“Oh my God please don’t hurt me, please don’t!”

“Let’s see…” He walked over and opened the cabinets under the bar, “bull whip, cat o’ nine, baseball bat, cattle prod, sharps…” He looked up at her, quirking an eyebrow, “Got a preference?” He grimaced, “Oh, can’t forget one thing.”

“Last time you wouldn’t believe what I had to go through to get it all out of my carpets.” He went to the coat closet and took out a plastic rain mat, unrolling it beneath her feet. “You know meat tenderizer takes out blood stains? Okay, well, you’re a girl, you probably do.”

“Oh God, oh God, oh God. Save me and I’ll never do anything like this again. Oh God… please, mister, I’m not whoever you want, please don’t hurt me.”

“Mmmm. I love leather.” He walked over and pulled out the bullwhip, asking again, “Who sent you, sweetness?”

“I’m a secretary!”

The distant sound of the dampened screams rolled over Worth like ambrosia. No matter how jaded you got, you didn’t ever lose your taste for this. He eventually noticed the red light blinking and fastened his jeans again before answering the door.

A squat man with a receding hairline and a pizza box ducked through the door and bolted it behind him. Setting the box down on the bar and opening it, he glanced over at the woman hanging limply from the rings.

“Geez, Worth, you didn’t leave me much to work with. At least she’s still got teeth. Man, I’ve been standing out there punching the bell for ten minutes!”

“She’s got most of them. You know I can’t hear when the system’s on.”

Sam went into the kitchen and brought back three beers. “You want one?”

“Nah. I just keep ’em for you, man.”

The shorter man shrugged and took a bite of his pizza, carrying a beer over to the working wall where a set of clean sharps were already laid out for him.