CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Kristen
I admit, I’ve been hiding a bit. It’s not that I’m shy or terrified, it’s just been a little overwhelming, you know? Difficult to realize that the men you adore, men you’re head over heels in love with, are criminals.
Troy and Tyler are my everything, I know that now. And what started as a stunt, a cute little research project focused on teen shenanigans, has turned into something darker, deeper, much more troubling. Because through my investigation, I discovered that my stepbrothers are running an escort service.
They insist on calling it an escort service and not a prostitution ring because the two are supposedly vastly different. A prostitution ring is what you find in Thailand or the seedy parts of New York. Those are girls often have no options, addicted to drugs, manhandled and used by self-serving, arrogant pimps.
Not that my brothers aren’t arrogant. But they run their business by another code. For high-class escort services, the quality of asset is key … and for the Lyon twins, the assets just happen to be women.
But my brothers invest heavily in the women they manage. The pay for medical check-ups, vaccinations, regular STD screening, and have even sponsored visas for some of the girls so that they’re able to remain in the United States legally. Plus, they screen their male clients like the FBI to ensure that no one abuses or mistreats a girl in their care.
“How does it work?” I’d asked, my chin trembling. After the discovery of my stepbrothers’ true business, I’d felt shaky and collapsed, both under the weight of the revelation and because I was pregnant with their child.
“How does a girl join the Lyon twins’ escort business?” I’d asked again, my hands folded demurely.
Tyler and Troy sat on either side of me on the couch, slowly letting me into their world.
“It depends,” began Tyler, the business guy. “Usually we’ll get a tip from someone that a girl’s looking to move, looking for work, and wants to be placed at a stand-up establishment.”
I blanched a bit. “You guys are known as the stand-up establishment in this field?” I asked, my voice quivering.
Troy answered this time. “I know it’s hard to believe, little sister, but yes, Tyler and I are known for running an elite service, and we have a reputation to protect. So we only take girls who can meet our standards on a number of different fronts … physically, emotionally, legally, everything,” he said. “And if she’s not quite up to par, we’ll work with her if we believe in the product,” he continued. “We invest heavily, and that’s what’s made for our amazing returns.”
I still quivered inside, spooked at this talk of women as assets, as products with returns, that kind of thing. They were people, after all, living breathing women just like me. But on the other hand, I supposed it was no different for female celebrities, female models, actresses, etc. The product is the woman so to speak.
“But … but what if a girl is having trouble?” I said. “What if she has a bad experience, or gains weight, or has a baby?” I said, stroking my tummy.
Both my brothers looked at my abdomen as well, which was just beginning to swell. Their gazes were adoring, lighting their expressions with joy. But they answered the question head on, without trying to duck or save face.
“We fire girls who have a lot of trouble in their lives,” said Tyler. “We work with them, sure, to overcome obstacles. But there are times where the only answer is to let a girl go, and it’s one of the toughest parts of this job.”
“We don’t like doing it,” agreed Troy. “But at the same time, most girls don’t work for us for very long, believe it or not. We only hire girls who have potential … maybe they’re in a cash crunch, so they come to us for a bit. But inevitably they move on, and we’re happy for them.”
Okay, it sort of made sense. Suddenly, a thought struck me.
“Do you keep in touch with any of the girls who’ve moved on?” I asked, somewhat suspiciously.
Tyler and Troy exchanged a look.
“Yeah honey, we do,” said Troy. “You know Rachel, the weekday bartender at Club Luxe? She was one of our girls, but transitioned into bartending after she got settled.”
Rachel? Suddenly, recent events made more sense now. I’d bumped into Rachel at the club unexpectedly, when she was picking up some files for Tyler. I’d been mighty suspicious. First, Tyler hardly trusts anyone with his business, and second, I’d bumped into her at 11 a.m., when the bar was usually closed. But now that I knew she was a trusted employee, it all gelled in my head.
Plus, Rachel was pretty, lithe and slim, with good fashion sense. Good for getting tips at the bar, yes, but even better for mind-boggling tips from escort clients.
“Honey,” said Troy softly. “Why don’t you talk with Rachel about her past tonight? This is really overwhelming, and I know we’ve put a lot on you. It might help to talk with a woman, especially one who’s worked for us, to get another perspective,” he said.
I nodded my head. As a former employee, Rachel would have no reason to lie. I’d appreciate picking her brain a bit.
But another question stuck in my head, one that I didn’t want to ask, but knew I had to.
“Brothers,” I said slowly. “In the video on your computer, you fucked the girl who was trying out. Sandy, I think her name was. Do you usually sleep with your girls?” I asked.
Their expressions were carefully neutral, but again, I got the sense that they were trying to be open and honest.
“Baby … yes, we’ve slept with a lot of the women,” said Tyler slowly. “But we always used protection, and put them through the wringer when it came to regular STD-testing. But yes,” he concluded. “We did have physical relationships with many of the women who worked for us.”
“Did you have a baby with any of them?” I asked, my cheeks flaming. It was so hard to bring this up, but I had to know.
“Absolutely not,” stated Troy firmly. “We were militant about birth control, and honey, we haven’t slept with anyone since you’ve come into our lives,” he said simply. “You and the baby are our number ones, and we wouldn’t dream of being with another woman while we have you.”
I smiled tremulously, my fears and doubts allayed for the moment. But I was still worried. Secrets are always hard to keep, and with one of this size, it was just a matter of time before things blew up. What would happen then? What would happen to my baby if my brothers’ business was revealed? What would people say if they discovered my baby was the result of an illicit relationship between siblings?