By Demon's Driven

"That'll be the day I sneak into my own club." He replied while taking a sharp right turn next to a bus that was making the same turn.

The Firebird flew past the nose of the bus narrowly missing the front of it and causing the startled bus driver to slam on his breaks. JD grinned at the sight of the red faced driver shaking his fist at him and put his hand up in a friendly wave.

"I know, but these newer people are different. The first ones were quiet they. Some of the new freaks are getting more aggressive, they're starting to call the girls and the customer's names. I think there's going to be trouble."

"Then let there be. If they start something it discredits them."

"But someone might get hurt." She sighed over the speakers and he immediately recalled how many times she'd sighed, moaned and occasionally screamed in his ear in years they'd known each other. "The girls are getting nervous."

"Starting tomorrow we bring all the bouncers in every day. We'll have them walk the girls in."

"That's going to be a lot of overtime."

"I know, but it's worth it. Besides," he laughed, "Those freaks from the big easy paid us more money last weekend then we usually make in a month. We have it."

"That was a wild weekend." She laughed. "Haven't seen you pressed into service like that in a long time."

"Or you." He smiled, "It was something seeing you getting into the mix. Hell, there was a point you had one in each end. Never thought I'd see that again."

"Money talks honey and that was a lot of money." She laughed, "Besides they had damn near wore most of the girls out, I had to take it for the team."

"The team appreciates it."

"It was worth seeing you so tired you had to quit."

"Yeah well when you're pouring cold water on your cock to stop it from burning you know you're done. Have to take care of the main thing, you know?"

"Speaking of, take care of yourself on the way in JD," she paused. "I know how you feel about people like that and why, so you know, be careful and don't you give them what they want."

"Yes, mom."

Over the speaker he heard a loud knock and Miranda said, "Gotta go JD someone needs me."

"See you in a few, Miranda."

The call ended and the Firebird filled with the heavy sexy beat of Nine Inch Nails "Closer"

"I want to fuck you from the inside!" he sang along as he took the corner, "I want to..." he stopped when he saw the billboard he had replaced three days ago was covered with the words "Be not lead into temptation"

JD felt a hot flash of rage flow through him and slowed the car down as he drove towards the club to give himself a minute to let it fade.

"A dish best served cold." He whispered.

When he reached the club he saw Miranda wasn't kidding there were at least a dozen more and several of them were younger than the original crowd. Cruising past he noticed the signs were no longer just scripture based, but featured pictures people burning in hell and one with a picture of a woman's face with cold sores and the words "And will you bring her disease back home to your wife?"

"Bet you would if it was free you fucking loser." He said, pulling his car alongside the club.

A movement in the side mirror caught his eye and he saw two of them walking towards him and all of them watching. Opening the glove compartment, JD removed the skeleton .45 encased in its holster. Leaning forward in the seat he tucked it into the back of his pants and pulled his shirt over it. He exited the Firebird and looked down at his black snakeskin boots. The tips were steel that he had painted black so it wouldn't gleam and give away what they were made of.

"Don't give them what they want." He told himself before turning to walk around to the front of the club.

"Hey whoremaster." One of the men called out, "Do you like destroying families?"

Knowing he shouldn't, but unable to help it, JD stopped and stared at the man who'd spoken. He was dressed in a stained t-shirt and worn jeans. He was on the thinner side and unshaven. JD's eyes narrowed at the sight of the letters FTW tattooed on his neck. He was an ex-con; no doubt another criminal who conveniently found God in prison to try to get early parole.

"Do you like harassing people?" JD asked him removing a camel from the pack in his shirt pocket and lighting it. "Specifically women?"

"You ruin those women." The man said stepping closer to him. "They..."

"Dance and get paid well for it." He replied. "Nothing wrong with working for a living, maybe you should try it sometime."

The man gave him a dirty look, but before he could speak another one, this one a tall black man built like an ox and also sporting gang tats up and down his arms said, "You ruin families, how does that make you feel?"

"No, if a married man comes that's his business. No one is forced to come here my friend." He shrugged "And if there is a problem with him being here that's between him and his wife, not me or my employees."

"So you don't care that your filthy whores are spreading diseases? We do, we're tired of your sin and...."

"Oh, please." He'd had enough of this crap, "You're thugs, not church goers and probably paid to intimidate the people coming here so do yourselves a favor and leave or should I have the police come down here and run your names?"

The thin guy started to step forward, but the larger man held him by his arm.

"We're here for the reverend. He helped us when we needed it, who have you ever helped whoremaster?"

"Myself. No one else was going to do it."

Taking a drag on the cigarette he blew a smoke ring into the face of the thinner one. "You want to hang around here fine, I see you harass anyone coming in here I'll have you sent back to your boyfriends in the joint."

"You piece of..."

"I thought you Christians were supposed to turn the other cheek?" JD smiled, "Or are you as phony as I think you are?"

"I..." Once again the thinner man looked as if he were going to take the bait, but the other one put his arm across his chest and with a phony smile said,

"God bless you Mr. Walker. There's still time to save your soul."

"Good boy." JD nodded, "Make sure Massa Knox pays you extra for playing a good part."

The man glared at him and JD saw his body tense, but he relaxed and stepped back, making an 'after you' gesture towards the club.

JD walked slowly past him and forced himself not to look over his shoulder. He knew he was right. Knox was bringing in trouble makers to start a fight. He would have to make sure that Jimmy told the bouncers not to swing first and under all circumstances stay within range of the parking lot cameras and get the protestors swinging first.

When he reached the entrance several of the original crew was standing there leaning on their signs.

"You like turning young girls into whores?"

"You corrupt the innocent!"

"Lust is one of the seven deadly sins!"

JD stopped and closed his eyes as another voice, a drunken slurred one from long ago, bellowed in his mind, "You're mother is a sinning whore and I'll beat her sin from you!" He heard the distinct sound of a belt striking flesh and a child crying out in pain. Opening his eyes, JD stared at the protestors in front of him.

"John Chapter Eight verse Seven." He called out.

When they looked at each other, he shook his head disgustedly and spoke in a loud voice.

"But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, He who is without sin among you let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Jesus stopped them with those words. Yet here you are doing the same thing." He waved his hand at them, "No wonder they killed him, no one likes hypocrisy pointed out to them."

None of them said anything, but one of them picked up their sign and tucking it under their arm walked away.

"Maybe the rest of you should try reading your bible instead of just thumping it." He gave a mock bow and turning to the door of the club added, "And thanks for coming, you're getting me free advertising."

JD entered the club looking over his shoulder to make sure none of them attempted to follow them. He grunted in surprise when he walked into a wall. He staggered back and shook his head when he saw the wall was human. Grinning down at him from his six foot six height, Jim laughed, "Watch out little man."

Jimmy was bald and wore a gold stud in each ear earning him the nickname-behind his back of course-of Mr. Clean. He was a former wrestler whose career had ended with a bad landing from a top rope that required three operations to completely repair his right knee. In spite of his appearance he was surprisingly good natured, but had love for fighting that made him perfect for his position as the Playgrounds cooler.

"I won't be so little when I cave in your knee and you're looking up at me."

"The fruitcakes got you riled up JD?"

"I...yeah, they're starting to piss me off."

"I think we should bring everyone through the back."

"No." JD disagreed, "If no one enters they'll know there's another way in. Only certain clients use that. All the guys are coming in everyday until this ends."

"Okay." Jim crossed his heavily tattooed arms over his barrel chest and JD swore those arms were the size of his thighs. "And Miranda said not to do anything unless they put their hands on one of the girls."

"Right. I'm going to make a call to a friend. There's more of these asshats everyday, I think we should have a cop here."

"Miranda called, they said no."

"What?"

"That's what she said."

"Where is Miranda?"

"She's in the back helping two other girls verbally humiliate some rich prick while one of the guys fucks him in the ass."

"A day like any other." JD said.

Jimmy paused then released a loud laugh and slapped him on the arm so hard he almost knocked him over. "Life is good, JD!"

"Because we make it that way, those assholes?" he pointed towards the door "They're the ones people should feel bad for. Living by rules created by some idiot that could care less if they lived or died."

"Hey, man I believe in God."

"That's okay, Jim, everyone has their faults."

JD winked and Jimmy laughed, then through a quick punch at his arm. This time JD blocked his arm and moving faster than Jim could react drove the fingers of his right hand at his throat. He stopped with the tips a quarter inch from his windpipe and said, "Speed kills, big boy." He laughed flicking Jimmy in the neck.

"So do guns." Jimmy muttered behind his back as he headed into the main room.

The club was slow this time of day and the only employees were the bartenders and waitresses bustling about cleaning and setting up the tables and chairs for a large private party that would be held in the far corner stage.

JD crossed the room at an angle and climbing the steps walked across one of the stages. On a whim he took several running steps, and threw himself at the pole. Catching it, he lifted his legs and spun around several times. Holding the pole tightly he grunted with effort and brought his legs up over his head. He remained there, muscles bulging while remaining upside down. Clamping his thighs around the pole he let his arms drop.

He remained hanging there for several seconds before placing his hands on the floor and flipping onto his feet. He turned at the sound of clapping to see Miranda standing in the doorway that led to the back half of the club.

"Nice job!" she laughed, "Hey we have a bachelorette party tomorrow night, want to perform?"

"I'm retired." He said, walking towards her.

"Oh, come on, it would be like the old days! What was one of the songs you used to dance to "Macho, Macho man! I want to be a Macho Man!"

Miranda broke into a series of old style disco moves while she sang and he couldn't help laughing at her.

"Okay, but only if you do it with me."

"I don't have anything those girls want to see."'

"Depends on the girl" he told her as he walked up to her, "But I can tell you there isn't a guy out there who wouldn't want what you have."

He wasn't blowing smoke, Miranda was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever had the pleasure of sleeping with. Her smooth mocha skin was flawless and her long black hair-that she paid to be straightened on a regular basis-fell to the small of her back. Miranda was from Cape Verde and her features, especially her dark eyes had an exotic look to them. She was petite, with a pair of perfectly perky little tits with the most delicious looking chocolate colored nipples he'd ever seen.

Her legs were long and powerfully built from years of dancing and her heart shaped ass was hard enough that she could probably crack a walnut with it. Like JD, Miranda had started early, first the hard way, walking the streets for a sadistic pimp after running away from home, but eventually becoming a paid escort through an agency as well as stripping. She had moved to New Orleans where she began working in a brothel and was trained as a dominatrix.

JD had met her when the two of them attended a sex party down in Jacksonville hosted by a wealthy film maker and they were picked to fuck in front of over forty people. After the party he had found her out on the patio and after talking for awhile went back to his room and fucked like animals for the rest of the weekend. JD had traveled to her brothel and watched her in action several times and when he had gotten the loan to open the playground a few years later he flew down and made her an offer that made his accountant piss his pants, but one Miranda couldn't refuse.

Although her official title was manager, JD gave her a small percentage of the take in addition to her salary and had given her carte blanche to do whatever she wanted. It was a lot, but paid off when several clubs, including Paddles in New York had tried to woo her from him. The letting her do as she chose, more than the money, was what had kept her with him.

Tired of performing like a trick monkey as she put it, Miranda had gone into full control mode. These days a lot of her clients didn't even sleep with her, but rather endured her torments and settled for the honor of cumming on her feet from a hand job or sometimes having to do it themselves.

That had made it all the more hotter experience to see her toss aside her air of control last weekend and just cut loose and fuck like a wildcat. Not that he didn't get that from her on a fairly regular basis, but watching her with someone else was damn hot.

"Oh pillow talk before bed?" She winked, "Is that foreplay for you?"

"I've been told I waggle my tongue pretty well."

"That you do." When he reached her, she looked around to see no one was looking and gave him a quick kiss, "And it will have to wag this morning we have a couple of issues."

"Besides Jehovah's retards out there?"

"Them too, we'll talk in your office"

They walked the through the doorway and into the back. Miranda was wearing a simple white tank top and short white skirt that was a sexy contrast to her dark skin. As she usually was she was barefoot and JD let his eyes wander up and down her legs as he followed her to his office.

The back of the club featured a large open area that contained three small stages, two queen's chairs, a pair of stockades and several Saint Andrews crosses along the walls. The space was lined with doors leading to the dozen private rooms that consisted of a bed and a table lined with an arsenal of sex toys and devices. On a good weekend there were times people were waiting for an available room and girl or guy to please them.

The two rooms at each end of the long space contained he and Miranda's offices. As she went into his and he began to walk in after her he stopped and cocked his head. He could hear someone crying softly from the room to his right and someone else talking in a soothing tone.

"Hey, what's going on there?"

"That's one of the problems."

Miranda had walked over and sat in the large plush chair in front of his desk and as he sat behind the desk, she threw her legs up over the arms of the chair, exposing the fact she was wearing nothing under the skirt.

"That's little distracting."

"Oh," she laughed. "I wasn't thinking." She let her leg slip from the chair and sat up.

"What's going on?"

"Two things and...."

"Wait." He raised his hand, "Jim said you called our contact and they won't send anyone?"

"Nope." She shook her head. "Said they have to sit this one out. Knox is no joke JD, that prick has someone inside."

"How can that be? What's he bribe them with, communion wafers?"

"I don't know. What I know is that it's not enough to get them after us, but enough they're hanging back."

"Knox is bringing in thugs. The guys out there aren't church members they're gang bangers."

"Knox had a big prison ministry down in Alabama. Some of his people followed him and he's been teaching Bible studies at Cedar junction for the last four years." Miranda explained, "I think they're legit followers, but wolves amongst the sheep. I'm sure they'll get dirty soon."

"They were trying to egg me on out there." He leaned back in the chair. "There's going to be a fight soon. I told the guys not to hit first."

"Either way that causes press and this won't be the good kind." She sat back and put her bare feet on his desk.

JD stared at the pink soles of her feet and despite the seriousness of the situation had the desire to lean over and lick them. That must have shown on his face because Miranda pulled her feet from the desk, "Really, JD?"

"Sex is my vice." He grinned.

"Well if you want to keep that vice paying for itself, pay attention."

"I always pay attention. I'll make a call myself."

"Do it soon we had three appointments cancel this morning. People are getting nervous."

"Three?"

"Yes and two already for tomorrow and the strippers take was down twenty percent the last two nights. People are backing off, even the regular crowd that just comes for the front of the club. Knox is getting what he wants."

"I'll put..."

"Higgins is already on him, he's drawing blanks so far."

"Tell him we pay him well enough to find Jimmy fucking Hoffa he should be able to dig up some dirt on a sleazy minister."

"Why do you think he's dirty JD? Why don't you think he can be sincere? I'm not saying I believe in his shit, but there are people who are genuine."

"He's...they all are." He said softly, "Everyone of those god touting bible wielding sacks of shit are into something. He's no different. We'll find something on him and back him down."

"And if we don't? JD if this keeps up in a month we may not have half of what we have now. You might have to cut back and if you lose money and can't pay who we pay then we might just lose that little cushion we have and..."

"I have Senator Wilson on tape sucking off three black men. I'm sure his wife would love that."

"JD you expose one client they will all leave us. They won't trust us." She frowned "I know you hate people like Knox, but you need to handle this the way you do everything else. Cold and calculated. Now..."

"What's the other problems?" he asked irritably, "We'll come back to that."

"Tammy. That's who is upset in the other room, she..."

"The boyfriend."

"Yeah. He did a number on her and she came here first thing this morning. He tried to follow her, but Jim told him if he set foot in the club he'd break his legs."

JD rubbed at his eyes and nodded. "Send her in."

"You want me to stay?"

"No. I'll take care of it." He sighed, "Besides you know the routine."

"Right, no one can know." she rolled her eyes. "Don't worry JD your name is, and always will be, synonymous with asshole."

"Good to hear."

Miranda got up and left the room and a moment later there was a soft knock on the door. JD took a deep breath and closing his eyes whispered, "The past is gone, I can help the present" opening his eyes he called out, "Come in"