I got my face real close to his “Got your ass whipped by a woman, didn’t ya? Pull that shit again, and I’ll be next.”I looked over my shoulder...at the rest of them. I grinned and said, “Let’s get these critters taken care of guys.” I turned back to Nigel and gave him a hard shake. “You stay with me.”Keeping a firm grip on Nigel’s coat collar, I called out, “Kyle, you got that gear covered?”“Yessir.” Was that humor I heard on his voice?“Alright, Kyle, you lead the parade. You see that rope tied. All of that means very little to the common people that live in the city.I grew up on the docks and learned the currents of the river and the sea beyond. It was several leagues from the city before the river emptied into the sea. The docks and the boats that came and went were not a safe or easy place. I knew how to use a knife and how to fight with only my hands before my voice changed.The city Watch was the one to catch me sleeping in an alley. I was fourteen and had no one so they sent me to. "Is that a hint I should stay home?" "No, no." She looked up as she stepped off the elevator. "I just thought you'd be busy. Come and bring friends, we need the exposure." "I could do that." They walked to his place and he unlocked the door and gestured for her to go in. Ryan walked in and took stock. There was dark leather furniture—a couch, a couple of chairs—and a large flat-screen TV. Not much in the way of knick-knacks, but there were a couple of pictures on the wall, and she saw some. She got me out of the tub and into the shower to rinse, then wrapped me in a fluffy towel. She led me back to my bed and flopped on her stomach in the middle of it. She handed me her bottle of oil.“Your turn,” she said. “I’ve been crouching and prowling all day and my back is sore.”In case you are young, inexperienced, or just stupid, let me say that you should never turn down the opportunity to oil and massage a naked girl’s back. That is just a general rule.I knelt beside her and oiled my.