone!” Karen cheered.
Jayden took Karen’s hand in his. “Maybe we should limit the first party to a manageable number to keep the expense down and make the clean-up reasonable.”
Ben was pleased to hear Jayden’s level headedness balancing out Karen’s enthusiasm. They were a good match. Karen pouted but Jayden just kissed her and she smiled at him.
“I’m fine if you want to invite the neighbors and Dominic’s crew and a few friends from school. We’ll have to get decorations, food, and drinks for everyone. Determine how many people are going to be there and we’ll order accordingly. Are you planning party games and dancing?”
“Party games?” Jayden snorted.
Ben looked at the twins who were smiling back at him. “Fine! I don’t throw many parties! I’ll leave the entertainment up to you youngsters!”
“Mr. Shepherd-” Frank began.
“Frank! Please, call me Ben! I feel old enough as it is!” he reminded him once more.
The young man ducked his head and gave him a guilty smile for forgetting once more. “Sorry… Ben. What’s so special about this Steam Room?”
“Oh! That’s just something you’ll have to discover for yourself,” Ben said shaking his head with a smile.
“Can we go now?” Karen asked with wide eyes.
Ben looked at the others and saw everyone was pretty excited about going. “Let’s do it!” Karen and Penny rushed off with Jayden and Frank in hot pursuit. Hector and Mariana rushed after them. Ben grinned and stood to follow with the twins at his sides. They stopped a moment to let Mandy know they’d be back.
The girls and their dates made their way around the dance floor towards the specialty room and passed another section of tables. They saw four men sitting at one watching them approach. They’d obviously had a few drinks.
“Would you look at the fuckin’ tits on those bitches!” one brayed to his buddies who were leering at Karen and Penny. A fourth man on the far side of the table was silent. He was much larger than his friends and watched the ladies with cold, hungry eyes. He slammed his drink back and licked his lips as they passed.
The girls instinctively reacted to the threat and reached for each other’s hands. Jayden bristled and Frank watched the men with a scowl. Hector caught up with his friends and kept the group moving.
After they passed the big man stood and began to prowl after them. His companions grinned as they fell in behind him.
Ben and the twins were bringing up the rear and missed the interchange as he and the twins were watching the lightshow on the dance floor. When they reached the entrance for the Steam Room the others were already inside. Ben paid for the group and waved to the twins as he carried his little bag containing his white swimsuit and wrist band. He found a locker inside and quickly changed into the skimpy swimsuit. Sighing, he stuffed his clothes into the locker, locked it, and put the wrist band on. He pushed the door to step out into the dark and steamy atmosphere of the next room. His band vibrated and as he did last time he looked down at it.
This motion saved him from the full impact of the punch thrown at his face. The fist struck his forehead and he slammed back against the wall.
He looked up in time to see his assailant throw a punch with his left fist. Ben took the hit on his arm then grabbed the wrist and yanked him forward to drive his knee into the punk’s chest with a deep thump. The man crumpled as the shock knocked the wind from his lungs. Ben stomped on his ankle to keep him down and heard the sharp snap of bones breaking. His assailant tried to scream but had no breath. In his street clothes he was very difficult to see in the dim room.
Ben looked around and spotted someone lying on his back on the floor. He rushed over and knelt down and saw it was Jayden. He was breathing but he was out cold. He’d probably been taken out by the man Ben put down. It was too dark to see any injuries.
Ben stood to move forward and dimly saw Frank holding his own against another man in the distance. They were in a grapple but Frank managed to land a few heavy punches to the man’s torso. Frank looked like he had things in hand until a large man lunged in from the shadows to hammer his jaw. Frank went down hard but the big man just turned and slipped back into the shadows. The man who Frank had almost taken out kicked weakly at Frank until Ben grabbed his hair, yanked him backwards and slammed his head against the floor. He went still. Frank was moaning so he was coming around. Ben moved forward to follow the big man.
In the dim blue lighting Ben saw Hector trading blows with a third man. Ben knew the large one was just waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Then he heard Lisa scream.
It wasn’t fear. It was rage!
Ben rushed towards the sound and saw Lisa and Lori standing between the big thug and his daughters who were huddled together against the wall trying to cover their exposed breasts with their arms. Lisa’s lip was split and none of the women were wearing their bikini tops. Several ripped pieces of white fabric were scattered on the floor at their feet. The man was touching his cheek and Ben saw something dark on his fingers when he pulled them away. Roaring in anger the man lunged forward and backhanded Lisa, knocking her down. Lori was immediately on him, clawing at his face. Ben was almost on them when Lori came sailing through the air at him. She slammed into his chest and he carried her down onto the floor protecting her with his body. She was dazed but looked ok.
Agony stabbed through Ben’s side as he was kicked in the ribs. He rolled as best he could and scrambled to his feet, blocking another kick with his forearm, catching a punch with his shoulder and taking a glancing blow off his temple. The man was incredibly strong and his fists felt like hammers. The last blow dazed him and he lunged forward to grapple with his attacker.
Crooked white teeth gleamed in the dark as the man stared him in the eye, grinning with a mad hatred. He spat in Ben’s face and delivered a heavy blow to Ben’s ribs causing him to suck in his breath.
The stench of whisky poured over Ben.
Two more punches landed as Ben struggled to clear his head.