Page 32 of North’s Claim

Her mouth parts, then she whispers, “Then why?”

I inhale sharply, forcing myself to be honest.

“Love is not something I can give you,” I say in a voice low and coarse. “Protection, mark it done. Make you come like no one else in their fucking life has done? You can bet your sweet ass, Firefly. But love is not something in my book.”

“Love is overrated, North. I don’t even know if that exists.” She shifts, gaze unreadable. “Why Firefly?”

Because you’re petite but lights up my whole fucking world. “Dunno. It’s the first thing that came out.”

I watch her, jaw tight. The space between us feels heavy.

“Why do you want to work?” I ask, changing the topic before I lose whatever control I have left.

“Because I can’t live on your money. I want to be useful. I don’t care what chore you want me to handle here, I can do it. Or, if you allow me, I can find a job somewhere else.”

I chuckle under my breath. The woman’s stubborn. “I’ll think about what I need in the hood,” I say. “But what would you like to do?”

She looks away for a beat. Then back at me. “Something that makes me feel like I belong.”

That…hits.

I nod slowly and I fix my eyes on her again. “We need to talk, Nyxa. I want to know what happened in your life to make you end up with that fucker and why you allowed him to take over your life.”

She freezes. Her hands bunch the sheet. “Now?”

“Whenever you’re ready,” I say, softer this time. “But I need to know, Nyxa. You don’t have to carry it alone anymore.”

She sits and takes a deep breath.

“The night before I met him, I scrubbed the floors until my knees bled in the diner after I turned the owner off. Myka was a customer at the time; came in twice a day, sometimes more. Seemed like a good guy. He punched the owner when he realized what was happening. Two days later he was high, calling me 'baby' between rants about loyalty and how I should be grateful he gave me a place to sleep. I nodded, smiled, bit my tongue until I tasted blood. That’s what being invisible tastes like: copper and shame. He took my wallet with all my documents and burned it.”

I clench my jaw, and curl my fists without even realizing it.

She stares ahead, voice thin. “I used to think the world owed me something. A soft place to land. A family that didn’t trade bruises for bedtime. A stage, a song, a spotlight that felt warm instead of searing. Then I just hoped no one would touch me.” Her voice breaks and my throat tightens. “Myka’s hands were all grab and take. Slurred words. Promises that were actually threats. Like I was a dog on a leash. And maybe I was trained well, kept high just enough to stay. At the beginning it was for fun, he said. But when it ran out, I needed more. And of course, he was the only one who had it.”

My stomach turns.

“Why do you flinch? Did he ever hit you?” I know he did. But I need her to say it.

She nods. “For fun, or when he was bored. I couldn’t sleep in his bed, not always. I used to sleep on the floor or a chair.”

My hands shake. I don’t turn on the light. She needs to speak without feeling like she’s under a spotlight.

“He always said I was too chubby and needed to lose weight.”

“That why you skip meals?”

“How’d you know?”

“I’m not a kid, Nyxa. I saw the difference between our portions.”

“That’s why you always make me go grab another beer so you can fill my plate?”

I can’t help but chuckle. She noticed.

“If I was good, he’d give me food. If I behaved, or if he didn’t feel like it, he’d cut my rations.” She sighs. “It wasn’t that bad once I got used to it. But when he gave me the pills, it got worse.”

“Fucking bastard.”