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“He needed money. Fast. Since he was a useless drunk at his job, I didn’t want to give him any more shifts. And I couldn’t give a loan to someone who’d been stealing from me. Even you can see there’s no logic in that.” His hand finds its way to my leggings, and I clench my fists, wanting nothing more than to slap his hand away, but I can’t. He will hurt me. Severely. And even though I haven’t exactly been enthusiastic about living, I am definitely not enthusiastic about getting beaten to death.
“So, to settle up his debts, he offered me…you.” He stubs his finger to my sternum, his voice smiling smugly.
My father sold me, like I was his property.
He betrayed me, when all I wanted was to get my life on track.
I ran away once.
I thought it was over when he was killed in the hands of my lover.
But he came back for me…even from the dead.
“So here’s how this is going to play out, little Quinn.” Murray hooks his thumb to my leggings and pushes them down, along with my panties. The bite of the New York winter pierces through my skin, and my whole body shudders violently. I look the other way, narrowing my eyes to the trashcans and industrial bins sitting outside a restaurant that’s obviously closed at this hour.
All it took was one wrong turn.
One bad decision.
And here I am.
“I’ll take you back home for a spin. We’ll get to know each other again, and tomorrow, I’ll drop you off at your apartment to pick up your shit. You’re coming with me to Long Island, where you’ll stay. You will cook for me, live with me, and fuck me. As I please, and as much as I’d like. You’ll take orders from me, and you’ll obey.”
“What makes you think that I will?” I ask. I don’t really want to know the answer. I’m just wondering if he has some kind of an additional leverage on me that I should be aware of. Not because I will run away. He’ll find me again and probably kill me. He’s done it once before. Killed a wise guy. A pimp. Got off on self-defense. He’ll do it again.
Once again, I’m held in a smelly alleyway, being threatened by a monster from my past.
“I will kill you if you disobey. And I will make sure it’ll be graphic and a ton of fun for me…a little less for you, though.” Murray winks, flashing me a rotting smile. I blink twice, but don’t answer.
I will kill myself before he touches me again.
Murray steps away from me for the first time since he cornered me in this alley, and I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“Chop, chop, little lamb. It’s time to go where you belong. In my bed.” Murray pulls out a switchblade and ushers me to the end of the alleyway, toward a white Ford Explorer I recognize as his own.
As I buckle myself up, I look out the window frantically, looking for someone. Looking for him. My savior. Where is he? Will he let this happen to me? He can’t. He won’t. He promised he’d protect me, even if he didn’t use words.
He used something far more reassuring. His touch. His presence. His lips.
Carter is everywhere. I can still feel him on my body. Inside me and everywhere around me.
Shit. It reminds me why I left the house in the first place.
“Can I make a quick stop at Duane Reade?” I ask Murray as he kicks his vehicle into drive. He laughs, his eyes still focused on the empty road ahead in this early morning hour.
“Sure. Why the fuck not? If Duane Reade is code for my fucking dick.”
I don’t answer that.
I don’t tell him what the urgency is. There’s no telling how he’d react.
I don’t say a word.
I just stare out the window, screaming internally.
Carter, where are you?
It’s the first time I didn’t wait outside her window the moment the first ray of sunshine cracked through the black sky.
