The Weak Spot (Trigger warning:violence and sexual content)

[meerclar]

(OOC: Trigger warnings for violence, and sexual content (following site rules on explicit content)

Flynn smiled more cordially than he had all week when he opened the door to his second in command.
Swan somehow managed to lounge while standing and he smirked back, his words a lazy drawl, “Boss.”
Flynn opened the door widely. “You have a nose for fine brandy a mile off.” He showed him the bottle he’d just opened. Without a word he signalled to one of the children hiding in the shadows to fetch another glass. They scurried off to obey him instantly.
“Must do. Or just excellent timing.” Swan barely looked at the children, other than a warning glance if they got too close to him. He threw himself down in one of the filthy armchairs. “Business good?” He waved a hand, indicating the room around them generally.
Flynn poured two glasses and allowed Swan to take one from the small child, before selecting the other. It was a habit he’d gotten into working with people who were untrusting and untrustworthy - one pours, the other chooses.
Flynn shrugged, “A few small issues, otherwise fine. Your end of things okay?”
“I think we’re going to have to lean a bit harder on some of those business owners, but I’ll send you a list.”
Flynn narrowed his eyes, “They not paying up?”
Swan sampled his brandy and nodded appreciatively, “They’re complaining, to each other, I think. Don’t worry. We’ll make an example of one and the rest will shut up pretty fast.”
Flynn raised his glass. “That’s worth drinking to, yeah?”
With a nod and a nasty smirk, Swan raised his glass, “To terrorising the locals.”

Flynn chuckled, thoroughly amused and drank, finishing his glass in two gulps. He smacked his lips, enjoying the burn of the hideously expensive drink, smuggled from the Capitol. “How are you getting on yourself?”
“Not bad.” Swan made his brandy last longer, sipping it while he glanced thoughtfully around the room, his eye falling on some of the children who were being careful to stay out of his way. He pointed across the room to a blonde boy he’d never noticed before, dainty and slender, “You could make a bomb on that one. Pretty face like that.”
Flynn followed Swan’s finger and saw with a cough and splutter that he meant Ryan, of all people. “No.” He shook his head and thumped his chest, still coughing. “No no no.” When he had recovered he waved his hand at the other children, “The rest maybe. Not that one. He’s…” his voice trailed off, unwilling to say why he wouldn’t consider that individual boy for his own profit.

(OOC: Written in collaboration with Troylus and divided for convenience of posting. Also involves multiple characters.)

[troylus]

Swan heard Flynn’s defensive tone and prodded curiously, wondering at the meaning of such a reaction, “He looks like a girl.” There was possibly nobody else in the district who would dare to tease Flynn in such a manner, but Swan just smirked and sipped his brandy. He knew his own worth, and so did Flynn.
Flynn’s hands curled into tight fists and he ground his teeth. He really wanted to punch Swan in the mouth for speaking about his son that way, but he restrained himself. “That one is off limits. You hear? He’s not to be entered in the tesserae, if he’s reaped for the Games, then one of the other boys is to volunteer in his place, and most definitely no strange activities you seem to know too much about.”
“Seriously? What’s the angle?” Swan looked again at Ryan, confused this time. “Whatever you say, but we’re not even getting tessarae? Why not? If he gets picked, then someone else volunteers, as you say.”
Flynn twitched and lowered his voice so the children might not hear. “When sending children to their deaths in the Games, I can’t be sure they’ll remember I promised them a much slower and more painful death if they don’t volunteer. Sometimes children just act like rabbits in a spotlight.”
“Mmm, that’s true. Maybe put a specific child on him, to volunteer in his place, instead of a general order. Pick one that cares about one of the other children, if there ARE any, and say you’ll protect their friend?” He wasn’t sure why he was bothering to solve this problem. Swan certainly didn’t care if Ryan got reaped. It’s not like it would be a waste, since they were apparently not profiting off the lad at all. He lowered his voice and asked Flynn, “Seriously, boss, why do you have him? I haven’t seen him before. Is he new? Where did he come from?”

Flynn scowled, still recovering from his emotional reaction to the idea of Ryan being in the Games. This new strange feeling towards another human being was alien and starting to frighten him, but it wouldn’t do to let Swan know he was going soft. On the other hand word seemed to have gotten out amongst the children and it was only a matter of time before Swan figured it out. Better to hear it from Flynn and not think it was something he could exploit him over easily.

“I just found him, couple days ago.” He was still trying to figure out how to put it in words. He respected Swan and didn’t want him to think he was weak, but it was hard to put it in words that would show him in a good light, especially after he’d just made such an over the top fuss about him. “Well, he was looking for me and I got wind of it. Got the boys to bring him in.”

[meerclar]

“He’d heard about your lovely orphan asylum, had he?” Swan asked sarcastically.
Flynn shook his head, wishing it was just that. “He was asking for me by my full name around town.”
Swan settled back in his chair, enjoying this little show and getting into his part. “But your name is such a well guarded secret,” he answered with apparent solemnity. It wasn’t that well guarded. Swan certainly knew Flynn’s given name, and so did any number of other people. But the way Flynn carried on you would have thought it was some kind of miracle code.
Flynn missed the sarcasm and took Swan at his word. “Yeah, but he had it um…” for the first time in many years Flynn blushed with embarrassment rather than rage, or lust. “On his birth certificate.” He cleared his throat, feeling awkward.
Swan sat forward in genuine surprise, which didn’t happen often. “He’s your SON?”
Flynn wanted to shush him, but seeing as everyone in the building seemed to know now, it was rather pointless.
“Are you sure?” Ever suspicious, that was Swan, “He might be a plant?, from a rival gang, looking to get information. He’s the kind I’d send. Innocent looking, useless, helpless.”
Flynn had to bite his tongue to keep himself from objecting to Swan’s description. “He looks just like his mother. A woman I left 16 years ago because she was with child.”
Swan let his distaste for offspring show in an audible huff, “And you can’t just drown it?”
Flynn glared at him. “He’s my blood. Part of me.”
Swan didn’t bother softening his opinion to spare Flynn, “You’d never met him before. You didn’t even know he was alive. If he’d died in a gutter then you wouldn’t ever have known or cared. But now? Now you have a totally useless mouth to feed, might potentially lose an actual USEFUL child in the reaping instead, and have something that people can hold over you. He’s a weakness.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“So get rid of it now, before you get attached.” Swan paused and added thoughtfully, “It would do a lot for our reputation too, if it got around that you killed your own son.”
Flynn jumped to his feet, roaring in fury. “No one, I said NO ONE touches my son, you hear me, Edmund Swan?”
Raising an eyebrow pointedly at this outburst, Swan took another sip of his brandy and nodded, “You’re the boss, boss. Offspring off limits.” He didn’t need to say any more, Flynn had just made his point for him, as far as he was concerned.

[troylus]

Flynn poured himself another drink, carelessly sloshing some of the liquid onto the bench and floor in his temper. He slugged it back, letting it soothe his rattled nerves while Swan watched him in that calm, amused manner he had. Get a grip, Flynn, you idiot, he schooled himself silently. These feelings were so strange and out of his control that he felt like he was a boy again, vulnerable and living hand to mouth. He forced smile on his face as he sat back down. “No one else can know. I am aware of it’s potential to influence and control me, and you know I hate that.” He raised an eyebrow, finally looking closer to his normal devious self. “I only told you because I trust you, and know that you have my back as I have yours.”

“Of course,” Swan answered smoothly. “What are we going to do with him, then? Just keep him locked in the warehouse for the rest of his life? Let him tag after you to business deals?”
Flynn disliked the latter idea. “He can just stay in here until he’s nineteen and then make his way in the world.”
“Of course. Because if he’s murdered and decapitated and his head placed on your doorstep when he’s nineteen, that will be much better.”
“I’ll just toughen him up, and make it known that if anyone touches him, just as if anyone touches you, I will be coming for them.”
“I can handle myself,“ Swan pointed out. “That one,” he indicated Ryan with a finger, “Looks like he’s terrified and possibly would just stand there and beg for mercy as he was cut down.”
It struck a little too close to home, Flynn recalling how quickly Ryan had begged when all he’d done was hit him a little around the face. “He’ll learn. He’s only had a mother and a whole lot of sisters - not mine, of course. He needs a man’s influence.”
“Give him to me for a few months. I’ll toughen him up,” Swan promised.
Flynn scowled moodily. “No. I have the experience training children.”
“So you are going to train him then, rather than having him sit around like an expense?”
“Well, I’m training him so he can defend himself and not be such a weakling, not for the Games like the rest of them.” He shrugged, really not having given Ryan’s future much thought at all. He was too fixated on the present and how much it was twisting him up in knots. “Maybe he can take over from me when I die.”
“Want advice?”
Flynn considered his underling for moment before answering. “Only if it isn’t something you’ve already voiced today on the topic.”

[meerclar]

Swan finished his brandy and put the glass aside, “So, accepting that for whatever reason, you want to have this kid around instead of just putting him out of his misery quickly-”
Flynn interrupted him with a growl, “You’re walking a fine line there, Swan. Get to the point.”
“He makes you weak. That’s the point,” Swan answered sharply. “He’s a way to get to you. If you treat him different to the others, that just makes it more obvious. You want to keep him safe, to keep him alive? You want to make sure nobody comes sniffing around after him as a way to get to you? Keep a lid on this ‘he’s my son’ thing. Treat him like you treat the others.”
“I will,” Flynn responded defensively, “Other than the Games, and any high risk operations. Because I haven’t given him sufficient training for those yet. It’s not like I want to coddle him and tell him what a good boy he is and...all that.” Flynn trailed off, utterly at a loss to describe other doting parental activities. He wanted to change the topic, preferably to something that re-established his strength and heartlessness in his own eyes as well as Swan’s. “I appreciate your advice and support in this matter, as in every matter. You are a good business associate and I value you. Perhaps we could do something to celebrate that trusting and important alliance that we share?”
“Always willing to celebrate that, Boss,” Swan agreed. He liked perks. He wasn’t allowed near Flynn’s kids very often. Most of them were terrified of him, which suited him fine.
Flynn pointed to a young woman with a scowl on her face, one eye missing, who was being pretty blatant about listening to their entire conversation. “Rose, come here,” Flynn called and she hurried over.
“What?”

[troylus]

Flynn grinned at Swan and back at Rose. “You fancy going out for the evening with Mr Swan? It’s not an order. Only if you want to.”
Rose eyed Swan up and down curiously. Flynn rarely let them out go out, and had never asked her if she wanted to go anywhere with someone. It was very strange, but she liked the look of Swan, always had. He seemed strong, smart and capable, three qualities that defined a man’s appeal to Rose, regardless of age or what other people called good-looking. She shrugged, “I guess. If he wants to, too.”

Swan reached out and stroked her white-blonde hair, “There’s a good girl.” He looked to Flynn, “Will that be all, Boss?”
Flynn leaned in to mutter in Swan’s ear. “I trained into her to always have at least one weapon on her. She’s likely to be in a panic if you take them all off her.” He winked at Swan, “Check the eye socket. She never gives that one up willingly. It’s small, and takes time to fold it out, but still could cut your balls off if you don’t watch it.”
The thought made Swan laugh, feeling almost giddy with anticipation. “Thanks, Boss.”

Flynn patted Swan’s shoulder like the benevolent father. “Go have fun. You’ve earned it.”

Rose looked pretty confused by Flynn’s behaviour but gave him a polite nod as she followed Swan out of the building. She wondered where they were going but she knew better than to ask questions that would be answered soon enough.

[meerclar]

Swan led the way, keeping a hand on Rose’s shoulder. His home wasn’t far, a small apartment in a run-down looking building. He guided her up the narrow staircase ahead of him and made her wait while he unlocked the door, then indicated that she should go in first and locked the door behind them. The rooms were sparsely furnished, just the necessary furniture, a few odds and ends, some weapons hung on a rack and a large mirror which must have been worth a fortune. There was a desk as well, which looked to be the most interesting thing in the living room.

Rose fixated on the weapons, eyeing them eagerly, quite relieved to see them available.
She scanned the desk; it seemed an odd thing for him to own and it was covered in paper, where as the rest of the room was quite orderly and felt empty. She was used to cramped rooms full of fenced goods and many other children, all crammed in together for warmth.

“Nice place,” she said honestly. “I like the weapon rack.”

He wandered over to her, standing close and picking up a strand of her hair between his fingertips. He lifted it, pressed it to his nose and breathed in deeply, “Do you?”

She wrinkled her nose at him, creeped out by the sniffing. “Yeah, Uncle Flynn should get one, instead of us leaving all the weapons just lying around.” She barely resisted the urge to slap his hand away from her. “So, how you want this to go?”

Swan turned out to be strangely gentle, and made her body respond in ways she had never known, bringing out of her sexual desire she had never experienced before. She responded to his every touch with a fire and passion he had also not been anticipating. He enjoyed the power of awakening her to this new experience, and how changed she seemed by him.

[troylus]

It was a good thing she was used to dealing with pain from sore muscles and abusive treatment, otherwise she would have been pretty sore and distracted as they walked back to Flynn’s the next day. She had a strong desire to link her fingers through Swan’s and sway them back and forth, but the image made her snort derisively, breaking the silence of several minutes.

He glanced at her but said nothing until they reached Flynn’s warehouse. “In you go,” he pointed and followed her inside, feeling her hesitation but ignoring her now as he wandered over to Flynn. “Morning, boss.”

Flynn looked up and grinned at Swan. “You look relaxed. Nice evening I hope?”
“Very pleasant,” Swan agreed. “She really hit the spot.”
Flynn forced himself to chuckle. He’d been feeling like a kid forced to share his toys and hating every minute of it. But he couldn’t really object, seeing as he’d offered his toy up freely.
“I returned her in full working order,” Swan smirked, knowing that it bothered Flynn to have to share. “Barely a mark on her.”
Flynn looked around trying to spot Rose but she was out of sight already. “Good good.” He wasn’t sure he’d have had that much restraint if the situation were reversed, and he felt some of the resentment slip away. “Got all her weapons first, or just found a way to make her behave?”
“I disarmed her,” Swan admitted, partly avoiding the question. He remembered the way she’d squirmed and begged him for more and chuckled to himself.
Flynn nodded, visibly impressed. “What about you?” he asked cheekily, “Not too many bruises or bite marks I hope? The bitch has claws on her.”
“None that I can think of,” Swan answered casually. “Maybe a few on my back?”
“Better not slap you on the back in friendship, then, eh?” He shuffled some papers, appearing busy and slightly distracted.
“I’d better go,” Swan mused. “I think I need to pick a business owner to scare and possibly kill.”
Flynn recalled what he’d spent the evening doing, and slid the paper from his pocket. “I marked who I thought. But of course, use your judgement. I trust you in all things, implicitly.” It was a comforting lie.
“Of course.” Swan took the papers and pocketed them. “Decided what to do with your runt yet?”
“Treat him like the others in most regards, but also toughen him up. Boy’s as wet as a paper bag in a puddle.”
The image made Swan laugh, “Alright then. I’ll get out of your way and let you sort your house out.”
Swan avoided looking for Rose as he left the building. It wouldn’t do to let her think he cared.

[meerclar]

Flynn called Ryan over one afternoon. He sat in his enormous overstuffed leather armchair. It wasn’t in good condition, but it made him look like he was on a throne. Ryan, on the other hand had no chair. “How are you settling in?”
Ryan shrugged, not wanting to tell Flynn that the other kids were pretty scary, “S’okay. The other kids are kinda weird. When can I go and see my sisters?”
Flynn gritted his teeth and refrained from banning sisters as a topic of conversation. “Mr Underwood said we should give them space and time to stop missing you.” When Ryan’s face looked like he was about to object Flynn quickly added, “I disagreed, of course, but I didn’t want to argue with him and damage our chances of getting them in the long run.” He considered himself pretty clever for diverting that little disaster.
Ryan scowled. His sisters weren’t a topic he was likely to compromise on, “They ain’t supposed to ‘stop missin’ me’. They shouldn’t miss me at all. I should still be goin’ to see them every day.”
“Well, yes, I suppose, but that isn’t what he said. Besides, you and I have a lot of work to do here, and we don’t have time, lovely as it would be, to go visiting every day.”
“I don’t got anythin’ to do. I ain’t even been goin’ to school.” He didn’t want to upset his father, but he felt like he’d barely been allowed out of this warehouse in days.
“About that, I want to get you started on a program.” He scanned his son, still blown away by that concept. “I have devised a series of things for you to do based on my assessment the other day. I have a few questions first, so I can tailor it better though.” He glanced at the sheet of paper in his hand, “Firstly, have you had any major illnesses?”
Ryan shook his head, “Don’t get sick much.”
“We might have to find a younger child with chickenpox, then. Get you exposed to that at least.”
Ryan wrinkled his nose now, “What? I don’t wanna get sick.”

[troylus]

“Much safer to have it young. It strengthens you for when you’re older.” He peered at the paper, “Next question, yes, at what age did you first take a woman?”
“Take her where?”
Flynn snorted, assuming Ryan was joking but the innocent expression on the lad’s face didn’t get replaced with a cheeky grin. He really is simple. How could I, such an intelligent and quick witted man have such a moron for a son? He glared at Ryan, feeling irritated. “No, sex, I mean. When did you first lay with a woman?”
Ryan blushed slightly now and shook his head, “Oh. No, I never done that.”
Flynn’s heart froze in his chest and his hands visibly shook as he asked, “You’re not...one of THEM are you?”
“A woman? I ain’t a girl!” Ryan answered hotly, the flush deepening.
“You’re not a poofter are you?” Flynn had struggled with homophobia his whole life, and wasn’t about to tolerate it in his son.
“Oh, nah. Don’t think so.” This line of questioning was making Ryan feel uncomfortable.
“You don’t THINK so?” Flynn boomed, “As in you’re not SURE?”
“Well, I reckon girls’d be nice,” Ryan added quickly, trying a grin to see if Flynn calmed down at all.
Flynn stood, tossing the paper with the rest of the questions to the floor, quite forgotten. This was meant to have been very simple questions after which he would have outlined that the girls in his care were off limits to Ryan. But making sure his son was straight was far more important, a dire concern, as far as Flynn was concerned. He took Ryan by the arm and led him out of the building, not even calling farewells to the children who watched them go.
Ryan jogged easily beside Flynn to match the man’s pace and pointed out, “I can walk, you know. You don’t gotta drag me.”
Flynn’s grip tightened instead, “I need to make you into a MAN. You can’t run around being all soft and girly like you are. Stop whining.”
“Ain’t soft,” Ryan protested in irritation, “And I ain’t a girl. I’m plenty tough.”

[meerclar]

The local establishment that Flynn sought wasn’t far at all. That was a benefit of living in such a seedy part of town, a benefit that Flynn frequently took advantage of. Flynn greeted the man outside with a perfunctory nod, and pushed Ryan through the door ahead of him.
Inside the building smelled of cheap perfume, sweat and other body fluids. An older woman greeted them through make-up encrusted lips. “Mister Flynn, so good to see you again. What can I offer you this chilly day to warm you up?”
“Not here for me. Here for him.” He shoved Ryan between the shoulder blades so that he took a step involuntarily into the room. “Let him pick one of your girls. I’ll pay.”
Ryan smiled awkwardly at the woman and gave a half wave, “Um..hello ma’am.” Turning to Flynn he hissed softly, “I don’t need to be here.” Having his father drag him into a brothel in a rage hadn’t been how he’d pictured his day going, but so far nothing with Flynn had been like he’d expected it to be.
Flynn hissed back, “You are going to go in there, choose a girl, and not come back until you are a man. You hear me?”
“Havin’ a girl don’t make you a man,” Ryan shot back defiantly, all his disappointment in Flynn coming out in a rush, “Takin’ care of your family makes you a man. Is this what you been doin’ all those years while my mama raised us by herself? Seein’ other women an’ raisin’ other kids that you got from who knows where?”
Flynn trembled with rage, but flicked his eyes to the Madame. He’d already pushed his luck in this establishment a few too many times, having to pay hefty contributions to compensate for damages. It wouldn’t look good if he started beating his son severely in front of the staff who were already clearly scared of him. “If you EVER want to see your sisters again, you will do as I say and stop with the smart talk. Hear me boy?”
“You can’t stop me seein’ them,” Ryan countered, but he didn’t sound one hundred percent sure anymore.

[troylus]

Flynn seemed to calm down suddenly. When Ryan glanced at him he could tell he was still angry, but it was now a cold, terrifying rage. “You want to test that theory, hmm?” The words seemed to slither from his mouth and up Ryan’s spine. Even the Madame looked affected by his tone, shifting uncomfortably.
Ryan shivered and took a step backwards away from his father, feeling undoubtedly that he might have pushed him too far. He shook his head slowly, not wanting to take his eyes off the man, “No, sir. Don’t need to test it.”
Flynn took that as acquiescence and snapped his gaze to the woman. “Bring the girls out here. Only the clean ones. Have them line up so he can choose, with my guidance.”
The woman rang a bell and half a dozen women of all different ages began to shimmy provocatively into the room. Several faltered on seeing Flynn, others hid their revulsion better and gave him a coy smile.
Ryan glanced up at them, managing to look deeply embarrassed and apologetic. Was he supposed to say something? He waved lamely, “Hello.”
Several of the women waved back, some looking hopeful at this new arrival.
“Pick one,” Flynn insisted, considering that speaking even a simple hello was redundant in this business transaction. One would not greet the furniture one wished to purchase, so why a woman? A woman was only for a few hours, in fact, a chair might be useful for years to come, and this was more deserving of chit chat.
Ryan considered the women, wondering how to choose one without offending the others. The youngest looked to be a few years older than him and he smiled at her hopefully.
She smiled back, liking what she saw but still frightened of Flynn. She had had to deal with him most often of late.
He stepped closer to her and smiled hopefully, “I’m Ryan. What’s your name?”
She reached out tentatively and took him by the hand, flinching only slightly at Flynn’s exasperated huffing. “I’m Sugarpie. Nice ta meet ya Ryan.”
“That’s a...real … interestin’ name,” He managed politely, holding her hand, “So...um…”
“You wanna go somewhere just us?”
Anything to escape from Flynn’s baleful glare. He nodded quickly. “Yes, please.”
Flynn exhaled with relief as the girl led Ryan out the back of the room to where the partitioned areas were.

[meerclar]

Ryan exhaled with relief as soon as they were alone, “Well, that was fuckin’ awkward,” he muttered. “Sorry about him bein’ like that.”
“You know Mr Flynn?” She lead him under a heavy curtain, letting it fall behind them. The small bed took up almost all of the space, makeshift walls on the three other sides.
“We only just met, really. I never met him until last week.” It felt odd not to just tell her that the man was his father, but Flynn had sworn him to secrecy.
She pointed to the bed, “You wanna lie down, or me?”
“We don’t have to, you know.” This was not how he’d imagined his first time would be, and it was horribly awkward and not at all appealing like this. “Not that you ain’t pretty. I’m sure you’re real nice. But we could just, like...tell Flynn we did it an’ he’d pay you an’ stop yellin’ at me that I ain’t a man?”
She grinned at him, her teeth yellow and black with rot. “Sure, works for me.” She sat down on the bed undaintily, and Ryan sat next to her with an audible sigh of relief. “I’m so exhausted. Been workin’ extra time.”
“You could have a nap, if you like. I’ll wake you up in a while.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, s’no problem. Um...how long do people normally take?”
She shrugged, “Depends. Flynn is sometimes a few seconds, to maybe ten minutes? Some blokes go for ages, but I gotta charge them extra.” She kicked her slippers off and lay on the bed. “Just nice to put me feet up for a minute.”
He hesitated for a minute, and then patted her hair gently, “You rest then. I’ll wake you up if you fall asleep too long.”
She yawned smiling at him, “You’re sweet. Don’t be too long. Most men only last a minute or two their first time.”
He let her sleep for almost twenty minutes in the end, figuring that Flynn would assume he was being slow to undress and then too awkward to know what to do. “Sugarpie? You gotta wake up, sorry.”
She had genuinely drifted off to sleep, but woke quickly, yawned again and sat up. “Thanks for that.” She giggled, “You’re my best customer ever!”
That made him laugh too and he slid to his feet, “Do I look right? Like I’m a man now?”
She peered at him, looking confused. “I don’t think it works like that.” She ruffled his hair, messing it up and then kissed him on the neck, pressing hard to make her lipstick transfer over. “If you wanna look like we kissed heaps I should kiss you on the lips too.”
He shrugged, “Is he gonna look that close?”
She made a face, “He don’t kiss me. But you only just met him, so I don’t get why he is makin’ you do this anyway. Seems like a waste of money, and he’s usually tight with it.”
“Dunno,” he felt bad for lying to her, “Hey...can I ask you somethin’, since you know him better’n I do?”
“Of course, anythink.”
“Is he an alright guy? I mean, he seems real mean an’ scary sometimes, but other times he seems nice. It’s confusin’.”
Her face darkened with misery, “I ain’t supposed ta talk about clients.” She realised she’d already told Ryan about Flynn’s staying power when she shouldn’t, and decided to risk it. This boy was so sweet and kind, and she needed him to know that Flynn was dangerous to be around. “He’s the worst man I’ve ever met. He scares everyone and bullies them. He’s real cruel to us, makes us cry and that, but even out there, people what ain’t whores, he even sends men round to them and beats them up if they don’t pay him not to.”
“Oh,” Even though he’d only just met Flynn, Ryan couldn’t help feeling bad that his own father wasn’t a good man. He blushed, “I’m sorry.” It seemed an inadequate thing to say.
“Not your doin’.” She patted his arm, “You’d better be goin’ before he catches on.”
He nodded and started towards the curtain, pausing to add, “Maybe I can … make him nicer?”
“You be careful. More likely he’ll hurt you, I’m afraid.”
He realised that she wasn’t coming back out with him and raised a hand to wave to her, “I’ll be alright. Thanks for everythin’, Sugarpie.”
“It’s Heather really,” she whispered with a wink.
He gave her a bright smile, delighted with the trust, “That’s a real pretty name. Bye Heather.”

[troylus]

Flynn was pacing up and down with worry when Ryan returned to the waiting area. He rounded on his son, hissing under his breath in case Ryan was ashamed of his inability to do the task. “Any problems?”
“No problems,” Ryan assured him cheerfully.
Flynn looked stunned. He’d been sure that something had gone wrong for Ryan to take so very long. “All done, all sorted?”
“Very done.” Ryan agreed, then because he couldn’t help it he added, “It was very refreshin’.”
Flynn beamed with pride, “I bet it was. Good lad.” He slapped him on the back heartily. “Let’s go have a drink and a cigar to celebrate, eh?”
“I’d rather go visit my sisters. Thanks though, for all this.”
Flynn’s smile evaporated. “We can’t visit your sisters. Underwood said he’d send word when it was a good time, and he hasn’t. I got the impression it would be weeks, months maybe.”
Ryan looked like he was about to explode with exasperation, “Months! But...he can’t. I gotta go there an’ explain things to him. Maybe he’s just worried I’ll not come often enough, but I will.”
“We’re not going to take the risk that he thinks we’re not respecting his wishes. You could go there and ruin your chances of ever seeing them again. Is that what you want?”
“No, of course it ain’t.” Ryan sighed, “Fine, let’s go get a drink then.”
Flynn took him to a pub and bought him a whiskey. The barman looked terrified, and didn’t ask for any money. Flynn raised his own glass to Ryan, “To being a man now. Well done, lad.”
Ryan raised his own glass, hoping that this meant the end of Flynn’s awkward questions. The strong taste of the whiskey make him choke and cough and he eyed it suspiciously when he could breathe again.
Flynn put his glass down with a flourish and the barman refilled it instantly. Flynn chuckled at Ryan’s reaction, “That’ll put hairs on your chest. Knock it back like this, and you won’t cough so much.” He demonstrated what he meant and waited for Ryan to copy him.

[meerclar]

The second mouthful didn’t taste much better, but at least he didn’t choke as much this time.
“Ha, ha!” Flynn really seemed to be enjoying this day. He gestured for the barman to refill both glasses. “So, lad, you took your sweet time with that girl. What took so long?”
“Oh, um...that was just how long I took,” Ryan answered, trying to sound casual.
Flynn knocked him so hard on the back in joyous amusement that Ryan nearly dropped his glass. “She won’t be able to walk for a week, eh?” He leaned in, grasping his shoulders and whispering in his ear, “That’s my boy. Proud of you.”
“So,” Ryan kept his voice soft so the bartender wouldn’t hear him, “Does this mean I don’t have to pretend I ain’t your son now?”
Flynn shook his head. “Ain’t safe. If people know you’re my kid they might try and hurt me through you. Has to be secret.” He looked suspiciously at the bar-staff, hoping they couldn’t overhear them.
“If you were nicer to people they probably wouldn’t try to hurt you at all, you know. An’ then we could get a real house an’ be a family. You’d like it, you know.”
Flynn lowered his voice, “You can’t just come into my life and expect me to throw everything I’ve worked for away. This is my empire, and one day it will be yours.”
“What empire?” Ryan thought of the warehouse and wrinkled his nose.
“I own half the business for a fifteen k’ radius,” Flynn boasted. He pointed at a waitress who was eyeing him nervously. She looked away and nearly dropped her tray when she saw Flynn looking at her. “See?”