AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m eighteen,” I admit. “I’ll be nineteen this week.”
His face darkens to a new shade of red, and I can’t help but cringe. Apparently, that doesn’t help anything for him.
“I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head. “Sit, please.”
He gestures to the sports car, but Chuck grabs a handful of my hair and yanks me back toward him. He holds me in front of him like a shield, his arm around my waist, squeezing the air right from my lungs.
“Fuck that,” he barks. “You don’t do shit to her until we come to an agreement.”
Murder moves to grab me back, but halts again when Ghost holds his hand out to stop him. Though, boy, he does not look happy about it.
“And what do you expect me to do with an eighteen-year-old girl, Chuck?” Ghost asks, stalking ever forward.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t care,” Chuck says. “But I know she’s worth way more than your piddly thirteen Gs.”
“Is that so?” Ghost snipes.
“Well,” Chuck says, “she is a virgin.”
The exhale Ghost lets loose is deafening. “A virgin,” he echos. When Chuck nods, he licks his lips. “Well now, that changes things.”
My cheeks heat, and the tears come back full force. I hold my breath so I don’t burst into sobs, trying to think of puppies or cotton candy or books. Anything to distract me from the shift in personalities, the vicious air all three men took when they heard that stupid V word.
Chuck has always been a fucking creep about it, handing me out to his friends, his enemies, anyone he owed money to, really, claiming I’m a virgin to every one of them. No one questions it. Most of them are rough enough to draw blood, and they just assume it’s because I’m“pure”and not because they’re hurting me. But I was never supposed to complain or correct him, so I don’t.
Chuck, feeling bold, tosses me toward the DeVille, my ass dropping into the trunk, legs hanging over the edge. I close my knees and cover my mouth with both hands, doing everything in my power to control my breathing, keep myself together.
I promised him I’d be good, and I don’t want the consequences of breaking that promise. But I really, really don’t want this.
“Told you,” Chuck says. “So, that works? You get a round or…three, I guess, with my kid, and we call it even. Everyone goes home happy.”
“Except Lucinda,” Ghost notes.
“She’s a big girl,” Chuck says. “She’s happy to help her daddy out.”
“You’re not her daddy,” someone snarls, disgust like a knife in his voice. I don’t bother looking up to see who. I’m too busy trying to stop crying.
“I have a better idea,” Ghost says. “Because neither me nor my men are going to be fucking this young lady.”
“Better…” Chuck swallows, putting his hands on his hips. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“I didn’t make an offer.”
“I already know,” Chuck huffs. “You want her for your little hooker museum, right? That’s what this is, a shakedown. I killed one of your sluts when I took out Mabel. Now you need a new one.”
My stomach lurches, and I actively hold myself back from lunging at him. I knew—I’ve known from the day she died that she was killed, that Chuck killed her. But hearing him say it out loud is a whole new nightmare.
Murder and Mayhem exchange a startled glance, and though Ghost’s face is stoic, he’s furious.
“Mabel wasn’t an employee. Or a slut.”
“Whatever you say. Look, I get it. She’ll make a nice buck.” Chuck looks back at me, clearly considering his options. He barely gives it a second thought before he says, “Fine. Take her.”
Take me? As in, forever?
I choke on a cry and stuff my fingers in my mouth, tremors wracking my entire body. I guess I could run, but where? I have nowhere to go, no idea where my dad even is or if he’d want me back if he knew all that’s happened to me since we last saw each other. With all of Chuck’s creepy friends peppered around the city, surely they won’t leave me alone.
